Lagrange Fall Classic Unaffected By Shutdown

Although last week's Whiskeytown had to be postponed due to the government shutdown, the next race is on… 

LAGRANGE IS ON! OCTOBER 19!
Good news, the LaGrange Fall Classic will not be affected by the government shutdown. We will be able to hold the XC season finale on planned in Weaverville on October 19. 

If you've never done this race you owe it to yourself to come out and experience the fantastic singletrack within the Weaver Basin Trail System. Most of these trails were build by hand during the gold rush of the 1860's --- fun, flowy and twisty!

http://teambigfoot.net/LaGrangeFall2013.htm

Whiskeytown Postponed Due to Govt Shutdown

As feared, the Whiskeytown races this weekend have been postponed:

WHISKEYTOWN NINE TO FIVE
24 HOURS OF WHISKEYTOWN
With the government shutdown still in effect and our permit with Whiskeytown National Recreation Area remaining suspended we will not be able to hold these events as planned this weekend. Hope continues that the shutdown will end and that we can reschedule for the near future. 

Continue watching your preferred news source. Once the shutdown has ended we'll do our best to quickly work with the Whiskeytown NRA to reschedule. Updates on the situation will be posted here and on our website.

Whiskeytown Threatened By Govt Shutdown

For those of you looking to race up North this weekend, best be following the national news:

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN & WHISKEYTOWN NINE TO FIVE / 24 HOURS OF WHISKEYTOWN
Well folks, here's the sitch, the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is subject to the current government shutdown, so at this moment our permit for this coming weekend has been suspended. However, if the shutdown is lifted prior to Friday morning, we'll still have time to get the course marked and run the events as planned.
Keep watching your favorite news for updates.

More news when posted …

24 Hours / 9-5 of Whiskeytown

Somehow this slipped through the schedule, but this weekend (October 6-7, 2012) is the 24 Hours of Whiskeytown and the Whiskeytown 9 to 5. Held in Whiskeytown Lake, CA (west of Redding, CA), the races are Solo Cup Championships.

The trail system within the Whiskeytown Lake National Recreation Area is FANTASTIC! Most of the singletrack trails were dug by hand during the 1850's Gold Rush era. Few places in the world have this much flowing singletrack. Racers have loved our course for years---some have described as "the best parts of the Lemurain" ---and this year's course will be even better! Instead of taking the Shasta Mine Trail the course will stay on the Clear Creek Canal Trail, which is longer, twistier and more fun! We haven't used this trail before because of one nasty section affectionately known as "The Ditch of Death," but that section has been reworked and is now completely ridable. The course will be about 8.5 miles long with about 1450' of climbing.

2012 Team Bigfoot Endurance Series

Following up last week's Bigfoot XC schedule, here is the long format racing:

The format is simple. Your solo mileage from each of the events in the series are added up. The rider with the most miles in each of our categories is awarded a Solo Cup Trophy at the Whiskeytown Nine to Five Finals.

• 5/19/12: 12 Hours of Weaverville and 6 Hours of Weaverville (Weaverville, CA)
• 7/28/12: 12 Hours of Humboldt and 6 Hours of Humboldt (Arcata, CA)
• 8/25/12:  Kirkwood Nine to Five and  24 Hours of Kirkwood (Kirkwood Mtn Resort, CA)
• 9/1/12: Six Hours of Kirkwood Super Endurance (Kirkwood Mtn Resort, CA)
• 10/6/12: Whiskeytown Nine to Five and 24 Hours of Whiskeytown (Whiskeytown Lake, CA)

Full information at http://teambigfoot.net/.

2012 NorCal XC Championship Series

The NorCal XC championship series is back for 2012. As always, it's the best 4 finishes plus the Finals (Lagrange Fall Classic) to decide the winners:

• 3/18/12: Big Sandy (Fresno)
• 4/7/12: CCCX (Toro Park)
• 4/15/12: Napa Valley Dirt Classic (Angwin, CA)
• 4/28/12: Lemurian Classic
• 5/26/12: Lagrange Spring Classic (Weaverville, CA)
• 7/712: CCCX (Fort Ord)
• 8/5/12: Howell Mountain Challenge (Angwin, CA)
• 8/18/12: Annadel (Annadel State Park near Sonoma)
• 9/30/12: Whiskeytown Classic (Whiskeytown Lake)
• 10/20/12: Lagrange Fall Classic - FINALS (Weaverville, CA)

More information is available at Team Bigfoot website.

