proc mountain biking

2Bliss

2012-02-05T23:34:00.000-08:00

Well, working in the moovies is all well and glamorous, but it can cut into the riding a bit. And its that way at the moment. Still, it's not completely stopping me from getting out and hitting the dirt, and we've managed to get some quality riding in recently - check the Strava over there on the right for "stats and deets." Also the weather has been pretty outstanding. Whilst the folks back in England are wrapping up against the freezing sleet, I've been riding in shorts and a jersey and worrying about sunburn.

Me and Chris have been getting out and visiting our favourite haunts. Annadel with Jaime last week, and Skeggs today. I managed to fry my legs by adding an impromptu double front side loop to my Saturday China Camp ride (owing to a forgotten pair of riding glasses left at the top of a descent, remembered at the bottom. Joy.) So that, coupled with some heatstroke meant Skeggs' brutal climbs were extra unpleasant today. The descents were fun, but felt short lived..... Partly due to cooked quads but also due to riding some of them faster than normal (thankyou Strava for the info!)

The Nomad has been tuned up the wazzoo and is feeling fantastic. I managed to find some great flow at China Camp this weekend. Although the parkie with the speed gun didn't bother to write me a ticket so there's still work to do there. But I've had a new rear wheel, bottom bracket, Shimano rear mech and shifter, fork and shock rebuild PLUS I've gone tubeless. The enthusiastic fellas at Big Swingin' set me up with tires full of goop. I'm not sure if the finer qualities of ditching tubes will ever be noticed, but it's nice having the option to drop the PSi and play with that. For now I'm just happy to get out when I can and hope to build up some strength for the upcoming Shasta Lemurian and Boggs 8 hour races....

McLaren Bike Park

2012-01-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

The McLaren Bike Park is an exciting prospect for us NorCal riders. Somewhere to play and practice in anticipation of hitting Northstar, Whistler and the like. It's a great project so me and Chris decided to bung them a couple of quids and become founders. You can do the same HERE ..... Go on, do it for the kids!

Bloodshed

2012-01-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

The first night ride of 2012 was something we'd been looking forward to all week. Me, Zach, Dave and Paul met at the usual spot, gave eachother manly welcoming hugs, and headed up Iron Springs road to the familiar Tamarancho loop. After an epic shred session at Annadel the previous Sunday I was pumped to hit the dirt. Mother nature had other plans though. For some reason things didn't feel quite right. Maybe my lights were slightly off kilter, or my tires were too pumped after a recent tune up... or I just wasn't in the zone. Either way, as I lined up 'rancho's infamous Serpentine drop in my beam, I suddenly washed out and dropped like a sack of shite. I'd neglected to sport my awesome Fox knee pads but managed to christen my brand new riding jacket with some nice jagged rips down the arm. Joy. A little ways down the trail Dave hit the drop before careening into a rut and going arse over teakettle into the shrub. Bloodied and bruised, we decided to call it a night and headed back into Fairfax for a beer. We'll try again next week....

New Year Revolutions

2012-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Started my third year of Californian riding adventures with a couple of gut busting rides around cherished local haunts. A jetlag induced sleep coma put paid to any plans I had for alcohol fueled NYE revelry. So, having escaped a hangover, I met up with Aaron for a spin around China Camp. I couldn't escape the effects of my three week Chrimbo binge though. Jeezus it was tough. Mind you, we did do a much longer ride than normal. The lack of funding has left China' ranger lite, so the "secret" trails are becoming more apparent as bold folk start to more obviously branch them from existing routes. We checked some of them out, adding a good few miles of nail bitingly narrow descents (so narrow I feckin walked more than rode) and some fun, steep swoopy stuff.

Holiday Monday and my fat kid at the back status was established once again (clearly evident in the Strava shizzle over on the right there.) Me, Aaron (stoked to have taken delivery of a lush new carbon Stumpy so is riding everyday like a grinning fool) and Zach met up for an extended Rancho loop. Riding from Greenbrae to five corners on Tam, we then descended to Deer Park onto the usual Rancho loop. I suffered the whole ride with shattered, abused quads and a few extra pounds of xmas sludge hanging around my middle. But we had a great ride. The first of many for, what will hopefully be, another awesome year of NorCal shredding!

Las Vegas!*

2011-12-22T04:33:00.000-08:00

*of the North (of England.)

Not much dirt to be ridden around where my folks live. But a diet of 9000 calories a day, consumed on the sofa watching tv, needs some sort of offsetting. So I took a ride down the prom to get the blood pumping. Riding into gale force winds keeps the heart rate up, and a few drops down concrete stairs adds a bit of fun. But I'm ready to climb aboard the Nomad and hit some Cali' dirt soon. Just need to plough through a few more cakes and chocolate bars first. Lay down some insulation ;o)

Fasties and Pasties! - The 4th Annual Christmas Ride

2011-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

My 100th post! Woo hoo! I'm suprised I've managed to keep this going for this long. But as it turns out, writing this blog is quite good fun and a nice place to stick my pics. Plus some things are working continuing with. Including the Annual Christmas Ride! This year was the 4th year we've done it. The line up changed a bit, and the venue was different. But we kept the traditions alive by getting in some quality blighty style riding, some (Thai) curry and plenty of cups of tea and biscuits.

This year we decided to hit the Forest of Dean trail centre. After a decent full english carb load and mug of tea we geared up and hit the M4 in convoy. I've been eagerly anticipating a ride here. From what I'd seen on the googletube the trails looked amazing. Plus I was excited to dust off my English Rose hardtail and take her for a spin.

The UK is getting spoilt with some amazing trail centres. National parks are embracing the business mountain bikers bring and providing epic trails and fantastic facilities. As awesome as northern Cali' is, we have to fend for ourselves and fight for space with hikers and the like. At places like the FoD you have miles of beautifully manicured trails, bike shops, showers (for you AND the bike) and somewhere warm to get a chip butty and a hot brew before the drive home. Lush!

We managed a couple of laps of the centre's XC routes. Mellow climbs intermingled with some swooping, flowey descents kept everyone grinning. The Rose is such a joy to ride. As much as I love the Nomad, it is a bit of a barge... Having something shorter and twitchier made for a nice change. After a few miles of rolling singletrack, we hit the final descent for a spirited run back to the car park. Full of burms, whoops and really satisfying jumps, the mud wasn't enough to stop us from shredding hard and finishing feeling knackered and happy. Great fun. As ever, I can't wait for next year's!

Dirty

2011-12-08T23:00:00.001-08:00

Spangles has shied away from the dirt for much of this year. A big shame for those of us who like to shred with the fecker, and for his dust covered Stumpy. But he's not lost his love for bikes.... Or at least I think this is a bike. It has 2 wheels and handlebars... but no seat!?! Whatever it is, it looks bad ass and a LOT of dirty fun.

Soquel Demonstration Forest

2011-12-05T23:27:00.001-08:00

We're well into December now and the final ride of the year (in Cali' at least) came and went this weekend. Almost hard to believe another year of Northern California riding has come to a close. And what a great year it's been. I've had a few injuries, surgeries and a long stint on the east coast. Time away from the bike that simply fueled the fires of my passion for the dirt and made the riding all the more sweeter. We also got to experience Whistler for the first - and definitely not the last - time. And whilst the racing was sparse, what I managed to partake in was awesome. This year's Downieville was so epic I still get chills thinking about it.

This Sunday we took to trails new, and I took the Nomad back to it's spiritual home - Santa Cruz. The fellas at Big Swinging Cycles closed shop for the day and lead a caravan of bike laden vehicles down the coast to check out 'demo (Soquel demonstration forest.) I've heard of this popular place before and have always been curious about it. But I've neglected to check it out as it seems Santa Cruz is best ridden with people who already know where the gems are. So this was a great chance to ride some gnarly trails and get the maximum fun out the day with people who know the place well.

20 odd riders strong, we climbed road, then single track to the trailheads. We started on the Pig and Bacon trails. Steep, twisty and covered in leaves and debris from the recent storms. These trails were a challenge. Fun, but hard to really let go and shred as the front wheel kept washing out as it fought for grip on the trail shrapnel. After another climb, we hit more solid dirt - Ridge. Steep but tacky with some fantastic single track and rutted, rocky sections to test the mettle. I've been getting my mojo back recently after the ankle injury and this was a good reaffirmation that I can tackle the gnarlier stuff and enjoy it. Awesome!

After we climbed the fireroad once again to the trail heads, we hit our final descent - Braille. Known for it's steep, fast, burmed and super flowey singletrack, Braille is also littered with free ride features that invite the brave to sample. I chose to be cautious on the bigger drops and jumps. Not knowing exactly what the landing is like, or how far away it is, always freaks me somewhat. So I took it easy and vowed to come back and session the trail some more. But the large drops and rooty sections were a fantastic test of the Nomad's 6 inches and my own willingness to grin, hold on, and try to ease off the brakes.

Santa Cruz is known to have burlier, gnarlier and beefier trails by Marin standards. 'Demo is a prime example. I can't wait to go back and ride some more of it's delights. I bought a trail guide book on the way home. Turns out we barely scratched the surface.... Looks like I'll be taking the Nomad back there a few more times when I return from my England xmas trip :o)

Turkey Ride

2011-11-25T10:59:00.001-08:00

I've been riding in the states for almost 3 years now. Traditions have started to form. This Wednesday it was time to honor one of those traditions : The Thanksgiving Turkey Ride (or "Turkey Trot," or "Appetite Seminar" depending on how and where you hear about it.) Essentially a few hundred of the areas mountain bike enthusiasts descend upon Pine Mountain to grind up steep, rocky fireroads - congregate, drink booze and then rip down more fireroads back to Fairfax. Excellent fun!

The weather forecast for the morning's fun was dire. We braced ourselves for a punishing wet ride in hideous rain. I didn't mind too much. It gave me a rare chance to sport my nice, new Gortex waterproof costume. Last year's ride was bitterly cold, so we layered up in anticipation of that too. However, as we hit the java hut rendezvous, we were pleasantly suprised to be gearing up in crisp, foggy but mild and dry conditions.

After the initial road climb we hit the Pine Mountain trailhead. The first few climbs are fairly brutal at the best of times. Plenty of rain and few hundred bike tires before us ensured these weren't the best of times. Thick mud snaked up and ahead for miles as we wheezed and cursed our way to the top. I didn't have much faith in the descents being great either, given how sloppy it was. But thankfully I was wrong. The mud kept speeds in check somewhat, but the conditions made for challenging, and grin inducing riding. Great stuff. I'd forgotten how satisfying it is to have the bike slip and slide underneath you but somehow stay upright enough to hit the massive puddles and drift - moto style - through them!

Repack was closed for action. Probably just as well.... I saw Rosson caught in a mud slide one one descent. Hilarious, but on the super steep Repack, we'd all be sliding into oblivion and it would've been carnage. After 20 odd miles and almost 3000 ft of climbing we hit Porcupine all the way back to Fairfax. Plastered with mud, grinning like fools and ready for an afternoon of self indulgence and self loathing ;o)

Fall

2011-11-20T11:05:00.001-08:00

In the American sense that is. Luckily I've been staying upright for the past few rides. It's the season for cold, crisp and occasionally rain soaked riding at the moment. Over the past few weeks we've been hitting our favourite haunts. An awesome, speederbike-esque ride at Annadel with Jaime and his new uber-lite S-Works hardtail. A fantastic shred at Skeggs where Dave broke in his new Enduro. And a cheeky Tamarancho loop where Chris demo'd (and subsequently put on order) a sexy new Yeti SB66. So, the crew is getting tooled up with sweet new rides and the burning enthusiasm for the sport gets ever stronger. Last week we hit 'rancho for a night ride and amassed 7 riders! Aubrey came along too and was still cranking even after a mid ride puke stop!

Yesterday we hit Pine Mountain. A training ride ahead of next week's Thanksgiving mass ride. Zach introduced us to some epic singletrack. Tight and flowey with some rooty technical sections and severe switchbacks to test the skills. Our plan is to go back and session them some more. We hit some rocky stuff too. I tripod legged most of it. My mojo has definitely suffered on the bigger, sketchier stuff. My ankle fracture is completely healed, but my brain needs to get the memo. I keep pulling up short when I see big, rocky trails and it's frustrating. I've done stuff like it before - no worries. I've worked hard to see lines through that kinda shit and not freak out, so I know it's just a mental funk I'm in. Humbling, but annoying that I have some work to do to get back to where I was before.

Still, I'm slowly improving in other areas of my riding. Each weekly loop around 'rancho is improving my technical Kung Fu. Every solo ride at China' helps my cornering and flow. Im slowly taming the Nomad steed and making it my own. And those epic, runaway train descents induce the best grinning lunacy, leaving me stoked and excited for the next opportunity to hit dirt and keep on learning. :o)

SF Bike Expo

2011-11-12T19:56:00.001-08:00

Me and Chris checked out the SF Bike Expo today. After wading through all the bling'ed up lowriders and painfully cool hipster fixies, we found ourselves out in the fresh air with this awesome spectacle to keep us entertained :

Having a Ball...

2011-10-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend I found myself in pastures new : Joaquin Miller State Park in Oakland. My first time venturing over to the East Bay and my first time riding with Paul - a fellow MTBer who I met at China Camp last week. Joaquin Miller is small, but has a fair selection of intermingled single and double track. Also, with climbs like "The Wall" and trails called "Sunshine" you know it's going to deliver it's fair share of pleasure and pain.

Paul is an extremely relaxed rider. Totally at ease on his steed it was very cool to follow as he wheelied and manualed through the lush redwood trails. We we're exploring somewhat as neither of us knew the park very well. We got a good couple of hours riding in though, and next time we'll be better prepared to link up the trails and find some good flow. However, one guaranteed fun descent is the Cinderella trail. The Disneyesque name is somewhat misleading. This is a gnarly, fast descent with rooty drops and awesome jumps. Definitely built for the brave, but you can safely ride it at whatever pace suits your mood. We hit it a few times and with each descent I tackled more of the jumps and drops with grinning abandon. Not all of them though. Incentive enough to go back and session it some more.

I finished the weekend with a 'Rancho loop. My plan was to session some of the trickier switchbacks and features that always trip me up on our night rides. The Nomad was freshly primped and preened with fettled gears and new tyres (shaving about 3 stone off the bikes weight.) Unfortunately I wasn't quite as prepared. My head just wasn't in it for some reason. Tamarancho can be a cruel beast. At times it brings out the best in my riding but other days, like today, it seems to expose my worst. And it pokes and prods until I feel like I'm going backwards in my skills progression..... Once I'd fumbled through the technical crap and finally hit some flow on B17 my feckin' contact dislodged so I could barely see.... Aargh.... Frustration. Still. I was out in the sun, hitting dirt. And the final descent down Alchemist was a lot of fun. However I did end the ride kinda wishing I'd gone to China instead to hit the flow section. Ah well. Any time spent at 'Rancho is all money in the bank. Frustrating or not. One day I'll conquer that feckin' 8 mile loop......

Rehab

2011-10-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

My ankle is on the mend. Which is good. I've missed a fair few rides and was starting to lose my mind, but luckily nature took it's course and slowly put my foot back to good use. A timid ride around China last weekend, and then a slog up Tam with Aubrey yesterday. My foot feels strong. Unfortunately my lungs and legs don't... but the fitness will come back. Just need to keep getting out there.

Today I did a cheeky little 10 miler around China Camp. I missed out the backside (lots of ruts and such to abuse a rehabbing ankle... not a good idea.) But I lapped up the flow section. I treated my ears and brain to a playlist of my favourite bike p0rn tunes and had them cranking as I lay down shred on tacky trails. The past week's rain plus my childlike grinning enthusiasm proved to be a good mix. Short, but one of the best rides I've had in ages. We're hoping to get the night rides back on the schedule this week too. And then everything will be all back to normal again :o)

Crankin' Up The A Line!

2011-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

So, it turns out my little Tahoe tumble fractured my feckin' ankle. So no riding for me for a short while. My downhill season began and ended with Whistler..... Speaking of which! All this extra time on my hands has allowed me to finish editing, cropping, colour correcting and after effectsing the GoPro footage from our trip. It's on The Facetube, right.....

......HERE!!.....

Define "Sucks"

2011-09-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

1. Swap the Nomad's pedals for big, fat, flats
2. Pack armor and full face helmet and downhill shit
3. Get up at early o'clock on a weekend and pick up Dave
4. Spend 3 hours driving to Tahoe, buy lift pass
5. Ride lift, get excited about the day's riding ahead
6. Get off lift and walk down stairs to trail head
7. Fumble last step and badly roll ankle. Collapse into ball of pain
8. Get back on lift, ride back to the base and spend the rest of the day with ankle raised and iced

= Sucks.
Fuking sucks.

:o(

September Shizzle

2011-09-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

Not much in the way of bloggage recently, but that doesn't mean I haven't been riding. Far from it. Me and Dave have got a regular Wednesday night ride going at Tamarancho. Zach usually comes too, and we're always trying to drag more people out for a moonlit spin around the spooky woods. My Maxx D fat boy light is doing a cracking job of blinding the wildlife, and the extra ride mid week is a great way to set up for the weekend's shredding.

Chris is back in the saddle too which is fantastic. Picking up where he left off 4 months (and a broken collar bone) ago, he's super strong and super keen. I've missed having Chris as a riding buddy so it's been awesome welcoming him back to the dirt. Especially as some of the regular lads have fallen by the wayside, which is a shame. But there are always people up for a spin. Today me, Adam, Sam, Eric and Chris took in the sights from Mount Tam. It's a ride I've done before and, whilst daunting in it's length and climbing, is hugely rewarding in it's descents. We climbed up Tenderfoot to the West Point Inn. From there, a fire road descent to the Coastal trail. Coastal is so much fun.... So. Much. Fun. It's the sort of trail you rip down and wonder why you don't ride it every week. Not steep, but fast, flowy and, at times, really narrow. But the deep ruts quickly give way to bermed corners which encourage you to hit with abandon and reward with an epic descent.

After a tactical refuel at the Pelican Inn, it was time to climb Dias. Tight switchbacks add to the fun, but for the most part it's a steady ascent with great views. I was pleasantly suprised at my climbing pace. The last time I did this ride (the very last ride before I went to NYC) I'd struggled to keep the other lads in sight. Today I (more or less) kept up with Sam and Ad..... and I've still got my big, heavy 2.5 inch Whistler wheels (including downhill tubes) on the Nomad. After Dias, we hit Miwok. A cracking trail, but you have to keep your wits about you. The cool little jumps give way to endo inducing divots if you're not careful. Hikers and dog walkers are also thrown in to keep you alert and hitting the brakes more often than you like. But it's a great trail and adds to the awesome variety this ride provides.

We're into September now. Its officially Summer in San Francisco. We'll be hitting Tam more as the weather turns sour. Until then, there's a Tahoe Lake Rim trail trip planned. Plus I want to hit Northstar before the downhill season ends. Speaking of DH.... the Whistler video has been AfterFX'd and should be online soon.

XC

2011-08-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Whistler trip wiped me out. Wafting up the mountain's face on a gondola doesn't mean downhill is an easy ride. My body was knackered and beaten. Still, the faff of suiting up in all that cumbersome plastic protection left me hungry for the freedom and simplicity of cross country. So, since we got back, I've squeezed a couple of rides in. Me and Dave are starting to get a good thing going every Wednesday eve : night riding at 'Rancho. This week I debuted my lovely new Exposure Lights Maxx D. Spangles bought it last year and let it mature in it's case for a while. Once he realised night riding wasn't for him he kindly sent it my way. Such an awesome piece of kit. Combined with my Diablo helmet mounted light the trail was positively floodlit.

