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A couple weeks ago, I got the opportunity to drop by the Paul’s Ride for Life event, which centers around a charity ride that raises money for life-saving organ transplants. While I found out about it too late to join in the ride (which seems like it might be a cool thing to do next year), there was also a Cyclefest event sponsored by a local shop, the Bike Lane. As part of that, there were not only tables and booths for cool local organizations like MORE and FABB (join one or both if you’re in the area!), but demo bikes on hand from Niner, Felt, and Trek. I got to try out the Trek Superfly Al (geared) and the Niner S.I.R. 9 (singlespeed) for a few minutes each.

I tried the Niner first, and man… it was a fun bike! You can probably trust the word of a man who owns one more than mine, but in the few minutes I got to tool around on it I was very impressed. The geometry felt really natural – the bike was responsive without being twitchy – and it didn’t feel too hefty despite the steel frame (853 Reynolds, for those who might be wondering!).

When I got on the Trek, I noticed immediately that it had a different approach than the playful Niner. The Superfly (in all editions) is billed as a race-oriented XC bike, and it shows in how it rides and handles. It was a nice bike, but I didn’t really get that grin on my face that I look for when testing a bike out. To be fair to Trek, part of this may have been because the brakes on my test bike were REALLY dirty and noisy, so I was distracted by that for much of my ride.

This was my first real experience testing out multiple bikes at a demo event (I was supposed to have a 2nd a couple days ago, but it got rained out), and it was a lot of fun! I’m sure many of you do this when you can, but I’d encourage everyone to attend demos when possible – it’s an easy way to check out one or several bikes fairly quickly, whether you’re looking for a new ride or not!

I was out of town this week for work, and when I came home I had package waiting for me from Airborne Bicycles.

I was planning on meeting up with RL and several other riders first thing Saturday morning for a ride at Whiting Ranch, so I spent some time to get the Goblin assembled and ready for a ride the next day. For those of you out there who have never built a bike, here’s a quick look at how the bike came, and how much assembly was actually required. I took pictures of each part as I unwrapped it and it came out of the box. Upon opening the box, the wheels were on top and the first thing to come out.

As you can seen the the photo, the ends of each hubs had plastic guards to prevent them from damaging any other components in the box during shipping. The wheels were also zip-tied together to prevent any unnecessary movement while still in the box. The wheels are equipped with SRAM’s new 10-speed cassette. This is the number one thing I have been looking forward to about this frame is being able to spend some extended time with the 2×10 system. I have demo’d it before on several other frames, but only a ride here and there. The wheels both have 160mm Avid rotors. Having removed all of the protective packaging, I set the wheels aside for later.

Individually wrapped were a few smaller components such as the skewers and the saddle, already mounted to the seat-post.

The last and largest part left in the packing was the frame itself. This was definitely the longest part of the unpackaging process in that there was lots small pieces of wrapping attached to the frame. Each tube has its own wrapping to protect it from damage. The frame in its entirety was also attached to cardboard supports in the box to keep it from moving during shipment. The frame already had the fork, bottom bracket, cranks, headset, stem, seat clamp, grips and brakes installed as well as the the derailleurs mostly installed. The rear derailleur still need to be attached to the frame, but all the cables and hydraulic lines were already run and in place.

I attached the rear derailleur to the frame and straighten/aligned the front fork and the stem. While the stem was already install the bars were in installed on the stem, so the stem needed to be opened up to put the bars in place. Next the skewers needed to be placed in the wheels, so the wheels could be set into the frame. Once the skewers where in place, the protect plastic parts to keep the brake caliber from compressing needed to be removed. Once that was done the wheels were ready to be installed. FYI- Be very aware when seating your wheel that they are fully recessed into the dropouts. Losing a wheel while riding really sucks!

