A screen capture of the start line of the Lions Club Park race
The Deep Creek Adventure Bureau (DCAB), a race, ride, run, and (fund)raiser event production and promotion company, held the first Maryland race of the new Highlands Fat Bike Series.
This winter season introduces the Highlands Fat Bike Series, an exciting new event series that links together five fun races of various distance rides for a thrilling season of fat biking. This series is designed to elevate the fat biking experience, inviting riders of all skill levels to enjoy groomed trails and a community-focused atmosphere. More details on this exciting series can be found at www.highlandsfatbikeseries.com.
On January 13, 2024, riders from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, and West Virginia gathered to kick off the 2024 Garrett County Fat Bike / MTB Race event at Deep Creek Lake Lions Club McHenry Community Park. A key event in the Highlands series, beginners to advanced riders were welcomed to the Meshach Browning Trail system. The race features a 10.5-mile course of wide terrain over four laps that was groomed in advance for the fat bike course.
The weather for the start of the race on Saturday was pouring snow with temperatures around 30 winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.
The top results of the 40 men, women, and juniors are below:
- JUNIORS (under 18)
- First Place: Ryan Pyska with a double lap time of 1 hour 47 minutes
- WOMEN’S OPEN
- First Place: Katy McGuire (J Mac Cycling LLC / Margie Bars) with a time of 1 hour 28 minutes
- Second Place: Julia Kastner (Joey’s Bike Shop) with a time of 1 hour 30 minutes
- Third Place: Victoria Weeks (The Victory Lap) with a time of 1 hour 43 minutes
- MEN’S OPEN
- First Place: Brian Kelly with a time of 1 hour 9 minutes
- Second Place: Zachary Adams (Appalachian Dirt) with a time of 1 hour 13 minutes
- Third Place: Shawn Romano (Kate’s Mountain Challenge) with a time of 1 hour 28 minutes
- MASTERS (age 45+)
- First Place: Anthony Kramer with a time of 1 hour and 9 minutes
- Second Place: Joe. G Fraas (JMacCyclingLLC/MargiBars) with a time of 1 hour 17 minutes and 8 seconds
- Third Place: Bruce Wohleber (Joeys Bike Shop) with a time of 1 hour 17 minutes and 34 seconds
Shau-Chi Tse and Sharon Seling and Ryan Pyska (background)
This event is about more than just racing; it’s a celebration of the fat biking community. Regardless of weather conditions, which are unpredictable, the race is about embracing the challenge and enjoying the experience. The organizers aim to introduce more people to the world of fat biking, creating a vibrant community of riders.
“I’m so glad that I signed up! I had such a blast!” said racer Philip Fadul. “Thank you DCAB for bringing this to the area.”
Special shout out to event sponsors High Mountain Sports, DeepCreekTimes.com, Vagabond Taproom, Highland Outdoors Magazine, Trail Labs, and the Garrett College Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Education Program.
DCAB is working to make opportunities for outdoor recreation attainable for those interested in trying a new sport or activity. Whether a person is interested in competition, training, just for fun, or camaraderie, everyone is invited to join the DCAB community.
There are also several ways to participate with DCAB such as free group gatherings, low-cost organized rides, and/or as an event volunteer.
“This was a perfect day in McHenry. Despite the wind and the snow, comments throughout the day were ‘best ride ever’, ‘it’s perfect’, ‘I love it’, and ‘I had a blast’ while on course” said DCAB Founder Sarah Myers.
Follow DCAB on Facebook or Instagram (@DCABfun) to be notified of the upcoming event schedule.
For more information on DCAB, please visit www.DCABfun.com or call 240-321-9925.