Team Bigfoot Announces Two Kirkwood Events

Team Bigfoot has announced two racing events at Kirkwood this month. The first event will feature several races:

• SUPER-D: Friday, August 19, 3:00pm. This relatively new form of racing is defined as a predominantly downhill mountain bike race with a finish at a lower elevation from the start, but with a climb or two on the way. Kirkwood is especially suited for Super-D; it has the perfect terrain and trails and also has ski-lifts to hoist the riders and their bikes to the top of the course.  This year’s event will be on a new 6-mile course—nearly double the distance of last year! In this event each rides starts individually for a timed run against the clock.
• CROSS COUNTRY: Saturday, August 20, 9:00am (Beginner and Intermediate), 1:00pm (Expert and Pro). This is the type of mountain bike racing featured in the Olympics. At Kirkwood it will be mass starts on a 6 mile course that has all the elements that racers love; plenty of single-track, fire-road climbs, some short steep sections, some technical tests of skill and of course—fantastic and beautiful views along the way. Beginner riders will do one lap, intermediates do two and the expert and pro riders are scheduled for three laps.
• HUFFY TOSS: Saturday, August 20, after the Cross-Country. This silly diversion will end the day on Saturday right after the Cross-Country awards. Using the UHTI (Union Huffy Toss Inernationale) rules a case of microbrew will be awarded to tosser who earns the most points for flinging a Huffy bicycle. Points are awarded for distance, for making the bike cartwheel or barrel roll and for thenumber of parts jettisoned on a single toss. Winner takes home theremaining bicycle debris plus a case of brew. The full UHTI rules can be found at http://teambigfoot.net/UHTIRules2011.htm.
• SIX HOURS OF KIRKWOOD SUPER-D: Sunday, August 21, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Last year this was Team Bigfoot’s most popular Kirkwood event. The format for this unique event is simple: How many runs of the 6-mile long Super-D course can a rider do between 10:00am and 4:00pm?  There’s a new longer course this year that begins at the top of Kirkwood’s chair 6. It drops nearly 2000 feet by way of the Sentinels Trail, the Dangberg Trail and the new Roby Wolfe Trail. The event offers categories for all ages and abilities. It is sponsored by the Tahoe bicycle shop “Wattabike,” who is putting up a pair of $250 gift certificates to be awarded to the man and the woman who completes the most runs.

The second event will center on the endurance races:

• MTBR KIRKWOOD NINE TO FIVE /  MTBR 24 HOURS OF KIRKWOOD: Saturday and Sunday August 27 and 28. are for the endurance racers, with the Kirkwood Nine to Five, an eight hour race taking place from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday, and the 24 Hours of Kirkwood, which goes from 9:00am Saturday to 9:00am Sunday. The format is simple, solo riders or relay teams race for eight or twenty-four hours on a 6-mile course. There are several categories based on age and ability. The Pro purse for the men AND the women will be a guaranteed $250 (or 100% pay-back of entry fees, whichever is greater.) WINNER-TAKE-ALL.

For information and on-line registration visit http://www.teambigfoot.net.

12 Hours of Humboldt Returns for 2011

It looks like I've been completely asleep at the wheel in covering our way NorCal friends up in Humboldt. It's this weekend (7/23/11), but well worth the trek:

With temperatures throughout California reaching into the 90s and beyond, many mountain bike endurance racers are looking forward to visiting Arcata for the Adventure’s Edge 12 Hours of Humboldt, July 23, as a means of getting in some great racing while also escaping the sweltering heat-wave. The average July daily temperature in this corner of the north coast is in the high 60s! Factor in a course that is almost entirely under the shade of giant redwood trees and it’s no wonder that most of the riders in this popular event come from out of the area.

The 12 hour long event runs from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. While a number of the riders will go it solo, there will also be relay teams of 2, 3 or 4 riders competing in several different categories based on age and rider ability. And new this year is the 6 Hours of Humboldt; a kinder, gentler option for riders who want the satisfaction of a solo experience, but aren’t up for a full 12 hours. The 6 hour event will go from 8:00am to 2:00pm.

