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

1. TBF Friday Night MTB Series (07/23/10)
2. Northstar Super D Series (07/23/10)
3. Lake Sonoma Series (07/24/10)
4. Northstar DH Series (07/25/10)

Also don't forget the North Bay for the Marin County Fun Ride this weekend.

If you are heading into the North Bay for the Marin County Fun Ride this weekend, you might want to check this out:

Gestalt Haus of Fairfax is a cafe/bar longtime overdue in Fairfax (28 Bolinas, Fairfax CA); a town at the heart of some amazing mountain biking and road cycling.  Gestalt is themed to celebrate the cycling community, serving a great post-ride meal of hot German Sausages, and quality Californian and European brews.  Dirty or sweaty, it doesn't matter, all are welcome.  There are hooks on the wall for hanging your bikes, old bike memorabilia (e.g. Gorgeous SyCip with bar levels as break shifters), and picnic benches for seating that resemble an indoor beer garden.  All ages are welcome, so whether it's a family ride or a night ride with the bro's, check them out at their website or on Facebook.

Gestalt Haus is open Monday 530pm-Midnight, Tuesday-Friday: 530pm- 2am, Saturday: 11am-2am, Sunday: 11am-Midnight.

Keith DeFiebre scanned through all results posted and came up with a list of NorCal riders who made the "Podium" at the USA MTB National Championships this past weekend in Colorado, held at the SolVista Bike Park on Granby Ranch.  Looks like 46 times a Northern California MTB racer was called up to the podium at the high altitude USA National Championships.  Colorado might have dominated the results pages, but NorCal made a giant impression on the racing and the riders listed below all deserve a huge round of applause!  Congratulations!

1st- Dario Fredrick            San Anselmo Men - CAT 1 - 40-44- XC
1st- Helene Drumm           San Anselmo Women - Open - 40-99- Super D
1st- Chris Thibodeau         Grass Valley Men - Open - 19-29- Super D
1st- Kate Courtney            Kentfield Women - CAT 1 - 15-16- XC
1st- Abbie Durkee             Inverness Women - CAT 1 - 35-39- XC
1st- Sven BeerFairfax Men - CAT 2 - 15-18- XC
1st- Ryan Stevens             Novato Men - CAT 2 - 15-18- DH
1st- Mark Ferry                 El Dorado Hills Men- CAT 2 - 40-44- XC
1st- Josie Nordrum           Corte madera Women CAT 3- 15-18- XC
5th- Bradley Benedict       Auburn Men - Pro DH
3rd- Christopher Ravina    Novato Men - Open - 1-18- Super D
4th- Mason Bond               Cedar Ridge Men - Open - 1-18- Super D
5th- Max Houtzager           Ross Men - Open - 1-18- Super D
3rd- Evan Ames                 Sutter Men - Open - 19-29- Super D
2nd- Chuck Ross               Grass Valley Men - Open - 40-49- Super D
4th- Victoria Yoham          San Raphael Women - Open - 15-18- Super D
5th- Kelsey Anderson        Novato Women - Open - 15-18- Super D
2nd- Michelle Monroe        Salinas Women - Open - 30-39- Super D
4th- Donald Myrah            San Jose Men - CAT 1 - 30-99- Short Track
2nd- Helene Drumm          San Anselmo Women - CAT 1- Short Track
4th- Donald Myrah            San Jose Men - CAT 1 - 30-99- XC
2nd- Helene Drumm          San Anselmo Women - CAT 1- XC
3rd- Christopher Ravina    Novato Men - CAT 1 - 15-16- DH
5th- Austin Benge             Angwin Men - CAT 1 - 15-16- DH
4th- Evan Geankoplis        Goldriver Men - CAT 1 - 19-24- DH
5th- Josh Brown                Kings Beach Men - CAT 1 - 19-24- DH
4th- Jeff Bowers                San Jose Men - CAT 1 - 25-29- DH
5th- Craig Anderson          Novato Men - CAT 1 - 45-49- DH
2nd- Kelsey Anderson       Novato Women - CAT 1 - 15-18- DH
3rd- Annemarie Hennes    Santa Cruz Women - CAT 1 - 30-39- DH
3rd- Thomas Ravina          Novato Men - CAT 1 - 15-18- MX
5th- Menso de Jong           Cupertino Men - Singlespeed- XC
5th- Patrick Charlton         Mill Valley Men - CAT 1 - 19-24- XC
3rd- Chuck Ross                Grass Valley Men - CAT 1 - 40-44- XC
5th- Dee Larsen                 Sacramento Women - Masters - 50-54- XC
2nd- Gary Bridges             San Carlos Men - Masters - 65-69- XC
2nd- Ronald Riley              Aptos Men - Masters - 70-99- XC
4th- Annemarie Hennes     Santa Cruz Women - CAT 1- MX
3rd- Tony Smith                San Rafael Men - CAT 1 - 17-18- XC
4th- William Curtis            San Rafael Men - CAT 1 - 17-18- XC
5th- Christopher Bennett  El Cerrito Men - CAT 1 - 17-18- XC
5th- Bryan Duke                Salinas Men - CAT 1 - 15-16- XC
2nd- Sofia Hamilton          San Anselmo Women - CAT 1 - 17-18- XC
2nd- Eliel Anttila               Mill Valley Men - CAT 2 - 15-18- XC
5th- Jacob Albrecht           Soquel Men - CAT 2 - 15-18- XC
2nd- Justin Abbott            Pleasant Hill Men - CAT 2 - 19-29- XC
3rd- Talbott Houk             Monte Sereno Men- CAT 2 - 50-45- XC
3rd- Richard Kirby            Santa Rosa Men CAT 3 - 30-39 - XC

 

According to this email from Murphy, there is another Two Wheel Locust / MCBC Fun Ride this weekend:

THIS course is RE-DONKLOUSLY FUN!!! More shade, less grind! See you there? 1/3 road, 1/3 rocks & 1/3 dirt.

