Round Mountain

[Michael Koppe]

  The Round Mountain race is part of the California Mountain Bike Series. This was my first chance to race here so I did not know what to expect. I arrived late and I did not pre-ride the course, but I did practice the start which was a gnarly and steep climb. The purpose of the climb was to separate out the riders for the single track loop. I entered the over 60 CAT 2 division. Prior to the race I saw fellow teammates Jim and Simon. Simon was getting ready to start. He was competing in the under 14 group which is remarkable for someone that young. Jim was competing in the Pro race. 

  There was a fairly large group of riders at the start but there were only about 8 in my age group. After the start I lost track of my competition and just focused on the climb. After a cautious start I began to pass a number of riders and began to push the pace. I rode my full suspension Epic with a dropper post since I did know what to expect. While driving up I saw trucks with hugh full suspension bikes and I began to wonder if this was more of a Downieville race. However they eventually went somewhere else which allayed my fears.

  The loop at the top also starts with a climb. I began to wonder if I could do three loops with this climb. However the single track allowed opportunities for recovery and I began to feel more comfortable after the first lap. The only time I passed a rider was when one made a mistake, specifically on the off camber steep right turn on the loop and a steep uphill left turn. Otherwise, we were locked into our positions which were determined by the initial steep climb. There were not many places to pass. During the second lap a woman rider rode with me. She reluctantly took my my invitation to allow her to pass since I was faster on the downhill and but she was faster on the uphill. We traded positions until she took off on a steep uphill section. Lynn won her age category(40+) easily and I found out she runs 5 minute miles too so I can see why she was so strong.

  I finished the race in 1hr 26m which was good for third place in the over 60+ category. It turns out Simon, Jim, and I all finished in third place. Afterwards I enjoyed the chicken tacos and company before I continued on to Tahoe where it snowed the next day. May is a great month in California. You can do everything!