CES #2 China Peak Enduro Fest

The second race of the California Enduro Series took place at China Peak Resort in the Central Sierra Nevada at the very end of highway 168.  The course was much more technical than the Battleborn event and featured lose unpredictable trail conditions, deep switchbacks with boulders waiting to catch a tire, and super technical rock gardens.

Friday the lifts were open for a day of pre-ridding, it was all pedaling on race day though.

The race at China Peak was an all-around good time, camping was available, and a bike movie was shown Saturday night, the atmosphere of this race was truly laidback and friendly.

After a day of fun racing Saturday I was 9th out of 22 other racers in the highly competitive Junior Open category a great improvement from Battleborn but still not where I want to be.

Yes there were goats at China Peak as well as Battleborn, after the last race I'm starting to think they are a key element of enduro.

 Here's to enduro and the next stop of the California Enduro Series at Northstar Resort in Truckee, California on August 30th.

CES #1 Battleborn Enduro

ENDURO... seems to be the focus of every mountain bike website, magazine, and video these days, but what exactly is it?  Enduro is form of mountain bike racing that features a course with untimed transfer climbing stages and multiple timed downhill stages.  The reason for its popularity is obvious; it takes out the long hours of training, good diets, lycra, and nasty tasting energy products of cross-country, but at the same time does not  require lift access terrain, heavy protective gear, or the 8 inch travel bikes of downhill racing.  In a sense it is mountain bike racing in its purist form.  Granted to be competitive at these events requires the fitness of a XC racer with the technical skill of a DH racer.  So I decided to head for the scorching sun and sagebrush of Reno, Nevada to race in the first of five races of the California Enduro Series.

After climbing the 8 miles to stage one racers stood in line eagerly awaiting their first timed run of the day, with warnings of rattlesnakes and the ever increasing heat.  Unfortunately about half way down my chain popped off and I had to complete stage one chainless, running the last 100 hundred yards of slight uphill to the finish.  With a zip tie courtesy of a fellow racer I forged a makeshift chainguide and hopped for the best on stage two, but despite this attempt my chain fell completely off dragging behind me and it was another chainless run on an extremely peadally course.  After some climbing it was time for stage three.  As this was the smoothest course of the day I got a clean ride in with zero dropped chains.  Stage four however was a different story, my chain dropped shortly after pedaling out of the start gate, and after getting off the bike and putting it back on I was able to ride conservatively to the finish for a disappointing 19th place out of 24 racers in the junior open category.  Despite serious time delays due to dropped chains I still had a great time and am looking forward to the next California Enduro Series race at the China Peak Ski Resort.

Me, Larry, and Dylan after a day of enduro racing!

Photo courtesy Scott McClain and California Enduro Series.

My Summer Season

For this summer my main focus is the Downieville Classic All-Mountain race, an infamous technically challenging and physical event with a grueling cross-country on day one and a gnarly and pedally downhill race on day two. I will also be competing in the California Enduro Series and my local race series in Nevada County the Nevada City Dirt Classic.
Here is a video of my shredding a local trail, filmed and edited by Matteo Piezarri.

NICA California State Championships

For the final high school race of 2014 it was back down to the sand and wind of Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California.

After the cool temperature, tacky dirt, and lush forests of Boggs Mountain it was a shock back to more painful side of racing when we showed up to the California State Champs, the course started with lay it all out paved climb into a steep lose singetrack that could make or break your race, after this a fast downhill got your heart rat down, then you hit "hurl hill" a few mile long climb mainly on fire road where racers faced steep grades and relentless soul sucking wind after this it was time to back around again.  Despite not being my favorite race course I still managed to come out fifth in a field of around 70 competitive racers.

The 2014 Sophomore D1 podium for the entire state of California, there was a lot of fast guys out there.

NorCal Championships at Boggs Mountain

The NorCal High School Championships took place at Boggs Mountain, in Lake County, California and proved to be a fun and wet rap up to the NorCal season.  Boggs was by my favorite high school race of the year with terrain, foliage, and trails similar to what I have at home it was easy to feel comfortable despite the completely liquid trail surface and the occasional snot slick rock or root.

The slightly technical trails of Boggs Mountain twisting through dark picturesque forests played well to my riding style and I came away with the win completing an undefeated season in the Sophomore D1 Category and therefore the overall win in that category for Northern California.

Pictured here is the Sophomore D1 Boys podium for the day.

Here it is the overall Sophomore D1 Boys podium for Northern California, it was a lot fun everybody.

With all the races done for the NorCal season there was still one more one more High School event that was on everyone's minds, California State Champs at Laguna Seca near Monterey two weeks after Boggs, where high school racers from Northern and Southern California come to battle it out for the final NICA race of the year.

NorCal High School Race #3 in East Garrison

For Race number three of the NICA NorCal series it was back to East Garrison, for the sand, and now overwhelming amount of poison oak of Fort Ord.

With reverse direction and a few other differences from race number one the new course was still fast, rolling, with a few sketchy sand patches.