With the wheels installed that left the saddle and drive-rain as remaining parts in the box to be installed. I took a quick stab at the estimated saddle height and tightened down the collar. Then I completely removed the chain from the frame and wrapped it around the two largest cogs to confirm it was the appropriate length. I ended up taking a couple of links out. Once the chain was installed the rear derailleur needed to be adjusted. The only must have tool to put the bike together was really just my allen-wrench set. Two things that are not included in the box, were pedals and a water bottle cage. I stole those parts off another bike. I made some adjustment to cockpit of the Goblin to make it ready for me to ride. I moved the brake levers to the inside of the shifter and also moved both the shifters and levers much further in toward the center of the bars so that the brake lever is position so that I can brake with solely the index finger. I tend to do all of my shifting with my thumbs, and positioned the shifters accordingly as well. After spinning around in front of my house the final adjust I made was to the position of the saddle by sliding it futher back, away from the bars.

The Goblin was now ready for it first time in the dirt!

The full specifications and geometry for the Goblin can be found here on Airborne’s site. Stay tuned for for more pics and info on the Airborne Goblin!

Sometimes we here at MTNBikeRiders receive letters from Santa about this time of year. Usually it’s kids writing to Santa wanting to get a new bike for Christmas but let’s face it, Santa ain’t got a clue when it comes to bikes. Santa will usually forward the letters to us to read and make a suggestion for a new bike. Below is a perfect example of just such a letter. Billy, from the USA, wrote Santa asking for a new bike that he could race! Well we just happen to get in a new Sette Serum Pro for a long term test.

Billy, here is a video I shot just for you. If your a good kid, maybe, just maybe you’ll get a new Sette Serum for Christmas.

Quality is priority #1. The tubes fade in several places from a visible carbon weave to a flat black which is completely different their older frame the Phantom. The carbon is 3k High Modulus which means high quality. There are only a few carbon bike manufacturers in the world and you can be sure that this frame was produced in one of them. With a 5 year warranty, you can’t wrong.

Full spec kit is priority #2. The bike has Shimano XT everything except for the brakes which are Avid Exlir CR. Tires are Kenda Small Block 8, a great all around choice. Front suspension is provided by a Fox 32 F RL which is indubitably one of the best.

Stiff. Lightweight. Fast. I will be testing this bike on real trails but during the neighborhood test, all the kids got smoked. I have seen others weigh the frame by itself at 2.7 lbs and this bike weighs 22.5lbs, really light!

The bike is available for purchase now at a retail price of $2250 and the forums are already abuzz about the new frames. If your a good kid like Billy, maybe Santa will bring you one too.

I’ll be testing this bike for a while and my first order is to fine tune the cockpit. Once that is completed and this heat wave we are experiencing fades, I’m gett’n on this thing for sure.

Sea Otter Twenty Ten presented Jer and I with a world of carbon framed bikes. One striking design was the Titus Racer X Carbon with its “X” shaped frame and its modified four bar suspension design. Designed as a pure XC race bike designed for those racers not looking to get beat up by the common Scandium framed hard tail and still looking for a stiff, efficient frame that can take the edge off the rough stuff. Titus was represented in a big way with lots of demo bikes available to the public and media to ride on the buff trails of Monterey.

I demo’d the Carbon “X” with a mid level build kit. As with any bike, set up is quite a personalized thing. The cockpit was certainly not set up for me and the tire choice did not suit me at all. The demo bike came set up with a negative rise stem and a riser bar, weird. Tire choice on the demo were Continental Mountain King, I’ve ridden these tires before and do not like them. These are all personalized items and I will focus just on the frame and its qualities.

The bike was extremely light, no official figures were available but if I had to guess I would say it was around 24-25 lbs. First thing I noticed was how it accelerated. The bike would move forward with no hesitation with each pedal stroke. Climbing was easily accomplished with the rear suspension maintaining traction at all times even with the very worn Mountain Kings. While climbing I did notice the front wheel was very light and would easily lose contact with the ground. Could be the frame was slightly to small for me or just the overall set up. Descending scared me with the cockpit setup, negative rise stem and riser bar; I was too far over the front wheel. One section we took was a very sandy descent with many stair steps; Ya I took it slow.

