St Paddy's Day Sea Otter Discounts

Although the Valentine's Day special has expired, our friends at Specialized has extended a new 20% off registration for the 2006 Sea Otter Classic. Take advantage of this offer HERE or just download the PDF form. The registration is via mail ony (no online) and must be postmarked by March 17, 2006.

Technorati Tags: mtb, MTB-DH, MTB-DS, MTB-MTX, mtb-race, MTB-ST, MTB-SuperD, MTB-XC, MTNX, norcalmtbracing

2006 Cool MTB Race Photos

Since I posted the race report for the 2006 Cool MTB Race about as soon as I got home from Cool yesterday, I didn't get a chance to link to any photos. But I must; Some of the diggers and endos are nothing short of EPIC. Start with this thread at MTBR (gotta read all two or three pages to see the good photos), then proceed to Brian Joder's photos over at racemtbikes to truly understand the race.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-xc, mtb-race

RACE REPORT: MTB Challenge 3

It looks like TBF Racing had a pretty good turnout for the MTB Challenge #3 on Sunday. I count 76 riders, which is especially good considering the rain/cold temperatures and the competing Cool MTB Race. Results have been posted HERE.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, MTB-XC, norcalmtbracing

RACE REPORT: 2006 Cool MTB Race

So I knew that I was in for a long day as soon as I got to Darrington Trail on Salmon Falls Road. It was obvious that Friday's scouting report of the Cool MTB Race was not quite correct. To illustrate the difference, on Friday the trail looked like this:

Whereas today, by the time I parked, Cool looked like this:

While the weather had obviously not cooperated, the Cool MTB Race crew had organized a nice race. The course layout was swoopy with some long uphills, they had an efficient registration and an enthusiastic crowd (more cowbell!). But wow, today's weather really made for a miserable race. In fact, the organizers even acknowledged the fact by asking the racers if they really wanted to do more that one lap (not that any group was willing to cut their race short).

The trail was quite simply a mess. What was a mudfest became unrideable for large parts - either it was a actual stream or unclimbable due to the snow and mud. Stream crossings were sketchy at best and it seemed like almost everyone had some kind of mechanical problems (sidenote: shimano components really don't like freeze mud). It's really too bad that the weather went so south -- I think this would have been a great race, in say May. UPDATE: Someone posted two great photos over at MTBR (they are near the bottom of this thread).

As you can imagine from the general demeanor of my report (and past races), I didn't have a good race. By the end of the first lap, I had broken two fenders (front and back, at mile 1 and 4), suffered two epic diggers (complete endo into the water on one), burned through my back brake, lost all feeling in my feet and iced up my rear derailleur. And posted a sweet 1:33 lap time. For ten miles. Needless to say, I racked up the first DNF of my year and my career today.

Race results are posted ( PDF ).

SCOUTING REPORT: Cool MTB Race

I took a quick drive out to Cool today to check out the course conditions before Sunday's big 14th Annual Cool Mountain Bike Race. And I can truthfully report, it is going to be one muddy ride.

The course is a rolling ten mile loop in the Auburn State Recreational area off HWY 49 just south of Auburn, CA. The course has no major hills (probably a couple hundred feet of vertical climbs per lap) and seems to be mostly well maintained single and doubletrack (fireroad). The course conditions today were a mixed bag. In most places, it was moist, hard pack with a bit of gravel (i.e. really nice and fast). But in place where water has pooled, the mud took on a consistency of quicksand. And deep quicksand. In

some muddy areas, I saw horse hoofprint that sank 4 or 5 inches. I don't know how much worse this will get, but it just started raining here, so it certainly isn't going to get any better before Sunday morning.

The other striking point of today's trip up to Cool was the temperature. While my two pictures don't show it, even the Louie dog was freezing his ass off. There were flurries of snow in the air and the trusty coatpull thermometer said it was 39F. Looking at the weather forecast, I don't see it being much above the high 40Fs for Sunday morning.

Sunday's race registration starts at 8 AM (you can also check-in on Saturday at Auburn Bike Works [ MAP ]) and the pre-race meeting commences at 10:30 AM. Awards and prize raffles will be held immediately after the race. The organizers were just setting up the race registration area while I was walking the trail today and the one thing that struck me was the complete lack of parking. A word to the wise, be looking for parking spots well before you get to the firehouse in Cool.

Bottom line: bring your mud gear (I'm sporting fenders), warm clothing and possibly even some warm beverages for Sunday's race.

