The season for riding in Alaska is now fully upon us. (The fatbike riders might, conversely, assert that the season is coming to an end.) The snow has melted off all of the roads and most of the pathways. The road crews are steadily cleaning the gravel off the shoulders. And I keep forgetting to recharge my headlight, but it doesn't matter because I never need it.
The Alaska Randonneurs just kicked off the season with their first 100k/200k ride this past weekend in Talkeetna. There is another ride this weekend in the Mat-Su Valley, adding a 50k option to the mix. Their full calendar can be found here:
http://alaskarandonneurs.org/2012/02/2012-ride-calendar/The first duathlon of the season is the Eklutna Challenge, in Eagle River, on May 19th. This is a great ride. You'll definitely want a mountain bike for this. Leave the road bikes at home. Cross bike riders will have to slow down a bit going over the tree roots and snow. Info here:
http://www.lifetimeadventures.net/eklutnaChallenge.phpAnd registration is open for the Fireweed, Alaska's premier road racing event. They have a multitude of options: 50, 100, 200, and 400 mile events, fat tire races, and a 2-day ride that overnights in Tonsina.
http://www.fireweed400.com/We still don't have dates for the Soggy Bottom 100, a fat tire endurance ride down on the Kenai, but it should be some time in August.
http://aksoggybottom.com/And for the Anchorage-based riders, the Arctic Bike Club continues to post additional races on their events page.
http://www.arcticbike.org/It's time to clean the chain, put some air in those tires, and go enjoy the sunshine.