Overall the bike was very stiff, light and efficient with very little bobing but it was there. The trails around Sea Otter are pretty smooth with very little rocks; unlike what I am use to with our very rocky San Gabriel / So Cal trails. I really need to get a long term demo and set it up for me and my riding preferences. I wouldn’t recommend running out and buying this bike w/o first demoing it and having it set up for you. This bike is race specific and shouldn’t be the only bike you own unless you are a racer only and have no need for a trail bike. In my opinion, there are bikes out there can hang with the “X” on the race course and be allot more versatile on the trails with your buddies.

The winter holidays came and went all too quickly for me.  I had dreams of a 3 month off-season but the 1st race of the 2010 winter series was approaching quickly and I decided to treat this as training for the bigger races from March to May. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70s and as usual Don Jackson and his crew at Southridge Racing do an excellent job in providing a fun race environment. I noticed more entrants in the younger categories, it’s great to see more kids getting into this sport!

For Sport, the course was the same as November’s Southridge Challenge – three,  5.5mile laps.  This was gonna be a challenge as  I do better on the longer courses at Southridge, they have more singletrack and downhill that suit my riding style and help me make up time on the stellar climbers in my category (Sport 27-34).  Climbing is my weakness, I have a gut and at 185lbs (5’8″) I’m heavy/stocky for an XC racer. I even have a habit of blowing up in races by sprinting from the start line for too long!  After about 6 weeks without training, I knew that I couldn’t hold a sprint very long. So when Donny counted us down and we took off, I dropped into third and planned to keep the leaders in site.  We climbed to the water tower and the leaders gradually pulled away and I fell back a few more positions leaving me a panting, sweaty mess as I mushed my way up the hill. I recovered in the single track sections to regain third and moved into second on one of the long downhill sections. My strategy became clear.

I held second to start the next lap and as we climbed to the water tower I was passed again, but I kept my competitors in sight this time. Through the single track I was flowing and managed to close the gap as we approached the downhill where I previously passed. We start heading downhill and I’m cranking hard, building speed to shoot past #2 and eventually the race leader. Next is a short uphill I desperately climb and barely manage to keep the wolves at bay into the next downhill singletrack section where I can build a gap. I finish lap two and begin lap three. I don’t see anyone as I begin to grind my way up to the water tower, my right knee burning in protest as I try to put some power down. After negotiating some of the rolling hills near the water tower as I grit my way up the last climb before the single track, I look back and see 2nd place 10 yards back and attacking! I attack, he knows he is close and is trying to catch me. I sprint, my legs grow thick and heavy with lactic acid, my lungs burn as I sink into oxygen debt my pulse fills my ears, I can only hold this pace for a moment more. I put about thirty yards between us as crest the hill and bomb into the single track. I pedal all the downhills and by the end I enjoy a 2 min victory! Before you think that I was lying about not being in shape, I finished in 1:12:51, in November I finished in 4th with a 1:10:52, so that means that the fast guys just didn’t show up for this race and I’ve got some work to do.

I’ve got to thank the team sponsors for their help, Evomo and Hoss for the cool clothes, IceToolz for the tools and Serfas for the glasses and Ergon for the comfort.

Kermit is not only for kids, my friends. It’s also for mountain bikers too. Meet my Kermit Green Niner Jet9.

Waiting to rock!

I’m in New Bike Euphoria (NBE), so I can’t really give you any detailed comments on the Jet right now unless you want to hear me gush. Oh, you do? Well then… why didn’t you say so?

The Niner Jet 9 is the best pedaling FS 29er bike I have ridden and I have ridden quite a few. OK, a bit of an overstatement as some of those DW Link bikes I rode were really good, but they were not set up quite right or the trail I rode was just blah, so I can’t compare it. Not to take anything away from the rest of them… although I will take something away from the Gary Fisher HiFi (WAY TOO FLEXY)… but the Jet9, on my home course and nearly dialed in, was extremely efficient both in seated and standing climbs. The rear feels planted even when I’m out of the saddle. Very little wheel slippage on standing climbs which can be momentum killers.