Ride starts at 9:30 AM on Sunday (7/25/2010) at the Java Hut in Marin FAIRFAX and again benefits the Marin County Bike Coalition. Bring $15 to support the MCBC.

Race Special Interview: Keith DeFiebre goes behind the scenes with Mark Weir regarding his 8th victory in the 2010 Downieville DH race.

DeFiebre: Congratulations Mark on victory #8 at the Downieville DH race.  This victory must have been very special?

Weir: Thanks Keith. Each year the competition seems to get better and the race itself is more prestigious then ever before.  After two years of watching other riders claim high honors it is now great to be back on top.  The best riders in the USA come to Downieville each year, like my team mate Jason Moeschler(WTB), Nathan Riddle(SRAM), Adam Craig(Giant-Rabobank), and Ross Schnell(Trek).  It is survival of the fastest and most fit out there and I was determined to prove I am the champ!

DeFiebre: Tell me about your winning set up, what did you run on race day?

Weir: First I want to thank all my key sponsors- WTB, Shimano, Santa Cruz Bicycles, & Fox Racing Shox.  For race day I went with my Santa Cruz Nomad- equiped with a Coil Shock, and on the front I ran Fox Racing's awesome 36 Float front fork.  I had Shimano XTR for my controls, a 10 speed rear cog 11-36 and a 40 tooth chain ring on the front.  The 40 tooth chain ring was a little stiff on the uphill sections, but I knew it was key to fight through the pain and push a big gear on the climb.  I ran the WTB Stryker XC Wheels mounted with the heavy version of the Wolverine 2.2 All Mountain TCS tires and a WTB Valcon Carbon saddle.  I wanted to run the 900 gram dual compound tires that were more heavy, but also more resistant to flats.  I am super lucky that all of my sponsors make the best stuff on the market, and I get to race the very best equipment available.

DeFiebre: You started off 2010 with a few victories at the CCCX DH races in Monterey, then you ripped off wins at the Spring Thaw event and Ashland's 12 Mile Super D race.  You were on a winning streak heading into Downieville, did this give you a touch more confidence before the main event?

Weir:  In the past, when I am going good, I have posted some serious win streaks from event to event.  Of course this gives me confidence and shows me my training is right, my diet is right, and my power is in order.  I never get caught out thinking I can just show up and win.  You know better then anyone Keith, to win races there is no secret formula.  You have to work dam hard to succeed, train incredibly hard to be your best, then still come up with more desire and more focus to go fast when your on course.  At the top level we all have talent. It is things like family support, mental strength, and inner peace that can make the difference between being first place or being bitter your not first place at the end of the day.

DeFiebre: After 8 victories in the Downieville DH race, you will forever be linked to this event.  You must have mad respect for the trail systems there and how far MTB racing and riding has progressed over the years in Downieville.

Weir: Trail stewardship is the key to Downieville's successful future.  I respect those trails more then I can say.  Yuba Expeditions and the people of Downieville have a great thing going and I will always be a advocate of the trail systems and the super riding Downieville offers.  The Downieville Classic is now a huge event.  It is key for everyone to enjoy the trials properly and to show that MTB riding is positive for the community.  When I race there, I am having fun on every single switchback, not looking to cut corners or make some new race day portion of trail for a faster line.  If everyone respects the trails then the future of MTB riding in Downieville will be strong, and the racing will be fare.

DeFiebre: It must have been great to have your son Gus up on the podium with you!  You really looked like a proud dad?

Weir: Gus will be faster then me on a bike!  All he thinks about is riding, he really is amazing.  I can not do what I do without the support of my wife, my family, and my friends.  Being able to bring Gus up on the top step of the podium with me brings joy to my heart!

Thanks to Keith DeFiebre for this interview. Official results from the this year's race are available at Cross Country, Downhill and All-Mountain.

In case you forgot, TBF's July Friday Night Races start tonight:

Thanks for your support of our races. The TBF Friday Night MTB Series is back in July with three Friday Nights in a row on July 16th, 23rd, and 30th at Granite Bay, Folsom Lake. The roughly 7 mile loop course will travel the favorite trails around Folsom Lake, along with some high water adjustment trails and a road-start to accommodate all of the water still in Folsom Lake. The three-race Series awards Custom Apparel for the Champion of each age group/division, and the July Series will have a three-lap course of 21 miles for all Single Speed riders as well as Expert division riders. Pre-race cost is $20 with the race-day price being $5 more at the event. Included is a fun cross country mountain bike course with extremely well-marked courses, posted times on the TBF Racing website after the event, and post-race refreshments and recovery drinks to finish the fun. More information is available at www.tbfracing.com

Bend is not such a long roadtrip ...

USA Cycling is pleased to announce that Bend, Ore. will host the 2011 and 2012 Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships.

The annual event, which crowns 24 national champions in marathon mountain biking, has been held in conjunction with the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, Colo. for the past four years. Its move to Bend for 2011 and 2012 will mark the seventh and eighth USA Cycling National Championship events held in the cycling-friendly city in a four-year period.

With breathtaking beauty and a festival-like atmosphere as the backdrop, the 2011 and 2012 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships will start and end in Bend’s historic Old Mill District.  The race course will provide a combination of technical sections and miles of highly acclaimed single track. Competitors will gradually climb for 25+ miles toward Mt. Bachelor before looping around and returning to town on a fast and fun descent.

Via USA Cycling.

Past Downieville Downhill winners Mark Weir (WTB) and Katerine Nash (Luna) win big in the DH, but can't secure the All-Mountain wins from Carl Decker (Giant Factory Racing) and Kelli Emmett (Giant Factory Racing).

