July 30, 2019 (Waterloo, ON) – Last year, one of Waterloo Cycling Club Mountain Bike racers invited some of his closest friends to celebrate his 39th birthday by running a short track mountain bike race around his condo complex. He called it the Dirty Nein. When an unexpected 50+ riders showed up, he decided, it could not happen again in their back yard. So, we moved the race to Bechtel Park.
The organizers originally approached Diane Freeman, Councilor, Ward 4, City of Waterloo about bringing the race to Waterloo. She said, “The City of Waterloo is happy to support mountain bike racing in our city. It fits in with our efforts to support an active lifestyle and get more people on bikes.”
Rob Good, Head Coach for the KW Cycling Academy, said, “The KW Cycling Academy is quickly becoming one of the largest youth cycling clubs in Ontario, and we have put together a great team to bring short track mountain bike racing to Waterloo. Short Track MTB racing is one of the most spectator friendly forms of mountain bike racing as it is held on a closed circuit in a short course. We encourage the community to come out and watch.”
Steve Stillaway, Course Designer, trail builder and active member of the Hydrocut Trails Committee, said, “The course will be challenging as well as new rider friendly. Racers will be complete laps around the trails at Bechtel Park, over a few jumps and log rolls. It will challenge the best and allow those new to MTB racing to have a great time. You can expect the race course to be fast.”
Mark Buckaway, Race Director, said, “We are proud to have King Street Cycle, East Side Cycle, Ziggy’s Cycle and Sport, The Hub Bicycle Shop, McPhails Cycle and Sport, Adventure Guide, and SpeedPro Imaging supporting the event. Thanks for our sponsors, all categories will have prizes!”
East Side Cycle and Ziggy’s Cycle and Sport are providing neutral mechanical support.
Race registration is online, in advance, for $45 here. Race day registration is $65. Spectators are welcome to watch for free. We encourage everyone to come out and have some fun.
Racing starts at 9:00am and finishes with the top women racers start at 1:45PM and the top men racers start at 3:00PM. Our kids races at 12:05PM for any youth not old enough to ride the regular race. The full schedule and race details are on the race website here.
The KW Cycling Academy is a non-profit, volunteer run, youth cycling club that supports cycling of all disciplines and abilities in the Region of Waterloo.