The Call Up

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August 2017 Blog Posts (14)

Motherlode Epic 2017

This was the 1st running of the MLE, a 32 mile point-to-point stage race, split into 4 segments of approx 8 miles each, in the Folsom/Granite Bay area east of Sacramento, and organised by local pro Clint Classen, with the backing of Santa Cruz Bikes.  This race was definitely "epic" although, for me, more of an epic fail.

Having sustained an injury in the days leading up to the Downieville Classic the first weekend in August, I had missed that race, as well as Annadel on the following…

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Added by Mark Gibson on August 22, 2017 at 9:42am — No Comments

Annadel XC

  This is the first time that I have attended this race. I decided to enter since so many of my teammates would be there and I wanted to experience Annadel. I was unsure which category to enter but I wanted to do the long course, so I decided to enter Masters 50+. I thought about racing in the Expert over 40, but that sounded even faster, even though they depart 2mins behind Masters 50+. At the start line I realized I was in a fast group when I saw it included teammates Greg and Dave. When…

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Added by Michael Koppe on August 15, 2017 at 9:28pm — No Comments

2017 Annadel

My third time racing this challenging course. This year I had Jim at ACME rework my Trek top fuel and get it down to 22lbs. Two big changes to the bike where changing the front fork to the new Fox factory SC and removing the KS seat dropper. This year I left the Maxxis Ardents in the garage and went with Maxxis 2.2 Ikons for tires. The bike felt great and after a week with only one ride in the mountains , my legs felt good too.

The race has the hardest start of any I have been in- up…

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Added by Greg Alsterlind on August 14, 2017 at 10:00pm — No Comments

2017 Annadel XC

The Annadel XC is my favorite XC race on the NorCal calendar. The race is relatively long (25 miles and ~2hrs), features some fun technical rocky bits, and includes plenty of fitness testing climbing. With many friends and good racers lining up for the Pro Men’s event, I hoped it would be a good battle all day.

 

I drove up to the start with Jim and Cathy, chatting about the course and breaking the race up into segments to plan our approach to the race. My plan was to start…

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Added by Philip Mooney on August 14, 2017 at 3:14pm — No Comments

2017 Annadel XC

 

This was my third time racing Annadel and my first race since a collarbone break in March interrupted my racing plans for 2017. I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course this year either, but did get some helpful trail condition feedback from friends familiar with the park. Not having my own bike available, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow Greg Alsterlind's Trek Superfly hardtail for this event. I'd been riding it for the preceding two weeks or so and felt I'd gotten the…

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Added by Mark Ingwersen on August 14, 2017 at 12:47pm — No Comments

Annadel XC, 11th Masters 50+

This was my second attempt in the Annadel race, having first raced last year.  I have ridden the trails in Annadel State Park a handful of times and each time I have come away with various bumps and scrapes.  Leading up to yesterday's race, I tried to keep a positive outlook on my chances of having a clean race, despite the rocky trails.  

  With only my Santa Cruz Highball hardtail to ride, I set it up with the Fox Transfer dropper post in hopes a lower center of gravity on the…

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Added by Dave Benjamin on August 14, 2017 at 11:32am — No Comments

First Time Racing The Annadel XC

The XC race at Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa is a great single loop race that isn't too far from where I live, but I had never done it before.  I usually try to stretch some fitness into August for The Downieville Classic, but this race is so late in the season that I have passed on it...until today.

I figured I would give it a try, as I had heard the course is good.  Though I had a cold for the week leading up to the race, I was able to pre-ride the course on Friday.  It involves…

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Added by Jim Hewett on August 13, 2017 at 11:49pm — No Comments

Annadel XC: 2nd Place, Pro Men

I had learned my lesson from my race in Downieville the previous weekend and budgeted enough time for a thorough warm-up and pre-ride snack to keep my glycogen stores topped off. I finished my last efforts with a few minutes to spare before charging up Violetti Fire Road into the park. 

Xander Sugarman took the lead off the line, followed closely by myself and teammate Jim. The opening climb up Violetti is covered in loose rocks with only a single rideable line in most places,…

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Added by Carson Benjamin on August 13, 2017 at 10:14pm — No Comments

Downieville Classic

The best weekend of the year started off with a few bumps. Arriving Thursday night, it wasn't until the following morning, just before the pre-ride of the descent, that I would put in new brake pads for both the front and rear.



After pre-riding, that night we realized something was up with my brakes, and, after tracking down seemingly everyone in the town, ended up being saved by a Shimano rep and a worker at the local bike shop.



Unbelievably, at about 7 or 8 the night…

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Added by Otis Lyons on August 9, 2017 at 7:00am — No Comments

Downieville All Mountain 2017 Downhill

  After the XC race the previous day I returned to Packer Saddle for the start on the downhill portion of the Downieville All Mountain event. I wanted to drive to Downieville first and take the shuttle up so I could leave directly to Marin afterwards, but I watched my brother-in-law compete in the Crossfit Games in Wisconsin online. Ironically he also competed in the 50+ category and won the national competition! It was quite inspirational for me, however I had no delusions of grandeur for…

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Added by Michael Koppe on August 7, 2017 at 2:27pm — No Comments

Downieville All Mountain 2017

  Initially I wanted to enter the 60+ XC race only, but a spot was available in the 50+ All Mountain event so I signed up. My goals were to PR(2h 45m) in the XC and complete the DH under my age in minutes. I am almost 64 so that meant I had to complete the DH in 63m 55secs  or less according to my calculations. I know a few people in their 50s have done it but not many. Essentially injuries and attrition begin to undermine performance incrementally despite our best efforts. Also I have…

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Added by Michael Koppe on August 7, 2017 at 11:27am — No Comments

Another Year, Another Downieville All Mountain Race - DH Edition

Okay.  A new rear derailleur solved the chain drop and my legs were feeling pretty good, prior day's racing considered.It It looked like Wicks opted out of the DH, so I had a ghost rider in front of me for my run.  I didn't figure I would make two minutes on the guy that started 8th, so everything would be set for me to have a clean run.  It was a little warmer than the day before, but my relatively early start time kept that from being a factor.

Sunrise went down smoothly, within 3…

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Added by Jim Hewett on August 7, 2017 at 9:30am — No Comments

Another Year, Another Downieville All Mountain Race - XC Edition

I was back this year for another crack at the Downieville Pro All Mountain weekend.

This year, I was racing a 2017 Fuel EX with 130mm travel in the back and a 160mm Pike on the front.  This longer fork raised the bottom brackett a little and slacked out the head tube, both of which come in handy for me when riding fast into the many rocks on the course.  I chose Maxxis Minion SS tires front and rear, with a low tread center to roll fast and chunky side knobs for cornering traction. …

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Added by Jim Hewett on August 7, 2017 at 9:21am — No Comments

Downieville Pro XC: 24th

This was the first time since I started racing mountain bikes I had committed to racing the Downieville Classic. After I contracted pneumonia following Sea Otter, I was finally able to return to racing in late-July and saw Downieville as an opportunity to gain high-intensity fitness as I build towards the Collegiate National Championship in October.

Downieville is one of the most highly-regarded American mountain bike races for both its festival atmosphere and course, which has…

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Added by Carson Benjamin on August 6, 2017 at 6:29pm — No Comments

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