Cruise the Blues 2008
General Information

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 trails winding through the creeks, pastures, native grass, and croplands on the farm.  Saturday, August 30^th, 2008, the Palens will host their 5th annual Cruise the Blues mountain bike festival.  The day starts at 11:00 a.m. with a 5-hour ride and race.  The day will continue with concessions and raffle drawings for cool stuff donated by our generous sponsors.  We will conclude the day's festivities with an awards ceremony including trophies and cash prizes and top everything off with barn-burnin' live music.  Cruise the Blues 2008 will again include the Cruiz’n Kids race for the younger riders, starting at 5:00 p.m.  Come join us for a day the entire family can enjoy!

How does a 5-hour bike event work?

Cruise the Blues is an event in which riders of any age or ability can participate.  All riders start at 11:00 a.m. and can 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:

Joy

The Joy division is for those participants riding for fun and sport.  The Joy course consists of 6 miles of trail winding primarily through the timber, pasture, and cropland on the farm.  Its design is open and gently flowing, making it enjoyable for riders of any ability.  One 6-mile lap takes between 40 and 60 minutes to complete, depending on your ability.

Riders can participate individually or as a team.  Joy categories are divided by age:

 Joy Categories

To help figure out which team category you would register for, refer to these examples:

Julie is 11 years old and her aunt Alice is 34.  (11 + 34 = 45)  Julie and Alice would register in the Women’s Teams 31- 60 category.

Max is 51 and his wife Sally is 48.  (51 + 48 = 99)  Max and Sally would register in the Coed Teams 91 & Over category.

Glory

The Glory division appeals to competitive riders seeking to vie pedal to pedal against other contenders for cold hard cash.  Competitors can register individually or as a team.  The 13-mile Glory course includes the 6 miles of Joy trail and continues through 7 additional miles of timber, pasture, and cropland.  The Glory course takes about 80 minutes to complete.

Please see the Rules and Regulations for more details.

Did you mention something about cash and prizes?

Yes!  We will be giving away 50 trophies and $2400 in cash!  Here’s how it happens:

Glory

All Glory participants are competing in the dash for cash!  Top three finishers in each Glory category also earn a trophy.  

1^st Place Solo Men - $300                                    1^st Place Solo Women - $300
2^nd Place Solo Men - $200                                   2^nd Place Solo Women - $200
3^rd Place Solo Men - $100                                    3^rd Place Solo Women - $100

1^st Place Team Men - $300/team                         1^st Place Team Women - $300/team
2^nd Place Team Men - $200/team                        2^nd Place Team Women - $200/team
3^rd Place Team Men - $100/team                        3^rd Place Team Women - $100/team
 

**** Race promoters reserve the right to limit cash payouts within each category to a level that does not exceed the total registration fees collected for that category

Joy

The top finisher (or finishers) in each age category walks away with a trophy!  Not to mention a big smile and some pretty cool bragging rights. 

All registered participant also have the chance to enter their name in a raffle for additional merchandise donated by our sponsors. 

What’s the schedule of events?

The following is general schedule for the day.  Due to the unpredictable and erratic nature of most mountain bikers however, this schedule is subject to change with little or no notice:

What about lodging and directions?

On-Site Camping

Your registration includes an invitation to camp on the farm Friday and Saturday nights.  Primitive campsites include drinking water, porta-potties, and primitive showers.  No electrical outlets are available.  Generators are OK.  Please let us know in advance if you plan to bring anything larger than a tent. 

Offsite Options 

Ringneck Ranch in Tipton is our preferred lodging facility.  (http://www.ringneckranch.net/) 

Waconda Lake is located 12 miles north of the farm and offers plenty of traditional campsites with shower and restroom facilities.  Check it out at http://www.glenelder.com/waconda_lake.htm

Please refer to the Area Maps & Directions for surrounding communities that may provide hotel accommodations and for directions to the farm.  If you need more information, please contact us.

Sounds great!  How do I get registered?

The best option for registration is to print a form from this website and mail it along with your entry fee to the following address.  Click here for a printable registration form.  Make checks payable to Cruise the Blues.

Entry fees are as follows:

Pre-registration: 

Post marked on or before August 18^th, 2008

                                                                                      *Team fees include both riders.

Late Registration:

Race day or post marked after August 18^th, 2008

                                                                                             *Team fees include both riders.

Paid registration includes the following:

• Access to 13 miles of private trails for the day of the event

• A 24 oz Trek tasteless, odorless water bottle with the Cruise the Blues Logo

• Entry into raffles for additional prizes donated by our sponsors

• An invitation to stick around and enjoy the live music and other fun events after the race!

• An opportunity to set up camp and spend the night under the big Oaks surrounding pit row