EAST MISSOULA — As the snow begins to fly up high throughout Western Montana, the fall bike season at Marshall Mountain wound down with one last big ride.
Originally scheduled for June but canceled because of weather, the Missoula Mountain Bike Coalition's Mullet Classic took Marshall Mountain by storm on a chilly October day.
"We always fret about the weather with these things. You want it to be good conditions. You want people to be comfortable. You don't want them to back out at the last minute," Missoula Mountain Bike Coalition Executive Director John Stegmaier said.
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"The weather is always a thing, but it's Montana and you kind of have to roll with what you get," Stegmaier said.
While many donned mullets, the race also exemplified the hairstyle itself.
"The business riders get to climb up and then the party riders get to have fun come down," Mullet Classic rider Tyler Hibbard said.
Times from both the uphill and downhill are combined to determine a winner.
"It's a long ways to go pushing hard and not stopping, and it was a little wet, a little muddy, but it was kind of nice because it keeps you cool," Hibbard said.
For many, however, it's not about finishing in first place.
"It's fun. We're wearing silly costumes and that's part of the thing," Stegmaier said.
For most teams, it's about commemorating a successful season of riding at Marshall coming to an end.
"I know that it's been a lot of work for a lot of people, and it is so worth it, summer, winter, all inclusive, all abilities. I mean just to have this place, it's so special for the community. It's amazing," Hibbard said.
"In Missoula, we're lucky to have the public lands that we do where we can have events and celebrate all the great access to the outdoors right here," Stegmaier said.