Posing

To top it off, I never flicked the propedal on. I was extremely surprised by this. Wait, nix that. I doubled back to get to a steeper, short climb and had to ride uphill on the road a bit. I turned on the propedal for that road section. But other then that the propedal stayed off. This is a very nice change because in most other FS bikes if you don’t engage the propedal, you’re feeling Mr. Bob all the way up the climb.

Rear seat stays easily clears a 2.2″ Captain

The bike is nimble. You won’t see many Jet9′s built up with bigger tires (2.35″ front/2.2″ rear), like I did, because the Jet’s purpose is definitely: race/XC/trail in that order. I’m not a racer, although I will on occasion, so I built mine to be more trail and less race oriented. You won’t see any carbon bits, chopped flat bars or skinny tires on my Jet. But even with non-racy parts, the Jet is quite nimble. It handles well on the descents and carves up singletrack very well. It is definitely not G2 nervous, but it’s not slow handling as was the case with some previous 29ers.

OK, so all this was based on a first ride, and more of a shakedown (is everything working properly) type of ride. Also NBE was definitely at work here so please take everything written above with a huge grain of salt.

By the way, I’m still thinking of a name for the green machine.

And of course, every Niner comes with a subtle reminder:

In the meantime, my personal build, for those of you interested:
Large Niner Jet 9 in Kermit Green
Rock Shox Reba 29 Race with pushloc at 100mm
28 hole Bontrager Rhythm Elite wheels with DT Swiss 370 hubs
Shimano XT cranks
Shimano XT brakes
X9 shifters
X9 r. derailleur
XT f. derailleur
Alligator ilink derailleur cables
F: Panaracer Rampage 2.35 setup tubeless (a non-tubeless tire)
R: Specialized Captain Control 2.2 2bliss
Thomson Elite
Sette clamp
Chirs King headset
Truvativ Stem
Truvativ Handlebar
ODI lockon grips
Crank Brothers Candy SL
Lezyne L. Caddy (awesome bag, by the way)
Purple carabiner
Generic Black Cowbell

Met up with Brian and Mylo of Sette at Sea Otter. They were displaying their two new 26″ carbon frames, the more XC oriented Impulse and the very racy Phantom. The Phantom comes as either frame only or fully built up. The fully built Phantom has an amazing spec sheet for the money, $2,699, a real value for an under 20lb rig.

“Phantom” written in on the top tube. Very subtle against the carbon

I’m a big fan of carbon weave, so I thought I’d throw this picture in

An interesting touch on the seat stays. Excuse the dust/sand.

Another low-key Sette graphic on the Phantom. Attention whore RL getting in on the photo shoot.

The Sette Phantom, fully built. An absolutely sick bike at under 20 lbs

The Sette Impulse was not built up, but the frame was on display:

Sette on the downtube in white against the carbon fiber weave

Sette Impulse, a more XC oriented bike with a frame weight of 2.9lbs

For more info on the Phantom, click here.

For more info on the Impulse, click here.

Gary Fisher Roscoe III

Round number 2 was on the Gary Fisher Roscoe. I had to wait a little while for this one as some dude drove from Vegas to test ride it. That’d be 4 plus hours of driving each way!

Before we get going on the review, I have to preface my thoughts on the Gary Fisher Roscoe with this statement: My riding style is not the one that is being targeted by the Roscoe. I am definitely more of a XC/Trail type rider while the Roscoe with its five and a half inches of travel is definitely shooting for the All Mountain crowd. I have ridden AM type bikes but I am just too timid to really get the best out of them, the Roscoe included. Also, the Fullerton Loop is not an AM type trail so I’d definitely read my thoughts with this information in mind.

Wide hydroformed top tube makes for a much stiffer frame

On our second run, we hooked up with John from Jax Fullerton. He jumped on the Superfly I was riding while Full Squish Randall got on HiFi 29er and I got some seat time on the Roscoe. John, by the way, is a great mechanic and happens to be a very good road racer as well.