The course weaves through the Arcata Community Forest using a variety of trails. The 7.4-mile course is a fun mix of fire road and flowing single-track, boasting 1112’ of elevation gain per lap. Mountain bike endurance hero Tinker Juarez has called the course “One of the best I’ve ridden.”

The main venue is in Arcata’s Redwood Park. The pit area will be on the upper lawn where riders and teams will be able to put up tents, awnings, etc. Riders with children will be pleased to know that there’s a playground adjacent to the start/finish/transition.

Team Bigfoot, an Arcata-based event promotions company, is organizing this event and has pledged a portion of each rider entry fee to the new Ridge Trail, a large addition to the Arcata Community Forest, and to the Humboldt County Search and Rescue Team. For information on the race visit Adventure’s Edge in Arcata or Eureka, or go to the website at www.teambigfoot.net, or call (707) 845-3095.

NorCal MTB Racing This Weekend: October 9-10, 2010

For those of you making your weekend plans, here is quick rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for NorCal:

1. Hasta Be Shasta (10/09/10) Downhill racing
2. Sacramento CX (10/09/10)
3. Homegrown CX (10/10/10)
4. CCCX CX (10/10/10)
5. Sagebrush CX (10/10/10)

For more in-depth coverage of this weekend's cyclocross races, head over to the NCNCA CX blog.

MTB Racing This Weekend: October 2-3, 2010

For those of you making your weekend plans, here is quick rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for NorCal:

1. Race For Tara 4 (10/02/10)
2. Whiskeytown 9-5 / 24 (10/02/10)
3. UC Berkeley MTB Race (10/02/10)
4. CCCX CX (10/03/10)
5. UC Berkeley MTB Race (10/03/10)
6. Private Locust (10/03/10)

NorCal MTB Racing This Weekend: Sept 17-19, 2010

For those of you making your weekend plans, here is quick rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for NorCal:

1. Northstar Super D Series (09/17/10): Northstar at Tahoe's gravity series continue with Friday night's Super D and Sunday's downhill.
2. Kirkwood 9 to 5 #2 (09/18/10): Another big race at Kirkwood, this time it is Team Bigfoot's 8 hour endurance race.
3. The Bidwell Bump™ Mountain Bike Race (09/18/10): Chico's lone entry on the calendar combines a XC race and a Pro/Expert Super D.
4. Kirkwood Six Hour SuperD (09/19/10): Probably the most unique race this season: "It's simple, the clock starts in the morning at 10:00 am and stops in the afternoon at 4:00 pm. The rider with the most COMPLETED runs by four wins." Learn more at the Team Bigfoot website.
5. Northstar DH Series (09/19/10): Last DH race before the Race 4 Tara III.
6. CCCX CX (09/19/10): First CX race of the season (I think ?).

NorCal MTB Racing This weekend: Aug 19 - 22, 2010

For those of you making your weekend plans, here is quick rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for Norcal:

1. Kirkwood CCCS Weekend (8/20 - 8/27): Tomorrow is the start of a full week of MTB activities up at Kirkwood. I was starting to list them out, but there are almost ten different rides or races (Super D Friday, XC on Saturday and Short Track on Sunday, etc.). Check out the full list of activities at the Team Bigfoot website.  They are already marking out the course ...
2. Northstar XC Series (08/19/10): Tonight is the second to last race in the XC series.
3. Women's Only Downhill Mountain Bike Clinic (08/21/10)
4. Locust Ride 3 (08/22/10): The third of the North Bay rides for MCBC.

2010 Hasta Be Shasta Cancelled !

Another race falls victim to our cool summer temperatures ...

We reget to announce that due to there still being up to five feet of snow on the course Hasta Be Shasta has been cancelled.

Shastarama on July 18 will still happen.

