It’s going to be another great year for Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge. Here’s what new this year:
Central Market Place @ Timber Ridge
We have created a “Central Market Place” for exhibitors right next to the finish line inside the BISSELL Celebration Zone on Friday from 12-6 and Saturday 9am-5pm. As an added bonus, you can purchase you’re beer tickets on Friday too! So go ride the finish, grab a Bell’s beer and shop on Friday outside.
Water Bottle Hill Re-route
Your water bottle (and fillings) are safe for 2017 as we’ve re-routed the (in)famous decent.
No Outside Booze:
Based on our liquor license and agreement, no outside alcohol is permitted. This year our security team will be searching bags and confiscating all outside alcohol before entering the celebration zone.
Parking:
All racers (even Slush Cup and SnoCone) and spectators must park at Rasho Rd.to access Timber Ridge with ONLY THREE exceptions:
Disability/Handicap Parking
Subaru owners will still have VIP parking at Timber Ridge
Paid Timber Ridge permit holders. Timber Ridge’s guests and campers have the first priority over Bell’s Beer Iceman riders. Parking at Timber Ridge will cost $25.00 pre-paid or $35.00 day of the event. The proceeds will benefit the Timber Ridge Foundation.
The FINISH Line:
It’s all new and something you won’t soon forget! But we won’t spoil it for you. Check it out Friday either before or after the Expo!
The 2017 Bell’s Iceman and Slush Cup officially kick off nine days from today on Friday, November 3rd! Let the madness begin.
Long-time sponsor CLIF Bar has $900 bucks burning a hole in their pocket and wants to donate it to three worthy cycling-related charities. All you have to do is nominate them. Read this for more information.
And in that same spirit of generosity, an anonymous donation means that Junior Iceman categories will be competing for $5,000 in college scholarships through Michigan Youth Cycling again this year.
A reminder that the Iceman Store closes this Sunday (10/29) at 9pm. You may have caught a sneak peak at some of the 2017 Borah Teamwear jerseys available in the Iceman Store at the Peak2Peak bike race Saturday. On another store-related note, the Headsweats coupon code is good for select items at Headsweats.com not in the Iceman Store. We’re sorry about the confusion caused for more than one shopper with that ad.
Friday, Friday at Timber Ridge Resort!!
Packet Pick up and the SRAM Ice Cycle Expo both open at 10:00 am in the Michigan Ballroom at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa and run until 9:00 pm that night. Be sure to check out the newest mountain bike gear, do a little swagging, and sample a Bell’s Brewery seasonal offering all at the same time.
Friday is also a very busy day at Timber Ridge Resort as our staff prepares for the big day on Saturday, athletes are checking out the last few kilometers of the race-course, and Timber Ridge’s camping guests are arriving. We are adding to Friday’s Icemania at Timber Ridge this year with the addition of the Central Market Place. The Market Place is really an extension of the SRAM Expo; it’s just located 100 feet from the finish line. What’s an outdoor Expo without a little beer and food? Timber Ridge Resort will open up the Bell’s Beer wagon a little early this year Friday afternoon and will also have a couple of food trucks ready to serve up their specialties. Friday afternoon will also be a great opportunity to purchase beer tickets and avoid the lines on Saturday.
Mike Dega, of Velofix Detroit, will be ready to serve any and all racers who encounter a mechanical issue while scoping out the race finale. “I got a flat two years ago while pre-riding the finish line and it really put me in a jam. All the local shops were swamped with last minute tune-ups and repairs so by the time I called, it was too late for them to help me out. As a result of that experience, we’ll have our Velofix van stocked with spare parts, tires, and tubes along with mechanics standing by ready get you rolling for Saturday. We want to keep Friday night stress free”, said Dega.
Joining Velofix in the Central Market Place on Friday will be Louis Garneau, Massey Fish, Cross Country Ski Headquarters, Joshua Tree and Cannondale bikes. Others, including; Kong Coolers, 45 Nrth and LMB will join the CMP on Saturday.