My first thought when I got on the Roscoe is that this baby is stout. The hydroformed tubing is thick. The first tube you notice is the top tube which is much wider than any other top tube I’ve ridden. This definitely lent a bit of stiffness to the whole bike that I’m sure is useful when you’re hucking off 6 foot drops. You really can’t tell the thickness in the pictures on Gary Fisher’s website but the top & down tube are wide. The tapered headtube is also different going from 1 1/8 inch to 1 1/2 inch at the crown of the fork. This design is supposed to increase the strength between the headtube and fork, but nothing on the loop was gnarly enough to test this.

Proprietary Dual Rate Control Valve (DRCV) shock made things plush

Coming off the hardtail Superfly I also immediately noticed how plush the suspension travel was. It was almost like night and day and rightfully so going from the racey Superfly to the AM Roscoe. The proprietary Dual Rate Control Valve (DRCV) was smooth and felt good on all the extra credit stuff I threw at it. I also got some time on the HiFi 29er later on and the 4 inches of travel on the HiFi doesn’t have nearly the plushness of the Roscoe’s DRCV shock. Not even close.

The Roscoe does not like for the rider to stand up and hammer out climbs. Every time I tried to stand and climb I immediately felt like the Roscoe telling me to sit back down. The bike is definitely more of a spin, spin, spin type climber which I think is fine and lends itself well to this style of mountain biking.

White bikes with white forks always look good to me. The beefy tires were a bit too aired up for excellent grip

The steering was not as slack as I remember other AM rigs I’ve ridden. The last time I rode an AM rig I distinctly remember that the steering was very slow which is great on the descents as it made things a bit more stable. The flipside to this is that it slowed things down too much for me on the switchbacks and tricky sections that require more finesse and less of a plow through mentality. The G2 steering on the Roscoe, however, seemed to give the best of both worlds as it still had some pep through the tight stuff but retained its stability for the downhill.

As you can probably tell I am a little high on the Roscoe. I think this is mainly because 1. the bike is really good and 2. the 10 mile Fullerton Loop is too short to shake out the bike entirely. More time on the bike is definitely needed to draw definitive conclusions.

RL Policar-Kim Finch is one of our most talented racers on the team. She’s was the Triple Crown Champ for XC and also won a number of Championships for 2008 at Southridge. With that in mind, I present to you Kim Finch’s race report.

Well, a fresh new season has begun with the Fontana Winter Series! This season appears to start off with as much fun and excitement as last season ended. I always love riding in Southridge’s races because it is always challenging and the people such as Donny & his crew are fantastic!

Well, this year I am trying to string all three races together but for this first race I went with the XC race and my first downhill race. The wind was the MAJOR challenge for the XC race. The course was cut short for this race as Donny was still working out permits which he will have resolved next race. So thinking I would get a break on a short course and can then try my hand at DH practice I heard the announcement “2 LAPS”! Man I really didn’t want to hear that as that front section has majority of the climbs and now I had to do it twice?

Well, hanging out at the start line is always fun to chat with those around you as it helps me stay calm. Always answer questions about my “Ellsworth PINK Truth”and all the PINK I can handle! The wind was cold and I wanted to just get moving! Then before long Donny is counting down, and were all off in a large group! The first turn up my fellow riding gets cut off and down she goes..I swerve and cut around the two downed riders give a quick yell then kept going. The course was much nicer due to all rain we had which in itself was fantastic except for the wind! I made it through the first lap with no problems. RL was there with my water & Priscilla was there cheering me on. When it came to the second lap I noticed how much traffic the course had. At one point Eric “The Animal” Hunner passed me only to yell back and tell me to come on, while waiving his “GUNS” forward for me to catch him. The single track sections had been really cleaned up by Donny and his crew which made them that much more exciting to see if I could go faster. I finished my 2nd lap to see Priscilla cheering me along! I took 2nd place

Off one bike and then onto my Ellsworth Moment to try my hand at the downhill course for practice. Wow, now there are two different rides! Tony was at the top to meet me & help guide me through my first attempt. The wind at the top was brutal. I made it through the first few turns and even the little rock droppers then a left turn that lead into a dropper/roller that had an off camber right turn…well let’s say Kim did not make the turn very graceful.

