This past weekend was the 2022 Banana Belt Race.  

And this year it was bigger and better, part of the Salida Bike Fest, which included a mountain bike race, a gravel race, fun rides, a bike-in movie, a kids’ bike parade and all sorts of other bike-centric shenanigans.  All with a 1976 theme. Why? Well, besides the fact that 1976 was one of the most awesomest of years, why not!

And unlike last-year’s Banana Belt, which was held on Methodist Mountain, this year’s edition was held on the Arkansas Hills side of town with a brand-new course starting and finishing at Riverside Park in the heart of downtown Salida. Which made for a great festival atmosphere including food trucks, free beer and assorted bike vendors.

And boy, did the racers show up!  A few days prior to the race 91 people had signed up for the mountain bike race.  Reflecting the current interest in gravel riding, there were over 200 signed up for the gravel race and another 100 or so for the shorter, non-competitive gravel ride. Most participants were locals and out-of-town Coloradans with a handful of out-of-staters.

I considered the gravel race but there was the matter of the 7:00 a.m. start for gravel versus an 8:00 a.m. start for mountain.  And, at 76 miles, I was looking at likely five hours in the saddle versus two for the 20-mile mountain bike race.  Meaning if I did the mountain bike race, I could be drinking some of that free beer three hours earlier.  A no brainer.  

Start of the gravel race.

Now that’s a field!

The mountain bike course followed what’s known locally as the Cottonwood Loop.  It starts with a scenic 7.5 mile gravel road climb followed by a 2,000-foot fast, technical single-track descent back to town.  

It was a mass start with a neutral roll out of town, complete with police escort.  Shortly after crossing the river heading north the escort pulled over and the racing started.  But with that 7.5 mile climb to start things off, no one goes too crazy.  It’s more like, ride your pace and see how things sort out.

I had a decent climb, sorting out with the first third of the group.  Passing a few people, getting passed by a few.  But I can tell I no longer train with thirty-year-old Cat 1 roadies because when the young guys would punch it up the steeper sections of the road, I found myself getting gapped pretty quickly. Take a deep breath, recover, get back on the wheel.

After a couple years of riding in Salida I know the trails around here really well and my descending skills have definitely improved. Trust the bike, let it flow… I can handle most features on Salida’s blue and black trails, but I still let discretion rule on the most technical sections (i.e. I chicken out).  There’s one section in particular on this loop called the waterfall that’s particularly gnarly.  It’s basically a series of four 2-3 foot, uneven rock drops in quick succession.  One of those features with very little margin for error. You screw up, you’re going to get hurt.

The trick to the waterfall is the first drop.  If you can clean this one, the rest are easy.   Taken on a pre-ride.

I’ve never ridden it. Not once. Fortunately, as I discovered when I came to it in the race as part of a group of four, neither have most other people.  The first rider in our group, a woman, cleaned the whole thing. It was a thing of beauty. I was third wheel. Me and the guy in front of me dismounted and cyclocrossed it, losing a little time but keeping all bones intact and all teeth inside our mouths. We never saw the fourth rider again, another woman. Based on the “Oh shit!” I heard behind me, I’m thinking she might have had some issues.

I finished in just under two hours and headed back to Riverside park to partake of the festivities. The sun was shining, the music was cranking and even though it was just after 10:30, the beer was flowing. Gotta love it.

This guy was selling the latest in bike race spectating technology. The Campanacci. Cowbells attached to a kids’ bike rim with a handlebar tape grip. Basically a cowbell tambourine. Festive and loud!

Recovery drink!

But I know what you’re saying, hey the pictures and story are nice but how did you do in the race? Well, thanks for asking. It was a good day. Technically I won my age group. But the thing is, no one gives a rat’s tuchus about a bunch of old guys riding bikes so they scored my age group with the next younger group where I officially finished top ten. No podium photo, no T-shirt for me. Good thing I’m not in it for the money. Or the glory. Or the podium girls.

Hey, I had fun and that’s what matters. It’s always a good time hanging out with my tribe, a bunch of bike racers.