Today I met up with Adam at Annadel. I'm always a little nervous riding with Adam and his crew. Those boys are super fit. Built like a whippet and strong as an ox, I'm always a good few clicks behind Ad', struggling not to be too much of a drag. But a good workout is always guaranteed and today was no exception. We dropped in from Channel Drive which made a pleasant change from my usual route with Jaime. Hitting North Burma, with it's cool little jumps, and Cobblestone with it's lovely flow mixed with challenging rocky tech sections made for a great ride. Brutal though. The churning of dust left the poor Nomad parched of lube and grinding like a motherfecker. Me and Ad' both took spills too. I managed to break my fall by planting my man boob on the end of the bars and scraping it's length until I hit a whimpering stop. If only I was wearing my gladiator suit :o(

Whistlered

2011-08-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Our last day of shredding Whistler's beautifully designed slopes and I brought something a little more fitting for the occasion : a Santa Cruz carbon V10. Very similar to the Nomad, in fact it weighed about the same, but the wider bars and slacker geometry, not to mention 10 inches of plush, meant she was a little more gravity inclined than my own trusty steed. After a few warm ups, we hit A Line to really see what I could do with it.

The V10 is not as burly or brutal as the other, 40lbs+ rigs you see at the park. It's a little more poised and elegant. It's lighter weight makes it super responsive, especially when airborne, so I struggled at first to keep it tame. Those extra inches of travel meant I gained - what felt like - several feet more air each time I hit the jumps. A first I was unnerved but once I got used to it I was hitting the lips with as much speed as I dared, eagerly awaiting the kick skywards! (The Go Pro footage - which is to come - will confirm that my "skyward" launches were in fact about 3 feet) ;o)

The bike soaked up drops though. Rolling over with the merest shift of weight backwards inspired a lot of confidence. I stuck to the trails on the lower half of the mountain. A week's worth of riding fatigue, plus a love of A Line, meant I shied away from the rougher trails at the top. A shame as I had the ride for it, but I wanted to dial the jumps. It was like an addiction!

Me and Spangles finished our final day's riding with a blast down Crank It Up. I felt like I'd dialed that trail and had some awesome, fast runs down it. It seemed fitting to end the trip with one last shred. Mentally, I felt keen to ride more, but physically I was shot so injury was inevitable. Just as well that I quit while ahead. My last run and I hit many of the jumps way too hard and cleared the transitions. The V10 didn't flinch though and coasted me safely back to the village where, weary and grinning, we sat and had cold beers and reflected on the week's fun.So, that's it. All done and dusted (literally on some days.) 7 months ago me and a few fellas I know decided we'd had enough of simply gazing at DVDs featuring the world's best mountain bike park, and that we were going to pack up our bikes and head up there to see what all the fuss was about. A broken collar bone, the daily grind and United Airlines meant 3 of us fell by the wayside. But that's just a good excuse to book another trip next year. The rest of us spent a week in the shadow of Whistler mountain, ripping down the dirt equivalent of Disneyland. Awesome, amazing fun and definitely something to be repeated annually.

A-mazing

2011-08-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of the crazy adventure that is a fella's mountain biking trip to Whistler. We started the day like any other : a cheeky blast down Crank It Up. Breakfast of champions! Suitably warmed up we took the Garbonzo lift to the dizzying heights of the mountain to hit Freight Train. As it happens, we took Original Sin - a steep, boulder lined technical black diamond. I was soon out of my element with the suspension punishing descents and took a nasty spill. Pausing briefly to asses damage, I realised nothing was broken and pressed on. But my nerves were shot. As we continued down the black runs I felt shaky and couldn't enjoy the trail. Seeing certain death instead of lines, I kept pulling up short on drops and serious technical stuff. Not fun. So, once we hit the top of Fitzsimmons I opted to take Crank' to the bottom to regain some mettle. A nice, flowey run, teamed with a pint of liquid courage at the village soon set me straight.

In the afternoon me and Spangles sessioned A-Line. Such an awesome trail it's not hard to see why it's Whistler's signature trail. Super fast, steep berms and epic jumps. With each run we gained more confidence and started clearing a few table tops. It's good to feel progress has been made this week. The jumps on A-Line no longer feel super steep and scary, but fun and challenging. The jumps on the blue runs - which at first seemed big - now seem tame and something to play with.

Today is our last day of shredding. My Nomad has performed awesomely all week. Can't fault it. It does look upright when standing in the lift lines next to the downhill rigs. And I have hit the limits of it's travel may times, especially on steep techy stuff. This says more about this rider's ability than anything lacking in the bike. But some extra travel and slack geometry would be nice. It would certainly instill a bit more confidence as it forgives my lack of finesse on steep black diamond trails. So, today I'm renting a carbon Santa Cruz V10. I want to see what difference it makes to my riding. Plus, those rigs look bad ass and I want to huck one over A-Line a few times!

Rest Day

2011-08-03T22:54:00.001-07:00

Day 3 of our Whistler adventure and the Jason's took a day off from riding to rest their weary bods. I couldn't resist the draw of the mountain, but conscious of my blistered, fatigued hands and lead dead quads, I decided to take it easy and stick to my favourite blue runs. I've been having issues with my Leatte neck brace and Fox Titan armor mating since we got here. After some trial and error I decided to ditch the Fox back armadillo plate to allow the neck brace to sit properly. Not an ideal choice to make ; neck protection over back protection, but I figured I'd be safer riding more comfortably and with better visibility than with mis matched armor. I definitely felt a little more nimble as I hit Crank It Up for some warm up. Things felt good and my aches and pains soon melted away as focus switched to trail and jumps.

The bottom of Crank' was closed so I decided to explore another blue run. I can't remember what it was called, but I dived into the woods and soon hit a wooden drop. I approached it gingerly to scout, decided to roll it and dropped in. Big mistake. I had almost no momentum.... a school boy error which sent me pitching into the front fork's full range of travel, only to be sprung back again, arse over tit and head first into the dirt. My poor steed cartwheeled over me and crashed, twisted down the trail. I felt lucky that I'd taken time to fit the neck brace properly. I think it saved me from a trip to ER and, instead, left me with a lesson well learned and a squashed PB&J sando in my camel sack. A minor casualty given the circumstances.

My head a little dazed and my confidence wobbly, I decided to session some of the smaller wooden drops located, conveniently, right beside my tumble, Once I'd gotten my mojo back, I alternately rode B Line and Crank It Up. I still don't have railing berms nailed. I struggle to feel it and always seem to fight gravity rather than use it to carry speed. I think a clinic with Mike and Celia might be on the horizon. But I felt good on the jumps. Lofting the Nomad into the air and perfectly catching the backside of a tabletop is such an awesome feeling. For this reason I could ride Crank' all day. But I need to step it up. I replaced my frazzled brake pads with fresh ones, if I could do the same with my fingers and quads that would be awesome. I can't, but it won't stop me hitting some black diamonds tomorrow. A Line and Freight Train are on the agenda. Watch this space! :o)

Cranking It Up

2011-08-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of hitting the bike park and I'm pretty sure I won't be looking for any XC riding here. I know there's lots of amazing trails, and it'd be nice to ride without the full gladiator costume on, but Whistler Bike Park is just too much fun. It's like going to the fun fair every day and choosing which of the world's best roller coasters to ride :o)

Me, Spangles and Rosson warmed up on Crank It Up. My current favorite trail, the jumps are gauged perfectly to instill confidence, but forgive the odd misjudgment. The flow sections are super fast too, so it's the perfect way to get into the swing of things. After Crank' we hit B-Line and then explored some of the other blue rated routes. Golden Triangle was a little disappointing. Flowy in places but also quite flat (chair lifts and steep descents have spoiled me.) However it lead to Samurai Pizza Cat - rooty and rutted with some nice challenging technical sections through the trees, and Devil's Club - ladders with fairly tight switchbacks (especially for the guys with double crown forks.) Great fun and a nice change of pace from the bermed, groomed stuff we'd been riding.

The morning's technical riding was a good taster of what was to come in the afternoon. We took the Garbanzo lift high up the face of the mountain. Our plan was to hit blue routes all the way back to Fitzsimmons but Rosson persuaded us to hit some of the black routes too. Good call! Blue Velvet lead into In Deep and the Freight Train. The terrain up here is steep, in some cases insanely steep - I must've fried 3 months worth of normal brake pad wear in less than 15 minutes. The drops are fearsome too. You have no idea how steep the other side is unless you just gun it and commit, or pull up short and peek over the edge. I baulked a couple of times. The constant problem solving over steep, challenging terrain mixed with unforgiving jumps started to fray my nerves. By the time we hit A-Line and the trails back to the village, I was done.

Ready to call it a day we instead took time out to relax, sit down and sink a couple of cold beers. People have told me it's always a good idea to ride downhill with a drink or two packed away, but I always dismissed it. I want to stay focussed and feel strong! But sometimes my brain can overload with trying to process the trail and I start to make errors and slow down. So, to try out the theory, I decided to do one last run on Crank It Up (Rosson and Spangles, veered off down A-Line instead.) As it turns out, the beerskis sorted out my whirring head and I had one of my best runs that day! Admittedly, a few of the jumps were hit a little too fast and I almost cleared the backsides, but my body was loosey goosey and so was my brain. I just relaxed and didn't worry and focussed on having fun. I'm not quite ready to replace my Camel Sack's contents with IPA, but it's good to know a little pit stop at the bar can sort out frazzled nerves and give you one last run of the day :o)

Achey Quads

2011-08-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

That's what a full day at Whistler bike park will give the uninitiated. Aching quads, and wrists and sunburn. Sitting here, carb loading for another day on the slopes, the physical ails remind me of yesterday's adventures. The village is a great place to behold. Bristling with burly bikes and stoked riders the excitement builds as you grab your steed and join the snaking line to the chair lifts. The bikes ride up front as you begin the steady, peaceful ascent up Whistler's face. Riders hurtle down the beautiful groomed trails below. The enormous jumps from the Crankworx festival left untouched, save for the odd brown bear wandering around.

We decided to warm up on B-Line. It's the park's loosener of choice, full of berms, whoops and jumps. A few rocky sections get the technical kung fu going too. My first run and I spent the whole time battling collapsing goggles and a badly fitted neck brace. Restricted head movement and eyesight didn't exactly inspire confidence in my ability on these trails. Imagine a normal XC ride and tilt everything 45 degrees down and scale the height of everything by 60-70%... that's pretty much your basic downhill trail. From there it gets gnarly. Fast.

After a couple of B-Line runs, we hit Crank It Up. Similar to B-Line, Crank' has more jumps. Progressing from whoops and small table tops, you're soon hitting 10ft tables with big, steep drops down the backside. After doing Celia's clinic I felt armed with the knowledge to hit these jumps with confidence. A few near misses and mis-corrected landings soon reined in my over confidence and made me show a little more discipline with the technique. The jumps here are extremely "lippy" and kick you hard if you don't employ the right moves. I was loosening up though. Still felt very conscious of my every move - over thinking for the most part and struggling to find flow and lose myself in the trail. Something to be expected I suppose on the first day of riding in such epic surroundings.

Me and Spangles finished day with a couple of A-Line runs. One of Whistler's signature trails, and one I've seen over and over on MTB videos. All thoughts of how cool it was to be finally riding it disappeared as I focussed on keeping both wheels pointing down. A-Line is a lot like B-Line, except the berms are bigger (which is good - my skills on small, tight berms are lacking) and the jumps lippier and steeper. You have no choice but to catch air so Mike's words of wisdom we're at the forefront of my lobes as I fisted the bars and hit the tables with as much speed as I dare.

So, that was day one. Definitely a warm up day and a few new things I need to work on to really get the most out of these trails. Day 2, and we're out again. The Nomad - which behaved amazingly - is lubed, poised and the shock pumped up ready for more abuse. Hopefully I'm just as prepared :o)

And Here We Go.......

2011-07-31T18:04:00.001-07:00

We arrived. We're here. Whistler. Mountain Bike Mecca. Today we did a quick scout around the village to get our bearings, and lift passes. Seeing people fly down the final stretch, dusty and grinning, is causing my anticipation excitement levels to bubble over into grinning lunacy! The bike is pimped and ready (and covered in 1000 miles worth of bug corpses) GoPro is charged and the armor is hanging patiently in the closet ready for some downhill mayhem. Tomorrow, we get up early and hit it!

Dave's Goodies

2011-07-29T23:02:00.001-07:00

HERE's Dave's video of a recent China Camp shred. Great times recorded for posterity :o)

Lake Sonoma Series 3

2011-07-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

The third (and last) Lake Sonoma series race was held today. Even though it's been a few months since the first race (and start of the season,) it really doesn't feel like it. A guess a 3 month break in NYC will do that. It did feel good to be back in sunny Sonoma again though. The first race was a lot of fun, if not muddy, and I remember looking forward to hitting the trails again in drier conditions. The race was the same 3 laps, 5 miles each, format. Not a lot of climbing, just lots of twisty turny singletrack. Lap 1, and I overcooked it a little and got stitch. I spent the whole lap in pain and unable to get into the trail. By lap 2 I felt much better and started to warm up a little. Dropping into turns, pumping the trail and enjoying the few drops and jumps on the route. I'd decided to go "race lite" and forgo the camel's sack for a bottle drop. Lap 3 and I made the error of not bothering with the second bottle, or ingesting more Guup. So a couple of miles in and I started to wilt in the California sunshine. My, already not too impressive, performance did not improve on the last stretch.

Today was lots of fun, but I definitely wasn't wearing my race face. I think I spent all I had at Downieville. It felt more like a regular ride than a race. Also, I couldn't help but look ahead to Whistler. Instead of focussing on keeping a good pace and catching people, I thought about employing Mike's tips from last week's clinics in the hopes of getting somewhere with technique before we hit the big mountain. And, I struggled to find the flow. The course felt like a fragmented jumble of twists, turns and switchbacks. No reflection on the good folks who'd designed it, more to do with my own state of mind. Spangles must've felt something even more extreme as he decided to bail after the first lap. Overall, I came last in my group (although my lap times were a lot faster than the first race - which is good.) I haven't raced much this year, but this marks the end of the season for me. I had contemplated racing SoNoMas, but today's jaunt reminded me that those trails can be brutally hard work (when you add 30 miles and multiply by 8000ft of climbing) and not very rewarding. I dunno, maybe they need a bit of mud to make them fun? ;o)

Downieville Papped

2011-07-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Rocky Arroyo Photography were once again at Downieville this year. Here's my moment captured in technicolor glory. Good times :o)

Jump Around!

2011-07-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from now we're taking a road trip to British Columbia for a week's shredding at Whistler. I'm so excited I can barely think straight. Every ounce of skill learnt and enthusiasm gained for this awesome sport will be flexed at the world's best bike park. We've been talking about it and planning it for months. I have new tires, grips and other bits and pieces. Everything is getting dialed in, except one thing ; Me and jumping. I've watched my MTB dvd's over and over and it's clear that jumping is such an important part of keeping good flow at bike parks. Not to mention, it looks like a huge amount of fun when done properly. So, in order to dial in a little jumping confidence I got in touch with the guys at Mountain Biking Marin for help. I've done a couple of clinics with them before and have always come away feeling super stoked about riding and far more confident than I'd ever achieve under my own steam. So, Celia put a clinic together with instructor Mike Brill and me and Jason Spangles headed down to Pacifica to catch some air!

We arrived and I was a little concerned about my brakes. They've always been temperamental and today they felt especially spongey. Not good, but what was worse was my feckin' shoes.... still sitting in the kitchen airing out! I feel utterly dependent on clipping into the bike, especially on gnarlier stuff, and here I was about to push my boundaries with my comfort blanket left at home! I felt devastated.... but as it turns out, riding flats (and with slightly ineffective brakes) was probably the best thing that could've happened to me!

Mike and Ceila are both Whistler veterans so the clinic was designed with our trip in mind. We started out by warming up on the Mile trail. Not too steep, but fast and rutted, it served as a good way to warm up and let our instructors gauge where our riding was at. Mike gave me good feedback about loosening up my upper body and using my arms more. I have a tendency to stiffen, especially in armor, so it was good to have someone help me keep it in check and relax into the trail. We began by sessioning a couple of small jumps and focussing on breaking the technique down into it's component parts. First : we rolled the jump's face and then pushed the bike away from us as we crested the lip. No air, just rolling and getting used to the feeling of pushing the bike away. Then, adding a deliberate pump the front face of the jump before pushing away. The pump preloads the suspension so you can't help but get some air. Pushing away then helps to get the right balance point for control in the air. As we progressed, Mike stressed the importance of looking beyond the lip and eyeballing the landing point. Staying relaxed, focussed on the exit and keeping the bars straight will keep you on target for a nice, smooth landing. I felt pretty good and started to pump and little harder and pop off the lip to get more air. My fear of feet detaching from the pedals was yet to manifest.... focussing on the technique and feeling comfortable catching a little air meant the feet stayed where they should. I overcooked it a bit and took a couple of spills. Good though. I needed to experience screwing it up to know where the technique would save me next time.

Next it was time to hit the Boyscout jump section. Full of big, gapped jumps and armored up fellas on burly rigs, it's easy to be intimidated by this place. But we were in safe, encouraging hands. Mike had us get comfortable with popping off the jumps, but landing flat off to one side rather than trying to clear the gaps. This allowed us to progress each time until we were jumping higher up the front side and getting a good feel for the techniques. Mike's encouragement and my own growing confidence meant that I was soon hitting and clearing gapped doubles, including a gnarly 10ft drop jump that had me weak at the knees the first time I saw it. The feeling of popping off the front side, controlling the bike... feeling weightless and enjoying the moment, before smoothly landing the backside of the jump is amazing. Feeling good about the technique made it a little easier to drop the hammers, swallow fear and commit to the launch. Having crappy brakes also helped as bail outs were made that much harder ;o)

I would never have gotten to the level of comfort and confidence that I reached today were it not for Celia and Mike. Sure, I still have a ways to go before I'm hitting 20ft table tops, and it's up to me to get there. But the Mountain Biking Marin guys have, once again, pushed me to a new level in my mountain biking that I was never really sure I'd achieve. An extremely satisfying, awe inspiring day and I gained a whole new skill to practice at Whistler in a couple of weeks!

Rancho Night Ride

2011-07-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last year, I remember doing a night ride straight after Downieville (all fired up from a great race) and sucking on the trail. Well, last night we went out to hit Tamarancho.... and the same thing happened. I just couldn't find my mojo. Screwing up switchbacks, picking bad lines, making schoolboy errors. I did the whole ride like a complete noob, until Alchemist (the last 5 mins of the ride) where I finally tapped into the flow. Still, as Dave put it, "it's Wednesday night and we're out and riding".... so I couldn't really complain. There's no such thing as a bad ride. Not really :o)

Look at this little bad boy....

2011-07-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Nice, new GoPro Hero camera. Such a fun little gadget. It arrived the day before we left for Downieville.... I almost wore it for the race but decided against it. Didn't want to have to faff with it for the first time AND shred like a loon. But I'll take it out this weekend. I wanna get some practice in before we hit Whistler. Find mounting points for some sweet angles and such. I'll post some vids once I have something cinematic to show :o)

D-Day

2011-07-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

When I rode Downieville last year my aim (for this year) was to knock 10 minutes off my race time, which was 3 hours 37 mins. Well, the official race results for 2011 aren't in yet, buy by my Garmin friend's reckoning I came in at around 2 hours and 36 minutes. That's a clear ONE HOUR faster than last year! Woo Hoo!! So that's it! That's where this blog post could end.....

..Eeeexcept the race was made shorter this year due to unusually high snowfall. Despite the best efforts of the race organisers (and the efforts were spectacular given they had 30ft snow drifts to clear away to reveal rideable singletrack) parts of the regular XC course had to be bypassed. So, instead of the usual 29 miles or so, we did around 22. However, the dreaded "trail of tears" 3000ft ascent still greeted us soon after leaving the starting line. Last year I felt pretty strong and the climb didn't bother me so much. This year, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd marinated myself in coconut water, electrolytes and slow releases carbs in an effort to stay fueled. Plus, I'd dropped a notch on my belt so my weight was optimal. But I've spent much of this season out of action.... Was I in any shape to climb convincingly and still have enough in the tank to ride the descents well? As the huddled throng left paved road and hit dirt, I was about to find out.