P.S. It appears that online registration is closed.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, MTB-XC, norcalmtbracing

Norcal Racing This Weekend: Mar 11-12, 2006

It's a big (and probably snowy) weekend of NorCal MTB racing this weekend:

• Saturday: There are two events on tap: Sand Hill #3 (MTX) and TBF's Chanoko MTB Dualathlon #2.
• Sand Hill #3 is P&R Sports Mountain Cross third race of the spring series. The lone Bay Area event this weekend, Sand Hill Ranch is just north of Livermore, CA. Signup and practice for the races begin at 8 AM, while qualifying starts at 10:30 AM. While this race is mountaincross (MTX), the next race in the series is dual slalom (DS).
• Chanoko MTB Duathlon #2 will be held at Folsom Lake Recreational Area (near Granite Bay, CA). The duathlon is a 2-mile run, 10 mile mountain bike and another 2 mile run race through the park grounds. The course is relatively flat with some rolling hills and singletrack. The race cost $45 until race day when it rises to $55. You can register online at the active.com website. Registration opens 6:30 AM with racing at 9:00 AM.

• Sunday: Two more events on tap: TBF's MTB Challenge 3 and the 14th Annual Cool Mountain Bike Race.
• MTB Challenge #3 is be held on the same grounds as Saturday's dualathlon (Folsom Lake Recreational Area in Granite Bay, CA) with a slightly different course map. Depending upon your division, you will be doing 1, 2 or 3 laps of the 10 mile course. The race is $40 (rising to $50 on race day) and you can also sign up at the active.com website.
• The 14th Annual Cool Mountain Bike Race takes you over the muddy trails of the Olmstead Loop trail near Auburn, CA to benefit local trail maintainers. Each lap is about 10 miles, with beginners doing one lap, sport two laps and experts three. The race starts around 10:30 AM after a mandatory riders meeting. The race is limited to 425 riders -- I am not sure if registration is still open or not. Check the website for more details.
  

Although there are forecasts for snow (yes, I said SNOW!) in the area on Saturday, I will be riding in the Cool Mountain Bike Race this Sunday. If I get some time today, I will post a scouting report on the Olmstead Loop trail conditions.

Technorati Tags: mtb, MTB-MTX, mtb-race, MTB-XC, MTNX, norcalmtbracing

Reno Wheelmen Announce 2006 Twilight MTB Series

The Reno Wheelmen has posted their mountain bike racing schedule for 2006. This Reno, NV local XC racing series is held on Thursday nights throughout the spring and summer and should nicely fill in the regional racing gap in May and June. The series encompasses both the Twilight MTB (TMTB) series, which start at 6:30 PM, and the Sierra Youth Cycling League (SYCL), which start at 4:30 PM. The races cost $5 per race and registration is held onsite. Race dates and locations (with nice google maps) are detailed below:

April 13: Hidden Valley (TMTB & SYCL)
April 27: Keystone Twilight (TMTB & SYCL)
May 4: Keystone Twilight (TMTB & SYCL)
May 11: Peavine Hillclimb (TMTB & SYCL)
May 25: Hidden Valley (TMTB & SYCL)
June 8: TBA Centenial Park (TMTB)
June 15: TBA River Banks (TMTB)
June 22: TBA Peavine Hillclimb (TMTB)
June 29: Keystone Twilight (TMTB Final)

As you can see, there are still a number of TBDs to be filled in. We'll keep you updated as they resolve these dates.
UPDATE (3/19/06): Filled in TBDs and changed finals location.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, MTB-XC, norcalmtbracing

NORBA West Resources

NORBA as part of their continuing revitalization campaign, has posted a outreach page for Western US racers:

NORBA Western US Resources

They don't have much listed in NorCal, it seems like a great resource for out of area racing events.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, mtb-dh, mtb-xc

RACE REPORT: Sand Hill 2 (DS)

P&R Sports has posted the results for the second race of their spring series. It looks like they had a pretty good turn out for the dual slalom event, especially considering the bad weather this weekend. It looks like George Stephenson III from nearby El Dorado Hills' Northern Lights team has grabbed the early lead in the Semi-Pro/Pro category with a win this weekend (and a second last weekend).

I Hate Bikes has a race report and photos.

Technorati Tags: mtb, MTB-DH, MTB-DS, mtb-race, MTNX, norcalmtbracing

Unscheduled Races

Since I get a lot (I mean a lot) of search hits from google and msn asking about these race series, let me just post that these following race series have not yet been scheduled for 2006,
as far as I know:

• Northstar at Tahoe Thursday night XC series and Sunday DH series. I doubt we hear anything about these races until the snow melts (which judging by Pollock Pines snow this weekend, might not be for a while). These usually start in late July. I raced these last year and had a great time.
  
