Politicians in Colorado know a good thing when they see it. Now that the Leadville 100 is a nationally recognized event that routinely sells out, state Senators are looking to add another large-scale 100-mile MTB race to help boost local economies.

While it sounds like the discussions are very early stage at best, the idea is to create a race that starts in Bailey, CO and winds through much of the singletrack network known as the Buffalo Creek area. Right now the Senators are looking for local businesses to help raise money for the race which they predict could bring 3-5,000 racers and spectators to the area each June.

Of course racing at Leadville and Buffalo Creek are two entirely different things. For starters, Buffalo Creek sits at an average elevation of about 8,000 feet - not 10,000+ like Leadville. The climbs around Buffalo Creek are mild in comparison which could help draw more “recreational riders” than Leadville. Bailey is only about 30 minutes outside Denver which is another advantage, though without Lance Armstrong or a movie about the race, it may be hard to attract large crowds initially.

I personally love the trails in and around Bailey and for strictly cross-country stuff it’s hard to find a better singletrack network in Colorado (or the US for that matter). Sign me up for 2011!

If you’re not heading up to Buffalo Creek for the IMBA trail work party tomorrow you definitely need to get to Leadville for the big race. I’m pretty pumped after reading CogandChain.com’s run down of the competitors and the stakes in tomorrow’s race. Lance may not have won in France but he certainly has a good chance in Leadville tomorrow!

Over at leadville100.com they’re offering a live webstream of the race for less than six bucks. If you can’t sit in front of the computer all day tomorrow you can pick up a DVD after the race instead for $20.

Send us a shout if you go to the race so we can share your pics on Monday!

Lots of interesting stuff in the MTB news this week:

Photos of SRAM XX MTB component group leaked: A Taiwanese website has posted purported spy pics of SRAM XX components which will compete against the high end XTR group from Shimano. The graphic indicates the entire group will weigh less than 2300 grams which ain’t bad. Part of the weight savings comes from the fact that the gearing will be 2×9 rather than 3×9 - these days less is definitely more when it comes to MTB components.

Dirty Century Training: Speaking earlier this week about dirty century rides, The Watch newspaper out of Telluride has a good article on a guy who is training for the Leadman competition in Leadville, CO this year. You’ve probably heard of the Leadville 100 MTB race (you know, the one where Lance got beat last year) but to become an official “Leadman” you need to complete the dirty century PLUS a 100 mile trail run and a couple other Leadville events (thankfully not on the same day). All events take place above 9,000 feet and some go as high as 13,000+ feet so you know altitude training will be important. Read the article and be glad you’re not getting up at 4am to spin on the trainer in your basement.

Ammunition from “the enemy”: NewUniversity.org posted an article about the “uphill battle” mountain bikers face with regards to trail access and they even posted pics of an illegal mountain bike trail rider sneaking through the woods (shock!). The best part, though, is that the article brings up another argument for why mountain bikers SHOULD be allowed on trails that I hadn’t though of before: mountain bikers act as “de-facto park rangers.” Yep, mountain bikers are usually helpful to folks in distress (hikers or bikers) and we’re usually prepared with water and snacks and able to get help more quickly than folks on foot. Just add helpfulness to the list of good stuff mountain bikers do for trails: we volunteer, we’re courteous, and we cause no more erosion than hikers. Sure some mountain bikers go off trail every now and then but so do hikers looking for their precious geocaches!

The MTB news seems to be coming faster these days - riding season can’t be far off!

Photo from Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Blog.

Most of us have heard of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race - the grueling 100-mile race course that takes place above 10,000 feet each summer - but there’s actually a newer race series happening in the Leadville, CO area this time of year: The Leadville Winter Mountain Biking Series. Melanie Wong writes about her experience riding in a recent series race in the Vail Daily and it’s a great read if you have the time.

Last weekend’s race took place at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center near Ski Cooper and the course consisted of cross country skiing trails ridden in the dark. Apparently 65 riders showed up for the race (a record for the series) and there were riders of all types and ages (including at least one single-speeder). The next Leadville Winter Mountain Biking Series race will be held at the Mount Massive Golf Course and will follow a unique 2-person relay format around a fast 6-mile circuit.

It’s great to see groups organizing races and group rides during the cold winter months since most of us just make excuses that keep us from going out alone. Just goes to show you it’s always possible to get out and ride, no matter where you live or what the weather conditions may be!