Only my second race this year (out of a total 3 that I'll manage to do) and one of THE highlights of the MTB year meant this race was extremely important to me. So much so, that my adrenaline went into overdrive. Afraid of overcranking at the start and burning out too soon, but knowing the trail was going to get narrow and loose, I raced ahead of as many people as the double track allowed. My heart rate kept dabbing into the 180's with every surge forward. Not a good start, but I felt fine and decided to dial it down once we thinned out and hit the long slog to Packer Saddle. However I kept getting stuck behind one dude or another slowly picking their way up the trail. So I'd surge past them into the loose, rocky crap, overtake and aim again for a "rest" section. A few times I lost control, the front wheel washed out and I ground to a halt. My legs a little more cooked from spinning like a mad man in shale. Over an hour into the climb and my heart rate had yet to drop below 176bpm. Hardly ideal, but I still felt pretty good and pressed on, eventually cresting the first big test of conditioning Downieville throws at you and hitting Packer Saddle. Now, for the downhill!

The XC course normally takes racers down the Sunrise and Pauley Creek trails. A great way to warm up the Kung Fu and the rock garden provides a good way to filter the men from the boys (or at least, those on longer travel full-sussers from those on hardtails.) But right now those trails are better hit with skis than rides, so we went straight into the legendary Butcher Ranch trail. Butcher' starts out lovely and flowey with some great whoops to loosen you up for what lies ahead. Fast and rooty, the trail soon becomes rocky and technical. A few "water features" also added to the fun, cooling our heels (and hubs) and stripping away all the lovingly applied lube and polish from the Nomad. She did a great job though. Feeling dialed and ready, I pointed the bike and it ploughed through Butcher's features. I balked at the waterfall though. This year, it really was a full on waterfall. Not being able to decipher line from razor sharp, wet rocky hell, I hit it too slow and lost momentum. So I walked the rest of it. Looking over my shoulder I saw one guy heroically clean it, another take a hideous face-first fall, and about 20 other dudes doing the same as me. Nothing to be too ashamed of then. But everything else, I cleaned.

Gaining more confidence with every smooth line choice my speed kept increasing. Soon, the race became a blur. Especially when we hit the Third Divide trail. Third' is epic. I remembered it fondly from last year and relished the chance to hit it with another year's worth of riding experience under my wheels. I could feel someone on my heels, and expected a request to let them past at any moment. But as I got lost in the trail I tuned them out. Focussing on picking smooth lines, pumping the track and under no circumstances, dabbing the brakes. Enjoying the thrill of going faster and faster on a trail that was designed to draw such lunacy out of it's riders. Eventually I realised I was alone, having dropped my pursuer through sheer speed!

After the fun of Third Divide, we hit the final stretch of dirt, then paved road back to the streets of Downieville. I was cooked, but felt great. No cramping, but my legs were spent. I'd given it my all and crossed the finish line confident that I'd ridden as hard and as fast as I dared. More importantly, I'd had the best ride of the year. All in all, the perfect Downieville experience :o)

You Gotta Earn Your Turns.....

2011-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Those were the written words of Adam as plans were emailed around the usual suspects for an Independence Day ride at Skeggs. And earn them we did..... This was the third ride in as many days over what has been a cracking long weekend. Sun, dirt and good company. There really is nothing better for the soul :o) Saturday I did a solo session at China'. I'm planning on making it a weekly ride. Easy to fit in (did the whole ride in 1.45hrs) and guaranteed to fit a perma-grin to the fissog. I started experimenting with dropping my weight into corners to load the suspension and gain grip. Where I might normally tap the brakes, I'd drop instead - daring to hit corners faster and trusting the technique. It totally works, and China Camp's epic flow section is the perfect place to practice.

Sunday was an early start and a trip up north to Annadel. After missing the Bike Monkey XC race last week, I was keen to make right with the place and shred. Annadel veterans, Jaime and Nick were along for the ride too, as was Lio. Over from Singapore for work shizzle, Lio had just bought a beautiful 29er Stumpjumper. Keen to try her out on dirt, we'd been anticipating this ride all week. Unfortunately, Lio had his pride and joy stolen the night before by some feckless cnut. Crushed, but not deterred he borrowed my Orange and off we went. Because he's here on business, he didn't have much riding kit. So to lend a hand, and to cheer the lad up I gave him my spare helmet : a hideous mushroom thing with primary coloured union jack livery. I'm all heart me.

Monday and it was time to earn those turns with Adam and Rosson. Having forgotten his bonce protector, Jason was pleased to inherit the "helmet of shame" (as it's now called.) Skeggs was it's usual awesome self. A little rainfall in the week had tempered the dust and made the trails cake battery and lovely. Adam took me and Rosson on a route I haven't done before. Dropping down Fir, to Manzanita, then Timberview, Salamander, then the usual Southleaf to Virginia Mill. We finished with Blue Blossom and then climbed out on Timberview. Over 16 miles of dirt, 3000ft of climbing and 2000 caloroids. My legs were cooked by the end, but I rode at a decent click. The fellas lost me on the climbs - how Rosson does it all on a singlespeed is beyond me - but I managed to keep them in my sights on the descents. A good yardstick of bike skills for me and hopefully some more reserves in the dirt bank for next week's Downieville race.

Wisdom

2011-06-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Details of the Annadel XC race have gone up and I'm pissed. It looks like a perfect day out filled with everything that's good about mountain biking at my favourite haunt. But my feckin' wisdom teeth have thrown a spanner in the cogs so now I can't play. Sucks. Speaking of wisdom, a wise old soul once said "Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living." I was reminded of this tonight as I nursed a fresh gouge on my shin. I'd been out practicing manuals. It's really hard. Way harder than it looks. Catching that perfect balancing point is like chasing a sneeze. Except it can end in a quick flip, arse over man tit, and some minor blood spillage. Still, getting back up and trying again is the important bit. That's the "living" the wise man is talking about. Another wise man probably once said "34 year old grown-ass blokes shouldn't be messing around trying to pull wheelies on bikes." True. It does look feckin' cool when you pull it off though ;o)

Another Weekend of Awesomeness

2011-06-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Yep. Another weekend draws to a close and I spent most of it riding. Fantastic. I'm loving being back in Cali'. Especially as the weather is so predictably gorgeous and the trails are hot and dusty. Not ideal conditions for riding, but I love it. Makes me realise I'm in the great outdoors and enjoying it's fruits. Anyway, Saturday me, Rosson and Spangles headed over to the Java Hut to meet Mike, Adam and Sam for an up and over Pine Mountain, followed by Tamarancho. These boys ride fast (as I've mentioned everytime I've ridden with them.) So it was a good chance to gain a bit more fitness back. The ride was great fun. Pine Mountain threw up it's usual challenges : brutal climbs and loose, rocky descents. Spangles paid homage to last year's face smash by.... smashing his face again. This time we bypassed the emergency room and stuck to uploading pictures of his wounded fissog to Facespace.

Sunday I met up with In Soo and Zach for a blast around Skeggs. We took the now favourite Blue Blossom trail, but some misdirection meant we missed out the awesome Crosscut trail and instead took Gordon Mill..... which is fine, except it ends with a bitch of a climb up to Salamander. Knowing we'd opted for soul sapping anaerobic torture in favour of sloppy grin descent was a real pisser. But that was soon forgotten when we hit South Leaf and Virginia Mill. Such an amazing roller coaster ride. Gets my heart singing with glee everytime.

Next weekend it's the Bike Monkey Annadel Race. I was all set to do it. I even felt pretty confident I'd do much better than last year. But I have a date with the dentist on Friday to have my wisdom teeth yanked out. Apparently it's not a good idea to mix a belly full of vicodin and a mouth full of bleeding holes with 26 miles of strenuous riding. Ah well. There's always Downieville. 3 weeks and counting.....

Back to Reality

2011-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Staycation is over. But not before I squeezed in a lovely morning jaunt around Annadel with Jaime. I was hoping to hit Skeggs too but my China Camp knee injury had other ideas.... Still, the weather in Santa Rosa was beautiful and the trails : perfect. Batter like. Jaime always sets a good click, which was just what I needed to help prepare for the race in 2 weeks. Just over 17 miles in less than 2 hours and I felt good. Those hours sweating over the hotel stationary bike in NYC obviously went some way to stopping my legs from withering.

I also discovered a new trail today : Spring Lake. Amazing..... soooo fast you can barely believe it. Lots of rolling, shaded single track which the locals have augmented with jumps and berms at the side of the trail. Presumably so you can do a better job of dodging/terrifying Sunday hikers. I'll be back next week with Spangles. We'll hit Lawndale and Rough Go in prep for the race. Aaah... I can't wait to get the bib on the bike and hear those cattle bells mixed with knobbly roar!

China

2011-06-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Another day of staycation, and another day of riding. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it's true. I'm like an 8 year old with his first BMX and all the time in the world to play in my favorite haunts. So today I took myself off to China Camp for a solo ride. None of my usual cohorts could make it as it's a school day. China' was bone dry, dusty and practically empty of anything apart from countless lizards scurrying frantically away from the Nomad's nobblies.

Great fun. Not without it's spills though. Whilst descending the "Hitler" trail I went - quite suddenly - from a shit eating grin to, well, eating shit. Two big strips of flesh gouged from my leg. Still, all this MTB fun comes with a price and the trail gods do demand the odd blood offering. Mine was overdue.

China Camp is so much fun. And beautiful. Endless sweeping singletrack ripped to the soundtrack of birdsong and freehub clatter. There really is nothing better for the soul. Tomorrow, it's a Skegg Shred with In Soo, then Sunday a trip to Annadel. A warm up for the race in a couple of week's time. Aah, NorCal trails.... getting back on them is like slipping into a hot bath filled with joy ;o)

Staycations.....

2011-06-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

...Highly recommended. I'm having one right now and it's lush. Originally I planned on a few cheeky week day rides. But the Nomad needed some TLC so spent most of the week in the shop. Just as well since last Sunday's ride mixed with a chesty cold left me somewhat fa-hooked. Well, today the steed came back all spick and span and I felt tip top again, so me and Aaron took ourselves over to Fairfax for a late afternoon ride at Tamarancho. Gorgeous golden sunshine, cake batter trails and back in time for tea. Perfect.

New York Pics

2011-06-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

If you're interested, here are some pics I took in New York : CLICK HERE

Torture. Sweet, Sweet Torture

2011-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finally back in California. It was supposed to be the Annadel XC race today but, fortunately for me and my lack of fitness, it got pushed a few weeks to due a severe rain forecast. I was still keen to get a ride in though. Luckily, the forecasters are just as lame here as they are in New York. As such, it remained dry all day. Not that a little rain was going to stop me riding. Neither was the chesty cold that I caught on the flight home. So, with waterproofs at the ready and lungs full of butter, I headed to Fairfax to meet Dave and Damon for a ride.

We'd talked about a quick blast around Rancho. Perfect for me. Something relatively mild to get me back into the swing of things. As it turned out we instead climbed Mt Tam and rode a bunch of trails I'd never seen before (mainly because they're designed for two feet, not two wheels.) Super technical and challenging. My Kung Fu hasn't suffered too much, but the rasping of my lungs and dizzy head, combined with cramping legs, meant I walked some sections. I saw rocks, not lines, so took it easy. Still, I'm keen to go back once I have a bit more fitness under my belt.

It felt great to be back out on NorCal trails again. And to be on the Nomad. I'd forgotten how plush it is. But the ride did almost kill me. 3 hours and 3000ft after two months of nothing of the like was brutal. My quads looked like a pregnant belly, squirming under the strain of what is normally a "fun" climb. Still, I needed to get the first ride out of the way. Punishing as it was. Now, hopefully I can get a few more like that in the bank and have a decent shot of riding well at Annadel. Let's see.

Why is this fella smiling?

2011-05-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

...He's about to smash his fissog into a rock. Reminds me of Spangles' last year (see HERE.) Anyway. The Gods of mountain biking must've seen the tears mixed with the sweat in yesterday's post. Today's shoot was cancelled, but the weather flipped and out came sunshine. Or at least, the rain held off and we had muggy heat. So, I took myself out to Queens again to get some dirt under my wheels at Cunningham. Fun times. Enough to at least whet my whistle for the return to NorCal in a couple of weeks time.

Puddled

2011-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bad weather is not only pushing our shoot end date, it's messing with what meagre MTB riding I'm able to do here in the Big Apple. As such, it's finally come to this: Not only am I leaving my briney mess all over the hotel gym floor - I'm feckin' blogging about it too. Getting my arse back on the Nomad will feel sooo good, it brings a little tear to my eye just thinking about it.

Tick Tock

2011-05-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

While the fellas back in Cali' are riding Sea Otter, the Shasta Lemurian and gearing up for the Annadel XC race next month, I'm still scratching around NYC trying to find some decent riding. It exists, I'm sure. I've seen pictures. In New Jersey there's actual mountains with trails and everything. But getting to these places, on public transport, whilst co-ordinating decent bike rental is proving to be a logistical no-no. So I'm limited. So limited in fact, last week I ended up hiring a steel cruiser in central park and riding around on that all day. And I enjoyed it! However, I need to keep my dirt skills in some sort of shape, so this week I once again took a trip to Cunningham Park.

The trail conditions were damn good - save for all the feckin litter. And my Kona steed was fairly plush. So I spent a good couple of hours thrashing around like a loon, hoping that my first ride back in NorCal (which may well be the Annadel XC) won't hurt too much..... Straight into a 20 odd mile race having done no hill climbing for 2 months? Who am I kidding :o(

Bethpage State Park

2011-04-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

I almost called this post "The Blah Witch Project." Almost as horrifying as getting chased around the woods by supernatural nastiness, is riding around, bored, desperately trying to find the trails. That's pretty much what happened today. Bethpage had been on my radar to try out as it's one of the few local riding spots with a bike rental store close by. So I hit the trains again and made my way out to Long Island. The weather was overcast. Flat grey light but thankfully little rain. My ride ; a GT hardtail. Generic, and long stemmed, but it did the job.

Following the shop owner's descriptions, I made my way into Bethpage and found what appeared to be the trail head. Except there were lots of them. The place is very odd. There's the choice of a signed fireroad loop or a spaghetti mess of trails in the centre. A few random trail markers only add to the confusion. So I spent the afternoon trying to make sense of the tangled singletrack, desperately looking for flow. It didn't happen. Coupled with the flat terrain and constantly branching tracks, I just rode around getting frustrated. A few trail features and jumps here and there a tantalising hint that people DO ride here.... I just couldn't figure out what and how. Still, it keeps everything bubbling along. Not a killer workout but enough to stop my legs from withering. And that Norcal singletrack will be all the more sweeter once I'm done with these grey, flat New York trails.

Clarity at 100ft

2011-04-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Precariously stood on ladders, in a metal basket 100ft above New York's East 42nd St gives great moments of clarity. Desperately hoping this craziness would increase my fear threshold, I tweak my camera - all in the name of movie magic, and allow my mind to wander. Stuck in this concrete jungle for a few weeks and I'm already desperately missing Norcal and it's lovely sunshine, illuminating miles and miles of beautiful outdoor goodness. I realise I'm no longer a city type. I always thought I was. But even in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, I feel a bit caged. This change in make up has come about because of mountain biking.

As another gust of wind hits the crane I'm balanced in and primal fear punches me in the gizzards, I distract myself by thinking about other ways that mountain biking has changed my life. I used to mock and scoff at friends who would spend hundreds, thousands on bikes. Last year I happily bought a ride that cost more than my first car. Why? Because the amount of joy (not to mention health) it brings is priceless. I also used to question why my riding friends "needed" several bikes. I now own 3 and could easily add another 2 to the stable (a 29er carbon hardtail and DJ bike in case you wondered.) But adding material possessions isn't life changing. It's not important (although you need at least ONE ride to partake.) What has been significant is how this sport has enriched relations with my fellow man. I can now indulge in this hobby with those mates that I used to mock. I've met their riding buddies and made friends of those people too. I've also introduced a few dudes to the sport and seen them go through the natural, and rapid, progression from idle curiosity to out and out grinning obsession with the dirt! Plus, MTB types tend to be good people. So, meeting people on the trail often leads to shared rides, then shared beers and another friendship cemented. Great stuff. All this, and you get to spend quality hours observing nature at it's very best.

But, as much as this wonderful sport gives, it also takes away. Aside from the blood, sweat and dollards, it can give a short sharp reminder that it's no cake walk. Respect is due and each ride is a fine line between grinning lunacy and a trip to ER. As poor Chris found out racing this year's DH course at Sea Otter. A quick spillage and broken collar bone later and it's a lengthy spell out of the saddle for him. Get well soon Chris. By the time you're well I'll be out of NYC and ready to share the dirt again :o)

Apples?

2011-04-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's been almost three weeks since my last ride. Aside from a few excrutiatingly dull stints on the hotel gym stationary bike I've been all but inactive - ride wise. The fear of my legs withering away right as race season builds up, plus a genuine prevailing sadness from missing the trails, caused me to hunt out some dirt amongst the concrete sprawl of New York. After some googling I found Cunningham Park, in Queens. A couple of train rides later and I was plonked right outside the Peak Bikes bike shop, where my trusty rental Kona steed awaited!

The weather looked threatening. But as a wise man once said, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." It was either explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes or my friend Aaron Aubrey who coined that phrase. Either way, they're both right. So armed with nice new waterproofs and a PB&J sando I set off to experience shredding, east coast style. Cunningham Park has been transformed by local MTB enthusiasts to provide riders with a whole trail network in an area that is pretty devoid of any real riding opportunities. As such, it has a very man made feel. The constant traffic roar and broken beer bottle litter, also a constant reminder that you're not exactly escaping into nature's playground. However, the trail builders have done a lot, a hell of a lot, with what they have. Although relatively small, Cunningham Park provides a good few hours of riding fun. With no significant elevation change, the rolling nature of the trail dictates serious cranking to keep any sort of speed and flow. Coupled with the twisty, often burmed singletrack and many technical sections, a great ride and workout is guaranteed. Just what I need!

The trails are graded with varying levels of difficulty. Although the red (hardest) trails offer little in terms of scares, there are a few gnarly man made drops and rock gardens to keep things spicy. The trails are split down the middle by a freeway. Each half of the park offering slightly different, but equally fun riding. Plus, each side has its own pump track and dirt jump park! Great fun. A little oasis of dirt that should keep my fitness and kung fu bubbling nicely until I get back to familiar trails.

Happy Dias

2011-03-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to squeeze in one last blast before I feck off to NYC for a bit. And what a blast it was. It's been a while since I've ridden with Rosson and his buds. Almost long enough to forget just how strong and fast they are - but not quite. I knew the ride (wherever we went) would be brutal. So much so I almost thought about bailing. But I also knew it would be a huge challenge and extremely good fun. I wasn't disappointed (on both accounts.)

Meeting in Mill Valley the six of us hit the Railroad Grade trail up to the East Peak of Mt Tam. 2500 ft of elevation at (my) race pace was one hell of a warm up. I managed to keep out of the granny and the fellas in my sights. But I struggled on my Nomad against their superlite hardtails - and their legs forged from years of cat 1 racing. But the descents were well worth the comfort zone tugging climbs. Hitting first Coldsprings, a banked, sweeping trail with epic views of Muir Beach and the Pacific, Dias and ending with the Miwok trail. I've ridden these trails before, with Scott, Aaron and Spangles. I'd forgotten how much fun Miwok is, but to be honest I could barely enjoy it as much as I'd like. All the sugary Guup supplies I had couldn't take my focus away from my cramping legs. A great ride though. Definitely one to put hairs on your chest. Hopefully it will go some ways to offsetting the period of riding inactivity that is coming up. Next stop, NYC. Hopefully there'll be one or two posts as I aim to check out some east coast action.....

