As I said, it's a little hard to find the site. Here are GPS coordinates and maps for the both the highway turnoff [ MAP ] and actual race site [ MAP ]. Hope to see people up here.
Tonight (Friday) the Bigfoot Classic starts up north near Arcata, CA [ MAP ]. The classic is a three day event encompassing SuperD (tonight), Short Track, cross country (XC on Saturday) and downhill (DH on Sunday). It's even a US MTB Nationals qualifier. It also looks like they extended registration. Pack up the car and head north if you haven't qualified for Infineion.I am packing the car up now to head north for the Bigfoot Classic, so expect some onsite reports. If you don't get a chance to check back, have a happy Independence Day.
Sunday brings another Billy Cross Racing event. This time we're back to XC at Lake Sonoma.
Sunday also is the final CCCX (race #7) race of the season (really). If you're South Bay Area based, you really owe it to yourself to get out to Monterey and experience the cowbell madness.
The course was one of my favorites: north from the parking lot, down into the valley, around the motocross track winding back up the hill to a nice dropoff then home. They say the course clocked in at 3.1 miles and 305' of climbing per lap, but my GPS showed only 2.9 miles. Either way, it was a really fast and flowy (?) track with the largest jump / dropoff (probably 24") of the series.
I had a decent race. My first lap was pretty fast with the leaders, although I started to slip during the second lap. I regrouped a bit for the last lap and if I hadn't run off course during the final downhill section (damn photographer :>) I would have had descending lap times. Probably finished towards the middle of pack. Photos and results should be posted sometime later tonight.Tonight (WEDNESDAY) marks the final Prairie City Race (PCRS#12). Riders do a varying amount of 4 mile laps (course varies weekly) depending on category. Registration starts at 4:15 PM and costs $25 (subsequent races cost $10). With the cool down, it should be a nice night.
Also on Wednesday is the fourth Howarth Park Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa, CA. Short (1 mile) course races for timed durations that are fun for the entire family. Racing starts at 5:30 PM and costs $9 for adults ($4 juniors).
Tomorrow (THURSDAY) the racing shifts to Northern Nevada and the Twilight MTB Series (TMTB#8). This week's edition of the race series is moving back to Keystone Twilight. Registration and racing begins at 6:30 PM. Registration costs $5 at the race.
San Luis Obispo, CA (7.08.06)The JEEP KOM pits world class riders like Brian Lopes, Jill Kitner and Wade Bootes in a hybrid dual slalom event. While the race is limited to invited participants, the event also features fun rides and a sports expo. CBS Sports will televise this event on August 13th, 2006.
Elkhart Lake, WI (8.12.06)
Beaver Creek, CO (9.03.06)
The Super D will probably be the rolling fire road section towards the end of the XC course into a descent with “obstacles” such as bridges and logs. It will be about 3 miles in length, tending to favor the stronger XC riders.I don't think they ran Super D last year, so this will be all new. It looks like the mountain cross (MTX) and downhill (DH) will be held on similar courses as last year.
On Sunday, the NORBA sanctioned Friends of Tamarancho Invitational Mountain Bike Race will take place at Tamarancho Boy Scout Camp, located in Fairfax [ MAP ]. The Junior Race (18 and under), begins at 10:00 AM; the Senior Race (over 18) at noon. Categories will be grouped on race day according to attendance. Cash and merchandise prizes will be awarded. No parking is available due to emergency road closure; course access by bike is mandatory.Although I don't see any more details, the website for this festival is Fairfax Fat Tire Festival.com. I'll post more as I get the details.
Saturday will host the reconfigured Magic Mushroom Speedway MTX up north in Hopa, CA (near Aracta, CA). While the race is now a mountain cross extravaganza, you'll still get your chance to ride the downhill course after dark under the christmas tree lights.
A little further south in Oakland on Saturday and you'll get a chance at urban adventure racing with the Oakland Scrape Alleycat. Show up around noon in Lakeside Park to find out the first checkpoint and then proceed around the East Bay for "about 20 to 25 miles." But don't worry, it's all for a good cause (benefits Cycles of Change charity).
Sunday brings another Billy Cross Racing event. This time its another 8 Hour Team affair at Lake Sonoma. Grab up to 5 people for this lap switching fest.
Tonight (WEDNESDAY) marks the penultimate Prairie City Race (PCRS#11). Riders do a varying amount of 4 mile laps (course varies weekly) depending on category. Registration starts at 4:15 PM and costs $25 (subsequent races cost $10). I think that there is a good chance that it will be double points night tonight . . .
