Friday, June 30, 2006

RACE REPORT: 2006 Bigfoot Classic (Day 1)

As I shared earlier, I made the drive up to Arcata, CA to race the 2006 Bigfoot Classic today. The actual XC race isn't until tomorrow, but I wanted to come up and watch the Super D race this afternoon.
Unfortunately, it's a six hour drive up to Arcata from the Sierra foothills so I only made it there for the very tail end of the race. However, judging from the crowd it appeared that about 25 racers participated. The course is set waaaayyyy out in the wilderness and most people that I spoke with said the course was excellent. I'll see if I can't scare up the result sometime tomorrow morning for posting.

The XC course looks pretty promising and the race officials said about 125 racers are registered. I'll try to get some more action photos for that tomorrow.
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.

Norcal Racing This Weekend: Jun 30 - Jul 2, 2006

It's another full (holiday) weekend of racing :
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.

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.
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.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

RACE REPORT: PCRS #12

Last night was the final Spring PCRS race (#12), held under sunny skies and mild temperatures. Being the last race of the series, many people attended in costume (?) and hung around after the race for BBQ and cereal malt beverages. Prizes were given out and a general good time was had by all. Oh, and we had a race.
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.

While this finishes the Spring PCRS series, the Fall PCRS series starts up in August. Also there is the Series Raffle and Awards BBQ on July 12th, 2006.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

NorCal Racing This Week: June 28 - 19, 2006

It's weeknight racing time again:
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.

2006 Bigfoot Classic Registration Closes Tonight

Online registration for the 2006 Bigfoot Classic (Cal State Championship) closes at midnight tonight. I am not sure if there is onsite registration or not, so you might want to head over to active.com to register if you are heading north this weekend.

2006 JEEP King of the Mountain Schedule

The JEEP King of the Mountain mountain biking world championships has announced their 2006 schedule:
San Luis Obispo, CA (7.08.06)
Elkhart Lake, WI (8.12.06)
Beaver Creek, CO (9.03.06)
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.

More information about this event is also available at Mountain Bike Action.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

2006 US MTB Nationals Course Update

Team Motionbased has posted a update on the 2006 US MTB Nationals site progress, focusing in the cross country (XC) race. From the sounds of it, they are using almost the exact same course as last year's Cougar Mountain Classic, which means hardpack hills in the heat and wind. Of course, being Motionbased, they have the elevation profile and GPS map. The most interesting part of the post is the Super D course description:
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.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Friends of Tamarancho XC Announced

So I haven't seen any real details on this race yet, but the 2nd Annual Fairfax Fat Tire Festival is holding a NORBA sanctioned XC race on Sunday, July 23rd, 2006. From the press announcement:
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.

UPDATE (07/03/06): The race costs $25 plus NORBA and Tamarancho pass fees ($5/each if you don't have one). Register at their website.

UPDATE 2 (07/21/06): There are some course details and maps over at this MTBR thread. Looks like 4.5 mile laps.

Friday, June 23, 2006

NorCal Racing This Weekend: June 24 - 25, 2006

A very diverse weekend of racing:
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.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Bigfoot Classic DH Course Preview

In preparation for next week's Bigfoot Classic, Pirate DH has posted a video (in Windows Media Player) and some pictures from the DH course in 2003 and 2004. Worth a look.

RACE REPORT: PCRS #11

It was the hottest race night so far this year, finally hitting the 100F mark needed for double series points. A pretty standard course layout (3.5 miles and 320' climbing per laps) with good turnout.

As for myself, I think I can sum up my race in four words: I rode like sh*te. You can kinda tell from the photo below: it's hard to get action shots when you finish last. In fact, I was so bad that I was really just riding to finish by the end of the first lap. It's sad when you have a DFL sowed up 3 miles into the race. I'll see if I can put it back on the rails for the final race in the series next Wednesday.
Photos and results should be posted sometime later tonight.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Norcal Racing This Week: June 21 - June 22, 2006

It's weeknight racing time again:
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.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Magic Mushroom Race Change

Due to safety concerns, the Trinity River Pirates have modified the Magic Mushroom Speedway DH event:
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.

RACE REPORT: Sand Hill Dad's Day

P&R Sports have posted the results for last weekend's Sand HIll Father's Day Dual Slalom event.

Congratulations to George Stephenson III (El Dorado Hills, CA / Northern Lights) for his win over Chris Flores (Durham / Mongoose Tribe Intense Tires) in the Pro/Semi-Pro division.