Big Rock

2011-03-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

Given where I work, it was about time I took a trip down Lucas Valley road to check out the scenery. Waking up to another deluge of english weather ruled out all our usual haunts. We didn't fancy a mud bath. A plan to hit Tam the next day was already in the works, so an alternative, weather friendly locale was needed. And so it was that me and Spangles decided to hit Big Rock. Probably one of the easiest to spot trailheads in Marin :o)

There are several trails and fireroads around Big Rock, but we decided to take the usual out and back route. Passing the rock itself, climbing 2000 feet to the tv towers (and a spectacular view) before doing the whole thing backwards at a much faster click. By the time we hit the top, the heavens opened and our plan to explore the previously inviting fireroads was nixed in favour of a spirited descent back to the warmth of the waiting Scooby'. The trail itself holds up amazingly well in the wet. The few rutted and boggy sections are broken up with some beautifully sweeping rocky singletrack. Once you're done with the cow gates and switchbacks, the trail opens up to an uninterrupted view of epic trail snaking back to Lucas Valley road. Here, you can really drop the hammers and let suspension deal with the unanticipated trail details obscured by dollops of rain sitting on foggy glasses. Awesome fun. Definitely somewhere to hit when a quick shred session is needed.

View through the goggles or post-ride beer?? You decide :o)

"Just Fishing for Berms Dude!"

2011-03-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

A quote so memorable it had to be the blog title :o) We've had a lot of English weather here recently. In fact, it's been a bit of English (ie rain and drizzle) mixed in with some pretty serious gale force winds and bullet like hail. Still, we've managed to dodge into the eye of such storms and catch some dirt (or at least mud) during the calmer moments. Another cracking 'rancho night ride and today, a blast up and down Mt Tam. The looming clouds threatened to drown our enthusiasm and an early shower left me sitting in what felt like a soggy nappy for the rest of the ride. But that, and two snapped derailleur cables, couldn't conspire to stop our grins from hurtling down some fine Marin trails. I head to NYC very soon. My time in the Nomad is limited before the break. Back at Aaron's he showed us his new friend, a Santa Cruz DJ Jackal. Such a fun piece of kit.....And there IS that jump park half an hour from the hotel in Manhattan..... ;o)

Lost Boys

2011-03-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we're grown arse men, not boys... and we were never really "lost", we just spent a lot of the ride exploring and picking our way through unfamiliar trails. But we were in Santa Cruz and that's where one of my favorite movies of all time was set. Hence the unashamed use of the title :o)

After an absence of, pushing, 3 months, Spangles dusted off his S-Works Stumpy and hit the dirt with me and Chris. We decided to head for sunnier climbs (and descents) and hit Santa Cruz. The plan was to follow the same route I'd done on the skills clinic with Shaun before Christmas. Arriving at Twin Gates, we saddled up, me in all my nice new kit, and started with the mailboxes trail.

Mailboxes is so much fun. The recent rain left much of it quite muddy. Meaning some sections were more technically challenging than expected. But the fast, sweeping banked turns and bonus jumps and drops were all there for our entertainment. Mailboxes starts out calm enough, albiet fast, but soon descends into some awesome rocky, rooty downhill goodness. Get your breath back and it's an extremely challenging rock garden before the climb out back to the road. From here, we passed through the uni' campus and hit the Star Wars trail before finding our way back to Twin Gates.

Jase hit mechanical issues so retired. Me and Chris, not quite spent, hit Mailboxes again. The Nomad is completely at home here, and not just by name. Having warmed up on the first run I really felt good flow and a need for increased speed. Hitting the steep stuff again, I felt things get sketchy under the bike's rubber, but the sensation of flying down such amazing terrain was too good to bail out of, so I kept my head up, picked a line and gunned it. Woo Hoo! This is what proper mountain biking feels like!

Jase and Chris are getting well into their trials type urban shennanigans. The results out on the trail today were plain to see. On the way back we stopped off at a Specialized shop to sort Spangles' bike issues. They had a nice 26" chromoly steel P1 dirt jump bike. Perfect for urban mountain biking.... I'll be in NYC very soon. Lots of concrete. I wonder if they have a Specialized store near the hotel? ;o)

Half Inched

2011-03-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Aah look. There I am at the Lake Sonoma series. Wearing a shirt earned with blood, sweat and grinding gears at last year's Lemurian. My very first pair of MTB shorts, battered through countless incidents of my arse hitting dirt, lovingly stitched back together by my own fair, fumbling hands. Shoes, purchased the day of our first xmas ride. And a camel sack, so precious I saw fit to protect it from the elements with a bespoke cover. All this good stuff digitally recorded on my little blue and white Garmin friend (and Nick's camera..) And lost the very same day to some thieving feckers who thought a bag full of sweaty, muddy clothing was worth smashing a Scooby's window for. Feck all for them, the cost of new glass for me, and the loss of some well loved kit. :o(

Lake Sonoma Series I

2011-03-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I was all set to go and see our new movie, Rango with my fellow ILM'ers and then toast our success with a few drinks too many down the pub. The weather forecast for the weekend was dire so I could afford the hangover and maybe do a quick spin around Tamarancho later the following afternoon. Well, that plan went out the window as soon as I saw a cheeky post on Facetube by the fellas at Bike Monkey. The Lake Sonoma Series race 1 (of 4) was to be held the very next day! The chance to strap on a bib and hit new dirt, all in the name of competitive fun was too strong of a draw. So my Friday eve saw me hunched over the Nomad scrubbing off Tuesday night's mud whilst my kit sat spinning in the laundrette.

The Sonoma Series takes place over 3 laps (for the Sport cat) with each lap being 5 miles. Arriving early Saturday am, I met up with Aaron who was there with his high school crew. The first race of the season was upon us! I certainly hadn't trained for it, but felt 15 miles would be totally fine given all the riding I've squeezed in recently. Mainly, I just wanted to have a fun ride around pastures new and enjoy the ambience these events generate. The Bike Monkey fellas always put on a good spread and this race was no exception. At around 10:00am, warmed up and gu'd up, we we're off!

Climbing the initial fireroad ascent, we quickly veered left into Lake Sonoma's signature singletrack. Sweeping, twisty-turny and banked - it's possible to really drop the hammers and fly around this place. Once the throng thinned out a bit, I started to get into the riding and found some good flow. The weather was perfect, but the previous week's rain had left sections of the trail muddy. By lap 2 we were getting bogged down in ruts and hike-a-biking up some of the climbs. Our knobbly tyres no match for the thick goop. Still, it didn't hamper the fun too much. The technical sections were a lot of fun. Recent trips to Tamarancho helped out a lot here. But the main grin was the singletrack.... so flowey and lovely. I can't wait to hit the other races in the series and shred some here when it's dry and dusty.

Doing the same circuit 3 times was a great experience. You learn where you can ease off and drop some Gu, and then when to turn it back up even if the heart is going like the clappers. I kept a decent, and for the most part, race pace. By the end I started to feel the flutterings of cramp in my quads. I probably could've pushed a bit harder, but not much. Overall I came 4th in my category. I'm really chuffed with that. It shows good progress from last year's racing and potential for a good season. But mostly, I'm just pleased with my riding. Always room for improvement, but I had a consistent pace and found some good flow. That'll do me for now :o)

I was going to post the race circuit GPS data, but alas... my poor Garmin friend (along with all my muddy, sweaty bike crap) was stolen from my car.... So I'll be styling all new kit at the next ride, looking like a proper noob.

Tuesday Night Ride

2011-03-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

Look at that face! That's the green glowing grin of a man riding by torchlight for the first time. We've been scheduling it for weeks to no avail. But finally the weather was decent enough to allow a cheeky evening session at Tamarancho. A light sleet, plunging temperatures and a snapped chain weren't enough to stop me, Chris and (new riding bud) Zach from enjoying some nocturnal shredding. It's always hugely satisfying to ride the Nomad on a school night, and last night was no exception. Awesome fun!

February Fun

2011-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks has seen rain kaibosh our night rides, and dual slalom racing plans. But that's not stopped us from getting some cracking rides in. Last weekend we hit China' and then took a little trip up Mt Tam to see the snow. This weekend : first session of the year at Tamarancho and a shred at Skeggs. Tamarancho has been groomed since I last rode there. A new drop feature plus some trail work has added spice to an already outstanding place to ride. The usual technical challenges and frustrations (mainly on the climb) were soothed by some sweet sweet singletrack descending. Such a great place to ride and develop those technical kung fu skills.

A missed turn at Skeggs meant me and Chris did the Blueblossom trails twice. No bad thing given how much fun it is. I've started employing advice from Dave about stance, especially on cornering. Using a more aggressive body position and really leaning the bike over to rail the turns. I found it really coming together at Skeggs. Judging by how many people we dropped and overtook, I obviously gained some speed somewhere. Fun times and immensely satisfying to feel my riding progress. All to be put on ice soon though as I'll be in NYC for 8 weeks on a shoot..... The poor Nomad will be mothballed during one of the year's best race months. Ah well. I'll just have to keep getting her muddy as often as possible in the meantime. :o)

Look!... Look at this...

2011-02-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

… This is "The Cyclisk." It's a massive tower constructed out of old bike bits and mounted on a concrete plinth in Santa Rosa in the name of urban art. Cracking. Having had another leg surgery to rid me of rusty leg pipes I decided to take it easy this weekend. But the call of the dirt was too strong. The thought of another missed weekend in the Nomad's company was too distressing. So, as a compromise, I suggested to Rich he blow the dust off his Gary Fisher 29er and we head over to Helen Putnam park for some mellow shredding.

HP is a fantastic place, and perfect for a low level session. The whole place is made up of little loops of sweeping, twisty singletrack with some relaxed climbing. A few steeper sections throw in a suprise every now and again, but for the most part it's just fun and fast with little chance of spillage or over-exertion. Having said that, a hastily scoffed panini and lengthy periods between rides got the better of Rich on one of the climbs and a little "trail omelette" was offered up to cook in the glorious Sonoma sunshine :oS

After checking out the Cyclisk, I took a little trip to Howard Park (next to Annadel state park.) Seemed like a waste not to, given I was in the 'hood an' all. A few loops around the lovely Howard Park singetracks, plus a dirt jump session with some local kids, and I was all done. Sun, dirt and a bit of culture. Good times ;o)

Bish Bash Bosh

2011-02-07T08:49:00.001-08:00

I've been out of commission for a couple of weeks. Had a couple of rogue leg pipes frazzled by the good doctor. So this weekend's shred session had been eagerly anticipated. Our last ride at China' saw the Nomad in bad shape : belligerent back brake and creaky suspension pivots to name a few ails. Some love was needed. So, whilst out of action myself, I took her into Big Swingin' Cycles and had a full tune up completed. I also added some subtle, but significant upgrades. The Nomad has strong all-mountain credentials, but anyone who's taken one up a steep techy climb know's it's leanings are more towards the fun end of gravity. So I decided to nudge it further towards it's downhill leanings and have the big ring swapped out for a dirty great bashguard with chain guide! The middle ring now has a few extra teeth and the rear derailleur is short caged. Beautiful. The whole drivetrain is much tighter, snappier and tucked out of harms way.

To try out the new setup me and Chris took a trip down to Skeggs Point. Always guaranteed to deliver a good day's riding, Skeggs was on top form. Conditions : perfect. The ground tackier than cake mix and dappled in glorious sunshine. We decided on a new route. We'd heard whisperings that the Blue Blossom trail is "the best trail at Skeggs." So we decided to forego our usual Fir to Resolution route and sample trails new. Our curiosity was rewarded with some epic, sweeping trails. Almost immediately, as you hit Sierra Morena towards Bear Gulch, you're on a roller coaster ride of sweeping dirt, jumps and the occasional rutted, rocky or steep section. All of this flies by in a blur of speed and grin - only stopping briefly to make sure we were on track for Blue Blossom.

Blue Blossom was more of the same. Over too soon, it seemed, we were soon back on the fairground ride as we hit Crossover trail and then Crosscut trail. At one point, I was actually drooling as we tore through the woods. Probably due to my new braces, but it seemed appropriate as a sign of sheer joy! After the fun of the new, it was time to hit familiar trails. Taking Salamander to South Leaf. By now we were well warmed up and hitting jumps with tail flicks, all the while riding as fast as we dare. My usual tricks/mistakes kept surfacing, but I was soon to correct with new found technique. Weighting the outside foot to gain traction in corners (instead of braking to scrub speed,) looking far down the trail and relaxing as much as possible we're all coming together nicely. A great confidence ride in fact, as I really felt the benefits of riding properly.

So that was that. Such a fun ride. But the climb out nearly killed us. I've never pushed my bike up Skegg's hills as much as I did today. Luckily Chris was in similar shape so neither us felt too shamed. We have a date with the hills of San Francsco on Tuesday. We've been hitting them to build up climbing strength. It's amazing how climbing 80 odd concrete blocks is feasible, but a few miles of steep dirt gets you out of the saddle and on your feet in minutes. Still, it won't stop us hitting Skeggs anytime soon. Especially as we've found the funfair route ;o)

Reel Motion Sports Pacifica 2010 Video

2011-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Michael, at Reel Motion Sports put together some fantastic videos from the Pacifica clinic we did last year. He was even good enough to give each of us our own moment in the spotlight. Here's mine :

And here's the awesome group video :

CLICK HERE

WaterDog

2011-01-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to San Francisco I resided in the town of Belmont. Sleepy, suburban and not much in the way of excitement to be had. Little did I know, having since moved to the big city, that Belmont is home to one of the best MTB playgrounds in the bay area! We'd heard about Waterdog park from a couple of random people out on the trails. A little googling revealed it to be an area of parkland with some custom built trails. Looked like fun. So me and Chris went to check it out this past weekend.

Popular with beginners, Waterdog does have it's fair share of weekend warriors, so you need to keep your wits about you for slow moving traffic. But the trails have a lot to offer. Sweet, sweet single track, some nice, rutted steep sections and some fantastic man made features - including the Finch trail which is made up of a dozen tight switchbacks. All this adds up to a great ride. Because it is relatively small, and the climbs aren't too shocking, it's easy to spend the whole day there sessioning the many different routes. That was our plan, but our attention was diverted by something else…

Across the road from Waterdog, at the end of Carlmont Drive there's - what can only be described as - a mini Livewire (@ N*) trail! Made up of gapped jumps and tight burms, the locals have done a fine job of creating a fantastic jump park. The place was getting a solid thrashing from a bunch of youngsters, all kitted out with ff helmets and burly rigs. This place isn't for the squeamish, but there's plenty of less gnarly stuff to session for those of us less experienced with getting air.

We sessioned a section which had a couple of nice jumps and ended with a sweeping burm. A load of fun and a great place to hone skills before hitting Northstar or Whistler. Watching the other, more extreme guys offers some solid inspiration too (not to mention great photo opportunities.) So we'll be returning (with appropriate gladiator cozies) very soon. Well, just as soon as my ribs have healed. Yep, I bashed them again. With all the challenging, tricky terrain on offer, I decided to cartwheel my bike over - what can at best be described as - a medium sized branch instead. Pathetic. The Nomad saw fit to duly punish by nailing me square in the man boob with it's saddle. 32+ pounds, right in the ribs. Still, it's only a minor inconvenience. Breathing and moving hurts, and I can't sleep properly, but I'm still thinking about what next week's ride will entail….. ;o)

Beware of Tiny Tiny Bears

2011-01-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

No sooner had I landed back in NorCal and it was time to taste Californian dirt again. Just a cheeky cobweb blaster around Annadel with Aaron and (Bike Monkey magazine's) Nick Gaetano. My nine thousand calorie-a-day Christmas diet soon took effect however. Stitch kicking in almost immediately as my chocolate lined arteries struggled to pump blood to my diaphragm. Still, we had a great ride. The familiar trails (and some new ones shown, courtesy of Nick) were muddy, but beautiful, bathed in winter's golden light.

Third Annual Chrimble Ride

2011-01-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

Having done it three times in a row, the Christmas holiday midlands ride is now a legit tradition. The people and places have changed each time, but the game plan is always the same: meet up at Bob's folk's place and indulge in some local trails, pubs and curry houses. Throw in a cheeky fry up and you have all the ingredients for a fantastic trip. Notable by their absence, Jimmer, Mikey and Sexy Stu couldn't hit the trails with us this time. But Bob, Lou and Phil were there and we were joined by Kerry and Jess. The racing credentials amongst this lot are impressive to say the least. Phil, Kerry and Bob we're all top racers back in the day and Jess is currently making a name for herself on the gravity circuit. The trails around Shropshire are their stomping ground so a great ride is guaranteed. That's why I look forward to it so much each year.

Day 1 and we hit the Long Mynd trail. A National Trust owned area of outstanding beauty in Shropshire. The views were probably stunning, but we couldn't see them. As we climbed the fireroads we were shrouded in a deep mist. Every now and again, we'd spot a few riders, hikers and other wildlife, but for the most part the trails were eerily quiet. Bob had sorted me out with an ex-demo Count Solo Rose hardtail. A beautiful piece of kit that has since been purchased and added to the stable. The Rose has similar geometry to my Orange, but is aluminum so is much lighter. Climbing like a mountain goat and being super nimble on the descents meant I had a perma-grin plastered on my face the whole time. It even coped fine with the steep stuff, although I might sort it out with some burly tires for next year. Having gotten used to the Nomad's tank treads, skinny XC tires meant a few sketchy moments were had.

After a pork pie and jelly baby stop at the peak, it was time for a spirited single track descent back to Craven Arms - hitting some of the same trails we did on the very first Chrimble ride. One of my new year's resolutions is to crack the manual. It looks cool, for one but seeing Bob employ it so often in his regular riding made me realise how useful it is. He seemed to glide over and through stuff, and even bunny hops have so much more grace and accuracy when set up with a manual. Mastering this neat move is definitely on my list of MTB goals for the year.

Day 2 and me, Bob and Lou hit Eastridge Wood. An area of purpose built MTB trails with varying levels of gnarl (including two downhill black routes.) What was meant to be a quick blast around the dirt ended up being a full day of riding. Aching legs from the previous day's adventures were soon forgotten as we threaded Eastridge's super fine single track. Rooty and slippery with mud, we had to show some restraint in places. But we still managed some of the black routes, including some of the runs Bob used to race back in his hay day.

So, that's it for another year. Mud cleaned off, and nice new bike lubed and mothballed until my next trip home. This time next week I'll be back in NorCal hitting the local trails with the fellas there. But knowing I have a sweet ride back here, great trails to shred with fantastic riding buddies makes me (as I did last year) look forward to next year's Chrimble Ride already :o)

Bike Skills 3.0 - Clinic Weekender

2010-12-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

That's it. Another year's shredding in California under my belt. Filled with up's and down's (figuratively and literally) and many adventures shared with great riding buddies. All good. Awesome, in fact. Physically, I'm reminded of the recent weekend's adventures. My legs are black and blue..... more so than usual. Why? Because I spent the whole weekend elevating my skill levels with some fantastic tutors at a couple of clinics.

Firstly, Saturday am and me and Chris made our way to Pacifica to meet up with Celia and her team for a Mountain Biking Marin organised downhill clinic. The session was to be a small, focused affair designed to arm us with the mettle necessary to tackle the bay areas only legit black diamond runs. Pacifica is not for the fainthearted. Rugged and unforgiving, warming up consists of riding/hiking up the steep, rocky terrain until you hit the trail heads. From there it's straight into downhill mayhem. We caught a glimpse of what was to come as we ascended and it looked terrifying.

Hauling burly bikes upwards, clad in full gladiator get up was one hell of a workout. But looking at the large drops and harsh rocks, we knew we'd be glad of the padding later. Instructor's Celia, Dave and Mike gave us tips on line choice to help our preparation and calm our nerves. The air was crackling with anticipation as we grouped at the top of our first descent; The Crack. My heart was pounding. Equal parts fear and excitement. Trails like this scare the hell out of me, but they're EXACTLY the sort of trails I've wanted to conquer and feel good about riding since attempting Northstar's double blacks. Here and now, was my chance!

