thanks for putting on a great race where i was able to push myself to the limit and make it. i hope to better my time next year. as someone else said hard as hell but fun at the same time. thanks again to everyone who helped put this on. micah bogage

Bob, I think the race was a great succes. Hard as hell but fun all the same.As far as course marking, I done the 50 and didnt get lost. Maybe if people would pay more attantion to the course,and not follow the guy in front you thinking he is on track.Again thanks to allthe volunteers and triplering.. Ray Derenburger

Having been one of the guys (and gal) who took a 15 mile detour in the 50, after I've had some time to look back, it's hard to really be all that negative about it. Shit happens, and if you've been bike racing for some time, you'll know that going off course happens fairly often even when you're running multiple laps on a shorter course. Let's face it, we're lemmings when we're in a pack.

As much as everyone wants to compare Butte to Leadville, this race isn't an out-and-back borefest on pavement and two track; this is real mountain biking, and by association, it's supposed to be hard. 100 mile loops are something of a rarity in mountain biking, so, in that regard, Butte has something special. Tinker said it was the hardest 100 miler he's ever done - if that's not the ultimate seal of approval, I don't know what is.

That said, there are important lessons to be learned here:

+ This race will grow. Plenty of people had fun and were challenged in ways that exceeded their expectations. Seasoned riders I respect had not, until yesterday, encountered a race this difficult over their long & successful careers in cycling or other endurance sports.

+ The volunteers were awesome and the people we met in Butte who had nothing to do with the race were interested and supportive.

+ I've done a bunch of these kind of races all over the US & Canada - the course is unapologetically difficult. That's a good thing - market the hell out of that. I didn't have a good race, but that didn't mean that there were not moments of fun.

Suggestions:

- As much as this race has evolved over time as the antidote to Leadville, that doesn't mean that what's made that race successful should be ignored. The racers meeting there is top-notch; when I did it they co-ordinated it with a pasta feed. My suggestion is that you tally up the places where riders went astray, take digital photos of where things were a bit fuzzy, throw them into a powerpoint, and burn those images into folks minds. Laminate some of those photos and post them at the aid station in advance of the next section riders are about to tackle. Also, rent or borrow a PA, especially with the numbers who were crowded into the pre-race, it was hard to hear

- Someone else has suggested chalk or other kinds of semi-permanent markings. Probably a good idea.

- Energize the local ATV club, have them be your eyes and ears. Despite what most mtb'rs think, these guys are usually pretty receptive to helping out. If you want to get real fancy, a lead moto with a knowledgable rider will trump any vandals, at least for your lead packs. I have a feeling you may have already done this and that USFS restrictions might not help matters.

- The feed stations were fine; I've never had a volunteer help fill up a camelback at a race, ever, until yesterday. Maybe see if the local high school or MT Tech would let you borrow big Gatorate containers to premix sportsdrink and such. If Butte's not willing to help, I'm sure we can find someone in Missoula who is.

- Lastly, if there are people who are angry enough that they say they won't return, just offer them a free entry into next year's race.

That's all i've got

Stinky.

Bob,
Thanks for putting on a good race.
I find it odd that for the second year in a row somebody has removed course markings, resulting in many riders putting on bonus miles. Is there a reason the course isn't marked, or at least checked the morning of the ride? I've done rides that have the course marked with chalk right on the trail at any intersection or turn as well as flagging. Is that something you would consider?
I feel that was a bad decision to make the course harder. Not everybody is a super hero, and last year was huge challenge for me, this year was even tougher taking most of the fun out of it. Maybe I should just stick to races I can finish with some dignity.
See you next year, maybe.

Jesse, thanks for adding a positive vibe to the negativity here. I thought the race was great despite all the mishaps. Yes, there is much to improve on for next year. The race was far from perfect. But, it was an epic experience that I am psyched to do again next year.
How about sending Bob an e-mail with some positive feedback guys. Give him some good advice instead of complaints. Bob knows very well what happened yesterday and probably feels horrible about it. Kiefer

Hey Bob,
I just want to pass this along to you. I know there will be some negativity towards yesterdays race, but given the logistics, the nature of the course(not an out and back), and the amount of people you have helping you, I just wanted to say yesterday was a success. There are cartainly some things that could improve. I hope you will continue to put the Butte 100 on the race calendar and make it be known that the Butte 100 is HARD. A big thank you goes out to you and all your volunteers.
Jesse