Also on Wednesday is the third Howarth Park Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa, CA. Short (1 mile) course races for timed durations that are fun for the entire family. Racing starts at 5:30 PM and costs $9 for adults ($4 juniors).
Tomorrow (THURSDAY) the racing shifts to Northern Nevada and the Twilight MTB Series (TMTB#8). This week's edition of the race series is moving back to Peavine Hillclimb [ MAP ]. Registration and racing begins at 6:30 PM. Registration costs $5 at the race.
In case you are unaware, TRP has reformatted this race to be a daytime 2X mountain cross event rather than a timed night race. We will still be hosting a sick night ride at the same time as previously posted, lit up with all sorts of weird and cool lighting. We have come to this decision as a matter of safety.The MTX race will be a head to head, single elimination bracket with no entry fee or NORBA license required. Racing begins at 6 PM. The night riding (non-timed) will begin at 9 PM or whenever it get dark enough.
It looks like the course was 3.66 miles and 430 elevation, running down the valley through the normal part of the park. Results have been posted here and photos are here and here.
The World Cup overflowed at Day 2 of the National Mountain Bike Series #3 as Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass. / Kenda/Seven Cycles) and two-time World Cup champion Christopher Sauser (SUI) claimed the women’s and men’s pro cross country titles . . . In the end, top-seed and former World Champion Greg Minnaar (RSA) placed first, completing the DH course in 3 minutes and 19.99 seconds . . . On the women’s DH side, World Cup silver-medalist Sabrina Jonnier (FRA) rode the fastest time in the field of 25 at 3:57.20. NMBS #2 winner, Australian Tracey Hannah was second, and Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif. / Jamis) was the top American finisher in third.Read the rest of the results at USA Cycling (XC titles awarded at Mount Snow NMBS #3 and Downhill, short track titles awarded at NMBS).
Tonight (SATURDAY) is Sand Hill Racing's Fathers Day Eve dual slalom event. Signups and practice from 3 - 5 PM, then it's right on to the qualifying. Registration costs $30 and you need a NORBA license. If you want a good preview of the race, check out the feature on I Hate Bikes.
SUNDAY continues the CCCX series (race number #6). Be ready for the fast course in Seaside, CA (near Monterey) as “laps will be between five and six miles … 3 laps for Beginners, 4 laps for Sport, 5 laps for Expert/Pro.” The race costs $30 ($15 for juniors) with registration onsite.
USA Cycling announced today that Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. will host the 2007 and 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. The two-year agreement brings the event to the east coast for the first time since the inception of a single-event national championship format in 2004.Read the rest of the press release at USA Cycling.
Scheduled on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) designated mountain bike national championship weekend, the 2007 edition will be held July 19-22. Dates for 2008 have yet to be determined.
This year we will feature a CYCLOCROSS class - you CX'ers can use these as a pre-season tune up! (Although possible, there will probably not be any dismounts on these courses).
The FLASH courses are a little shorter, flatter and faster than our spring/summer season courses because of the limited sunlight hours.
The FLASH Series has been made famous because of the following "features": NO Raffle prizes! NO Schwag! NO T-shirts! NO Whining... Doh!
The Expert class will start at 6:00 sharp and will then be followed by the Sport and Beginner classes. The classes are approx. 1 minute apart.
Each lap around the course for the FLASH series is between 1.8 and 2.5 miles long. Beginners will do 2 laps, Sport is 3 laps and Expert is 4 laps.
$15 first race then $10 per race after that... and that's it!
Event: Sky Tavern RaceUPDATE (08/16/06): Updated information here.
Dates: August 19th, 2006
Location: Sky Tavern Ski Area (Reno, NV) [ MAP ]
Competition: DH, XC
Cost: $30/event
URL: http://www.nevadacycling.com/racing.shtml
Registration: Onsite race day only
License: NORBA
Tonight (WEDNESDAY) marks another Prairie City Race (PCRS#10). Riders do a varying amount of 4 mile laps (course varies weekly) depending on category. Registration starts at 4:15 PM and costs $25 (subsequent races cost $10). These are the last few races, so if you or your team is still in the points running . . .It's a slow weekend again for NorCal racing, so get your races in this week.
Also on Wednesday is the second Howarth Park Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa, CA. Short (1 mile) course races for timed durations that are fun for the entire family. Racing starts at 5:30 PM and costs $9 for adults ($4 juniors).
Tomorrow (THURSDAY) the racing shifts to Northern Nevada and the Twilight MTB Series (TMTB#7). This week's edition of the race series is moving back to Reno at River Banks [ MAP ]. Registration and racing begins at 6:30 PM. Registration costs $5 at the race.