The plan was to break the Crack down into sections and session each of it's trickier features. First up was a large drop near the start of the trail. Dave demo'd a nice, controlled line using technical skills to negotiate the drop and making it look easy enough to inspire our confidence. Talking about body position he stressed the importance of getting the elbows and knees out to act as secondary suspension for the bike. This little nugget served me well the whole day as it really puts you in a more commanding but relaxed position when hitting the gnarly stuff. Me and Chris we're first up. My focus tunneled as I bounced down the trail. Just about remembering to move my weight back slightly as I hit the drop, I didn't quite move enough. Luckily the 6 inches of my front fork absorbed my error and stopped me from flying over the bars. The recoil sent me flat on my back though. Cartwheeling overhead, the Nomad landed - saddle first - in the one place I'd neglected to strap on padding. First blood (or at least bruise) drawn and it was time to lose the anticipation anxiety and focus on technique. I'd hit the trail too fast and blundered through. My next run was more controlled. My body position improved and more consciously aware of my technique I cleared the drop no problem. By the fourth run I'd cracked it (pun intended.)

By now we were all getting psyched for the next section; a technical drop followed by an immediate steep S curved section - or, blast through a straighter line and hit another big drop. Kung Fu warmed up a treat, we were hitting the first drop no worries. The S curve was undoing everyone though. Requiring a fearless approach and precision threading, the technical challenge had us trying the straighter line instead. A steep, rocky descent, then a big drop onto more rocks. Doable, but definitely requiring skill and nerve in equal measure. My first shot and I made the drop ok but screwed the landing. I wasn't worried though. In fact I felt elated. Approaching the gnarl, something happened inside my brain. A mental switch had been thrown. Alive with firing synapses I didn't feel worry or fear, I felt great! Excited and overjoyed to be riding such challenging terrain and confident enough in my line and body position to feel relaxed and ready. This was exactly the feeling I was hungry for! Replacing fear with something far nicer - fun! Some of the guys were keen to hit Pacifica's jumps so they split off with Dave and Mike to session. I wanted to capitalise on my embryonic downhill confidence so stayed with Celia and Meredith to continue sessioning the Crack. Hitting the drop again, I nailed it. Time to move on.

Riding the rest of the Crack felt great. New found confidence had me pumping the track where before I'd be dragging my brakes or cautiously picking my way through. Great set up for the next trail: The Mile. Maybe not quite as gnarly as the Crack, the Mile has some long, steep technical sections that require full commitment to line choice. I'd normally be tempted to hike a bike sections like this, but the Crack had awakened a desire and confidence that I was keen to build on. We sessioned a particularly steep, tricky section that had a few line choices. Celia was keen to have us make our own choices and see our own route through. Being able to see the line and imagine taking it gives the mental advantage needed to tackle tricky terrain. If you only see boulders and danger, you'll spill. But seeing a clean line makes the whole thing doable. Convince your brain of that and you're halfway there. The rest is up to good riding technique and plush suspension.

Completing the rest of the Mile took us to the jump park where the other guys were hitting the ramps. Re-grouped we rode the Boyscout trail back to the cars. Muddy and rutted, Boyscout was not ideal for riding, but it gave a taste of what to expect in the Spring. Hopefully Celia and co will organise a jumping clinic there early next year. Then we'll be fully prepped for our planned Whistler trip in the Autumn.

On Sunday I headed down to the Nomad's spiritual home for a skills clinic with Adventure Out. As it happened I was the only person doing the course, so I had a one on one session with instructor Shaun. We started with a quick blast around some of De Laveaga Park's trails. Fun and fast, it was a good chance to warm up and for Shaun to asses my skill level. He spotted cornering was my weak area so we decided to work on that whilst riding one of Santa Cruz's signature trails; The Mailboxes. Though slightly boggy from the recent rains, Mailboxes was a hell of a ride. Santa Cruz trails tend to be beefier and more hardcore compared to the Bay area. This was no exception. Steep descents, Rough Go-esque boulder gardens and northshore style features built by the locals added up to a fun, challenging ride. Glad to be warmed up by the previous day's downhilling, I hit the trail with new confidence. I baulked at some of slippier sections. The thought of sitting on a 10 hour flight to blighty the following day with broken bits was enough to instill a little caution. But the focus was to be on cornering and flow, so we sessioned some of trail's sweeping sections until I was confidently hitting them with good technique and zero braking. Shaun also spent time teaching a tail flick technique. I've seen it done before - Chris does it all the time and it looks tres cool. But putting into practice it's practical application - that of quickly setting up line position - felt great. Shaun also spent the whole session giving great tit bits of info. Both for tweaking body position, ride technique and bike set up and maintenance. Riding fantastic trails with a top notch rider/instructor was an awesome experience. Soaking up as much info as I could, I now need to get out and put the weekend's combined learning into practice for myself. Cement the new found skills and confidence and build on it ready for next year's planned adventures and races. It's gonna be epic!

Fuddy Munsters

2010-12-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

Cracking ride around China Camp this past weekend. One of those purely-for-the-fun-of-it jaunts that ends up registering as one of the best rides of the year.... or at least the past few months. Though spared a downpour whilst actually riding, the trails were thick with mud from the previous week's rain. The start of the Norcal winter riding season ; a few hours riding, a few more hours cleaning up afterwards. But China Camp holds it's own in such conditions and rewarded our venture into wintery weather with an awesome ride.

Climbing the front side, me, Spangles, Aubrey and Chris hit the Nike platform. From there, the usual rip down the backside - Hitler and so on. We finished the ride with China's fantastic front side singletrack. I'd forgotten how much fun mud riding is. Even more so on the Nomad which slips and slides but always digs in and gives you confidence to plough through. My technique is improving too. Using tips from Celia I felt totally in control on the steep (and wet) rutted descents. My cornering and flow was also on form. The whole place started to feel like a dirty big pump track. I even kept Chris and Aaron in my sights for the descent back to the cars. Great fun. And a ride to be repeated a few more times until Spring hits and the mud turns back to familiar California dust.

Turkey Jerkey

2010-11-29T17:59:00.000-08:00

As a signed-up vegetarian I can't quite appreciate the whole thanksgiving turkey eating fest these 'mericans enjoy each year. UNLESS it involves a collective jaunt up a mountain - on bikes! So this year me, Spangles, Rosson, Aaron and Lee met up with a few hundred other like-minded folks on a cold and frosty Thursday am in Fairfax. The plan was to ride up and around Mt Tam taking in sections of the Pine Mountain loop and finishing with a spirited descent down the infamous Repack trail. Thus committing to history the 35th Annual Appetite Seminar, or Turkey Ride as some call it.

Wrapped in thermals and full of coffee, we left the Java hut around 8:00am. The whole thing is definitely not a race. More a regular ride with buddies, where you stop every now and again to chat, eat Cliff bars and take in the view/cough up a lung. Except there's about 3 or 4 hundred other people all doing the same thing, on the same trail. Excellent! Starting up the Bollinas Fairfax road we eventually hit the Pine Mountain loop trailhead. The climb was cold and hard. Lee and Aaron set a good pace from the off. Me and Spangles, being slightly older, creaked up the hill until we hit sunlight and the blood started to thaw. From there, I can't recall exactly what trails we did. Some I remember from riding Pine Mountain before. Others were new. But along the way we saw riders and rigs of all shapes and sizes. Retro bikes, clearly more used to commuting, sharing dirt with state of the art carbon beasts. Everyone joined in the common pleasure of hitting the trails with great company in the crisp NorCal air.

After 20 miles (or thereabouts) of peanut buttery mud and rocky climbs, we hit the legendary Repack trail for a fun, roller coaster descent back to Fairfax. I won't go into the history of the trail here. Click on the name for a link to googlepediard and learn all about it. Anyway. With hydraulic brakes and dual suspension - not to mention helmets being de rigueur - Repack is basically a steep fireroad by modern trail standards. But its a lot of fun. Twisty turns, tight corners and big ruts mean you really do have to keep your wits about you. Especially when sharing it with a few dozen other locals. By the time we hit the bottom of Repak our disks were smoking and our faces grinning. Those old hippies from back in the day earning a little more respect from those of us with fancier toys to play with.

The long weekend was rounded off by a ride up and down Mt Tam with Aaron and Scott. Luckily we rode mainly fireroad trails. My brain, pickled in alchopops from the night before, couldn't do technical without inevitable spillage. But we rode some stunning trails that I haven't done before. Fast, sweeping, lots of jumps. And the inevitable stunning views that never fail to impress whenever you take the mellow climb up Tam. The weekend's riding was a great way to end November and definitely the start of a new annual tradition on my biking calendar!

Annadel 11/10

2010-11-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

Sunday the 14th November and we were blessed with a gloriously sunny day. The rains, which had blighted riding over the past few weeks, had left the trails tacky and dust free. Perfect riding conditions. So me, Spangles and Chris loaded up Jason's Scooby with bike goodies and headed north to Annadel. We met Rich and Jamie there and hit the dirt for a day's shredding.

We did our usual route of climbing Canyon and Marsh. We then decided to take Lawndale, climbing out along Schultz back to South Burma. For some reason we managed to get a little lost and missed South Burma. But we ended up riding some of Ridge trail instead which was fine. Its been a while since we'd ridden Ridge and I'd forgotten how much fun it is. Heading back down Canyon, after a solid four hours (and 26 miles+) in the saddle, we left totally satisfied and completely knackered. Perfect. A real back to basics ride. No training for a specific event. No worrying about technique or critique. Just me, good friends and a gorgeous, sunny Norcal day on the trails. That's not to say it was a relaxed ride. Spangles, like a mountain goat, kept a blistering pace on the climbs. And both he and Chris rip the descents. And you know what? I kept up - for the most part anyways. Focusing more on the fun and the moment and the joy's of riding meant I actually rode better than I have in a while. My cornering and descending was more fluid and I hammered the rocky stuff. It felt great. Just what I've been needing! Oh, and on one of the many climbs, we made a pact to do the Leadville 100 in 2012.......... Watch this space!

Bike Skills 2.0 - Celia Graterol Clinic

2010-11-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

In continuation of my back to basics bike skills discipline, I started to look around at clinics. Google pointed me to Celia Graterol's website (link HERE) After reading one glowing testimonial after another I decided to sign up. I wanted to join those beaming people who's MTB lives had been improved at the hands of this Marin legend. So, after an introductory chat over the phone we arranged to meet at China Camp for some drills and practice. This was to be a precursor to a more downhill intensive session at Pacifica.

We started the session by climbing up to the Nike missile pad to session the drops there. Celia went over the physics of downhill riding and how these can be used to keep the bike in control on steep sections. Keeping control means there's no panic so you can ride with confidence. I've sessioned these drops before, but have always rolled to the edge, put faith in the bike and the big, flat open area at the base of each drop and held on. Good for the grin factor but not proper downhill technique. So we focused on keeping the bike under control ; getting the weight over the back wheel and feathering the brakes to control speed. In particular using the front brake's power to modulate speed whilst anchoring the rear with body position to prevent spillage over the bars. Sounds simple, but on a steep descent its a tough discipline. But keep your faith in the physics of it and you should be ok. So that's what we worked on. Progressively hitting each drop and applying the same, controlled, technique. It did feel good to ride the drops feeling like I was actually riding them, not just rolling down them and using the flat bottom to save me. We then went over some drills - manuals, drops, bunny hops etc. All good stuff and the type of skills I don't practice enough. So it was good to work on the fundamentals for a bit.

The rest of the session was spent exploring China Camp's dark side. The regular trails are often described as been quite tame compared to others in the area. However, hit the backside of China Camp and the terrain is an entirely different beast. With names like "Hitler", you get an idea of what to expect. I've ridden some of them before, with mixed success. Having Celia coach me through was fantastic and allowed me to clean sections I would have previously walked. Where necessary we'd stop and session a section until I either got it, or got a better understanding of what I need to practice.

We finished the ride by hitting the 7/11 trail. Those that know it will know why it is named so. The entrance to the trail is awesome. Celia told me to pick up speed and just follow her. Riding down Heart Attack Hill (or the Dyno as others call it) Celia veered to the right, up a near vertical bank! A grin hit my face as I followed, up and over, to the trail head. The 7/11 trail is truly awesome. A hidden gem. Twisty turny single track and steep sections with drops and roots. I put everything into practice as I followed Celia down the trail and started to feel the flow in my riding which has been lacking over the past few weeks.

Having recently done the Bikeskills downhill clinic at Northstar, I knew the leaps and bounds possible from spending time with the pro's. But having focused, one on one attention makes a big difference. Celia quickly assessed my ability and we rode appropriate trails. Taking me to the edge of my comfort zone to make progress, but never out of my league. So the whole experience was extremely satisfying and rewarding. I learned a lot. I'm already looking forward to the Pacifica session. In fact I bought a new full face helmet and body armor in anticipation!

Bike Skills 1.0

2010-10-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

I started this year a fairly casual MTB rider. I did it as a way of keeping fit and hanging out with mates. Now I keep fit so I can ride harder and, whilst its still the best time you can spend with your buddies, I want to be a much better rider. I want to be competitive. Not in a bad way. But I want to race with enough skill and fitness to finish somewhere other than near-bottom. I've been watching instructional DVDs and devouring MTB books trying to soak up techniques and tips. When I go out and ride, my brain is working through a laundry list of instructions, processing all the new info I've pumped into it. The result? I've started to suck. Big time. My last ride at Skeggs was a turning point (or breaking point.) I was analysing every nuance of my riding. Trying to stay on the trail, perfect technique and keep up with Chris and Aaron.... Over thinking everything had a hugely negative effect. My cornering was terrible, I was hitting technical sections too slowly and second guessing every move. I had no flow and my confidence collapsed. Not good.

So, I've decided to go back to basics. Reading books and watching videos is all well and good but I have to feel it. It needs to be in my muscle memory to work. You can't do that unless you're on the bike. So, I've decided to do some clinics and practice sessions to up my game a bit. Skills 1.0 was this weekend. I went to Helen Putnam Park in Petaluma. I haven't been before but looking at the map it seemed perfect. Lots of twisty turns to session over and over. I arrived on a very wet, rainy afternoon and rode around until I found a suitable trail section to session. The weather meant I had the whole place to myself. It also made the single track a little more slippery so finding good technique was essential.

The first corner I sessioned was a nice, wide left. I set up the camera so I could watch my technique and make adjustments. The first few runs I did whatever came natural. Breaking on the apex, not leaning the bike. All the bad stuff. With each run I started to introduce a new element : Weight the outside foot, point the inside knee through the turn, push left to go left etc... I could feel the benefit of each, but the most natural technique was to simply look through the corner. Look well ahead, and keep focused on the exit. Looking back over the footage, I could see that everything else was more or less falling into place by itself. My body position seemed good, I was leaning the bike and weighting the outside. The bike had good traction and was railing nicely. Looking at the video below you can see how taking the outside line is also faster. As long as I stay relaxed and focused on the exit, the bike will rail on its own.

The next corner was a tight right. Just before the apex there was a tree. Predictably, my first attempt had me focus on the tree and hitting the brakes to keep on track. Forcing my brain to relax and instead focus on the exit, I quickly improved. The video below shows how, again, taking the outside line is much smoother. Not as quick in this case, but the body and bike position is much better. I could have carried more speed with a few more runs.

Ofcourse, I needed to fall a few times to help feel when things aren't right. This video shows what happens when you turn the bar to try and steer. I didn't consciously do it, but I must've been trying to take the inside line to avoid the tree. Over compensating. Also, this video shows poor body position. My inside knee is pointing inwards so my setup is screwed.

So. Not exactly a RAD shredding session. But an important one. It was good to take time out and just relax into the technique a bit. Also using the camera is a great aid. I now know where my weaknesses lie and what to work on. I tend to weight too far forward, turn the bars into the corner and point my inside knee the wrong way. But if I just relax and look through the corner, things come together. I don't need to run through lists of commands to corner better. I can just focus on tweaking my technique and trust what I learned.

Helen Putnam Park is somewhere I'll be hitting on a regular basis over the next month or so. It's great for practicing skills and has some lovely twisty turny sections. In the meantime I have a couple of classes coming up. Next weekend its a session at China Camp with Celia Graterol (see her website HERE.) After that I have a skills course in Santa Cruz. I'm looking forward to the accelerated learning that comes from having a tutor. But I'm also looking forward to a few more practice sessions at Helen Putnam with the camera. Watch this space for (hopefully) lots of progress!

Tahoe Weekender

2010-09-27T19:18:00.001-07:00

Our planned end of September Tahoe weekend had been anticipated for a few weeks. A day of downhill madness at Northstar followed by a XC look at the Hole in the Ground trail. As lady luck would have it, Northstar was playing host to BikeSkills that weekend who, in turn, were offering various clinics. One in particular was almost too good to believe : Downhill Techniques with Steve Peat, Cedric Gracia and Gregg Minnaar! A full day's training and tutoring from world class MTB royalty! The class was an advanced clinic, but this was too good an opportunity to miss. I might be out of my element, but at least I'd be able to explain my broken bones by telling people I'd done it riding alongside Steve Peat ;o)

We arrived at Northstar, padded up and grabbed our steeds. Rosson, Spangles and In Soo were off to hit the trails for the day while I rode, nervous but excited, over to the Bike Skills tent. Our hero's were running late so I took to Livewire to get a feel for the bike and warm up. I'd swapped the standard flats on my rental Glory for a set of nice, new Crank Brothers Mallet pedals. With a big, flat bed and spindle they seemed a good mix of security and downhill practicality. They did a fine job and definitely helped with my confidence on the jumps.

Back at the camp and those of us taking the course got chatting while we waited. The clinic was to be lead by Karl Rogne. A really nice guy and excellent, patient teacher. Karl guaged our ability level as he chatted to us. For an advanced clinic, I was pleased to see a few others were more intermediate or cross country biased. Once Steve, Greg and Cedric arrived we hit the trails for our first lesson.

Lesson 1 : Cornering. After introductions and ride position basics, we sessioned a section of slightly burmed trail to work on cornering technique. I was all ears as this is an area that I really want to improve. We took it in turns to hit the corners, trying each time to incorporate the guy's advice. Keep your weight in the pedals, not the bar. Keep your centre of gravity over the bottom bracket by dropping the outside foot and weighting it. This keeps the bike pushed into the dirt. Also, lean the bike, don't try to lean the body into the turn. I've always tried to lean into turns, like you do on the road, but Greg explained you don't have the same traction or speed as you do on the road so it's much safer and easier to lean the bike and let it rail.

After a few runs at the corners it was time to head back to base via the Karpiel trail. Karpiel, which starts as a single black and ends as a double, is a lot of fun. Burms, jumps and big, rocky sections. I struggled to keep up on the rough stuff but Steve Peat had good technique advice. We learned about unweighting the bike ; When approaching rough rocky sections, pump the suspension and let the bike recoil and lift. Use this elevation to skim over the rocks, chose flat areas, or rocks, to pump again and unweight. Not really a bunny hop, but more a way of gliding over rocks rather than hitting them with blunt force - which is what I was doing. This is a great technique and one I kept employing. It makes rock gardens much safer and, crucially, faster! You almost don't believe it will work, but then you brace yourself for rough, and you sail over it with no dramas! This clinic was awesome!

Lesson 2 was jumping. We found a quite trail and sessioned two of the jumps. Again, our instructors demo'd and then gave feedback as we took turns hitting the jump. "The lip is your friend" repeated Cedric over and over. I asked Cedric about technique. I've always had problems trying to dictate the bike's path on a jump, but the opposite is really what I should be doing. Let the bike take a natural arc. By itself it won't screw up, so let it do it's thing. The important thing is to let the bike come up to you as you crest the jump, and push the bars down gently as you hit the downside. This advice, and my clipped in shoes, made the jumps much more fun and less intimidating.