As a matter of fact I rolled down the hill further then my bike did! Got up dusted off listened to Tony’s pointers on that turn and headed for the bottom. Now the lower rock garden…well first try..NOPE..second practice run YES!! I was so excited I made it without killing myself. This section always scared me even as a spectator. My second practice I decided that the turn was not going to get me..but the funny thing was two turns earlier I didn’t lean right or the wind got me off line and over I went!! Pride and dust really nothing more.

Race Day: Hanging out up at the top with RL, Tony, Moe & Joe seemed like forever. We chatted with all those we knew and we talked about the course. I personally got tips from Tony as well as John Seacor who races against Tony in their category. They both told me to find the line which would be grooved due to all the prior racers and stick to it! This was very helpful for me as I was a ball of nerves by this time. I talked to myself and thought of different rides I had done and how points on this course was just like riding the trails! This also was a huge help for me. I made it through the whole course and the lower rock garden without a crash. I got to the famous “WALL” used my Gravidity Dropper to pop my seat up and peddled like a mad woman right into the head wind!! I pulled 2nd place! I was thrilled!

I want to thank to the whole team for all the support and the food we shared on Saturday! The whole team did an awesome job! Next race I will join up with Joe & Moe for the Super D race as well!

C-ya at the races

This past weekend was a busy one… I raced both XC (Sat) & DH (Sun) at the 17th Annual Southridge Challenge, Fontana, CA.  Saturday was the last leg of the XC portion of the Triple Crown Challenge (TCC).  The 1^st was in Bonelli Park, San Dimas, CA (Oct) and the 2^nd at Mt. SAC in Walnut, CA (earlier this month).  We had a strong showing from our Team in different disciplines of the Fat Tire – XC, SS, Super D and DH.

Saturday:  I was faced with 8 other competitors.  Three were familiar faces from the other two segments of the TCC.  Two were my regular nemesis (friends really) from the 2008 racing season.

                                     Clydes

At the starting line, we were grouped with the Women’s 35+.  At GO, we sprinted on a flat dirt road which quickly turned into an elevated left-handed U-turn.  Here is where I experience the first hold up.  At this turn, series leader Mike D. falls, then a lady from the 35+ group.  Half of the racers that were stuck behind them (including myself) were forced to either dismount or find an alternative route which caused us seconds that counted.  As I made my way past the crash, I sprinted to chase the pack.  From here I would stay behind teammate Kim Finch.  Approaching the first real climb on dirt (where the DH starts), Kim and I pass our friend Val (he looked exhausted).  We passed him then made our way to the winding singletrack.  At the bottom we caught up with our other team mate Priscilla Policar.  We would ride together for a bit, while motivating and encouraging each other.   Passing the smokestack-like structure is another climb.   From the bottom I see Scott V. (a clyde in my class) reaching the top portion of this climb.  From here I broke away from Priscilla and Kim in hopes to catch Scott.  (There is history with Scott and I, as we battled throughout the year.  We took turns placing better than each other at various races.  He is currently one-up on me so I was really motivated to catch him!)

I made my way down another singletrack segment, through the paintball field, then up the final climb… I can see Scott up ahead.  I continued to grind up.  I knew I had to close the distance.  When he reaches the final singletrack descent he’ll open up the gap.  Through the singletrack at the backside of Southridge I tried to go as fast as I can.  Reaching the left-handed drop into the culvert, I see Scott on his way back on the flats.  In front of him was Ner (Val’s brother) with a big smile.   On the flats I big-ringed it back.  From the distance I see Scott and Ner pulling away…man these guys are fast!  Coming around the riverbed/aquaduct area I see Ner but not Scott… uh oh!   I knew we were almost finished and this was not good.  I finally caught up to Ner and passed him but Scott was no where in sight.  I ended up finishing last in my class.  Despite not catching Scott, I was please with my race.  I came in last but my finishing time was better than any of my previous races in Fontana.