Monday, June 19, 2006

RACE REPORT: CCCX #6

Hey, the results for CCCX #6 have been posted. No pictures, maps or series points totals, but I'll update this when/if they appear.

UPDATE (06/22/06): Photos are up. There is also a good thread over at MTBR about the race.

PRODUCT NEWS: SRAM 2007 Products

So I usually don't cover a whole lot of product news (although you know I love the bike p0rn), this is a pretty good set of articles from Singletrack Magazine with ample pictures of SRAM's new products.

SRAM Oh-Seven Part 1 - Rock Shox
SRAM Oh-Seven Parts 2 - Avid and Truvativ

I especially like the new Avid brakes. It's always nice to see some competition for Shimano's Saint line.

RACE REPORT: PCRS #10

Oops, so I forgot to post this. Last Wednesday was the 10th race in the Prairie City Racing Series and was held under hot, but clear skies. I didn't get a chance to race (travelling again), but we found the course gps map:
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.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

2006 NMBS#3 Results

It looks like NMBS #3 at Mount Snow in Vermont (the site of next year's US MTB Nationals) is in the books:
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).

Saturday, June 17, 2006

NorCal Racing This Weekend: June 17 - 18, 2006

A short but interesting weekend of racing:
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.

Friday, June 16, 2006

MTB Nationals Moving East For 2007

Wow. This was certainly coming, but didn't think they would move it all the way to Vermont . . .
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.

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.
Read the rest of the press release at USA Cycling.

RACE REPORT: 12 Mile Super D

The folks over at dhReno have written up their race report on last weekend's 12 Mile Super D. Check it out.

UPDATE: The Team Motionbased people have written up their report also. Complete with maps!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Prairie City Race Series Announces 2006 Fall Flash Series

The PCRS folks have announced their 2006 Fall "Flash" series dates:
  • August 30th, 2006
  • September 6th, 2006
  • September 13th, 2006
  • September 20th, 2006
From their announcement page:
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!

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

2006 Sky Tavern Announced

The University of Nevada Reno Cycling Team has announced the details for their 2006 Sky Tavern race. Providing both cross country (XC) and downhill (DH) competitions, the race will be held August 19th, 2006 near the Sky Tavern Ski Area [ MAP ].

The XC course is a technical 6 mile loop. The trail starts off with a steep fire road climb up to some tight, winding single track that finishes with a fast open descent. Riders will do between one and six laps (one for beginners through four for expert men and pros).

The DH course is a technical, rocky course with a couple of steep sections. They hope to use the same course as in years past. DH practice will be open in the morning.
Event: Sky Tavern Race
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
UPDATE (08/16/06): Updated information here.

Norcal Racing This Week: June 14 - June 15, 2006

It's a full slate weeknight racing:
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 . . .

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.
It's a slow weekend again for NorCal racing, so get your races in this week.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

2006 Magic Mushroom Speedway Update

The Trinity River Pirates have posted an update on the upcoming Magic Mushroom Speedway 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.

2005 Cougar Mountain Winners Qualified For US MTB Nationals

Got an email from the Cougar Mountain Classic folks today:
Congratulations on your qualification for the 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships brought to you by XFusion!

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.
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).

Monday, June 12, 2006

2006 NORBA #2 Gravity Results

MainlogoNORBA 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.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

2006 NORBA #2 XC Results

MainlogoNORBA 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.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Bigfoot Classic Last NorCal US Championship Qualifier

So I didn't think this was really new news since it has been on the Team Bigfoot page for a while, but USA Cycling issued this press release yesterday:
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.

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.
Looks like there might be a lot of people heading up to Arcata in late June.

Friday, June 09, 2006

RACE REPORT: Humbug Hurry Up

It took a little detective work, but I located the 2006 Humbug Hurry-Up results. They were hiding them over on the Breakaway Events page for the Hurry-Up. They have also posted pictures of the event over at Outdoor Exposure Photography.

Congratulations to Jason Moeschler (WTB) who beat Mark Weir (also WTB) by 00:00:16 for the Pro Men's win. Sarah Maile (Ventana USA) took the Women's top honors.

UPDATE (06/09/06): It looks like Mark Weir updated his GPS trail for this race. Below are the course map:
and elevation readings from his ride:

MTB Racing at the BMX Track

So our friends at dhReno have again come through for us with an alternative racing opportunity: BMX Cruiser at Carson City BMX park:
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.

For details, see the Carson City BMX website.
Mountain bikes can be raced in the cruiser class.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

RACE REPORT: PCRS #9

It was a little bit hotter than most races this year, but we had another good turn out for PCRS #9 last night. And as a bonus, it was kiddie racing night. Woo hoo.
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).

