Mountain bikers and gravel riders raised more than $2,000 for the Greenfield Trails Association on Saturday during the Greenfield Trails Association Strava Challenge, a time trial-style race where riders took off in intervals of five and recorded their pace on the Strava app.
35 mountain bikers entered a 26-mile course with 3,000 feet in elevation gain, and 20 gravel riders entered a 50-mile ride with 4,800 feet in gain, organizer John Hopkins said. The mountain bike course took riders on a combination of single track trails and dirt roads from the center of Greenfield up the Crotched Mountain ski slopes, out to the foothills of North Pack and back. Gravel riders meandered through Francestown and into the hills through Deering before returning to Greenfield. Entry fees are slated for the club’s procurement of a Snowdog, a machine capable of grooming snow-covered trails for winter bicycle riding, as well as sponsorships for some of the dedicated riders on the Contoocook Valley Chain Gang racing team, he said.
Josiah LaSalle of Milford logged the fastest time overall for the mountain bike course, at 2:31:24. Karen Korza of Windham logged the fastest women’s time, at 3:12:13. Kendall Larson of Peterborough, the only under-18 rider registered, logged the second-fastest women’s time at 3:13:20.
Dereck Treadwell of Topsham, Maine completed the gravel course in 2:57:25. Lizzy Gunsalus of Ashland, Massachusetts was the only woman to log a time on Strava, and solo under-18 rider Wylie Kendall of Antrim logged the fourth overall fastest time at 3:09:30.
Recorded times were approximate due to riders deciding for themselves when to start and stop recording, and some issues with missed turns, Kendall and another rider said. A couple directional arrows marking the race courses had been taken down or obscured and led to several riders losing their way, Hopkins said, including obscured by overflow parking near Plowshare Farm for North Pack hikers. Following other riders’ courses on the Strava app helped some riders get back on course, he said.
The Greenfield Trails Association, which manages about 50 miles of single track trails in the Greenfield area, wanted to support some of the area’s dedicated young riders, the “future stars of the local mountain bike community” due to the disruptions in their race season this year, Hopkins said. He specifically lauded team captains Wylie Kendall and Kendall Larson, as well as Molly and Ella Dishong, for their dedicated training ethic. “We just want them to be recognized,” he said, even if this year’s racing season looks different than other years due to COVID-19. Funds may go to subsidizing equipment or other costs of participating for the athletes.