The Pro Men’s (XC) race was a runaway victory for Decker (Giant Factory Racing) who led the field by a whopping five minutes at the top of the first race-separating climb. Decker held on to the margin and finished in a new course record of 1:50:50.

The story was similar in the Pro Women All-Mountain (XC) action as Kelli Emmett (Giant Factory Racing) got off to a fast start on the grueling climb and topped out several minutes ahead of last year’s champ, Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team). Emmett held on to the lead and finished in 2:08:56. Nash rolled in second at 2:11:42 while Lizzy English (Giant) rounded out the podium with a time of 2:31:46.

The 15th annual Downieville Classic All-Mountain World Championships wrapped up the weekend of racing with the downhill stage two on Sunday. Eight-time Downieville Downhill King Mark Weir (WTB) and Two-time Downhill Queen Katerine Nash (Luna) both added a jewel to their crowns taking the stage wins.

Via Singletrack.com coverage.

Pro Men All-Mountain

1. Carl Decker (Giant Factory racing)
2. Adam Craig (Giant-Rabobank)
3. Jason Moeschler (WTB)
4. Tim Olson (Trek)
5. Mark Weir (WTB)

Pro Women All-Mountain Overall

1. Kelli Emmett (Giant Factory Racing)
2. Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team)
3. Lizzy English (Giant)
4. Sarah Maile (Ventana)
5. Karla Kingsley (Third Pillar)

Pictures are available here, here and here.

As reported earlier this summer, Squaw Valley is re-opening their MTB park this summer:

Squaw Valley’s renowned mountain bike park will reopen on July 16, 2010 for the first time in almost a decade. Lake Tahoe’s legendary mountain bike park is back in action, with over fifteen miles of dedicated downhill single track and mountaintop cross-country trails.

Formerly the site of the Mountain Bike World Cup, Fat Tire Festivals and Downhill Mania events, Squaw Valley’s bike park has been completely rebuilt to increase the flow of the trails and incorporate more freeride elements using the mountain’s natural terrain.

Squaw Valley is also opening three intermediate cross-country trails on top of the mountain. Bikers can enjoy scenic loops through fields of wildflowers with views overlooking Lake Tahoe and the Sierra peaks.

Click here for a map of the bike park

Click here for photos of Squaw Valley's bike park

Bike Park Ticket Pricing: Adults: $39 per day Kids (12 and under): $22 per day

Bike Park Hours: 10:40am - 7pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday (July 16 - Aug. 21) 10:40am - 5pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Aug. 22 - Sept.6) 10:40am - 5pm Weekends Only (Sept. 7 - Sept. 19)

Via Mountain & Trail Biking | Squaw Valley

Following on the popular Spring/Summer race series, Bicycling Events / Prairie City Race Series has announced their Fall Flash series:

This Series came into being in 2003 because YOU all asked for it!  This Series is un-sponsored and supported entirely by your participation!  It is a "compact" version of our regular season...the "FLASH" courses are a little shorter, flatter and faster than our Spring season courses because of the limited sunlight hours... other than that, same great fun! These races are great for the first time racer or the Expert looking more training.

Online registration will be open Thursday through Monday during the Series. Registering online instead of waiting to register on race day will save you $10.

Dates:  August 25 and September 1,8,15

Full details at Prairie City Race Series Fall FLASH.

After seven races, starting in February and finishing at the end of June, the 2010 CCCX XC Series Champions were awarded last weekend in Monterey.  Over 525 different riders participated in the 2010 version of CCCX XC, demonstrating a healthy race scene in and around the Central Coast of NorCal. Twenty-seven division champions were crowned in Monterey and here is a list of the best & most consistent CCCX XC racers for 2010 - Congratulations all CCCX XC Division Champions!

• PRO/SEMI-PRO- Alex Work- HRS Rock Lobster
• PRO/EXPERT WOMEN- Jamie Stamps- Another Bike Shop
• EXPERT MEN under 18- Jacob Albrecht- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• PRO/EXPERT SINGLE SPEED- Steve Kelley- SB Racing
• EXPERT MEN 19-34- Brian Butler- SBC Racing
• EXPERT MEN 35-44- Alex Rouch- Joselyns/Palantir
• EXPERT MEN 45-54- Courtney Grossman- VOS Racing
• EXPERT 55+- Richard Latorraca- Santa Cruz Bicycles
• SPORT/JR MEN UNDER 18- Josh Krisman- Summit Bicycles
• SPORT MEN 19-34- Alex Kramer- South Bay Tools
• SPORT MEN 35-44- Stu Maclennan- San Jose
• SPORT MEN 45-54- Michael Urbina- TeamWrongWay
• SPORT MEN 55+- William Clevenger- Cupertino Bike Shop
• CLYDESDALE- Wade Hall- Los Gatos Bike Racing Club
• SPORT SINGLE SPEED- Vincent Brown- Bike Station Aptos
• SPORT WOMEN under 18- Rainee Chandler- DC 10
• SPORT WOMEN19-34- Brianne Spiersch- SB Racing
• SPORT WOMEN 35-44- Shiloh Ballard- San Jose
• SPORT WOMEN 45+- Becky Brain- Pleasant Hill Cyclery
• BEGINNING MEN 19-34- Ben Blakley- Pacific Grove
• BEGINNER MEN 35-44- Kris Cowdrey- Joselyns
• BEGINNER MEN 45-54- Daniel Russ- Aptos
• BEGINNG MEN 55+- Jim Claflin- Chico
• JR MEN under 13- Jacob Labosky- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• JR MEN 14-18- Chance Tiner- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• JR WOMEN- 18- Maddie Ortenblad- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• BEGINNG WOMEN 19+- Michele Wilcox- SB Racing