 

 

With one of the most sustained climbs as the start racers were placed four by four on the narrow and sandy start chute.  With leaders jersey still on my back I gave it all I had at the start got over the first climb and did not look back until the finish.  I came in first place in the Sophomore D1 category with Matthew Koen in second.

 

 

Great job at race number three everybody!  Since race number four at Pedaluma was cancelled due to extremely muddy course conditions I will see you all at Boggs.  Cheers!

 





NorCal High School Race #2 at Granite Bay

 

I have spent a lot of time racing down in Granite Bay so it was awesome to see hundreds of athletes come down to compete at a venue that was familiar to me. 

For the second NorCal race the course was backwards of what I have done in the past, although the feel of the track was still the same decomposed granite, with short punchy climbs, and an occasional rock garden.
With my previous victory I was placed in the front of the pack for the start, rocking the leader's jersey and had no thoughts of giving it up.   

Two riders got passed me after the sand pit near the start but I got around them before the first climb and then hit the gas.  I knew I was in the front and kept it pinned until the end, coming away with my second NorCal win.

 

 

 

 

Its always a pleasure to be on top of the podium especially at these highly competitive NorCal series races, congratulations to all the athletes who participated! 

Thanks to Rob Lowe, Michael Miske, and Hannah Oitzman for the great photos.



NorCal High School Race #1 in East Garrison

On February 23rd the first NorCal National Interscholastic Cycling Association(NICA) race was held at East Garrison, California near Monterey and the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

The race course consisted of fast sandy singletrack and some fire road.  This was my first NorCal race as last year an injury kept me out of the high school series.  Despite being placed in the very back for the start I managed to pass the fifty some riders and pull away the first lap to come away with the win in the Sophomore Northern Division D1.

Thanks to all the volunteers, racers, coaches, and parents who give NorCal races their own special feel and atmosphere!  The first race was a great time.

My Recovery Video!!!

Here is the link to my recovery video filmed and edited by Matteo Piezzari!

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/336416/#top

Happy trails!!!

Downieville Classic 2013!!!

 

The 2013 Downieville Classic has come and gone and still remains my favorite race of the year.  This year I raced Cross Country at the 13-18 Sport level, and killed it coming in first place four minutes ahead of second place with a time of 2:28:55!  For those of you that are not familiar with the Downieville Classic this race is 100% nonstop brutality for 29 miles, this coarse features 4,100 feet of climbing and over 5,000 feet of descending.  The Cross Country race starts in Sierra City and climbs 3,000 vertical feet to the top of the Sierra Buttes at Packer Saddle.  Known as the "Trail of Tears" this climb is steep and very lose in sections.

  Once at the saddle racers descend Sunrise Trail, a  "flowy" roller coaster of singletrack  that meets Gold Valley Road.  This section of the course is the only part I dread although a place to rest it is also an ideal place to embrace the pain and put in some good sprints.  Somewhere in the middle I was given a high-five by a guy in a evening jacket wearing a disco ball on his head!  After a few miles of rolling dirt road the course goes downhill through the 'baby heads' a lose sketchy descent to Pauley Creek.  Unfortunately I was not able to take this section as fast as I did in practice do to other racers holding me back, but at least I made it down safe and mechanical free.  After this a 25+ foot creek crossing awaits across Pauley Creek.  Then there is Pauley Creek Trail a fast, long, rocky, wet, and root filled downhill with short tricky uphill punches.  This trail meets the last section of Butcher Ranch Trail, here I was able to pass a few other racers and was in my element.  I took the last section of Butcher fast and made it up the 700ft climb at a good pace and without wasting to much energy.  A spectator in a giant bird suit got me stoked to shred Third Divide!  I was in luck and had Third Divide Trail all to my self and let the breaks off and had a fast run down this insane piece of singletrack paradise.  At the bottom you are greeted with a few miles of fast dirt road to the First Divide Trail.  First Divided is never kind at this point in the race, the short uphills seem never ending and the flats are just as painful.  After a road crossing the final section of First Divide brings you to the streets of Downieville with one more painful sprint I finally crossed the Cliff Bar arch and was done with the race!

IBIS Mojo HD!

After my race I enjoyed a free spaghetti meal and checked out all the wonderful booths of the sponsors of the Classic.  As well as watching the annual river jump contest!!!

River Jump!



Liam Ruff, Larry Sussman, and Jet Lowe.



Nate Byrom, Liam Ruff, and Mark Weir.

 Big thanks to Nate Byrom from WTB for getting me some Frequency i23 wheels for the race.  They held up awesomely, and were super fast!


IBIS Ripley 29er

Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon DH Race Bike

A racer starting up the Sunrise Trail in the DH race on Sunday.
 

 The following day is the Downhill Race on the famous "Downieville Downhill".  Racers who want to compete in the downhill race must be part of the All Mountain Category and are required to race the Cross Country Race on the same bike!


On the top!

 The Sport 13-18 Men Podium Larry Sussman in forth, in third, Nelson Bedient in second, and Liam Ruff in first!  Congratulations to all the racers and thanks to all the wonderful people who make this unique and epic event possible.  Looking forward to next year!