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Roselawn, Indiana
Ah, Naked City, land of middle-aged, fat and saggy naked people. Each summer in August, the Hill & Gully Riders put
on a fun enduro near Roselawn called the Summer Bummer. The setup area is on the old Naked City air strip, which
happens to be adjacent to a nudist camp (hence the name, Naked City). Part of the enduro course runs through some
woods owned by the nudies, and if it's warm and sunny, they come out and spectate alongside the trail. Don't get your
hopes up?it's not like your fantasy. Since 2000 there have also been Spring enduros at Naked City, but don't expect to
see much skin in April.
Roselawn is a nice diversion from the black dirt that makes up most Indiana and Illinois enduros and hare scrambles.
The whole area is covered with sand, like the kind you find near beaches. The club uses many of the same trails every
year, so there are plenty of deep whoop sections that go on for miles. But the best part of the race (no, not the naked
people) is that there's hardly any mud. Now, in the old days there used to be a huge swamp around the Naked City air
strip, but that was drained a few years ago. The first time I did the Summer Bummer in 1996, I got lucky and had an
early row, so the first time through the swamp was fairly easy. This initial 9-mile section is the only part that gets used
twice (start and finish), so the second time through the swamp was a mess and I found a rut that literally swallowed my
bike. The seat ended up about 6 inches above ground level. Some nice guy took pity on me and helped pull me out.
Now that the local municipality took care of the drainage, there's no more swamp and the race is more fun because of it.
Expect to see some of the tightest woods in the Midwest. The sand is very loose and the whoops are very large.
Definitely soft-terrain tire territory. The course is usually about 60 ground miles and the resets are long enough that
there's often plenty of time to rest (or get caught back up). I've done this enduro 5 or 6 times and it remains my favorite.
The Hill & Gully Riders added a Spring enduro in 2000 and it appears that they will have it again in 2001.
Directions: Hwy 55/10 junction between I-65 and U.S. 41
Plymouth Blackhawks
Culver, Indiana
It's been a few years since I last raced here (the '98 enduro), but the riding was pretty good. This part of northern
Indiana is more like what you would expect for the corn belt. The woods are tight, there's some mud here and there,
and hardly a rock to be found. The hare scrambles course is on a farm and most of the races there are part of the
District 15 series. Expect to see mostly soft terrain. The endures are standard corn belt style, with several woods
sections separated by back roads (bring your license plate).
Directions: Hwy 8 and 17 intersection
Kingman, Indiana
The woods here remind me of my dad's farm where I used to practice. Very tight and very muddy when it rains. The
race site is about an hour from where I grew up, so the terrain is very similar. A creek runs through the property and is
crossed many times. One part of it became very nasty when I raced here in May 2000. Each time I approached that
section, it was like a dirt bike version of Apocalypse Now, with bike after bike steaming hot and guys struggling to get
them up the creek bank. Somehow I never did get stuck there. Prepare for mud if you're racing here in the spring. The
hare scrambles course is usually 3-5 miles long and has some tricky off-camber sections.
Directions: Hwy 63 to Cayuga; east on Hwy 234; look for race site on south side of road.
New Paris, Indiana
I did my first enduro here in 1995, and it was a little sloppy. The enduro is always held in November, so it is usually cool
and moist. The trails are full of many, many fallen trees, so it helps to have mastered the art of log hopping. When I
raced here, the course was two loops that started and finished in the staging area; kind of a figure 8. The woods are as
tight as you would expect for northern Indiana. The promoters do a good job with this race, and although I don't live
very close anymore, it is one of those enduros to make a habit of attending if you can.
Directions: Hwy 15 and Industrial Park
Des Moines Enduro Riders
Winterset, Iowa
I won my class here for the first time ever in 2000. This part of Iowa is a little different from what I had expected,
considering it's smack in the middle of the corn belt. I would call it a cross between Missouri and Illinois. Some rocks,
but not enough to drive you crazy. The enduro was set up as a 30 mile loop that was run twice. When I was there it was
very dry and dusty, so my Michelin S-12's weren't really necessary. In fact, there was not a drop of moisture anywhere.
So check the weather beforehand. Soft terrain tires would be good when there's been some rain. But if dry, an
intermediate-terrain tire would be better.
Directions: North of Winterset on U.S. 169; look for arrows.