Gear Up for Winter Mountain Bike Race

Drag out your mountain bike and take it for a ride Saturday at the fifth Annual .

The race begins at noon and will take place on the cross-country trails behind . Bikers will ride between one and four times around the challenging 3.1-mile loop, depending on their level of expertise — from beginner to elite. Participants range from elementary school children all the way up through senior citizens.

"It helps get the cabin fever out of the system," said Ben Gerdeman, enrichment supervisor for Lake Orion Community Schools. "There are some pretty big hills there; some ride down the hills, some walk. It’s really a pretty sweet race there."

Regardless of ability, all bikers are required to wear a helmet and to sign a race waiver. The top three finishers in each division will receive a medal. Bagels, water and hot cocoa will be available for participants on-site. Gerdeman said that where the trail wraps around by the soccer field is a great vantage point for spectators.

"We've had a ton of fun with this every year, and hopefully this year will be just as great," he said.

Online registration ends Thursday at bikereg.com. On-site registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and closes at 11:45 a.m.

Early registration costs $15 for adults and $10 for grade-school students. On-site registration costs $5 more per person. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Lake Orion Schools after-school programs.

If weather is deemed unsafe, the race will be canceled. For more information about the event, call 248-693-5436, ext. 1.