At dark the race will begin to go into motion. Event staff will fire the generators and the Magic Mushroom course shall come to life under the moon and stars. I expect that this will be rather dramatic. At least for me!
Riders will then shuttle to the top of the course and await their turn to descend into a tunnel of christmas lights, black lights, floods and whatever type of lighting we can get our hands on. I am hoping to get ahold of a fog machine or two for some of the steeper parts! There may be ghetto blasters pumping sick tunes at some areas of the course. Who knows what you will encounter? All I can say for sure at this time is that although you will not be allowed to use a bike light the course will be lit well enough for you to throw down.
The race format will be three runs combined times. Lowest times win.
Congratulations on your qualification for the 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships brought to you by XFusion!It looks like everyone who qualified for Nationals at last year's Cougar Mountain Classic will get a pass to this year's championship. Unfortunately for me, I qualified in MTX instead of what I wanted (XC).
We have just confirmed that riders that qualified for last years MTB National Championships at the 2005 Cougar Mountain Classic, are also qualified for this year's 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships at Infineon Raceway.
If you have recieved this email, we believe you are one of those qualified riders. You should confirm your qualification by finding yourself on the USA Cycling's official list of qualified riders on their website.
Please help us out by spreading this word to your friends. We do not have email addresses for all of the qualified riders. We have posted an unofficial list of riders that we believe qualified at last years event onto our website. You can use it for a quick check, but to be sure you should check the official list mentioned above.
Exactly one month until the 2006 Cougar Mountain Classic.
NORBA stop #2 at Sugar Mountain Resort in Banner Elk, North Carolina is in the books. Here are the pro gravity results:The final day of round two of the 2006 National Mountain Bike Series began Sunday as Australians Sam Hill and Tracey Hannah took the pro men’s and women’s titles in the downhill competition. . . Hill rode last as the top qualifier in the field of 49 in a blistering time of 3 minutes and 28.7 seconds down a challenging course that included 2,500 feet of technical and rocky terrain . . . Eighteen-year old Hannah picked up her first-ever NMBS national title Sunday with her winning time of 4:28.6 – nearly ten seconds under pre-race favorite France’s Sabrina Jonnier who placed second. Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif. / Jamis) was the top American finisher in third. Joanna Petterson (Folsom, Calif. / Morewood Bikes) and Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz. / KHS Bicycles) placed fourth and fifth to fill out the podium. (USA Cycling)Read the rest of the results over at USA Cycling.
NORBA stop #2 at Sugar Mountain Resort in Banner Elk, North Carolina is in the books:Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo. / Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo. / Luna) won the men’s and women’s cross country titles in dominating fashion Saturday at the National Mountain Bike Series #2 Showdown ... Fresh of his World Cup podium in Fort William, Scotland, Horgan-Kobelski finished four laps of the 6.6-mile course in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 59.1 seconds – 2 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va. / Trek/VW) and NMBS#1 and current Canadian champion Geoff Kabush. (USA Cycling)Read the rest of the results over at USA Cycling or Velonews.
USA Cycling today confirmed that the Bigfoot Classic in Arcata, CA is now a sanctioned NORBA event. Along with their permit this event has been designated a cross country and downhill qualifier for the 2006 USA Cycling MTB National Championships to be hosted by the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic at Sonoma, CA's Infineon Raceway, July 13 - 16, 2006.Looks like there might be a lot of people heading up to Arcata in late June.
The top 15 positions in each category will qualify to race at the National Championships.
Northern Californian riders now have the opportunity to qualify close to home, which they have been asking for. The Bigfoot Classic's website has full information on these two races. The cross country will be held on 7/1/06 and the downhill will be held on 7/2/06.
and elevation readings from his ride:
Night racing begins this Friday June 2nd! Sign ups and practice 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Racing ASAP. Cost is only $5 and you need an ABA license.Mountain bikes can be raced in the cruiser class.
For details, see the Carson City BMX website.
New course layout tonight. They started us going north into the "badlands" (as opposed to south through the "valley") which was about 2 miles of rocky, sandy whoops. It then brought us back by the starting point to race us down into the usual valley and around the the big downhill (haven't seen that this year) before climbing us back into the parking lot for the lap / finish line.
