They bike slowly to warm up. Mingling with the tattooed, shaved-head and goateed racers are dozens of dogs and scores of children. Near the start line, kids perch atop shoulders and eat Oreos, eager to cheer. Charlie Walker drove up from Grand Rapids in his red Volkswagen van, a machine emblazoned with showy slogans from Walker's employer, bicycle component manufacturer Nuke Proof. The Iceman mingles Olympians in corporate-sponsored gear with newcomers wearing jean jackets and summer shorts.
Beginners make up the bulk of entrants.
Some suck on tubes that draw from liquid-filled backpacks. One hums the menacing melody from Jaws. A pair of teens in flannel give each other a high-five. As the whistle blows for successive waves, the throng of pricey, shock-absorbing bicycles rushes forth. Over hills and through the woods, like bats out of hell.