Full List Of 2010 CCCX XC Series Points Here

Aaron Bradford (Specialized/OnsiteUltraSound) and Michelle Monroe (SB Racing/Buycell.com) were the top male and female finishers at the always competitive CCCX XC Series final event this past Sunday in Monterey.  The National Super D Champion Bradford shared the podium with Junior sensation Bryan Duke(VOS Racing), who is just a sophomore in High School, and past USA National Cross Country Champion Don Myrah (Buy-Cell/Ibis).  The CCCX Series has always been a developmental race program which provides NorCal racers a chance to practice their craft.  The competition is always at an extremely high level and many NorCal riders have had their start at CCCX races.  Monterey County resident Bryan Duke is a rider who started out racing CCCX events, then the Nor-Cal High School league, and now has developed into quite the Junior sensation who can challenge some of the best riders in all of America.  Michelle Monroe was joined on the podium of the Pro/Expert Women's division by Beverly Chaney (Roaring Mouse) & Jamie Stamps (Another Bike Shop).

Here is a list of all the race day winners at CCCX XC #7- The Series Final:

• PRO/SEMI-PRO- Aaron Bradford- Specialized/OnsiteUltraSound
• PRO/EXPERT WOMEN-Michelle Monroe-SB Racing/Buycell.com
• EXPERT MEN 18 & under-Tobin Ortenblad- S.C. Chain Gang
• PRO/EXPERT SINGLE SPEED- Scott Stenmans- SLO
• EXPERT MEN 19-34- William Kemper- Tear'n It Up
• EXPERT MEN 35-44- Cesar Chavez- Buy-cell.com/Ibis
• EXPERT MEN 45-54- Courtney Grossman- VOS Racing
• EXPERT 55+- Richard Latorraca- Santa Cruz Bicycles
• EXPERT 60+- Ron Riley- Team Sauba
• SPORT/JR MEN 18 & UNDER- Steven Larson- Salinas High
• SPORT MEN 19-34- Christopher Kelly- Oakland
• SPORT MEN 35-44- Bill Dean- NPS
• SPORT MEN 45-54- Michael Urbina- TeamWrongWay
• SPORT MEN 55+- Jeff Townsend- Plus 3
• CLYDESDALE- Wade Hall- Los Gatos Bike Racing Club
• SPORT SINGLE SPEED-Vincent Kurtis Brown-Bike Station Aptos
• SPORT WOMEN -18- Sofia Gomez-Villafane- ODI/dirtball fashion
• SPORT WOMEN19-34- Brianne Spiersch- SBRacing
• SPORT WOMEN 35-44- Shiloh Ballard- San Jose
• SPORT WOMEN 45+- Janel Lodge- Blackmarket/Family Cycling
• BEGINNING MEN 19-34- Ben Blakley- P.G.
• BEGINNER MEN 35-44- Cam Primavera- OTR/SCCC
• BEGINNER MEN 45-54- Robert Tiner- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• JR MEN 13 & under- Jacob Labosky- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• JR MEN 14-18- Chance Tiner- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
• JR WOMEN -18- Quincee Chandler- Doug Chandler Performance
• BEGINNING WOMEN 19+- Michele Wilcox- SB Racing

Full results can be found here

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

For those of you making your weekend plans, here is quick rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for NoCal (Why is everything in Tahoe this weekend ?):

1. Reno Wheelmen Twilight MTB Series (06/24/10 - TONIGHT)
2. TBF Friday Night MTB Series (06/25/10 Friday Night)
3. So Cal Mtn. Stage Race (06/26/10): Although not in NorCal by any means, this seems like a cool race with only a bit of a roadtrip.
4. Northstar ProGRT (06/26/10): race with the Pros up in Tahoe
5. XTERRA Tahoe City (06/26/10)
6. CCCX XC (06/27/10): The series finale



 

Alex Work (Rock Lobster) set a blistering pace during CCCX XC Race #6 (The Father's Day Classic) on his way to dominating the proceedings in the Pro/Expert division this past Sunday in Monterey.  Work's time for 5 laps equaling 25 miles with 3335 feet of climbing was 1.40'22''.  Cesar Chavez (Buy-Cell.com-IBIS) posted the 2nd fastest time of the day at 1.40'35''.  Epicenter Cycling's Jordan Kestler just made it into the top 3 fastest riders on the day with a time of 1.44'09", barely edging Joselyn's Bicycle sponsored Alex Rousch who came in at 1.44'15".  Jamie Stamps (Another Bike Shop/Chain Gang Coach) was the top female racer on the day completing 5 laps in 2.04'40".  Congratulations also goes out to The Santa Cruz Chain Gang Race Team, who had 4 division winners overall, and to the Doug Chandler Performance Race Team, who had 3 division wins on the day!
The CCCX Series final will take place this coming Sunday, June 27th at Ft. Ord.  Full CCCX Race info can be found at www.cccxcycling.com.
Full Results Here: http://www.cccxcycling.com/2010xcrace6resultspage.html
Here is a list of all the division winners at the Father's Day Classic - CCCX XC #6
PRO/SEMI-PRO- Alex Work- HRS Rock Lobster
PRO/EXPERT WOMEN- Jamie Stamps- Another Bike Shop/Chain Gang Coach
EXPERT MEN 18 & under- Jacob Albrecht- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
PRO/EXPERT SINGLE SPEED - Michael Mann- SCCCC
EXPERT MEN 19-34- William Kemper- Cupertino
EXPERT MEN 35-44- Cesar Chavez- Buy-cell.com/Ibis
EXPERT MEN 45-54- Courtney Grossman- VOS Racing
SPORT/JR MEN 18 & UNDER- Josh Krisman- Summit Bicycles
SPORT MEN 19-34- Jett Chandler- Doug Chandler Performance
SPORT MEN 35-44- Josh Dorris- Team norcal Bike spt
SPORT MEN 45-54- Michael Urbina- TeamWrongWay
SPORT MEN 55+- William Clevenger- Cupertino Bike Shop
CLYDESDALE- Alf Ebberoth- Seaside
SPORT SINGLE SPEED- Vincent Kurtis Brown- Bike Station Aptos
SPORT WOMEN 18 & under- Rainee Chandler- Doug Chandler Performance
SPORT WOMEN19-34- Carolyn Thompson- Velo Girls
SPORT WOMEN 45+- Janel Lodge- Blackmarket/Family Cycling
BEGINNING MEN 19-34- Ben Blakley- Pacific Grove
BEGINNER MEN 35-44- Cam Primavera- OTR/SCCC
BEGINNER MEN 45-54- Paul Robins- One Team Racing
BEGINNG MEN 55+- Jim Claflin- Chico
JR MEN 13 & under- Jacob Labosky- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
JR MEN 14-18- Chance Tiner- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
JR WOMEN 18 & under- Quincee Chandler- Doug Chandler Performance
BEGINNG WOMEN 19+- Michele Wilcox- SB Racing

