Cuyuna Bike Crusher Brings Over 500 Riders to the Area

Over 500 bikes were covered in the red dirt that is synonymous with the Cuyuna Bike Trails as competitors pushed themselves to the finish line in this year’s Cuyuna Bike Crusher. The Cuyuna Crusher is the ninth of ten races in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, and it attracts bikers from all over.

“Minnesota is very bike friendly and I think biking is growing, and I think it is continuing to grow,” Jessica Holmvig, Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, said. “It’s really helped our economy here, so we love to see the bikers come.”

This year’s Crusher had the biggest attendance among all the races on the series, and people love the iconic red dirt and the challenge the trail possesses.

“These trails are rad, they are pretty gnar,” bike racer Sam Johnson said. “The kids call it Cuyuna gnar because of the red dirt. They are fun trails – I like them a lot.”

The Cuyuna Crusher has grown and was even named the bikers favorite race on the series in 2017.

“Especially seeing it three years ago versus now, its impressive, the turnout,” Chris Rourke, a marathon bike racer, said. “Having another bike shop open in town, you can see a lot of improvements, it’s awesome.”

The fourth annual Cuyuna Crusher featured kids races for beginners and a marathon race where racers saw how many laps they could complete on the seven-mile trail in four hours.

“You got to be able to pace it, but you got to be able to go hard for four hours which is the fun part about it,” Rourke said.

Hundreds of volunteers helped with the event as well. From registration to guiding people along the trail to making sure your bike is at peak performance, everyone plays an instrumental role in bringing the event together.

“All the volunteers and everyone that puts these on are just wonderful and the support they give, and their cheering – you can’t ask for anything better, it makes the sport,” bike racer Kathy Vacso said.

The Cuyuna Crusher brings great economic value to Crosby each year, and with the red dirt and great community support, it’s no surprise why it’s voted one of the best races on the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series each year.

The final race on the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series will be held on September 1st and 2nd at the Maplelag Resort.