I didn't start my GPS at the start (damn gloves) but I think we did about 3.2 mile laps with 300 feet of climbing. Personally, my race sucked it. I started with the lead group in my category, but the combination of my new tires (Specialized Fast Tracks, excuse #1) and poor rear shock settings (excuse #2), dropped me off the edge by the entrance to the valley. My second lap was even worse, but I managed to bring a little shred of dignity to my day in the final lap. By then, I was really just looking to beat my personal rivals -- not worrying about where I ended in the standings. A least it was mission accomplished in that respect (I dropped him somewhere near the first climb of the second half of the last lap).Qualification procedures are now available for the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike Masters World Championships at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia Aug. 30-Sept. 3.The full press release can be viewed here.
The top-five finishers in each of the master age classes in expert cross country and expert downhill events at each of the 2006 National Mountain Bike Series events and the 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion will be named to the team as qualified riders.
Qualified riders will receive an official letter from USA Cycling along with an order form to purchase an official Team USA jersey. A list of automatic qualifiers will also be announced on www.usacycling.org.
Any rider is eligible to compete in the UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championships provided that his or her racing age is 30 or older and he or she holds a USA Cycling international license.
Breakaway Events Presents the 12 Mile Super DThe 12 Mile Super D race will be held in Ashland, Oregon [ MAP ] on June 11th, 2006 (this Sunday). The course looks an inviting mix of downhill with a little bit of pedaling thrown in: 4,550' descent and 600' climbing over 12 miles. A course map is located here. The actual race will be held at the Mount Ashland Ski Resort and requires pre-registration. Register over at active.com before midnight on June 8th, 2006 (Thursday midnight). It costs $55 per rider plus a ORBA (not NORBA) license (an additional $5).
We are proud to announce that we are presenting the first Super D race in Southern Oregon! What is a Super D? A super D is best described as a downhill cross country race. Any bike will do for a Super D race, but this category of racing is where the all-mountain/trail bikes with 4, 5, and 6 inches of travel can really excel.
Tonight (WEDNESDAY) marks another Prairie City Race (PCRS#9). Riders do a varying amount of 4 mile laps (course varies weekly) depending on category. Registration starts at 4:15 PM and costs $25 (subsequent races cost $10). Make sure to come out to Prairie City (near Folsom, CA) for your midweek XC races.There isn't anything on the NorCal calendar for this weekend, so get your racing in during the week.
Also on Wedneday is the premiere of the Howarth Park Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa, CA. Short (1 mile) course races that are fun for the entire family. Racing starts at 5:30 PM and costs $9 for adults ($4 juniors).
Tomorrow (THURSDAY) the racing shifts to Northern Nevada and the Twilight MTB Series (TMTB#6). This week's edition of the race series is moving south of Reno to Centennial Park in Carson City, NV [ MAP ]. Registration and racing begins at 6:30 PM. Registration costs $5 at the race.
After a successful inaugural Ultimate XC Challenge in 2005, Race Face is now open for application and registrations to the Ultimate XC Challenge II (UXC II) - an online, peer-judged contest that will send two teams of two riders to compete in the 2006 TransRockies with all expenses paid.Entries are due June 15th.
Riders who believe they are up to the challenge should have a strong race resume, and, more importantly, a Really Good Story (RGS) as to why they should be one of the chosen. The RGS portion needs to be submitted as a 90 second video explaining why they want to take part in one of the most punishing XC races in the world. Submissions must be received by June 15, 2006.
Similar to Ultimate Freeride Challenge, Race Face will take the top team submissions and post them online June 24th, 2005 for their online community to view and vote for which TWO teams should ride for Race Face at the 2006 Trans Rockies Challenge. Once selected - the two teams will be flown to the TransRockies race with all entry fees paid by Race Face. They will be outfitted in Race Face components and clothing and be given Race Face team support throughout the 7 day epic race.
For more information on the Race Face UXC II and to download your application form, click through to: www.raceface.com/uxc.
So the results are in from this weekend's 2006 Tish Tang Television Downhill. Congratulations to Scott Fellers who posted a race best 2:06 time, edging out Matt Cipes by 10 seconds. Scott also won March's Red Tail Hawk race. Full results are available at the Trinity River Pirates website, along with pictures and some video. (Thanks to Patrick for the photo link).
The folks at RideSFO tipped us off to the Oakland Scrape Alleycat Race, a checkpoint race around Oakland. Not your usual NorCal MTB Racing fare, but it is open to all bikes and and proceeds go to Cycles of Change, an Oakland based charity educating kids about bikes, so we decided to feature it anyway.Event: Santa Barbara Bicycle Festival
Dates: June 3rd, 2006
Location: Santa Barbara, CA [ MAP ]
Competition: DH, XC
Cost: $35 - $45 depending on category/race
URL: http://santabarbarabikefest.com/#
License: NORBA
Registration: onsite