Bike Monkey Productions has announced another race on their North Bay racing schedule - the long rumored Annadel XC:

On September 11th, 2010 organized mountain biking will return to Annadel State Park after a 24 year hiatus. This will come along with a unique multi-user outreach component of the event offering recreational activities for all users. It’s aim will be to highlight the importance of supporting California State Park infrastructure through funding, volunteerism and stewardship.

Details are slim at the moment, but we do know that it will take place in Annadel State Park (South of Santa Rosa on Hwy 12) on September 11th and 12th.

More info at Bike Monkey Magazine.

Here is a satellite view of this Sunday's CCCX Race #6 course. The route is 5 miles in length and has 670 feet of climbing per lap. 3 laps: 9:00 am start, 4 laps: 11:00 am start, 5 laps: 1:00 pm start. The route is extremely fast, with most of the trails in Ft Ord hard packed and dry. The climbing is spread out evenly during the 5 mile route - you can see the elevation layout on the GARMIN totals below. There are some loose/sandy sections on few portions of trail, however most of the route is straight up fast and flowing. Happy Fathers Day!

GARMIN / GPS TOTALS HERE- http://connect.garmin.com/activity/37353208

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

1. TBF Friday Night MTB Series (Friday - TONIGHT): Second installment of Friday night racing at Folsom Lake.
2. Humbug Hurry-Up (Saturday): Technically part of the OBRA schedule, this is the northern most race on the calendar  (Yreka, CA).
3. CCCX XC (Sunday): Monterey/South Bay XC race. Course schedule and preview later tonight.
4. Northstar DH Series (Sunday): The first DH race in Northstar at Tahoe's summer series.
5. MCBC Fun Ride (Sunday): Fun ride (not race) to benefit the Marin County Bike Coalition.

Although this is not a race (REPEAT: not a race), you should still think about heading out to Marin and supporting the Marin County Bike Coalition:

"MCBC Fun ride... like the early Grasshoppers. It's not a Grasshopper... it's a two-wheeled-locust."

It's like the Enduro, only shorter.  It's like a Grasshopper ride, only in Marin County.

1/3 road, 1/3 rocks and 1/3 dirt.

IT'S THIS SUNDAY.

Self supported. 35-40 miles we're guessing. Bring sunscreen and a camera. Party at the finish.

Just wanted to drop a note for those of you who like to MTB and run ...

XTERRA Tahoe City, June 26th. & FREE Race Clinic, by Jamie Whitmore, June 25th

The XTERRA Tahoe City is just around the corner.  The day before the race, Jamie Whitmore, World Champion Triathlete, will be hosting a free XTERRA Clinic starting at 6pm at the venue location.  This clinic will be catered to all levels, and will help prepare athletes for the next day's race.

XTERRA Tahoe City’s swim occurs in one of the clearest, cleanest, and deepest lakes in North America, Lake Tahoe. Depending on the lake level, the long course includes a 50 meter beach run. The openness of Lake Tahoe makes for a truly open water swim experience. Tahoe City is also home to some of the area’s most treasured mountain biking trails. The biking section starts with a strong climb, continuing on to take riders through fields of wildflowers, and breath taking sierra views. The trails are faster than they are rocky, but the climbs and elevation will test ones fitness level. The start and finish is at Commons Beach. There will be an after party so plan to have some fun after a hard day of racing.

For More Information and Registration visit www.bigblueadventure.com

Alex Amaral (Point 1/Gamut) snapped off the fastest run at Sunday's CCCX DH race at Toro Park near Salinas. Many fans on course were astonished when Amaral came ripping through at his overall speed, and they could clearly see the Gilroy native had a good thing going. Fastest female on the day was Cathy Cheveron of Capitola. The top Junior rider was Robby McQuillan of Los Gatos. The course proved to be extra technical due to the super dry nature of the trails. Slick traction combined with tight corners and sweeping turns left riders fighting for grip when racing at full tilt.

Full Results are here - http://www.cccxcycling.com/2010dh4resultspage.html

Scott Mosher's Photos are here - http://www.scottmosher.exposuremanager.com/g/cccxdh561310

Results for TBF Racings' first Friday Night race have been posted.

Congrats to Cody Kaiser who won the Experts Men's division.

