Iceman Cometh Challenge News

Is this your first time? Learn ALL the things!

If this will be your first time doing Iceman, you’re in good company; it was EVERYONE’s first time at some point! It was MY first time just this past November. This is a BIG event (in every way possible) and if that feels a bit intimidating – or even if it doesn’t – it’s highly recommended that you go in knowing as much as you can about it as you can. Your experience will be MUCH better if you do! The good news? There is plenty of fantastic resources available on the site to educate you now, before they say, “Riders ready… Go!”

About the author: Kurt Schaldenbrand has been racing bicycles since 1983. He’s been a licensed coach working with competitive and developmental cyclists since 1990 and has been head coach for the University of Michigan Cycling team since 2012.

IMPORTANT WAVE ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

***Update from the office: This was an April Fool’s Joke posted on 4-1-2021**

We have received a lot of emails from eager racers since we opened registration on March 5. While many have covered topics ranging from shuttles to Expo vendors and even the start location, one word is by far the most common: waves. We’re happy to unveil the 2021 Wave Assignment system!

This has been a challenge for years and something we tinker with meticulously all year long. We know just how much wave assignments influence not just your competitiveness, but also your race day experience, and we value that. Over the past three decades, you’ve voiced your opinions, and we hear you.

That’s why we are really excited about taking your feedback and creating the perfect wave assignment system. The idea really struck during last fall’s Virtual SRAM Ice Cycle Expo, which hundreds of you joined in on Zoom or on Facebook Live. We used a prize spinner to pick the winners of free entries, jerseys, even Cody’s beloved Trek Top Fuel! So we thought; people love the Prize Spinner; why not make it a Wave Spinner?

So, using technology pioneered by our friends at Saris, we unveil to you the Saris Wave Spinner! Instead of 55 waves in total, we’ve broken out 4500 racers into 100 waves chosen totally at random. Spin the wheel, get your wave assignment; what could be simpler?

“We’re really eager to see how this new format shakes up the race for everyone; and we mean everyone, because the Pros will also be assigned waves this way. Who doesn’t want to Geoff Kabush lining up next to a tandem? Of course we want to see Chloe Woodruff bumping bars with a twelve year old; we just don’t see any way this could possibly go wrong, “ commented Race Director Cody Sovis.

There are actually 101 spots on the spinner, with the extra space designated “Tailgunner”. This wave will get a unique perk, though. In their registration packets, they’ll receive a handlebar-mounted clicker to tally all the people they pass from the waves ahead of them. The rider with the most overtakes at the end of the race will win a 2021 Subaru Outback! With just a big prize, we expect the last rider on this wave to finish in under 90 minutes, though there’s a fair chance they’ll leave a wave of destruction in their path.

As you might have guessed, the change wasn’t an easy one to make. “This is a terrible idea and I want everyone to know it was Cody’s idea,” commented Steve “Iceman” Brown. He’ll be making his Iceman debut this year, but with that attitude, we might be tempted to stop the spinner somewhere in the high 40s for him.

We hope you’re as excited about the Wave Spinner as we are! Until November 6, we hope you’re healthy, happy, and training…and lucky when it’s your turn to spin.

Get Signed Up, Then Get Riding

Step one, sign up. Step two, get riding. Registration for the 2021 Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge opens up on March 5, and while we can’t get together for our traditional in-person events, we’re meeting up on Watopia for a ride.

Normally, we’d be hanging with dedicated riders at 7 Monks and Bell’s Eccentric Cafe to kick off the season. That may not be happening, but we’re really looking forward to helping the thousands of generous riders who donate or deferred their entries from 2020 to this season get locked in to race on November 6. If you are one of those kind-hearted riders, thank you! Make sure you’re furiously hitting refresh on your inbox for information on how to use your code to claim your spot in this year’s race!

This year, we’re also offering a year-long Virtual Training Challenge through Strava. By committing to hit 500, 1,500, or 3,000 miles, you’ll be setting yourself up for your best Iceman ever, plus a chance to win monthly prizes from sponsors like Bell’s, Meijer, Trek, and more.

You can get your training kickstarted with us on Saturday, March 6 Zwift. First up, join Race Director Cody Sovis 75 minute, no-drop ride at 8 am EST. Can’t quite get out of bed for that? Join 2019 Iceman winner Alexey Vermeulen for a 75 minute ride at 11am EST!

For both events, make sure you sign up at the correct link and follow the leader on Zwift for an invite. Meet-ups are limited to 100 riders, so get locked in.

Cody’s Ride
8am EST
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/qJfcGRcKDbxLvBzbA

Alexey’s Ride
11am EST (9am MST)
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/UozwZttiXZUZ8jSU8

The Weirdest Iceman Week Ever…

It’s Iceman Week! For many of us, it’s like the week before Christmas, the Super Bowl, and National Pie Day all rolled into one. This isn’t a normal Iceman Week, of course, but nothing in 2020 has gone according to plan. Continue reading “The Weirdest Iceman Week Ever…”

May Ice Society Leaderboard: How Do You Stack Up?

May is prime time to rack up some miles, and the Ice Society sure got out and rode!

Our integrated Ice Society training leaderboard is a cool way to see how your training measures up to other Iceman racers around the state and around the world. All you need to do is link up your Strava account with your Iceman account and you’ll start showing up on the list. It’s always interesting to watch as training ramps up with the improving weather, and May saw a big jump in activities!

Paul Dodd was the lone rider to break the 4,000 point mark, with Markus Stumpp and our own race director Cody Sovis making up the top three. Those points are calculated based on miles, ride time, elevation gain, and effort level, offering up a pretty neat way to quantify riding of all kinds.

Two Iceman winners made the top ten, with Brian Matter at 3,028 points. Chloe Woodruff slid in the top ten, but did it was one very important distinction; some of her points came from a UCI Mountain Bike Short Track World Cup victory at Nove Mesto! She paired with Kate Courtney to give the US women three World Cup wins to kick off the season, the first victories in twenty years for American women. That’s a milestone for sure; we’re trying to figure out how to double the points from that ride!

To see the whole leaderboard, and see how you stack up in your age group or race category, just head to the Training Activity leaderboard and dive into the data!