Cruise The Blues General Information and Racer Divisions
Doug and Tracey Palen own and operate Palen Family Farms located east of Tipton in North Central Kansas. Doug is a mountain bike enthusiast and has established 13 miles of private trails winding through the creeks, pastures, native grass, and croplands of the farm. On Saturday, August 27th, 2011, the Palens hosted their 8th annual Cruise the Blues festival. The day started at 11:00 a.m. with the race and continued with concessions and raffle drawings for cool prizes donated by our generous sponsors. The day's festivities concluded with an awards ceremony including 50 trophies and $2,400 in cash prizes right before a relaxing evening around the fire.
The general schedule of events is as follows, although changes in weather or other happenings may alter these times on the day of the event.
Friday, August 26th
Saturday, August 27th - Race Day!
Sunday, August 28th
Cruise The Blues is an event in which riders of any age or ability can participate. All riders start at 11:00am and continue to ride laps until 4pm. Participants complete as many or as few laps as they like. You simply check in at the end of each completed lap. There are two divisions for which riders can register and race:
The JOY DIVISION is for the racers riding for fun and good sport. The Joy Course consists of 6 miles of trail winding primarily through the timber, pasture, and cropland of the farm. Its design is open and gently flowing, making it enjoyable for riders of any skill. One 6 mile lap takes between 40 and 60 minutes to complete, depending on your abilities. Riders can race individually or as a team. Joy categories are divided by age:
| SOLO MEN | SOLO WOMEN | MEN'S TEAMS | WOMEN'S TEAMS | COED TEAMS |
| 5 - 15 years | 5 - 15 years | 30 years and younger | 30 years and younger | 30 years and younger |
| 6 - 30 years | 6 - 30 years | 31 - 60 years | 31 - 60 years | 31 - 60 years |
| 31 - 50 years | 31 - 50 years | 61 - 90 years | 61 - 90 years | 61 - 90 years |
| 51 years and older | 51 years and older | 91 years and over | 91 years and over | 91 years and over |
To help figure out which team category you should register for, refer to these examples: Julie is 11 years old and her aunt Alice is 34. 11 + 34 = 45, so Julie and Alice should register in the Women’s Teams 31- 60 years category. Max is 51 and his wife Sally is 48. 51 + 48 = 99, so Max and Sally should register in the Coed Teams 91 years and over category.
The GLORY DIVISION appeals to the competitive riders seeking to go pedal to pedal against other contenders for cold, hard cash. Riders can race individually or as a team. The 13 mile Glory Course includes 6 miles of the Joy Course trail and adds on 7 additional miles of timber, pasture, and cropland. The Glory Course takes about 80 minutes to complete. There are two Glory categories:
| SOLO RACERS | TWO RACER TEAMS |
| Open Men | Open Men |
| Open Women | Open Women |
Did we mention cash and prizes? Every year, we give away 50 trophies as well as $2,400 in cash. Here's how it works in the Glory Division:
| SOLO MEN | SOLO WOMEN | MEN'S TEAMS | WOMEN'S TEAMS |
| 1st Place: $300 | 1st Place: $300 | 1st Place: $300 / Team | 1st Place: $300 / Team |
| 2nd Place: $200 | 2nd Place: $200 | 2nd Place: $200 / Team | 2nd Place: $200 / Team |
| 3rd Place: $100 | 3rd Place: $100 | 3rd Place: $100 / Team | 3rd Place: $100 / Team |
The top finishers in both the Glory AND Joy Divisions walk away with trophies, smiles, and bragging rights. All registered participants are also eligibile for our prize raffle for additional merchandise donated by our sponsors. Please note: Race promoters have the right to limit cash payouts in each category to a level that doesn't exceed the total registration fees collected for that category, but this has never been an issue due to fantastic attendance every year.