                                                                                       Overall I felt good about the race and my performance of the series.  Prior to the awards for the overall results of the TCC, they posted me as 3rd place and totally omitting Mike D. (series leader).  As RL stated on his post, I took the liberty of advising the officials that Mike was not even on the list and should be.  After recalculating the points, Mike was on top and I was bumped down to 4^th.  Bad thing is there is no recognition of 4^th  as they only went three deep for the awards.  Never the less, I was pleased with myself for racing all three races and finishing each one.

Sunday: Armor time… I’ve ridden on Fontana’s DH course several times but have yet to race on it.  This was the day.  Around 8:30ish, I met up with RL, Priscilla and their kids.  After preparation and seeing the line for practice, it would appear that we will only have time for one practice run.

As I stood on top of the mountain, I have to admit that I was very nervous.  With this many people and not familiar with the course I was intimidated with the pretty much everything.  RL went first on the practice run.  I gave him about 5 seconds they off I went after him.  I tried to stay on his heels as I wanted to follow his lines but as soon as we started winding through the upper rock garden panic set in.  The rock sections were fairly easy but after not seeing which lines to pick I stalled out.  I have to admit I walked several sections but had every intentions of re-doing it.  As I made it down to the bottom, before the lower rock garden, RL was waiting for me.  As I neared his position, off he went and I followed.  I stayed behind him heading into the rock garden then… he was OTB!  All I see was his green bike up in the air.  Fortunately he was ok and got back up, then rode to the bottom.  I followed him shortly after reviewing the lines through this section.  At the same time the course officials were telling everyone to ride through as practice was over.  Darn, that means I’ll only have one run.

From the end of the practice until our start time was a good 1.5 hours.  There was plenty of time to think about the course and the lines to pick.  But for me anxiety was kicking in.  I was nervous, MORE than any of my other DH races that I have entered.  For some reason the “rocks” were really intimidating me and I could not shake it from my head.  Often I found myself pacing or just trying to walk around to stay calm.  This is typically not me.  About an hour prior to our start time we lined up for the shuttle.  RL was first to be taken to the top then I followed shortly.  Reaching the top and seeing RL was a relief.  Still nervous, I made small talk with several other guys that I have seen in previous races.

As my group lined up, I was first on the list.  The group in front of me was a Women’s group.  They will give the last woman (Lala w/Incycle) and I a one minute gap as oppose to the 30 sec between riders.  With many thoughts of the course running through my head, I tried to stay focus.  Donny says “Joe, go on 1”… At 1 I sprinted down to the bottom.  Approaching the upper rock section (where I walked in practice) I put my trust in my bike and maneuvered through the rocks.

                                        Upper section. Pic by Dino Brown

There were a few areas where I slowed down, such as the corners with huge ruts, but I managed to get through them smoothly.  Somewhere in the upper section, I heard Johnny D (racer after me) on my heels (on the video posted by RL, you’ll see Johnny go over the bars right behind me).  Reaching the bottom, by the cul de sac, I was very close to catching Lala.  She heads into the lower rock garden but slows down just before the spot where RL went OTB (in practice).  By this time I was literally on her rear wheel… With no momentum and thoughts of crashing, I dismounted off my bike, placed it on the step down and got back on.                                                                       Lower rock garden. Picture by Christopher Wood

I rolled through the remaining rocks and headed to ‘the wall’.  Here is where you test your legs as it is a long sprint on a 40+ lbs bike. At this point I finally pass Lala and make my way to the finish line!                               Picture by Sharky

In the end I finish 4^th out of 6.  I was very relieved that I made it to the bottom unscathed.  I know I wasn’t going as fast the others but it was a big weight off my shoulders and a relief mentally just to complete the course.         

I had a great time participating in the Triple Crown Challenge and the DH on Sunday.  I cant say it enough that our Team rocks!  This weekend we had racers in XC, SS, Super D and DH. We podiumed in each category! 2008 has been a great year in racing!

Many thanks to our sponsors – MtnBikeRiders.com, BikeCommuters.com, Evomo, Ergon and Hoss!!!