Via Team Bigfoot

NorCal MTB Racing This Week: May 20-23, 2010

It's a big week for MTB racing all across region - both weeknight and weekend. For those of you making your plans, here is a quick rundown of this week's MTB racing schedule for NorCal:

1. Blazing Saddles Mountain Bike Race Series (Thursday)
2. Paper Plate Races (Thursday)
3. 12 & 6 Hours of Weaverville (05/22/10)
4. SB Racing.org, Winter XC Series, Round 5 Final Round, Fort Ord (05/22/10)
5. Pine Nut Cracker (05/22/10)
6. South Valley Endurance Dirty Gears Series #2 (05/23/10)
7. Gravity Day (05/23/10)

2010 Giant NorCal MTB Championship Series

In addition to their Solo Cup, Team Bigfoot is also organizing the Giant NorCal MTB Championship series in XC, Super D and DH. Here are the details:

WIN A GIANT XTC2 !
We'll be giving away TWO bikes, $870 value each.
Here's how it works, at each and every race you do in the series you'll earn chances to win a bike based on your finish: A win gets you five tickets, 2nd=4 tickets, 3rd=3, 4th=2, 5th=1. You don't have to keep track of tickets, we'll take are of that. We'll draw the winning ticket the Lagrange Fall Classic, one cross-country racer and one downhill racer will each take home a brand new Giant XTC2 mountain bike. Must be present to win the bike.

Series champions will be crowned in every category at the finals in Weaverville. Champions will be awarded with a 1st place medal, special Nor-Cal Series socks from Sock Guy, and will be eligible to purchase a championship jersey.

Here are the dates (yes, some have them have already past, sigh):

GIANT Northern California Championship Series 2010

CROSS COUNTRY (Best 4 finishes + Final)

• NAPA VALLEY DIRT CLASSIC, April 11
• LEMURIAN CLASSIC, April 24,
• CCCX, May 15
• CCCX, June 12
• SKYLINE PARK, June 13
• HOWELL MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE, August 8
• KIRKWOOD NCCS WEEKEND, August 21
• WHISKEYTOWN CLASSIC, Sept. 26
• LAGRANGE FALL CLASSIC, Oct 24

DOWNHILL (Best 3 Finishes Plus Final)

• CCCX, May 9
• GRAVITY DAY, May 23
• HASTA BE SHASTA #1, July 3
• SHASTARAMA, July 18
• CCCX, June 20
• HASTA BE SHASTA #2, Oct. 10
• LAGRANGE FALL CLASSIC (FINALS) Oct. 24

SUPER-D (Best 4 Finishes Plus Final)

• GRAVITY DAY, May 23
• SHASTARAMA, July 17
• SIX HOURS OF KIRKWOOD (double points!)
• HASTA BE SHASTA #2, Oct. 9
• LAGRANGE FALL CLASSIC (FINALS) Oct. 22

2010 Team Bigfoot Solo Cup Series

Team Bigfoot's Solo Cup series is back for 2010 with two different divisions this year.

SILVER CUP SERIES
The format is simple, we add up your miles from your races and whoever has the most in your category at the finals at Whiskeytown Lake in October is awarded with a championship trophy. Must be present to receive your trophy.

• 12 Hours of Weaverville, May 22
• 6 Hours of Weaverville, May 22
• Kirkwood Nine to Five #1, August 28
• Kirkwood Nine to Five #2, Sept. 18
• Whiskeytown Nine to Five, Oct. 2

GOLD CUP SERIES
This one if for the hard-core riders. You need to do at least one 24 Hour to be eligible for the championship. The format is simple, we add up your miles from your races and whoever has the most in your category at the finals at the 24 Hours of Gold is awarded with a championship trophy. Must be present to receive your trophy. Any of the races above, plus any of the races below:

• 24 Hours of Kirkwood, August 28-29
• 24 Hours of Whiskeytown, October 2-3
• 24 Hours of Gold, November 13-14

Tentative 2010 Team Bigfoot Endurance Schedule

Team Bigfoot has posted a tentative version of their 2010 Endurance races:

2010 Team Bigfoot Endurance Series

• 5/22/10: 12/6 Hours of Weaverville (tentative)
• 7/24/10: 12/6 Hours of Humboldt (tentative)
• 8/28/10: Kirkwood 9 to 5 #1
• 8/28/10: 24 Hours of Kirkwood
• 9/18/10: Kirkwood 9 To 5 #2
• 9/19/10: Kirkwood Six Hour Super D NEW FOR 2010 !