We then took the morning's lessons and put them into practice on Livewire. Bikeskills had a camera crew on hand and, fortunately, I managed some sweet jumps whenever the lens was pointed my way. I was clearing table tops with way more confidence than before, but was still struggling with the bermed corners. Whenever I'd try to push it and not brake, I'd understeer. My front wheel would dig in and I'd fight to keep upright. So I couldn't help but brake on the corners - not good form. A laundry list of instructions were rattling around my head : drop the outside foot, lean the bike in, keep the arms light, weight in the pedals... A couple of times I nailed it and really REALLY felt the difference. The bike felt like it was on rails and a little moment of eureka was had.... but I couldn't quite get the muscle memory to hard wire it. My default would kick in and I'd be back to bad technique. On the last run, I took one of the steep left corners and, determined to rail and not brake, wiped out. My front wheel disappeared from under me and I overshot the corner - head first - into a boulder garden. Taking a dizzying whack to the head, I was thankful for my sturdy helmet saving me from the unthinkable.

After lunch we hit Livewire again to work on our jumping and cornering technique. I was completely dusted (as Steve put it) covered in trail dirt from my fall. By the end of the day most of us looked the same. Battle weary but grinning. I asked Karl about the cornering and how my wheel was understeering. He pinpointed the problem - I was turning the bike into the corners, not steering it. A big difference. "Push, wait and let the bike turn.." I'd been turning the bars rather than letting the bike lean over and steer itself. I still struggled with the technique, but tried to focus on pushing with my inside hand rather than my outside... This seemed like a good way of making sure I steered rather than turned. I still have a way to go, but I feel armed with the theory now. I just need to put the graft in until I successfully commit it to muscle memory.

The last lesson of the day was line choice through challenging terrain. We picked a section of the Sticks and Stones trail - a double black diamond. Steve, Greg and Cedric all demonstrated their line choice and made the steep, rocky descent look effortless. Most of the group had a crack at this section and did a great job of getting down it. I had a go, but baulked. I crested the top and all I saw were huge, bone crushing rocks. My brain wasn't processing line choice or pumping backsides for extra speed, it was wondering if my Kaiser would cover the inevitable spillage. So I walked it. It would've been a great end to the day had I cleaned it, but some things can't be taught in a day, and confidence on double blacks is something I'll have to work at and earn - for now.

We took the rest of Sticks and Stones back to camp. Karl followed me and gave tips on my riding position. I always keep my knees really bent to keep my centre of gravity low. But Karl showed me how awkward I looked compared to a straighter legged, more commanding stance. Great advice and much needed as we descended the rest of Sticks and Stones.

Back at base and I had to rush to catch the final gondola home. Missing a picture op' with the guys - damn. But the memories from that session are far more valuable than digital snaps. Solid pieces of concrete advice from the sport's best exponents. Riding a trail, with Steve Peat right behind giving critique, really is quite a surreal experience. But I intend taking all the info that was absorbed that day and applying it as best I can to the trail.

Day 2 and we hit Hole in the Ground. A beautiful, scenic loop on some of the best trails I've ever seen. Superbly well maintained and carpeted in places for longevity, this is a dirt lovers dream. The terrain is mainly rocky, with some steep technical drops and rock gardens. The climbs aren't severe, but the altitude is a killer. The first few miles of climbs were brutal. It felt like I was riding with a girdle. The thin air mixed with heavy trail dust left our lungs burning. But the trail is totally worth it. In Soo dropped behind while the 2 Jason's motored on ahead. I did ok, but for some reason my heart wasn't in it. My mojo has been lacking for the past few weeks. I need to get my Downieville self back somehow. Long hours at work and not enough quality time in the saddle have taken their toll physically and mentally. So I really didn't ride my best, which was a shame given these were some of the finest trails in Northern Cali'. Ah well. The whole weekend taught me there's a lot still to learn. Or at least, a lot to practice. But I'm in the best place in the world to do it. I need to shake myself out of this funk and enjoy the trails. Make some progress and feel good about my riding again. Thanks to Steve and the guys, I at least have the knowledge to take my riding forward. Once the movie I'm working on finishes, I'll have the time too. I can't wait!

Monkey Business

2010-09-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

What will likely be the last race of the season for me, was the first race at Annadel for almost 25 years. Another Bike Monkey organised event, the race started at Spring Lake and took a winding, 25 mile route through Annadel's signature, epic trails. The locals turned out in force to make the most of racing some of the finest dirt in the area. Me and Spangles met up with Chris, a new riding buddy who I shared a few tortuous miles with at SoNoMas. Rosson was also there with the rest of the Zeitgeist crew. Riding singlespeed, Jase did another fine job coming 7th in his cat. Race report from him on the Zeitgeist page to follow. We all set off at 9:00am sharp. A couple hundred riders kicking up golden illuminated dust was an awesome sight. I wanted to pause to take pictures, but there was racing to be done...

Unbeknown to us, last week's pre-ride was pretty much on the money. We'd managed to ride most of the trails picked for the race. Starting up Canyon we worked our way to Lawndale. Based on my last couple of rides I was extremely worried about my performance. I really wasn't in good shape at SoNoMas and suffered badly. Last weekend's ride was tough and a clear sign I need some downtime. Since then, I've been working long hours, not resting enough and eating chips with everything. Not ideal race prep. But as we started the steady climb into Annadel State Park, I felt pretty good. My heart rate (always a good indicator as to how a ride will pan out) was in the low 170's where last week I'd been pegged in the 180's. Lawndale was it's usual wide-grin fun. Fast, flowing and, for the most part, shaded, it was a great test of my new Julbo Dirt photochromic glasses. They performed excellently. In fact I barely knew I had them on most of the time.

At the first rest stop I met Chris. We rode together for a few miles until we hit South Burma. Feeling fairly strong, but sleep deprived, I appreciated the pick up in pace to get me through the tough, technical climbs. I don't think I've ever ridden South Burma as fast as I did on the race. Double fisting both grips for extra support I pointed the Nomad south and held on. Such a fun trail, both me and the bike were in our element! Once we'd done South Burma it was onto the final stretch to Rough Go. By this stage I started to wane and lose focus. A couple of rough rock spills and Gu shots later and I was back on track. Ready to hit the crazy boulder garden for one last shred.

I came in (according to Garmin) a whisker over 3 hours. Spangles did another fine job coming in around 2:40. Chris was a little after, and ahead of me. Could I have done it quicker if I'd not been so wrung out from work? Possibly.... But only by a hair, if that. My climbing pace was a little off, but I honestly don't think I've ridden Annadel as fast as I did on race day. My cornering speed was better, I hit the rough stuff with confidence and pumped the track for as much flow as I could get. Still room for lots of improvement. But as a finish to this season's epic racing fun, I'm totally satisfied with my efforts. For now, its back to the usual routine of riding for fun, not preparation. But there's always the cyclocross season coming up.... Rosson assures me I'll like it. And there's nothing quite like the buzz of meeting up with a field full of like-minded people and strapping a race bib to the bars... ;o)

Garmin route and info HERE

Anticipating Annadel

2010-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Next week it's the Bike Monkey organised Annadel 2010 race. 25 miles around our home turf. Details of the course are sketchy. We know there's a descent down Rough Go to the finish, but the rest will be revealed on the day. To prepare, me and Spangles took a trip up Santa Rosa way to hit the trails and get prepped for next week's fun.

We took the familiar climb up Canyon and then Marsh. I reckon this will form part of the race as it leads to the main trail heads... My guess is it'll be the first real climb. We then hit Lawndale. Unlikely to be on the race course as it dead ends, but its too much fun to miss. We looped back to the top of Marsh and then hit South Burma. I have a feeling we'll do both South and North Burma as part of a figure of 8 route.... We'll see. But I hope they have South Burma on there. Such great variety and some excellent rock garden goodies to test the mettle (and suspension.)

We finished the ride down Rough Go. Bike Monkey has pre-warned people about this finish and it's easy to see why as soon as you hit it. Technical doesn't quite do it justice. The singletrack is not steep - it'd be lethal if it were. But it's littered with so many boulders and rocks you have to make the route up on the fly. And fly you must. One small loss of momentum over those big rocks and you'll ruin your whole day. Great fun though. Threading through this weird, alien looking landscape, daring to keep looking ahead and ride faster, relying on latent skill to deal with the immediate terrain. This will certainly be a tough end to the race.... Not a trail I want to attempt riddled with cramp and carb crashes. Hopefully my prepping this week will offset that handicap. Watch this space for a race report!

From The Archives

2010-09-01T23:19:00.001-07:00

Found this while looking through some pics from recent years. Bob's Commencal on the left, Jim's Kona Kula on the right (since been half-inched) Sexy Stu's Scott front and centre, and my Orange (styling "fenders") up top. Taken after me and Jim rode from Brizzul to Bradford Upon Avon to meet up with Stu and Bob for a fellas night out, and then a little Sunday leg stretch. We stopped off at The Lockside Inn to grab a massive plate of fried veggie goodness with extra chips. The booze and food to riding ratio was never going to get our race weight sorted, but what a great weekend!

So No Mas

2010-08-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

What with Northstar, work and a bit of much needed R&R it's been a good 3 weeks since I last rode cross country. Might not sound like much, but bike fitness is measured in dog years. A couple of weeks out of the granny gear can make a big difference to bike strength. This, I found out in style, at So No Mas this Sunday. Organised by Bike Monkey, the race is a 35 miles (or 50k depending on what side your bread's buttered) romp around Lake Sonoma. 35 miles is a fair old slog. Times it by 8000 feet of climbing and you wanna be in tip top shape to even fill out the registration form. But I was up for it. As was Rosson (riding singlespeed!?!) and Spangles. I spent the whole week leading up to it knocking back electrolytes and looking forward to a full day's shredding in the sun.

Come Sunday, we got up at ridiculous o'clock and drove to the race meet. To quote Spangles, "bike monkey? more like brass monkey!" Yep, it was cold and foggy. Like Howell a few weeks before, the fog began to burn away as we took shape for the mass start. The race website boasted the race was "35 miles of get tough." This was bolstered by the pre-race briefing. The course was to be hilly, steep and unpleasant. Sipping coffee and eating free oatmeal, it was hard to put any tangible meaning to this. Skip ahead a few hours and the Bike Monkey's solemn warnings were echoing around my frazzled head.

We started, en mass, at 8:00am. Contenders were due to finish around the 3.5 hour mark. I reckoned on a solid 5 hour finish time. That, I'd be pleased with. The first couple of miles was a road climb to the trail head. I felt pretty good. Bike felt solid. A mile or so into the dirt however and things weren't right. My heart rate was jacked a good 10bpm over the norm and I was pretty sure I was about to spray my bars and Garmin with oatmeal. Everything felt like a much bigger effort that it should have. Shades of the Tamarancho race, except I had over 30 miles to go. After 8 miles or so, things settled down. My heart rate dropped below the red line and breakfast decided not to hit eject.

For the next 3 or 4 miles I felt pretty strong. I hit a few of the steeper climbs that had others bike hiking - no problem. The descents were also fine. A couple of spills over ruts but nothing major. But it wasn't to be sustained. Sometime around mile 12 my body started to suffer. The familiar stabbing cramp pain took hold of my quads and my energy levels kept hitting zero. The climbs were brutal. Frequent, steep and soul sapping. My legs were getting no chance to recover on the flat or downhill reprieves. It didn't take long before I resorted to frequent rest stops to either try and settle my squirming thighs, neck more sugary goop or just recover mentally before the next assault. The scenery was epic. Quartz lake far below and beautiful blue sky. The singletrack too was fantastic. But I couldn't appreciate it. Each fleeting grasp of flow was met with an immediate series of punishing, anaerobic climbs.

My mind was willing, but my body wasn't. Me and a few other poor souls gradually spent more and more time out of the saddle pushing, than spinning. On more than one occasion I looked down at the granny convinced I was grinding the big ring. No such luck. Each gear shift down made it even more remarkable that Rosson was somewhere far ahead with just the one cog! By the time I hit the late twenties, I was totally done. Each rest longer than the last, each spurt of cranking less than before. Finally, I hit the home stretch. Crossing the finish line I was glad it was over. A hollow victory and, pushing the 6 hour mark, hardly a convincing performance. Spangles did a great job having finished an hour before. Rosson got somewhere around 4:30. Sterling work!

So, I'm not sure what went wrong. Too much food in the morning? not enough the day before?.... Not enough rest? Too long out of the saddle? Probably. Who knows. I'm in two minds about doing the race again next year. Yes, they said it'd be tough. That's the apeal. But it has to be rewarding too. So No Mas left a bitter taste and a sense of set back - especially after Howell where I felt pretty strong. Still, we have Annadel in 2 weeks. A chance to get back some pride. Until then, I'm living like a vicar and hitting some steep dirt to get set.

Garmin info HERE. I think the tree cover clouded the Garmin's little brain as it measured 6000ft of climbing, not 8000ft. Also, you can see how jacked my heart rate was for the first hour. Urgh, not fun.

First of the Northstar

2010-08-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend, it was time to try something a little different - downhill at Northstar. I'd always planned to ease myself gently into a trip like this. First, I was going to do one of the skills courses on offer at the park and then segue into a nice weekend's riding - probably on the Nomad. Well, that plan evaporated when Rosson idly talked of taking a trip up there this Sunday to join his buddies Rich and Derek. No sooner was the seed sown and I was online, booking myself a lift pass, armor, full face helmet and a bad-as-you like Giant Glory! With dual crown forks and 8 inch coils this bike is built for one thing : Going downhill... Fast! With Spangles also onboard, the 3 of us met up at ridiculous o'clock in the am and made our way to the mountains.

We parked up and met with Spangles' mate, In Soo. We then took the gondola to pick up our rigs and hit the slopes. The Giant Glory is an impressive beast. It's clearly built to run on the right side of gravity and take anything mother nature can throw at it. It aint built for anything like climbing though. We decided to warm up on some blue runs. Coupled with the armor and high altitude, riding the Glory up the slight incline to the trail head was no mean feat. I wouldn't be suprised if the double butted frame tubes were reinforced with concrete. Point it downhill though, and suddenly it all makes sense.

Our warm up blue run started with some nice, sweeping burms and technical singletrack. But it ended quickly. With either black diamond routes or green trails (read : fireroad) back to the lifts, we opted for the red pill. Our trail of choice was FlameOut. Nice and technical with big boulder sections and drops, it was a great way to get a feel for the new rides. We rode the chairs back up, and sessioned FlameOut a couple more times. To the casual observer, downhill might seem like the lazy man's version of mountain biking. Have all the reward of the descent, and let the ski lift take care of the ride back up. However, keeping some sort of control over a 3 stone rig, whilst trying to soak up what an 8 inch spring can't - is one hell of a workout. After a few runs it was time for lunch and re-group.

The afternoon was spent riding Northstar's finest roller coaster - Livewire! Irrigated to keep the dirt tacky, this rolling, insanely burmed bobsleigh run has one speed - fast. Taking this at anything other than break-neck speeds simply results in fried trigger fingers. And that's exactly what happened. At run's 2 and 3 I hit the sweet spot where growing confidence met enough endurance to ride fairly hard. I was clearing a few table tops and even had Rosson in my sights for most of the time. But my last couple of runs destroyed what grip I had left in my withered arms. I was beat - but buzzing!

After a full day's riding we returned our gear and headed back to the city. I'd had a couple of spills and scares but without doubt we'd had a fantastic day's shredding. Downhill is a very different aspect to the sport and one I'm keen to keep my hand in. Rich had told me once that it's great for skill's training and he's not wrong. You can't fight gravity. So dealing with speed over sketchy terrain is something you have to get used to very quickly. It also sharpens your wits - like when to bail when you're well out of your depth on a double black diamond run! All skills I'm keen to develop and take to the trails. The next day I woke feeling like I'd been beaten up. My whole body has been punished and one of my feet feels like it probably needs medical attention. The mountain demands a price for all that vertical fun. Still, totally worth it. In fact we're already planning the next Tahoe trip. Livewire withdrawals are hard to fight ;o)

Howell Mountain Challenge

2010-08-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

No sooner had the excitement of Downieville mellowed and it was time for another race. This time we were on familiar ground. The Howell Mountain Challenge took place in Angwin, Napa, the same place as the Napa Valley Dirt Classic (see April's blog entry for that one.) The difference this time was the course was set up as a multi loop race (2 x10 mile loops for cat 2) rather than the NVDC's 22 mile circuit. But it took in much of the same trail network. Me and Rosson were hoping for much sunnier, dryer conditions than April's race. But as we drove along a cold, drizzly 101 deja vu started to make itself apparent. Spangles had planned to join us but it turns out last weekend's ride had broken his carbon stumpy frame as well as his face. So he had to bail. Hopefully he'll get himself sorted for the So No Mas race at the end of this month.

I'd decided to change tactics a little on this race and experiment with my setup. At previous race meets I'd taken note of other's little tips and tricks for lighter, seemingly more race friendly kit. Given the Howell' challenge was only 20 miles, with water stops, I decided to ditch the camel sack in favour of a bottle and have a seat mounted pouch for essentials. I even taped Gu to my crossbar for ultimate efficiency (although a steep switchback malfunction ripped this clear and sent it into the wilderness.) I'd previously tested the seat pouch to make sure the gravity dropper still worked fine - which it did. The pouch held a tube, co2 canisters and valve, tyre levers and a cool little multi tool. The water bottle was a trickier problem to solve. I didn't trust using jersey pockets, and the Nomad is too bad-ass to rock bottle cage braze-ons. So in the end (and after much 'net research) I decided on a headset bracket on which to bolt the cage. I figured it wouldn't bias weight when steering and should be pretty stable given it uses the headset thru-bolt.

In truth, I'm not 100% convinced the change in setup improved my performance that much. I didn't get the sense of freedom I expected from not carrying a camel sack. I also felt slightly distracted by the big grey bottle in my peripheral vision. But it all worked fine and survived the few scrapes and crashes that I had. I might use this setup for Annadel, but I'm definitely using the 'sack for So No Mas....

So, the actual race. By the time we'd cleared the hike a bike section and hit the first loop proper, the mist started to burn away leaving a clear blue sky. Conditions were perfect. Dry and dusty but loose enough in sections to test the mettle. The course took in many of the highlights of the Napa Valley Dirt Classic but seemed to be much easier on the climbs. A true XC race, the ascents - although at times steep and challenging - were well spaced out and gave way to some outstanding descents. Nothing too steep, just long and flowing. A good mix of rutted fireroad and sweeping singletrack. One section I remember clearly from the NVDC has rider's hitting a 3 dip roller coaster. I'd previously ridden these - albiet tentatively - on the Orange. Now I wanted to hit them hard with the Nomad! Steep and rocky on the descent and equally so on the immediate climb... I elected to keep in a high gear to prevent my chain coming loose and just crank up the opposing face as far as possible. Great fun - a lot like the flumes at China Camp, but much much wider so you can really let the bike fly and enjoy the grin!

Results have yet to be posted, but according to my Garmin friend, I came in around the 2:15 mark... something I'm extremely pleased with as it shows clear progress over races earlier in the year. There's definite room for improvement, both in terms of skill and fitness, but I'm heading in the right direction. I hooked the Garmin up to it's website to check out the stats. This is a feature I haven't used up to now, but its cool to see the course and how I dealt with it - in terms of pace and heart rate. I rode the Howell' with pretty much the same sort of stats as Downieville. Looking back at Tamarancho its clear something was not quite right that day. Pace was slow and, more significantly, my heart rate was jacked way higher throughout the whole race. Some lessons to be learned and applied for sure. The link to the Howell race Garmin stats is HERE.

