Biking down mountains through Marquette
Traffic on the streets of Marquette might look a bit different this weekend with the Second Annual Bike Jam set to roll through town.
The three-day bicycle celebration has little bit of everything. It starts off Friday night with a Speed Jam Criterium through downtown Marquette. Racers from a variety of pedigrees will compete on a road course that starts on Washington Street and circles through Front and Spring all the way to the finish line on Third.
Even if you’re not a seasoned rider, the different heats make for a fun environment for all to see.
“I guess that’s one of our goals – to show the community of bike riders here. Not that everybody is in their own little clique, but mountain bikers do mountain biking stuff and road racers do road racing stuff. This is a nice venue where everyone gets to hang around a little bit. The Ore Dock Brewery is going to have an after party after the Criterium downtown here, which I think will be a really nice mixer for people to get in to talk, tell stories, lies, and whatever,” chuckled Greg Potvin, a Co-Coordinator for the Bike Jam.
Come Saturday, the event moves off the streets and onto the trails; some of which are bit a higher in elevation.
“Saturday afternoon out at Marquette Mountain will be the gravity events, which includes a downhill race basically from the top of the mountain all the way down to the bottom, as well as a dual-slalom which is a head-to-head dual racer format. There will be an opportunity for spectators to com out and watch. You can ride the lift up and walk down, so there is an opportunity for you to really get on the course and see it at its gnarliest,” explained Jon Becker, the other Co-Coordinator for the Bike Jam.
The event winds down on Sunday with a Traffic Jam Gran Fondo beginning and ending at Marquette Mountain and a Family Fondo that starts at the YMCA ventures through Presque Isle and returns back to the Y for a family feast.
Registration for all the events kicks off tomorrow afternoon at the Marquette Commons at 4 p.m.