“With everything going at Timber Ridge Resort Friday, parking will be non-existent within the property so we have arranged for Blue Lakes by the Bay shuttle buses to make loops between Rasho Farm and Timber Ridge from 1:00 to 5:00 pm Friday. It’s a quick 5 minute trip and we have volunteers following the shuttles with Penske trucks for the bikes. It will operate just like the shuttles on Saturday”, said Steve Brown, event director.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy will again partner with Iceman for the official Iceman sticker. This year we’ve mirrored the theme from the Bell’s Oarsman color scheme to create the 2017 Sticker. Look for the GTRLC booth near the Trek booth and the registration table downstairs to get your stickers this year or order online at MyRaceSticker.com Proceeds from the sale help fund GTRLC initiatives like this summer’s purchase of 160 acres in Grand Traverse County
Cody Sprattmoran is working on a proposal for a mountain bike park at Sugar Loaf. Have thoughts about it?
There will be a public meeting this Friday 10/20 @ 11am at the Leelanau County Governmental Center Lower Level located at 8527 E. Government Center Dr., Suttons Bay MI 49682.
The 2017 Bell’s Beer Iceman Cometh Challenge has sold out again. We are looking forward to a great event and welcoming riders, new and veteran, to Traverse City. Here’s a brief refresher on the transfer process.
Obtain a USA Cycling account (and add that to your profile). (A USA Cycling account is free and takes about 2 minutes to obtain. Go towww.usacycling.org and in the upper-right corner look for the “sign-in” button. Choose “create account”. -You don’t need to purchase an annual license.)
Sign up for the race, you’re not actually signing up but joining the “I want in” list.
Once an entry becomes available from the “I want out” list, we will send you an email and you will 24 HOURS TO COMPLETE the registration process. So be sure to check your email.
(Transferring Out)
Log in to your Ice Society profile
Check the Gold “Transfer” button in your profile page. Your profile will then be listed on the transfer page of the Ice Society as with an entry to sell.
You will receive an $80 credit (just like buying something, only you get $ back) when your entry is taken by another participant.
**Please note all money transactions for the transfer will be handled through the Ice Society and take a few days to process.
Well, for those of you who waited TOO long and now find the race full we have some good news!
Once again just like last year we at CyclingLawyer.com are giving away entries to the 2017 ICEMAN Mountain Bike Race set for Saturday, November 4th. Easy to register. Visit our Facebook page and click to follow/ like our page then visit our website CyclingLawyer.com and at the back page enter your name and email for a chance at an entry slot. OK, so maybe you are an early bird and already signed up for this year. Well, if you should win ICEMAN says you can use your slot for 2018!!! Don’t wait any longer. The race is only 4 weeks away and the drawing will be third week of October. Clean your bike, change the tires, lube the chain and sign up NOW.
Last year, ten-year-old Cici Copenhaver was entered into the #MIKidsCan Iceman Cometh complimentary entry contest by her grandmother, Barb Svalstad. Cici started riding bikes with Norte! Bicycle Club in the summer of 2016. When she started participating in Norte’s Vasa Domingos Sunday rides she could not get up a single hill. Yet, she stuck with it and learned a lot about drinking lots of water and eating a very healthy diet. Improvement is a process and not always an easy one. Her engagement with bikes even got the rest of her family to ride together.
During last year’s Slush Cup race she walked just one hill and it was a bruiser. Cici finished 2nd in the 10 & Under category and earned a spot on the Iceman podium!
Her coach from Norte!, Ty Schmidt, says that Cici exhibits everything that is positive about cycling. “She’s gritty. She’s tough. And she does it all with a smile. Plus, she wears streamers in her helmet! Who doesn’t love that,” he asked. For the 2017 Slush Cup race, Cici moves up to the 12 & Under category and says balancing school, sports, and Iceman training will be her biggest challenge.
If your daughter or son thinks they could be the next Iceman Slush Cup champion, Blue Care Network is giving away 10 entries so they can prove their mettle! Go to ahealthiermichigan.org and search for Slush Cup by September 15th to find details about training rides, tips and how your little bikers can earn a free race entry.