'Rancho Night Ride 8510

2010-08-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Went over to Fairfax with Rosson last eve to meet up with Rich and Derek for some nocturnal Tamarancho adventures. I always seem to forget how disconcertingly difficult night riding is until I'm there, wide eyed, trying to negotiate technical dirt with a couple of lamps for guidance. I had one or three topples on the tight switchbacks and rocky sections, as is usually the case with me. It's especially frustrating as the very same sections in daylight are cleaned without drama. Still, its all good skills training. Hanging out with these fellas is also good incentive to ride that little bit harder and faster too, even if that means a few knocks and bumps along the way. And there's always the post ride Brewco session to look forward to :o)

Downieville 'Ratzied

2010-08-03T13:42:00.001-07:00

I'm normally behind the camera so don't get to post many pictures of my fizzog on here. However, Rocky Arroyo Photography were snapping at the Downieville XC race this year and I couldn't help but grab a copy of this one. Look at that beautiful frame contrasting with the searing white rock .... (the Nomad, I mean) ;o)

Pine Mountain

2010-08-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Its been a couple of weeks since I headed out in search or dirt. I did the SF Marathon last week. I've been guilty of putting riding before running. But as it turns out bike fitness can get you through 26.2 miles of pounding pavement. Still, I was itching to get back onto the fat tyres so, this first weekend in August me and Spangles hit Pine Mountain. Seemed fairly straightforward. No tricky singletrack or technicals to contend with. Just a fireroad slog in the Cali' midday sun. We have the So-No-Mas ride on the horizon so wanted a hot, exposed ride with grueling climbs to help us prepare. Pine Mountain took our request and raised it. We were soon to discover she's a vicious beast indeed.

We decided on the classic Pine Mountain loop. This part of Marin is steeped in mountain biking lore. It's where the pioneers of the sport first realised that bikes + dirt trails = fun! Those early shred enthusiasts clearly liked the rough stuff. The loop is fairly short at just over 13 miles but you hit a lot of steep, rocky climbing. Its so loose under foot that a couple of particularly technical sections have earned the nickname "The Bitches." But this was ok by us. This is what we came for. The descents were pretty much more of the same - steep and loose. There's no single track here, its all fireroad. But its fast, sweeping and, in one memorable section, a total roller coaster. This was fun!

Once we hit the San Geronimo trail it was time for another beastly climb. Both me and Spangles are getting fairly strong at the climbing but the heat - and maybe residual marathon fatigue - took its toll on me. It wasn't long before Jase pulled ahead and out of sight. The next time I was to see him is an image I won't forget in a hurry. At around the 8 mile mark the trail gives way to a fairly steep, but insanely rocky descent. Big baby head rocks constantly shifting under the Nomad's tread. The long travel and slack head angle soaked up any nerves and left me enjoying the ride. Forcing myself to keep my eyes ahead and let body and bike deal with the immediate vicinity, I spotted Spangles waiting patiently halfway down the trail. "That's a weird place for him to let me catch up, his bike is parked all funny, man this suspension is plush, that rock looks like it'll give me some decent air, hey Jase what's occurri.... HOLY SH*T!"

"Ere mate, do you have your first aid handy?".....

Luckily, I did. And the poor fecker needed it. Standing, dazed and wild eyed, staring through a T-zone caked in bright red ooze. Moments before, on his much lighter S-Works Stumpy, Jase had buckarood himself, orbit first, into one of Pine Mountain's finest skull crushing rocks. We both kept calm and went through all the proper procedures ; assess damage, clean the wound, apply dressing, take a picture for Facebook... Ah, exposure not quite right, take another picture... Now try one with a thumbs up... Smile! Within 10 minutes he was back in the saddle claiming "ah, its only a face..". What a trooper!

A few miles left to go and then we were back to the car. Leaving Pine Mountain with some much deserved respect and a little DNA. After a couple of hours in A&E Jason was right as rain. Plus he'll have a scar to prove his mountain biking stripes. A couple of lesson's well learned though. We're planning a Northstar trip in the very near future. Suddenly those nice full face helmets don't seem overly extreme after all..

Tubeless Tinkering

2010-07-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

My good friend and riding compadre, Jason Spangles has been busying himself making all kinds of useful bike kit out of spare bits of metal. In preparation for our upcoming races he's gone all tubeless using an antique extinguisher to pump his rubber. Check it out....

... Here!

Annadel - 71810

2010-07-19T19:16:00.001-07:00

Bike Monkey Magazine recently announced they’re organising a XC race to be held at Annadel in September. Another race on home turf! We decided to prepare by hitting Annadel State Park this past weekend. We, being myself, Jase, Aaron and Scott. We also bumped into our old riding compadre Jaime in the car park who joined in for a while. Our last ride here was a complete wash out – literally. We hit the top of Marsh and the heaven’s opened. Our riding gear was totally inappropriate so we cut the ride short. Skip forward a few months into the baking heat and the whole place is dried to dust. Perfect!

We started out climbing Canyon towards the base of the Marsh trail. A relatively gentle climb made tough by the blistering heat. We continued up Marsh and made our way to Lawndale. A varied trail with a good mix of technical, rocky sections but always fast and sweeping. We had to spread out from each other to stop the dust clouds masking jeopardy. As Jason put it “at one point all I was doing was chasing dust and a shadow.”

After the grin inducing Lawndale we hit some more technical climbing towards Ridge. It’s been long enough since I’d ridden here to notice I was hitting these sections with far more confidence and skill than before. I put that down to time well spent climbing Tamarancho’s technical sections. Ridge trail was, once again, epic and sweeping. Very rocky in sections but the Nomad, as always, ploughed through where a delicate line couldn’t be threaded.

We finished the ride with a spirited blast back down Marsh and Canyon towards the carpark. Always a great way to end a day’s shredding at Annadel. One of the many things I love about the trails here is the descents. They’re long, fast and rocky with plenty of up-ahead visibility. You can hit the cranks and leave off the anchors with full abandon. The climbs are satisfying too – blistering heat aside. They never get that steep and the payoff seems to go on for miles. I’m coming to really appreciate the all-mountain geometry and set up of the Nomad too. It’s made for trails like this and eats them up when I have the confidence to let it.

The day’s riding was satisfying and fun, but not without its casualties. Scott’s front tyre was near to disintegrating the whole time. Haemorrhaging tubeless goo we slipped a tube in there, but he still had to ride with caution. Which pretty much meant the Trail Genie rode at a pace closer to us mere mortals. Aaron’s bike switched to single speed halfway through as his derailleur cable broke. I too had gear issues, but a quick lesson in bike maintenance from Spangles and they were good as new. I did get heat stroke though. A wicked combination of not quite enough water in the camel sack and the Santa Rosa sun cooked my brain to a medium rare. Still, good conditioning for the upcoming So No Mas ride….. 35 miles and 8000ft on shadeless trails in 100 degree + heat!??!? In a sick way, I can’t wait!

Thurs Night Ride 71510

2010-07-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Another cracking night ride in the bag. This time it was me and Aaron catching the dying rays of the evening sun whilst shredding around 'rancho. Aubrey had been riding in a dirt crit the evening before, and I was still somewhat Downieville fatigued. But tired legs were soon forgotten as we put rubber to dirt. Great fun. And a fine prelude to this coming weekend's Annadel ride!

Catchin' the Zeitgeist

2010-07-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

Check out Eric's Downieville race report over on the Zeitgeist blog. I've ridden with these fine fellas on occasion. They're always knocking around the race scene in their fetching bunny outfits:

Zeitgeist Downvieville Race Report

Up in Downieville

2010-07-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

This could be a very short blog post. I could summarise my Downieville XC race experience with one word - Incredible. And that would be almost enough. I'd pop a few black and whites on here and that'd be that. But I feel compelled to expand. If only to serve as a reminder to myself of how amazing this past weekend's adventure really was. PS.... I didn't get many pictures during the race. Normally I grab a few shots whilst hanging onto a tree, trying not to faint and/or vomit whilst forcing more electrolytes down my gullet to satiate the cramps. However, during this race, I simply didn't have the time :o)

So, on the Friday me and Spangles hit the road with various choices of cycle wear, scooby snacks and painstakingly detailed rides. We arrived in Downieville, grabbed some carbage and watched the town get set for the next day's event whilst we ate. The town had been transformed into a race village with banners and sponsor tents covering the streets. The atmosphere was near electric. We all knew we were in for a treat the next day.

Saturday, we got up early and took the short ride to Sierra City for the race start. After a bit of warming up and chatting to like minded folks, it was time to saddle up and jostle with the other sport category dudes. 9:35 arrives - and we start the epic 29 mile Downieville Classic Cross Country Race! Now, I'd been looking forward to this race for quite a while. More importantly I'd trained for it. Up to now, I've enjoyed the racing as an extension to my regular riding activities. They've been a good opportunity to ride harder and longer on trails I wouldn't normally hit. But I've been resigned to the fact that my skills and fitness would always mean the rides were extremely hard and that I'd never really be competitive. And that's been fine. Perfectly enjoyable and satisfying. But for some reason I wanted this one to be different. I wanted to see if I could get over the self imposed plateau and actually do well. So we've been doing rides specifically targeted at weaknesses and riding harder to build up some racing grit. Did it pay off? As we started the 3000ft, 8 mile ascent, I was about to find out.

Mile 1 is paved road. Mile 2 - you hit dirt. By mile 3 you're pushing your steed uphill with everyone else. Fortunately the pushing was shortlived. Back in the saddle and spinning the granny gear we snaked our way through the beautiful Sierras. But something was different. My pace was no longer being set by my fitness. It was being set by the throng in front. When opportunity presented I tapped into my plentiful reserves and overtook. Mile 4 came and went with water and goodies - I declined and kept on. Before I knew it, we were being offered bacon and margheritas (?!?!?) at the 8 mile aid station. This wasn't an exhaustion induced sight either. I was fine. The climb had taken place mainly in the shade - which helped. But putting mileage into climbs over the last few weeks clearly helped more.

The first section of singletrack is a rolling, bermed track through felled trees. Some neat technicals, switchbacks and jumps warm the kung fu up a treat. Next, its onto the famous baby head rocks. Now, this section is almost a blur. Partly because the vibration renders you senseless, but also because it was so... much... fun! I exclaimed - out loud - on more than one occasion "this bike is awesome!" And the first time those words escaped me was here. The baby head section is so freakin' fast. Big boulders, drops, ruts, loose shale.... What the Nomad didn't plough through aggressively it would skip over with amazing grace. A raking head angle, 6 inches front and back + loooong fast rocky sections of trail = ENORMOUS FUN!

Once you hit Gold Valley and cross the creek its onto the Pauley Creek trail. 17 miles of blissfull singletrack. Fast, at times sketchy and full of huge drops and hurdles that come out of nowhere. But you don't have time to plan a route or strategise. You're going way too fast and having too good a time. So I let the Nomad do its thing and employed some confidence to hammer the cranks and push on. I really only stopped a couple of times. The first one, a steep drop, I could've easily taken but for the two dismounted dudes picking their way down on foot. The second, a blunt wall that appears immediately after a blind bend. Doable if you're prepared but impossible for those of us without Jedi reflexes. But everything else I tackled with ever growing confidence. Looking ahead of the sketchy stuff, trusting that my brain had done the maths and my rig would fill in the blanks. Getting giddy everytime I skipped by some other dude who'd balked and decided to dismount. This was awesome!

After this epic trail, it was time for some more climbing. Up to the Third Divide trailhead. A full on downhill section covered in magic carpet to help with the sketchier sections. By now my brain was overloaded with riding joy. Blissed out at what had been - by far, my best ride ever. After this final descent, we hit the road into downtown Downieville to be greeted by a cheering crowd and a well earned beer!

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the festival, sun and spectacle. My time? Based on past performance I was expecting anything up to 5 hours. Definitely over 4 hours. I pulled into Downieville just shy of 3 hours 38 minutes. The longest race I've done and the quickest time I've ridden by quite a margin. It's added fuel to my already burning passion for the sport. I still have a ways to go. Next year I want to finish in less than 3 and a half hours for a start. But I'm feeling the rewards from hard work - and a few hard falls. I can't wait to keep hitting the trails, working hard, and seeing what next year's race brings.

July 4th Weekender

2010-07-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

I did think about calling this post “Return of the Shredi” but I need to nip these lame film puns in the bud right now. However, I would’ve had good reason. As we approached a particularly Endor-esque trail Jason turned to me and exclaimed “if I don’t see any Ewoks on this trail I’m gonna be pissed!” Yep, it was a three day weekend and whilst our American hosts were off celebrating their independence, we decided to escape foggy SF and hit the trails!

I'd taken my Nomad down to Santa Cruz on the Saturday to get a pre-Downieville tune up sorted out. On Sunday me and Spangles decided to hit Skeggs to get some pre-race training in. In fact this was my first time riding there with the new bike so I was excited to hit the technical trails and fast descents with 6 inches of plush suspension at my disposal. Also, Skeggs has some brutal climbing so we knew a good training session would be achieved. We weren't wrong.

We took our, now usual, route of Fir, Resolution, North Leaf and South Leaf. We also looped back to hit Giant Salamander. A great mixture of challenging technical descents, ascents, singletrack and some epic fast double track. South Leaf is becoming my preferred trail of choice. Its full of jumps and whoop de doo's and nice railed corners but its reasonably wide and has grassy banks either side of the trail so you can safely allow the mental mist to cloud you and haul ass! ..... Great fun.

The price for all this fun? The climb back out. We took Timberview to Salamander. Man, Timberview is a cruel beast. It's steep, almost too steep to keep pedaling, but then it will level out just enough to pull the heart rate back from the redline and allow for a little recovery before the next assault. Yep, this trail is nature's own Divisadero Street. However, we were once again rewarded at the top with the Giant Salamander. I'd ridden this trail before, but the other way - ie climbing it. This time we were taking the fun route. Salamander has some really nice big, rolling jumps. But it also has an equally big abyss to one side of the trail. So caution, or at least the brake, has to be applied every now and again.

The fun was short lived however. We still had the climb out. For some reason we ignored the relatively forgiving Methusela and took the Fir route out. This trail is a fun descent, but a brutal climb. Steep and rutted it tests both cadence and patience. Once out, we took the short, fun Sierra Morena section back to the car. A lasting reminder of how great and varied this place is - and why it won't be the last time I'll be taking the Nomad south for some dirt.

Monday I met up with Aaron and Scott for a late afternoon session at Tamarancho. The weather was beautiful. Sunny, but not stifling. The light was great. Trail - bone dry. An epic ride was forecast and we were not let down. Well, Scott's tyre was. It flatted halfway round. Other than that we had a great ride. We took 'Rancho counter clockwise. This is fast becoming my new favourite way to ride the place. I'll always love hitting the B-17 trail descent, but climbing it means you get to descend Serpentine. Also, the Wagon Wheel rock garden is a goood challenge on the climb. I also had the pleasure of Scott riding my tail - making dog/mountain lion noises to inspire me to ride harder. All in all, a great way to spend the penultimate weekend's riding before traveling North to Downieville. Stay tuned!

Night of the Living Shred

2010-07-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Went for a ride to Tamarancho with Rosson and his buddies last night. Jase, Sam and Rich are all Cat 1 demons so I knew it would be a tough ride. It didn't help that I had mechanicals to deal with either. So for the most part I didn't see them - except for the sections where they'd graciously wait for me to catch up. Or I'd catch a glimpse of twinkling helmet light off in the distance. These boys ride hard and fast. But it was a great training ride. We started up Alchemist and straight up the B17 extension, took a left up the fireroad and climbed a little way to a great lookout point to briefly catch the dying embers of the day's sun. Then it was time to fire up the nightlights and tear back through Tamarancho.

Night riding is such a great experience. Its a totally different way of riding. You can't help but be wide-eyed and super sensitive to the terrain, the movement of the bike, bats flying at your full tilt.... everything. Its great for skills training. Especially at Tamarancho which is such a technical track. And riding with these fellas is a hard lesson in bike fitness too. Hopefully we'll get another nocturnal session in before Downieville.

Tam' Slam...

2010-06-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

....Well, not quite a slam. But we did get slammed by the heat. As Scott so eloquently put it "I feel like a bug in a jar right now..." Yep, it was the weekend and time for more dirt riding. I met up with Aaron and Scott in Mill Valley, mid Sunday morning. Our plan was to replicate a ride we'd done a few weeks before and climb Mount Tamalpais. Its been a while since I've ridden with these lads. Aaron took a school trip tumble a while ago and popped his shoulder so has only just started riding again.

We ended up taking a different route to last time. The heat was killer so we needed to find fun without so much of the climb. The vertical itself isn't so brutal, but when you're breathing from an open oven door it tends to deplete the energy and spirit. En route we passed one poor soul "calling to dinosaurs" - (copyright A.Aubrey 2010.) Still, we hit the very top of Mount Tam and headed on our giddy way back down to the railroad grade trail.

don't recall what trails we took. But I do recall the speed we took them at! Scott is like a genie on the trails - all you see is a puff of smoke (or at least trail dust) and he's gone! The trail started out full of baby head rocks - made me appreciate the plushness of 6inch travel - and eventually evened out to steep rutted fireroad. Great fun. Made more so by my recent addition to the MTB arsenal - eyesight! Yep, I wore my contacts for the first time and it made a big difference. No longer was I focused 3 feet in front of the front tire. Now I could confidently look down the trail and let the bike and body instinct do it's thing.

We finished our ride with a spirited run back to Mill Valley and then onto the Marin Brewco for burgers and beers. Perfect. I'm already looking forward to the next Lemurian Brother's reunion ride!

Over the Bridge

2010-06-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Its the countdown to Downieville, so in anticipation me and Spangles decided to get some mileage and footage under our wheels this weekend. Downieville starts with a brutal climb. I'd been googletubing videos in the week and simply watching was enough to make my legs tremble. Fun shredding would have to wait. We needed to feel some pain!

With this in mind we decided we should hit the Marin headland trails. I'd heard good things about this area and, on paper, it looked like a good, long ride with some nice steep climbing. Its also very close to home so we could roadie style it from my place. After a quick fuel up at the Chestnut Bakery (great coffee) we were ready. Riding over the GG Bridge is made a little more technical by dodging all the tourists and road bikers. But its a good way to warm up. By the time we hit dirt we'd already covered 8 miles.

We took the coastal road down to Bunker road and hit the Rodeo trail before bearing right onto the Bobcat trail. The first of several long climbs taking us back up to 1000ft or so above sea level. From there we rode to the Tennessee Valley Trailhead and picked up the Coastal Trail. The flavour of the day was to be climb, descend, climb, descend - and repeat. This was perfect.

The Coastal Trail is closed to bikes on certain sections which is a shame - but understandable given the number of pensioners and toddlers en route. That kinda technical I don't want to deal with. So we took the coastal fireroad to bypass (and add some more climbing) and then re-connected near Muir Beach. This short section of the Coastal Trail gave a cruel taste of how fun it COULD be.... lots of ruts and whoop de doo's .... but lots of families and rogue dogs. So we had to exercise restraint. Maybe a mid-week or early morning session is in order to really take advantage of this place...

Once we hit the trail to Muir Beach, we peeled off to the Green Gulch trail. Through the Zen centre and then onto a nice, steep technical climb. This one caused my all too familiar cramping and burnout to kick in. But a couple of minutes rest and some Sharkies later I was good to go. Before it gets really brutal, the terrain levels out and the heart rate goes back to normal. Once we cleared Green Gulch, we stopped to sort some mechanical issues and scoff scooby snacks before the climb up Coyote and on to the Miwok trail. Now, Miwok is fuuuun! Deep ruts, lots of jumps and - thankfully - few hikers. It even throws a few tight switchbacks at you to keep things interesting. My technique was a little less than fluid on a few of the jumps and I hit a few smack on the front side. But it was no bother to the Nomad's stride. 6 inches of travel will do a lot to smooth out shabby trail riding. Speaking of which, with all the climbing we were doing I really noticed how great the pro-pedal is. Its only once you unhinge the Nomad's plush suspension do you realise just how firmed up the arse end is by the pro-pedal. Impressive stuff. But I digress.

