Bonnie and I had always wanted to ride the Mickelson Trail and through the years, we had taken our kids with us and ridden sections of it. As our kids grew older and lost interest, several years went by without us riding any sections of the trail. Then, the last couple of years we rode a few more sections with friends and our desire to finish the trail began to resurface. Overall we had ridden from Deadwod to Custer, so we still had 45 miles left so we thought about taking 2 days and start in Edgemont, ride to Custer, spend the night there and then ride back to Edgemont the next day. Then we thought, if we're going to ride 90 miles in 2 days, why don't we just do the whole 109 miles from Deadwood to Edgemont. So that's how we came to this point.
Overall, I really enjoyed the ride, the scenery was great and at nearly 59 years old, I was glad to know that I could still do something this physically challenging. In fact, we may do it again, but if we do, here's the things I would change:
Ride it in the Fall. Autumn in the Black Hills is the best time of the year. The temperatures are moderate, the wind has died down, and there are less storms, plus the colors are changing. There's no doubt in my mind that riding the trail in the fall would be a much better experience.
Get better padding for my butt. If there was one thing that hampered my experience, it was the bike seat issue. I thought that mountain biking had built up my bike seat tolerance, but more padding is needed for long distances like this.
Consider doing it in three or four days. A lot of people do the trail in three days but since there are limited hotel or camping options along the trail, this requires some type of shuttle.
If you are considering riding the Mickelson Trail, I hope this blog helped you make some decisions. I believe most anyone can do it. I am nearly 59 and in fairly good shape for my age and I did it in two days. If you're not in great shape, just take your time, take a week if you have to, and enjoy it. You'll be glad you did.