Although I've already previewed the CCCX DH and Skyline, here is full rundown of this weekend's MTB racing schedule for NorCal:

1. South Valley Endurance Dirty Gears Series #3 (06/12/10)
2. Lake Sonoma Series (06/12/10)
3. Skyline Mountain Bike Race (06/13/10)
4. CCCX Summer DH #4 (06/13/10)

This weekend is also the annual Skyline race in Napa, CA. The course  has hosted events such as the UCI World Cup and the Single Speed World Championships, this event has been designated by USA Cycling as the Northern California State Championship XC race and can qualify riders for the 2010 MTB Nationals in Granby, CO. Top 15 in each age group and category will be eligible to enter the National Championships in July. It is also part of the 2010 NorCal Series, sponsored by Giant Bicycles and Team Bigfoot.

According to organizers, "The course will be a challenge.  Lots of climbing , Lots of singletrack, technical drops, fast smooth singletrack, poison oak avoidance, and 'cliff' side trails.  The good riders will finish, the best will win and be crowned the State Champions for their efforts."

Here's the preview for this weekend's CCCX DH race:

The course for race #4 will be very similar to Race #1 of the 2010 season.  The race route starts out with some super high speed fire road sections.  The trail then dips into some steep singletrack trails that have switch-backs and off camber portions that will really test tire traction and turning technique.  More singletrack trails take the riders to the finish line after 1.3 miles of course with nearly 1000 vertical feet descended.  For this race the traction is slick and the trails are extremely dry and hardpacked.  Tire choice and air pressure will be keys to success for this race.

You can find more details at the newly created CCCX Race Blog - http://cccxraceblog.blogspot.com/

 

I'm poaching this story from the good people at Bike Monkey, but I hope they won't mind --

Just received a very sad note from Murphy Mack of West Coast Gold Sprints. Some time late last night his entire GoldSprints rig with all of his gear, bikes, audio systems, computer equipment (everything) was driven away with:

If you have a way of re-distributing the below message please do so right away…

Sometime between 8pm last night and 8am this morning my entire GoldSprints roller racing rig was stolen.

It was parked in a lot in a normally safe, patrolled, well lit area in an office park on the south side of Novato.

The thieves broke the substantial Masterlock brand tongue lock that was on the trailer, leaving only a bit of debris and a portion of the lock, they towed the entire thing away.

It is a PACE American 12′ dual axle white utility trailer with a side door and barn doors on the rear. I had just put a burly new Masterlock on the rear of the trailer as well.

All four of my gold metal flake Kreitler rollers with fork stands, the four wood stage decks, four Marin Ignacio black fixed gear bikes and four Globe Roll bikes were inside. They are unusual in that they all have 53 x 13 gearing and are brakeless fixed gear bikes.

My Mackie speakers and Mackie subwoofer as well as four bins of sound, video and computer cables were inside along with all my associated tools and hardware. A Rane brand mixer, 19″ LCD monitor, video projector and Globe banners as well. Two power drills and a red Craftsman toolbox full of hand tools.

If you spot the gold Kreitler rollers or fixed gear bikes with stupid tall gearing from Marin or Globe or any of the other items I’d love to hear about it as would a couple of local police agencies.

Via Entire GoldSprints Trailer Stolen « Bike Monkey Magazine. Please keep an eye out for this.

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

1. Return On The Jedi (06/05/10)
2. Tamarancho Dirt Classic (06/06/10)
3. Peavine Challenge (06/06/10)

For those of you who haven't set your plans for TONIGHT, Murphy has a suggestion: GOLDSPRINTS

This time I'm leveraging the AWESOME FUN POWER of GoldSprints Roller Racing to help the Marin County Bike Coalition.

To make the evening of racing, beer, music, heckling, food & fun EVEN BETTER I'm flying in H.R. Muff'N Stuff from LA... She's a singer and performer who will entertain you with songs about riding her bikes in the city and dropping the boys off the back. The Pedal Panties Girls are performing as well... so you don't want to miss this TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE!

DJ's spinning all night, more beer than even we can drink, hot food and PRIZES GALORE.

500m, 1000m, BEER SPRINTS, Catch-the-Bunny, Couples and Team Beer Sprints and more! Top prize is a beautiful brand new full carbon top-end Cannondale road frame and fork.  We've got Capo Forma gear, Sheila Moon gear and more.

Free bike parking, clean bathrooms and loads of cool people await you.  Racing starts at 7 and goes till the beer is gone or they kick us out.

Mike's Bikes is right off the 101 in San Rafael.

Spectating and heckling are free, racing is just $5 and it goes to support the MCBC, you can't do it better than that...

What else are you going to do this Friday night?  Go to some movie that will be playing for another month?  Go to some lame bar and see the same tired old faces?  Stay home and play the same hand of Scrabble?

These are always fun, if you've never been.

Some changes for the CCCX events:

Due to scheduling conflicts with other XC & DH races held in NorCal, the CCCX Series will be making two date switches for the upcoming CCCX events:

• The CCCX XC race which was scheduled for Sunday, June 13 in Ft. Ord, will now be switched to Sunday, June 20 (at the same location, Ft. Ord).
• The CCCX DH race that was scheduled on Sunday, June 20 at Toro Park, will now take place on Sunday, June 13 at Toro Park.

These date switches will now enable the CCCX XC racers to take part in other races such as Napa's Skyline XC Race, Lake Sonoma XC Series, South Valley Endurance Series.   The CCCX DH racers will now be able to make the NORTHSTAR DH event which was re-shuffled to June 20.  The CCCX DH Series will also have a few dates added for 2010 later in the year, to make up for the canceled DH event earlier in the year, and to extend the DH Series for 2010.  Thank you! to all the racers who support the CCCX DH & XC Series!

Here are the upcoming CCCX Races-

• CCCX DH SERIES JUNE 13 (Toro Park)
• CCCX XC SERIES JUNE 20 (Fort Ord)
• CCCX XC SERIES JUNE 27 (Fort Ord)

All CCCX Race Info Can Be Found at www.cccxcycling.com.