The XC calendar should be coming along soon at Team Bigfoot.

Preliminary 2010 Team Bigfoot Schedule

Team Bigfoot posted a Christmas present for far Northern California MTB racers with a preliminary 2010 schedule:

OUR 2010 SCHEDULE WILL BE POSTED IN EARLY JANUARY
The Northern California Mountain Bike Championship Series will be back, with a few new venues in the series!

The Team Bigfoot Endurance Series will be back, with a few new venues there too! Check back for details.

HERE ARE A FEW EVENTS THAT ARE ALREADY SCHEDULED

• KIRKWOOD 9 TO 5 #1, August 28
• 24 HOURS OF KIRKWOOD, August 28-29
• KIRKWOOD 9 TO 5 #2, September 18
• KIRKWOOD SIX HOUR SUPER-D, Sept. 19

Good to see that the Kirkwood event(s) will be continued and expanded.

NorCal MTB Racing This Weekend: Oct 3 -4, 2009

Racing is starting to wind down for the year, so for this weekend's calendar I am opening it up nationwide. In case, you are looking for a serious roadtrip:

10/03/09: Whiskeytown 9-5 / 24 (NorCal, near Redding)
10/03/09: Parkfield Classic (Central CA, near nothing [ed: kidding])
10/03/09: Road Apple Rally (NM)
10/03/09: Bryan Texas Utilities Power Pedal (TX)
10/03/09: Fall Tilt in Telluride (CO)
10/03/09: SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50 (SoCal)
10/04/09: Northstar DH (Live Wire Classic) (Truckee, CA)
10/04/09: Wolf River Rendezvous (WI)
10/04/09: Leaf Blower (NJ)
10/04/09: North Texas XC #3 Rowlett Creek (TX)
10/04/09: BASP CX #1 (Bay Area Cyclocross)

Giant NorCal MTB Championship Wrapping Up

The last two races of the Giant Northern California Mountain Bike Championship are coming up, with the penultimate round, the Whiskeytown Classic, at Whiskeytown Lake over the weekend of September 25-27. This season-long series is coordinated by event promotions company Team Bigfoot, headed by Vic Armijo. The series finals will be the famed Lagrange Fall Classic in Weaverville October 16-18 where category championships will be awarded in Cross-Country, Downhill and Super-D. Champions will receive medals, a pair of commemorative socks from Sock Guy and will be eligible to purchase championship jerseys at dealer cost of $60.

• The Whiskeytown Classic kicks off on the afternoon of Friday Sept. 25 with a Short-Track Cross-Country that’s held on a super-fun 3/10 mile course with a fire-road climb and a flowy single-track descent.
  Saturday’s Cross-Country is on a ten-mile, 80% single-track course. Beginners will do one lap, sport riders will do two and experts and pros will do three. “Whiskeytown Lake has become a favorite destination for Northern California mountain bikers,” Armijo says, “This is some of the best mountain bike riding in the state,” he says, “The trails and ditches built during the gold mining era are so much fun to ride!” The Whiskeytown Classic concludes with the Super-D on Sunday afternoon on a course that’s almost entirely single-track, has some great flowing sections, a rock-garden and only a couple of short climbs. An all-mountain bike is the hot set-up.
• The series wraps up three weeks later at the Lagrange Fall Classic. That weekend starts Friday, October 16 with a Super-D that many have called the best in the state! It’s mostly single-track, has some of the best flow of any course around and it’s lonnng…winning times will be around 28 minutes! Saturday’s Cross Country is on an epic fun course! Again, it’s mostly single-track trails that were dug by hand during the gold rush days of the 1850’s. The beginners get a 14 mile loop, all others get 22 mile of fun! Sunday morning is the Short-Track Cross-Country on a fast course with an oh-so-steep downhill. The series concludes Sunday afternoon with the famed Lagrange Downhill. It’s a long course that starts way up near the top of Weaver Bolly Mountain. Expert times will be almost eight minutes! There’s a bit of everything on this one, steep and loose, fast and smooth, twisty and technical, and a creek jump.

For information visit http://www.teambigfoot.net.