how this event began
Prescott cyclists have most likely been riding the Skull Valley loop ever since the roads were paved, and possibly earlier. References date back to the mid seventies when people first started describing the challenging ride. In the eighties, a local cycling club “The Prescott Chain Gang” was formed to promote both road and mountain bike activities. That name changed in the 90’s in a move to sound friendlier and more inclusive. The “Chain Gang” evolved into the “Prescott Cycling Club”. PCC was open to riders of all ages and all riding disciplines… including recumbents.
In 2004, club member Jerry Doss who was a retired recumbent rider with a flair for rabble rousing as well as the self appointed ringleader of the PCC’s “Old Timers and Slow Pokes” group proposed the first Loop Challenge as a club ride. His challenge was to the younger racers of the club saying “I bet you can’t ride the loop twice before us old timers and slow pokes finish once!” The gauntlet had been thrown and they gave it a try. One thing was for certain… it was a challenge and lived up to the name.
Jerry felt the ride had potential and formed a PCC committee to to organize and promote the ride as a community fundraiser. At first monthly and then weekly meetings were held as the group conquered the hurdles of event organization. In 2005 the first “official” Skull Valley Loop Challenge was held attracting 125 riders. Unfortunately Jerry didn’t live to see his event come to fruition. He sadly succumbed to a heart attack on a PCC ride up on historic Route 66, hence “Jerry Doss Memorial” was added to the title of the event.
The club experimented with route and format changes in the first few years. One option had slow riders and fast riders starting in different directions, with the fast riders turning around when they got to the edge of town and trying to chase down the slow pokes. Other attempts to include a “century” component had the long distance riders doing an out and back first on the road to Bagdad, and then on the road to Yarnell. But in the end the club decided those extra components were too difficult to manage, and they settled on just doing the 54 mile loop.
PCC had been a member of a larger statewide bicycling organization that reorganized and could no longer provide the liability insurance PCC needed to get permits for the event, so PCC reorganized too. They incorporated, and were able to get the insurance they needed through the League of American Bicyclists… but a caveat was that LAB insurance would not cover a competitive race. This meant the race would now become a ride. Unfortunately the SVLC skipped a year while this was all being sorted out.
After the 2010 event, a new IMBA mountain biking chapter had been formed in Prescott which took some of the wind out of the sails of the Prescott Cycling Club. Upon reflection, the PCC board felt the same core group that had sustained the club for so long could no longer maintain the effort and they decided to disband the club. But before they did, they wanted to make sure the SVLC ride could continue. So Prescott’s local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization (Prescott Alternative Transportation) was chosen as the new hosts and beneficiary of the ride in 2011.
PAT’s advocacy experience was put to the test in 2012 when ADOT insisted the ride meet their permitting standards, which were far beyond the capability of a small 501C-3 non-profit organization. The same requirements also threatened “the Heart of Arizona Ride”, but PAT representatives met with the state officials and insisted that riders had the right to ride our highways as traffic as described in ADOT’s own policy. Eventually PAT prevailed and the ride was saved.
The Skull Valley Loop Challenge serves as PAT’s biggest annual fundraiser yet its continued operation is never guaranteed as new permitting hurdles are encountered every year. Nevertheless we are grateful to all our volunteers and partners who make it happen as well as all the participants who come back year after year. It’s great to see the event grow with new riders as well.
Here is now yet another successful Skull Valley Loop Challenge. We look forward to meeting and riding with you all as well as sharing the amazing community that is Prescott Arizona.