Two new Nor-Nevada races to add to the calendar:

• The Nevada Cup has added a fourth race to the end of their series. The Great Flume Race will take place on September 12, 2010 in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park (Spooner Lake) and is sponsored by the Reno Wheelmen. More details as we get them (thanks to Scott P for the heads up).
• dhRENO has word of a race that's part of the Black Rock Rendezeous: "Great Basin Brewing Company Bicycle Race. Participants will convene at the Main Camp at 8 am on Sunday May 30th, 2010 to disembark to the starting line. Transportation will be provided for bicycles and riders. The race will start at 10 am at Sulphur near the old auto graveyard, and follows a dirt jeep trail along the railroad tracks for 7 miles before turning west along the scenic and historic Applegate Lassen Emigrant Trail. The route continues for an additional 10.7 miles, crossing the Quinn River, and finishing at the Black Rock Hot Spring. There is a $25 entry fee, and all participants will receive an event T-shirt. Cash prizes for the top three finishers will be a percentage of the total purse collected: 25% for 1st, 10% for 2nd, and 5% for 3rd place. Great Basin Brewing Company will provide a selection of their micro-brewed beers to be enjoyed by finishing participants of legal drinking age."

Both events have been added to the calendar.

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)

Okay, this came to me out of the blue, but it sounds like a great opportunity for some NorCal Pro or soon-to-be Pro to get some exposure:

MTV Networks is looking for a downhill mountain bike racer between the ages of 25-35 who is willing to relocate to San Francisco, CA for 4 to 5 weeks to help a high school student who has never rode on a bike become a downhill mountain biker racer. Interested coaches should be energetic, charismatic, have experience working with teens in boosting confidence and also put safety above all else. Coaches should have strong credentials and be available during our shooting weeks (June 1-July 16). Send picture and resume as well as any mountain biking links to MADECoaches@mtv.com

If any of you get this gig, I expect my agent fee :)

 

The Tamarancho Dirt Classic is Marin County’s only annual XC mountain bike race, taking place Sunday, June 6, 2010, at Camp Tamarancho outside of Fairfax, California: Prizes 3 deep in each category, and a tough 6 mile singletrack & fire road course including the infamous Dead Heifer (20+ percent).

Proceeds will go to BTC Marin and Access4Bikes for trail maintenance, creation and advocacy throughout Marin.

Registration is open now via active.com, and ends a week before the race. No day-of registration. $40 adults, $25 juniors 18 and under.  More information at http://tamaranchodirtclassic.com/.

Looks like it was a difficult loop of 5.5 miles with over 600 feet of climbing per lap.  So the Pro/Experts logged around 3000+ climbing during their 28 mile race.  Menso de Jong (Santa Cruz Bikes) was the Pro Expert winner.  Female winners on the day were Carolyn Thompson (Velo Girls), Livia Peras of Santa Cruz, Janel Lodge (Black Market-Family Cycling), Anna Eyre of Daley City.

A full list of the winners:

PRO/SEMI-PRO- Menso de Jong- Santa Cruz Bikes
PRO/EXPERT SINGLE SPEED - Tim Cannard- Ibis/BuyCell.com
EXPERT MEN 35-44- Brian Butler- SB Racing
EXPERT MEN 45-54- Mark Howland- Black market -Family Cycling Center
EXPERT 55+- Bob Blanter- Bikes 4 Life
SPORT/JR MEN 18 & UNDER- Alphonse Le-Duc- San Jose
SPORT MEN 19-34- Christopher Kelly- Oakland
SPORT MEN 35-44- Bill Dean- NPS
SPORT MEN 45-54- Michael Urbina- Team Wrong Way
SPORT MEN 55+- Jeff Townsend- Plus 3
CLYDESDALE- Andrew Murray- SCCCC
SPORT SINGLE SPEED- John Lukasko- Bike Station Aptos/WTB
SPORT WOMEN19-34- Carolyn Thompson- Velo Girls
SPORT WOMEN 35-44- Livia Peras- Santa Cruz
SPORT WOMEN 45+- Janel Lodge- Blackmarket/Family Cycling
BEG MEN 19-34- Ben Blakley- Pacific Grove
BEG MEN 35-44- Kris Cowdrey- Joselyns
BEG MEN 45-54- Steve Anderson- NOAA
BEG MEN 55+- Jim Claflin- Chico
JR MEN 13 & under- Jacob Labosky- Santa Cruz Chain Gang
JR MEN 14-18- Wesley Barnes- The GI Jane Experience
BEG WOMEN 19+- Anna Eyre- Daly City

Full Results are available here: http://www.cccxcycling.com/2010xc5resultspage.html. Photo(s) courtesy of Scott Mosher Photography (many, many more available)

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

1. California Golden State Series #3 (Saturday): Okay, this certainly isn't in NorCal. But a lot of people are looking for state wide championships and this is one of those series.
2. MTB Benefit Races at Loma Rica Ranch (Saturday): Debuting 5.8 miles of new mountain bike trails at Loma Rica Ranch, Grass Valley, California.  700 ft/ climbing per lap.  Hilly course is on a 127 acres parcel with amazing flowy single tracks among stands of old pine and madrone stands.
3. CCCX XC (Sunday):  This Sunday- CCCX #5 will be a special event as results will count towards TEAM BIGFOOT'S 2010 Giant NorCal MTB Championship Series. CCCX #5 will use a counter clock-wise loop that will be about 5 miles in length.  Features on the trail will be a few sharp & steep climbs, fast fire roads, and lots of twisty- turning single track.  Speeds can be very speedy for this loop as trail conditions look rather optimal for this Sunday's competition.

