By Doc Branney

Dig-Ride weekends are an annual event here at RPM. Keith and the McMurrays graciously allow people to come down to Nathrop and, well... dig... and ride. These weekends are close to my heart for several reasons, not the least of which is this how we met Keith and learned about the RPM program.

Digging is a big part of these weekends, and it pays off on several different levels. Everyone who comes out gets to spend a fair amount of time shoveling, watering, or manning a broom. For the team, it’s a chance to get to know one another while learning to work together. Additionally, it’s a chance to give something back. It takes a ton of work to get 3 gravity courses and a XC course ready to ride each year. That’s a lot more work than even Darner is capable of. By digging and doing course prep, team members get to provide something for their fellow riders to enjoy, something all of us could do more of. Whether it’s Alex and the crew at the Fix, or MT and Big Crank @ Arbor and now at Sol Vista, or the Junction crew and their new free-ride trail, most great spots have a crew of people that make it happen for everyone else. Dig weekends allow our RPM riders to get a feel for how giving back to the riding community makes it better for everyone.

It’s not just team members moving dirt, and the turnout of other riders is always great to see. These riders are giving up time when they could just be riding to come help out. This last weekend there were riders from all over the state (even a couple out of state),  from beginners to pros, from people who just like to ride to sponsored team riders. Not only does this allow us to move a lot of dirt and do a ton of course prep, it allows us to take advantage of the skills of people that care enough to come out and dig. When new features are being built, you have the experience of Darner, Chute, Coop, Wilson, McCormack, Cawley. and a few others I’m probably missing, all adding their expertise. That was just this weekend, the list of who’s helped out over the years IS the who’s who of Colorado racing.

After we get the digging out of the way (and sometimes before with Keith) we get to the payoff, we get to ride our bikes. For RPM riders it’s a time to get some hot laps in with our most important competition, other team members. Everybody gets to see how that next person up the ladder handles their gate, or some particular obstacle on the course. For the other people coming out there’s all sorts of paybacks.  For some, like it was for my family, this may be the first time they’ve ridden a 4X or MX track or done gate starts. For others, it’s a time to get some practice without the crowds that will be there at the Yeti Spring Series or the Chalk Creek Stampede.  For all of us, it’s a time to shake the rust off after a long winter, to ride with good friends, and just enjoy being on our bikes.

Check out the rest of the pictures from the weekend here!