Pictures will be posted here and the results should be over here sometime tonight.

Qualifying For UCI Masters Worlds

Just to add a little more confusion to those of you competing for the USA Cycling / NORBA MTB championships, they've posted the UCI World Masters qualifying information:
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 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.
The full press release can be viewed here.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

ROAD TRIP: 12 Mile Super D

Since there isn't anything on the NorCal schedule for this weekend, I am highlighting a few out of area races. And apparently, this weekend is the "official" roadtrip enduro / Super D weekend.
Breakaway Events Presents the 12 Mile Super D
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.
The 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).

Why can't NorCal have Super D races ?

Norcal Racing This Week: June 7 - June 8, 2006

It's a full slate weeknight racing:
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.

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.
There isn't anything on the NorCal calendar for this weekend, so get your racing in during the week.

RACE REPORT: CCCX #5

This weekend marked the return of the CCCX cross country (XC) series in Seaside, CA and the results have been posted. I couldn't make the drive down to the coast, but luckily a few MotionBased users logged their races. You can see the details (times, maps, heart rates, etc.) here (mcengen), here (amutzinger) and here (morganfletcher).

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

More US MTB Nationals Commentary . . .

Today's Lee Likes Bikes commentary on the NORBA / US MTB Nationals / Infineion rescheduling is priceless...

Race Face Opens 2006 UXC II Contest

Okay, I am not sure if winning this is actually a Really Good Thing (RGT):
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.

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.
Entries are due June 15th.

Monday, June 05, 2006

RACE RESULTS: 2006 12 Hrs of Weaverville

Here are the results for this year's 12 Hours of Weaverville. However, I will warn you, they are a little strange. For some reason, they list the rider number, rider hometown and laps, but not the rider's name. They also have some pictures over at Trailtime.

RACE RESULTS: 2006 Peavine Challenge

The results are in from this weekend's 14th Annual Peavine Challenge. Congratulations to Scott Phillips (Content) who won the Pro competition by covering the 26 miles in 2:09:56. He edged out Peter Graf by almost 2 minutes. The Reno Wheelmen have also posted some podium pictures.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

RACE REPORT: 2006 Tish Tang Television DH

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).

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Oakland Scrape Alleycat Race

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.

The race will be Saturday, June 24th at noon at Lakeside Park in Lake Merritt, near Lake Merritt BART [ MAP ]. The course is described as a 20 to 25 mile trip through "the East Bay, Oakland and Berkeley. They're all legally accessible and that's all were saying." Upon registering, you'll be given a checklist, to be stamped at each checkpoint, and a clue to the first checkpoint. From there you need to visit each checkpoint (possibly completing a challenge) to move onto the next leg.

The race costs $5 and you may need a bag and/or a lock for some of the challenges.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

ROADTRIP: Santa Barbara Bicycle Festival

For those of you still looking to qualify for the US MTB Nationals in downhill (DH), there's another (somewhat) close shot at it this weekend in Southern / Central California at the 2006 Santa Barbara Bicycle Festival. Held on June 3rd in Elings Park, the festival will feature cross country (XC) and downhill (DH) races as well as live music and some BMX. The downhill course is described as "The downhill course winds down a 400 vertical foot. . . This years course has been redesigned with multiple table tops, singletrack, bermed switchbacks that drop into a meadow that continue with tabletop jumps and berms to the finish. The race format is a combined two run time." There is minimal information on the XC course, other than it is a five mile loop. There is a satellite photo of the course available here.
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

RACE REPORT: PCRS #8

With the temperature finally getting back to normal, about a hundred and fifty or so people came out to Prairie City OHV for PCRS #8 last night.
PCRS#8 Rippin

We ran a short course (3.1 miles) last night, which was pretty flat (only 300' climbing) but fast and mostly singletrack. There were less sustained downhills (probably to cut down on accidents) but also a lot less climbing. The course went out into parts of the park that I hadn't ever been on before - it even crossed the road at one point by the motocross track.
PCRS#8 Home Stretch

Myself, I felt like I raced pretty well. I may have snuck into the top 10 in the my category, but most of all I had a good ride with decent lap splits. I hung with the lead group until getting separated at the end of lap 1, then rode alone for most of lap 2. It was nice not having anyone in front of me, making it much easier to read the lines. I was pretty lucky though - I saw a lot of people crash and walking there bikes into the finish line. Not sure if these were all mechanicals or what.

Pictures are posted here. Results will be are posted here later tonight.