Congratulations to all the race winners at CCCX DH #3, this past Sunday at Toro Park near Monterey.  Santa Clara's Jimmy Amaral (Point 1 Racing) posted the fastest time of the day at 3'14".13, just edging Santa Rosa's Sean Tracy by only 1/2 a second.  Racing was super tight in all divisions on a course that featured 1000 feet of vertical drop, fire roads, lots of single track, and one 20% grade portion of trail which turned into a mud/waterfall slide section that claimed many victims on the day.  The overall fastest Women's race was even closer then the Men's, with Livermore's Mary Moncorge taking first with a time of 4'03".88 compared to second fastest Female on the day San Jose's Sharon Hill (Another Bike Shop) who posted a 4'04".19.  Fastest Junior rider on the day was Nick Dommen (WTB/NEMA/GAMUT) who ripped off a stellar time of 3'27".06.
PRO-SEMI PRO- Jimmy Amaral (Point 1)  
PRO WOMEN - Sharon Hill (Another Bike Shop)
EXPERT WOMEN all AGES- Mary Moncorge (Livermore)  
EXPERT MEN 19-34 - Marshall Eames (Santa Cruz MTB)
EXPERT MEN 35-44- Andrew Reams (Alamo Bikes)  
EXPERT MEN 45-54 - Tim Dennis (Pleasant Hill)  
SPORT WOMEN- Jessica Spray (Stockton)
SPORT MEN 19-34 - Morgan Brewer (Oakland Republic/Kona Grass Roots)
SPORT MEN 35-44 - Tim Fraser (Tech Tim)  
SPORT MEN 45-54- Jeff Van Damme- SCCCC  
MEN 55+ - Scott Seery- Point 1/Rock Garden Sports  
BEGINNER WOMEN - Mary Pralinsky- San Fransisco  
BEGINNER MEN 35-44- Ali Tajeldin- Hayward
BEGINNER MEN 19-34 - Tim Kunakov- Pacifica  
JUNIOR BOYS EXPERT- Nick Aguilar- Belmont
JUNIOR GIRLS 18 & under- Faith Siebe- TREAD  
JR. BOYS 16-18- Daniel Thompson- Above Category Dev Team
JR. BOYS 14-16- Nik Dommen- WTB/NEMA/GAMUT
JR. BOYS 13& under - Niko Kilik- San Jose  
CLYDESDALE- Eric Battiato- Blossum Valley Const.
SINGLE SPEED - Dylan Wade- Gilroy  
CHAINLESS- Jimmy Amaral- Point 1  
HARDTAIL- Brian Zimmerman- Oakland Republic

Full results can be found here- http://cccxcycling.com/2010dh3resultsandphotospage.html

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

1. Prairie City Race Series (Wednesday)
2. Summit Shorty (Wednesday)
3. Reno Wheelmen Twilight MTB Series (Thursday)
4. Blazing Saddles Mountain Bike Race Series (Thursday)
5. Paper Plate Races (Thursday)

Scary news coming out of Specialized:

Specialized recommends that consumers stop using the affected bicycles immediately unless otherwise instructed by a Specialized dealer or representative.The shock mount for the Brain reservoir on the models’ swing arm could break causing loss of control of the bicycle.

Riders should immediately stop riding affected bikes and contact their Specialized dealer for a free repair. For additional questions, contact Specialized toll-free at (877) 808-8154 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday or visit www.specialized.com

The following models are affected:

• 2010 Epic Marathon Carbon
• 2010 Epic Marathon Frame
• 2010 Epic Expert Carbon
• 2010 Epic Expert
• 2010 Epic Comp Carbon
• 2010 Epic Comp
• 2010 Era FSR Expert Carbon
• 2010 Era FSR Expert
• 2010 Era FSR Comp

I completely misread this as "Youth Community Racing" instead of "Racing at Youth Community Park." Either way, there is some short track racing in Santa Rosa, CA this month:

Actually, I don’t know where else they would come too since YCP is a lovely little acronym for “Youth Community Park”. Inside the famous “back-side” course that twists around unkempt open-space behind YCP, Bike Monkey is hosting three evening dirt-crit mountain bike races on May 6th, 13th and 20th.

Via Bike Monkey Magazine.

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

1. SB Racing.org, Winter XC MTB Series 2010 Round 4, Santa Teresa (Saturday): The penultimate race in the series moves to Santa Teresa Park.
2. Red Tail Adventure Race (Saturday): Big Blue Adventure is putting on both an XTERRA and Adventure Race May 8th in Del Valle Regional Park, near Livermore. There will be a short and long course option for both the XTERRA and Adventure Race. The Adventure Race takes advantage of Del Valle’s plush single track, and large lake. It features kayaking, allowing racers to take a cool break on a sure to be warm day (kayaks are provided for the sprint race). The course is designed by ARNavSupplies’ Mark Manning.
3. XTERRA Del Valle (Saturday): XTERRA Del Valle promises to be a fun and challenging course. Racers will swim in the calm lake at the heart of Del Valle, and ride and run through the surronding single track. Both races will end with a after party of food, cold beer and a raffle where as much $3,500 of Salomon, Merrell and other sponsor swag will be given away.
4. Lake Sonoma Series (Saturday): The Lake Sonoma series has moved to a new site but the North Bay favorite is still technical.
5. CCCX Summer DH #4 (Sunday): The CCCX DH series will be back in action for the Mother's Day at Toro Park. "The past few weeks of sunny weather has dried up the wet sections of trails in the interior of the canyons at Toro Park. This should allow for usage of one of my favorite trails in Toro Park, the Bessie Canyon blitz section I created over the past season. This new portion of trail is looking better then ever. As usual I will have a few new surprises for the route to spice up the DH shredding that Nor-Cal's best riders deliver each CCCX event.