The Rock Hopper Classic (RHC) makes my fourth race of 2012 and my first race report.  One of my standard goals for each season is to qualify for the National Championship race.  Usually this is accomplished at the Sea Otter Classic (SOC).  Unfortunately, due to a broken chain and subsequent repair (5 min), I could only manage 20^th, which is outside the allotted 15 qualifying spots.  And local USAC qualifiers are a little scarce this year.  Two qualifiers were on tap in California…

The SRCC club ride promised 129 miles, 15K of climbing out and back over Sonoma County's biggest peaks.  Looked to be a fun day.

We'd start at Alexander Valley School, just east of Healdsburg on Hwy 128. The route would take us first north up and over Geysers, down the backside, then up Pine Mtn., where would turn around for a return trip back and over Geysers again to our starting point.

Some riders got out early, just after 6 AM. I ended up with the ride leader Marc Moons and…

"The hits keep on rolling" is how to best sum up this past weekend at the BikeMonkey Boggs 8 hour XC race in Bogg's Demonstration Forest outside of Cobb, CA.

I decided to do this race many months ago with my friend…

Somewhere past hour six, mid-way into my eighth lap, bouncing down a loose rock-strewn single track left, I heard and felt stuff falling off my bike. No time to look or stop, bike still functioning and rolling fast, heading toward the fire road below, I chose to roll it out and deal with it later. There was no way I wanted to give up the 15 minute lead  that I’d made by lap six over my competition.

This was to be my third round of Boggs, back to defend my…

Never quite know what or who to expect when one shows up to a local Grasshopper. On this day the route called for us to roll out of Santa Rosa bent for new territory east of town that promised a few steep climbs, a number of rough roads and one dirt descent over the course of 70 plus miles. Fat 25cc tires on the Madone would prove to be good gear for this mixed road terrain.

Amidst the assembling 100 or so riders in the grammar school parking lot at the edge of…

The Shasta Lemurian is a classic NorCal hardman race.  Lots of climbing and some fast and rough descending on a 2+ hour single-loop course in the mountains West of Redding.  I have done this race most years since I started racing in 2005, but it always comes at the end of my first peak racing period.  Last year, I was pretty fatigued by this point and decided not to do the race.  This year, I was in better form and ready to race!

The course conditions were very good, with recent rains…