• Billy Cross Racing Series. These Sonoma, CA races are rumored to be coming, but no word as of yet.. These races have been announced, see here.
• Reno Wheelman Twilight MTB / SYCL series. These Nevada XC events are in the process of being scheduled now. This includes the Sky Tavern Classic. These have been scheduled, see here.
  
• Skyline Park Mountain Bike Race. No word as of yet for this Napa, CA XC classic that once hosted a World Cup event. This is scheduled for May 21st, 2006.
  
• Prairie City Races Series (PCRS) Fall Flash. These XC races haven't been scheduled (since the PCRS Spring series is just starting) but usually begin in August and run through early September. I also raced these last year and they are a blast.
  

As I get more information on any of these events, I will update this entry.
UPDATE (03/09/06): The Reno Wheelmen have scheduled their Twilight series. See here.
UPDATE (03/20/06): Skyline has been scheduled. See here.
UPDATE (03/22/06): Billy Cross has been scheduled. See here.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, mtb-xc, mtb-dh

UCI Status For NORBA Races in 06

Well this certainly a promising turn for NORBA. Maybe someone has been listening to all the grumbling from last year:

USA Cycling announced today that six of the seven 2006 National Mountain Bike Series events have been included on the UCI Calendar and USA Cycling will provide prize money for the UCI-sanctioned events.

The National Mountain Bike Series events in Fontana, Calif., May 5-7 and Banner Elk, N.C., June 10-11 have been granted Category 2 status from the UCI, while incumbent races in West Dover, Vt., June 17-18, Park City, Utah, July 8-9, Brian Head, Utah, August 5-6 and Snowmass Village, Colo., August 12-13 have received Category 1 status from the international governing body.

As a requirement for UCI sanctioning, USA Cycling has contributed more than $33,000 in prize money and inscription fees towards the national series – an important element in determining the number of start positions the U.S. will receive at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

In addition to securing more UCI-sanctioned events in the United States, USA Cycling will also announce plans next week for supporting its top professional riders to attend World Cup events in 2006 and 2007 in an effort to secure maximum start positions for the Beijing Games and further prepare athletes for world-class competition.

Check out the entire press release here.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, MTB-XC, norcalmtbracing

Norcal Racing This Weekend: Mar 4-5, 2006

It's a light weekend of racing due to the cancellation of the Iron Angels race:

• Saturday: The second gravity event of the season is P&R Sports Dual Slalom debut race of the Sandhill Spring Series. The race is located at Sand Hill Ranch just north of Livermore, CA. Signup and practice for the races begin at 8 AM, while qualifying starts at 10:30 AM. This is a NORBA sanctioned event (so bring your license or pay the one day fee). Registration is onsite for $30/race. Parking is an extra $5. This is the second race in the series.

It's probably just as well, since the weather is supposed to be crap for Sunday anyway. Next weekend will be a little more action packed.

Technorati Tags: mtb, MTB-DS, mtb-race

Helmet-cam Video of CHDH Course Posted

In addition to news of all the latest sponsors, the RideSFO folks have posted a helmetcam video pre-ride of the CHDH course. Nice.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, mtb-dh

Downieville Classic Finalized

It looks like they have finalized the dates for the 2006 Downieville Classic for the weekend of July 28 - 30th, 2006. This makes for a killer July full of NorCal racing: Cougar Mountain, NORBA Championships and Downieville are back to back to back weekends.

The Downieville Classic a weekend festival of riding and racing, featuring possibly the world's most famous downhill and a point-to-point XC course. The Downieville Downhill will come on Saturday and is being pegged as 4700' descent through almost 15 miles. Record holder Mark Weir will be defending his title again this year. Sunday's XC point-to-point race will 28 "rugged" miles through the Sierra Buttes on a stretch of course known as the Trail of Tears.

Event: Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Festival
Dates: July 28 - 30, 2006
Location: Downieville, CA (2 hrs north of Sacto) [ MAP ]
Competition: DH, XC
Cost: $60/event ($5 late fee)
URL: http://www.downievilleclassic.com/
Registration: https://secure.nccn.net/classic/classicentry.html
License: NORBA

UPDATE (07/26/06): New information posted here.
UPDATE (07/31/06): Results posted here.

RACE REPORT: Sand Hill 1 (MTX)

P&R Sports has posted the results for the first race of their spring series. Results are posted here. It looks like they had a nice turnout for the mountain cross competition. They are racing dual slalom this weekend.

Technorati Tags: mtb, mtb-race, mtb-mtx, cycling, biking