So, we'd had our fun. Back to the meat of this ride ; climbing. Our descent had taken us to the Tennessee Valley trail head. Now we needed to head back up to the Bobcat trail. A quick before and after Garmin check verified my guestimate - we had a good 1000ft of straight climbing ahead. No worries. By now, we were 25 odd miles in and feeling pretty good. I'd been playing with a new pedaling technique all day which seemed to be reaping rewards. I normally just huff and puff and stab my feet south to get through the climbs. But the Nomad is an unforgiving beast when it comes to climbing. She's no slouch, but she aint no mountain goat either. So better technique was called for. I focused on using my upper legs to "kick and scrape" through the pedal cycle. It feels a little strange, but works a treat. Every time I nailed it, my cadence got faster, smoother and less strenuous. But its not quite hardwired yet. I need to work on making it my default stroke - especially when the going gets tough and steep.

Anyway, all these thoughts of technique and analysis are going through my head as I spin the granny gear up the climb. Like all the ascents that day, the grade wasn't steep enough to warrant resting - "no one got stronger from stopping" I kept chanting to myself. But it was long enough and intense enough to lay down some solid foundations for Downieville and beyond - I hope.

We hit Bobcat and rode back to Rodeo and onto Bunker road for the climb out, back to the bridge. Just in time too as my camel sack was run dry and we'd finished the last of the scooby snacks. Riding past the tourists gathered at the look outs, I took stock of all the epic views we'd seen that day - A fringe benefit of enjoying our sport and something I'd otherwise miss out on. Another good reason to get out and ride :o)

After five and half hours, 36 miles and 5500ft of climbing, we arrived back in the city. Confident we'd reap the rewards of our graft later. But also aware that we'll need to get a couple more sessions like that under out belts to make Downieville as pain free and fun as possible.

Orange

2010-06-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

No "real" riding this weekend. Just a treck around San Fran on my trusty Orange hardtail. The P7 really is the perfect city bike. Yeah, its a bit heavy but it climbs the hills of this place no problem. And those lovely big, flat DMR V10's are a great platform for urban riding. I finished up riding on the trails near the Golden gate Bridge. Gentle single track, but great views. I did briefly consider kitting the P7 out with some panniers or a rack to add some practicality to these city jaunts. But then I remembered the countless trail miles I'd ridden on this bike, including a few races, and decided she wasn't ready to be put out to pasture just yet. ;o)

6610 : Tamarancho Dirt Classic

2010-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

The weekend of the 6th June saw me, Spangles and Rosson head to familiar territory for the Tamarancho Dirt Classic race. Car mechanicals and sunburn conspired to halt me and Spangles in our pursuit of dirt but thanks to Rosson giving us the keys to his truck, and aloe vera, the day was on! Now, I've said this (to myself) time and time again ; always, always carry a spare pair of gloves in your camelsack. Always. That was a lesson well learned at Napa. Not going to make the same mistake again. Nope, this time I won't bring ANY gloves with me instead. What a fool. I left all FOUR PAIRS of my gloves in the truck. Something I realised 20 minutes before the start and after 2 miles of climbing from the carpark....... My lizard skins were already dripping with sweat. This was not a good start. Luckily, lady MTB luck decided to step in, or at least Jason's mate did, and handed me a pair of fingerless gloves for the duration. Sorted.

After limbering up in the gorgeous sunshine and chatting to a few locals (including a fellow Sheffielder who, at 49, didn't look a day over his mid 30's - a great advert for riding and Cali' weather) we were all set! The race was to take in most of the regular Tamarancho loop with a few additions. The direction of travel was oppposite to what I'm used to riding which threw up a few pleasant suprises. The tough, tight switchbacks normally tackled on the climb are great fun on the way down. And the infamous Rock is far more manageable when riding down it's imposing face. It shone new light on an old friend, but I still had enough local knowledge to know when to keep my kung fu wits about me.

The main difference between the race and the regular Tamarancho loop was the inclusion of the Dead Heffer climb. I'm not entirely sure were it got it's name. But, it feels strangely appropriate. Your, once nimble feeling, bike soon feels like a hellish dead cow when you're at the pushing stage which - for me, was not long into the race. I did have a decent ride though. Really had my wits about me and enjoyed the flow of Tamarancho's perfectly groomed single track. The switchbacks were especially satisfying... keep off the front brake, let the bike track through, use momentum, point the bike and it'll go, use the back brake to skid out the rear a little - nice!

But the climbing killed me. Especially as we had to do the Dead Heffer climb 3 times. Three!?!?! There's a special place in hell for the person who thought that would be a fun addition to the race. The first climb was a "warm up!" After that we proceeded, heads bowed and panting, to push our steeds up it's unforgiving fireroad. Well no amount of sugary goodness in my camelsack could save my legs from fading fast. And then the cramps kicked in...... So any chance of a decent time was screwed. But this didn't stop me enjoying the course and the general atmosphere. There really is no better way to spend a sunny Sunday than riding hard in the company of fellow MTB enthusiasts. Although the day wasn't without its casualties. Navigating tight switchbacks and baby head rocks with the flutter of a rescue helicopter's blades in your ear is a visceral reminder of the dangers of this sport.

Still, we finished the race, a little more sunkissed, tired and happy. Spangles did a great job. The times haven't been posted as I write this, but he finished a good half hour ahead of me. A cracking job for his first race. We're doing Downieville next month. I think we (ok, I) need to get some conditioning in to cope with the climbing. Maybe a Mt Diablo ride is on the cards....

May's End 2010

2010-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

During the memorial day weekend me and Spangles took a trip to Mikes Bikes in San Rafael for a snoop around. Whilst there, idly perusing the magazines and energy beans I spotted a poster for the Tamarancho Dirt Classic MTB race. In my head, I thought the race was at least a few weeks away..... but on closer inspection (ie, reading the details properly) I realised it takes place during the first weekend of June. Ie, next weekend. So, instead of spending this particularly leisurely long weekend taking pictures like this :

I decided I really ought to be out on the trails getting some mileage in. So me and Spangles decided to tool up and head to China Camp for some much needed shredding. China Camp gets several mentions on this blog. And with good reason. Its such a great place to ride. Swooping, fast trails and some fun stuff to session when you feel like it -ie, the Nike drops at the top of the dyno' climb*

I had hoped to get a cheeky Tamarancho session in before the weekend was out, but a creaky hub put paid to that idea. The Nomad is currently in the shop having this seen to. They're also dialing in my suspension for me. I wonder if they can dial in these (still) bruised ribs while they're at it.

* Dyno climb ..... strangely pleasant.

Quantum of Solstice

2010-05-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've been MTB riding for exactly two years now. For the most part I've enjoyed leisurely weekend rides with good mates on my Orange hard tail - no dramas, just good fun and fitness to boot. Moving to Cali' has inspired me to be a better rider. The trails out here really deserve no less. I apsire to ride with more finesse, definitely more speed and with enough skill to elevate me above the weekend rambler level that I feel stuck at right now. I've been riding with highly skilled people, signing up for races and devouring MTB literature in the hopes that my abilities would improve. So, I'm at a point now where I know where I want to be and I know where I deffinitely am at. The problem is there's an aching chasm between the two. Each weekend spent trying to bridge it inevitably leads to swapping some DNA with the trail and nursing another harsh lesson through to the next ride. (For the record, this week's injury is nice set of bruised ribs.) Still, all I can do is learn from the mistakes and take it to the trail the next time. Oh, and keep buying new bits of body armour.

The penultimate weekend before my 33rd birthday. The weather in Marin is beautiful. Perfect conditions to hit Tamarancho for a quick spin before being introduced to pastures new - the Solstice trail. Me, Jason Spangles and my good friend Jason Rosson met up at a teeming Fairfax java hut on the sunday. Us and dozens of roadies and dirties all getting limbered up for a solid day's riding. Solstice was heavily anticipated. Jason usually rides it at night with his hardcore downhill buddies, so we knew it was going to be tough. But I looked forward to the challenge on my (still) new Nomad.

Tamarancho was its usual mix of fun and technical challenges. It was Spangles' first time riding there. He's also doing the Dirt Classic so it was good for him to get a taster for the terrain. Once we'd ridden most of the loop, we headed out along B-17 and Porcupine towards the start of the Solstice climb. Porcupine really is a great way to end a Tamarancho session. A good way to give the legs one final stretch and to warm down the bike kung fu on the lovely sweeping singletrack.

The climb to the Solstice trail head is borderline brutal. Borderline in that its very long.... veeery long, but its a constant grade. So once you find a good cadence you really have no excuses but to push on and enjoy the view. Rosson - with his single speed legs - soon left me and Spangles behind. We eventually caught him at the top. Whilst we took in the stunning Bay Area panorama, Jason - a veteran of this climb, tinkered with pixel pets on his iphone.

We'd climbed for a reason. We were about to meet that reason. Rosson is an excellent rider. And he's a good guy too. Always happy to offer advice and tips to help your skills. His best advice of the day (appart from his post ride pub suggestion) was to use speed for stability. This is advice I knew well. Coupled with confidence, speed will get you through many a sketchy moment. But its hard to apply it 100% of the time. My problem was, I decided to disregard it at the exact moment that we crossed a ditch. Target fixation, not enough momentum, thinking about what might happen instead of where I wanted to put the bike - all school boy errors which led to me falling, ribs first, into said ditch (at a -40% grade - thanks for that handy piece of info my Garmin friend.)

All this was before we'd hit the scary stuff. By now, my mettle was well and truly shaken. But we cracked on. A few stumbles and a nosebleed were had, but nothing major. The waterfall section of Solstice is where Jason's friends strap on armour. That gave me and Spangles some idea of what was to come. In truth, I wasn't really feeling it. I rode part of the steep, rutted stuff, but played it safe and walked down the really sketchy sections. It left me frustrated at myself, but keen to come back and tackle it with fresh confidence.

Its not hard to be taken out of your comfort zone in this sport. That's a big part of the appeal for me. But I need to get some confidence sessions in to up my game. Momentum and confidence. Sounds simple when you write it down, but its amazing how fragile those words become when you're poised at the top of a trail that will either lead to a huge grin or a night in A&E. For now, I'm checking out body armour online and hoping my ribs heal before the next weekend's ride.

Spangles Knows His Onions.....

2010-05-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Leafing through my iPhone pictures I came across these little beauties. Taken on a fairly un-blog worthy ride a couple of weeks ago up in Santa Rosa We were all set for a day's riding in the sun, but mother Annadel had other ideas and decided to turn our sunny climb into a quagmire descent. We were completely ill prepared against the cold and wet but, Jason just happened to have his onion goggles with him. After my experience at Napa a few weeks before, I'd always fancied a pair of onion goggles. I was convinced they were the perfect solution to MTB mud and rain riding ; clear eye protection with absorbant matte black sponge creating a seal against the fizzog. So we made the best of a bad ride and let Jase guinea pig them for us. Result? They don't work. Still,that shouldn't stop us from enjoying the sight of Spangles styling them out on the trail.

Henry W Coe State Park

2010-05-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

So, I bought this book here and started ear marking trails that I want to hit over the summer. Three routes are suggested for Henry Coe state park. I picked the hardest looking one and hit the road out towards San Jose way with Jason Spangles and our rides. We didn't know exactly what to expect but felt well prepared with our guide book and route maps. The terrain was 70% single track stretching for 16.8 miles with about 3000 feet of climbing. All figures I hoped to verify on my new Garmin Edge 500. A nifty piece of kit that I paired with a heart rate monitor. The Garmin appeals to the inner Knight Rider fan who wants their bike to tell them how fast, far and high they're going - as well as giving a friendly beep when approaching cardiac arrest. After a couple of mechanical issues (notably a burst camel sack) and equipment/gadget checking, we headed out into the wilderness.

Now, I'll start this record by stating that the book has the whole route arse backwards. I'm relatively new to mountain biking Norcal style, so I'm by no means an expert, but I always thought single track was fun to ride DOWN and fire road was bearable to ride UP...... Not according to our trusty route master book. Unfortunately, for all its sophisticated GPS intel, my Garmin couldn't warn us of this. Our fate was set. And so it was, in the baking Californian heat - with compromised water supply - we rode into Henry Coe to tackle its 70% worth of uphill single track.

Now, don't get me wrong, Henry Coe is a great place to spend the weekend. It has beautiful lakes and epic vista views..... But these days I only care about "epic" when it's in the same sentence as "trail". The single track climb was relentless and frustrating. We both found it hard to keep a steady cadence and kept getting outwitted by soul sapping steep ascents and devilish switchbacks. Once you finally reach the top (after several false summits) you have a few reasonable downhill sections, but its mainly just fire road. A good place to practice some bike skills, and for me to allow my new avids to break in, but not enough grin factor to make you forget about the heavy slogg getting there.

Still, it was good training for Downieville (our route was slightly longer than the book's 16.8 miles - we were closer to 22 miles.) AND we managed to avoid the parks famous inhabitants - Tarantulas! ...... Glad I knew about those fellas AFTER I sprawled about in the long grass trying to get cool pictures for this feckin' blog!

I rounded the weekend off with a short loop around Tamarancho. We have the dirt classic coming up very soon so I wanted to work on my switchback and technical skills. Tamarancho has some outstanding terrain. The single track really is quite amazing and its very easy to be whisked along and forget how demanding it is. Well, on this day I was reminded with a bump. Towards the end of the ride I lost concentration - and a lot of elbow skin - to another lesson learned : keep your weight balanced and centred and focus on the trail. Oh, and if you have elbow pads - they're really no use sitting in the car......

Weapon of Choice

2010-05-03T19:58:00.001-07:00

So, May started off the way any birthday month should start - the purchase of a new ride! I've spent the past year researching what full suss' bike to get. I looked at the Yeti 575, a couple of Treks, the Blur.... all sensible XC bikes that would serve my purposes adequately. However I'd always get drawn back to the Santa Cruz Nomad. Something about it made me want to ride it. The raking head angle, burly frame and graceful geometry arcs just look great. I've tried to justify the choice to myself and others by saying things like "the 6 inch travel will give me confidence to ride harder and faster.. blah de blah" but the simple truth is, I think it's one hell of a sexy looking piece of hardware. And I wanted it.

I picked it up from the Family Cycle Centre in Santa Cruz. A very nice, and knowledgeable bunch of folks. I chose the X9 build kit with a couple of upgrades. I flirted with the idea of the new carbon frame, but decided to rein in my spending. The SRAM X9 build on the aluminium frame isn't exactly featherweight, but I'm used to heaving my cromo steel Orange up slopes so I figured it'd be ok. I went for a Chris King headset and the Fox DHX 5.0 air shock. I also chose the Lyric solo air fork option. Powdercoat black. Crank Brothers Acid pedals and, to top it all off, a Gravity Dropper Classic seatpost.

The Nomad's maiden ride was to be at China Camp state park in Marin. A favourite playground of mine full of nice, sweeping single track and some decent, rutted downhill. There's also a cheeky selection of near vertical drops next to the rocket launch pad to test your mettle kung fu (which we did - all of them - with the Nomad barely hitting the full 6 inches of it's silky smooth compression.)

It's going to take me a while to dial the Nomad in. I need to get used to the feel of full suspension and longer travel before I can tune it to perfection. But I'm totally smitten. Racing down twisty-turny singletrack, is a dream like waltz. Every subtle shift is transmitted through the geometry allowing for tiny balance corrections to be dialed back in. However, when things get sketchy, you can use the Nomad's as a brutal, blunt instrument to carve through and sort it itself out to safety. Both these qualities instill an enormous sense of confidence both in the bike and the trail. I've never ridden as well or with as much enjoyment as I did the first time I took this elegant brute out. Roll on the weekend!

Night Rider(s)

2010-04-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

So, April proved to be a pretty epic month ride-wise. Me and Jason Rosson decided to see it out with a bit of night riding. I bought a nice Exposure Lights Diablo light last year and never used it. I thought it about time I cracked it out of its blister pack, strap it to my head and make haste to Camp Tamarancho.

I haven't done night riding since me and the Aardman fellas used to spend cold, muddy nights together riding Ashton Court. I'd forgotten how unnerving the forced tunnel vision is, or how ruts and rocks can suddenly come out of nowhere. Its also the first time this year that I've braved Tamarancho. Either I'd forgotten just how technical and challenging that place is, or the winter has not been kind and made it extra specially rutted and tricky. Either way, I made my way round like a freshly squeezed out bambi deer, desperately trying to stay upright.

I'll definitely make the night ride a part of my weekly routine. We have the Tamarancho Dirt Classic coming up soon. I can't think of a better way to sharpen my Tamarancho kung fu than by squinting my way around it with a couple of torch lights for company.

Shasta La Vista Baby!

2010-04-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

The weekend of the 24th April saw me, Scott and Aaron travel north for the Lemurian Shasta Classic. A 26 mile race which starts from Whiskeytown lake, climbs 5200 feet up Mount Shasta and then takes you alongside Brandy Creek to the finish. With numbers like "26 miles" and "5200 ft" floating around, liquor is the last thing you're thinking about. Instead we opted for a quick motel breakfast and headed to the lake.

The race was organised into categories, but it didn't matter as we all took off in one big huddle. The first part of the course took us along the road to the trail head. 350 plus mountain bikes of all persuasion hurtling along must've been quite a sight. One guy shouted "Hear the knobbly roar!" which instantly became the quote of the day.

Once we hit the trail head the warm up began. A grueling slog up a few miles of fireroad. My bike - fresh from the tune up shop - clearly knew it was to be replaced very soon with the Nomad. The front derailleur refused to give me the granny ring and the rear couldn't decide what gear to settle on, so gave me a few choices whenever I put any sort of pressure on the cranks. Typically, it settled on the gear just hard enough to force a dismount. Not fun, and something which made me seriously believe the bike had a heart blackened by jealousy as the ride progressed.

Once over the first big climb it was time for some downhill. Some nice, rutted single track to warm up the bike kung fu skills. After that, a long, steady single track ride through amazing scenery and a few refreshing creek crossings. Its at times like this, out in the fresh air, rattling along in the open countryside, that you really do wonder what you did before you discovered the joys of 26inch wheels. The next bit reminded me. I used to avoid excruciating pain. Now, for some reason, I spend my weekends in it.

The second big climb was the longest I have ever pushed my bike up. I might've had a fighting chance of riding it had my gears behaved. But the biggest handicap was cramp. If you've ever seen the stiff legged goats on youtube you'll have some idea of how I looked. I wasn't alone though. The trail sides were littered with us poor soles, hunched over and looking bewildered at our squirming thigh muscles.

After a few rest stops and a few more Goo shots I reached the top of the second climb. I'm not sure how many miles we had to go as my trip computer had given up in disgust. It felt like it should be the home stretch, and it was. The descent back to the lake was a mixture of some serious X and XX grade drops and some epic technical single track. Putting mechanical issues aside (both bike and body) I grinned through the technical stuff and took in the awesome beauty of Brandy Creek.

I finished the ride just shy of the five hour mark. A good hour or more longer than Scott and Aaron. Its a fantastic race, but one you need to prepare for. I need to start hitting those San Francisco hills to build up some strength. Its Downieville in a few weeks for more of the same (and a couple of extra miles.) As I crossed the finished line I thought the best was over. Until I saw Scott and Aaron who welcomed me with a prize! yep, I'd won a T and a beanie in the raffle!

Whine Country

2010-04-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, this last sunday (11th April) was the annual Napa Valley Dirt Classic MTB race. My good friend Doctor Jason Rosson told me about it - wide eyed. I checked it out online - looked fantastic. So we signed up. Having done my research, ie watching a few youtube vids, I had it in my head that the race was going to be 22 miles of buttery singletrack, riding in the idyllic Napa countryside with the sun on our backs. We'd stop every now and again to nab some grapes and congratulate ourselves on how well we were riding. An amazing day was guaranteed.

Cut to sunday am. Driving to Napa, relieved that I'd packed warm riding gear (including a spanking new Canondale jacket.) Its heaving down with rain. No worries I thought, the website said "rain or shine." It must be designed for this kinda weather..... Oh how wrong I was.

Within about 6 or 7 minutes of arriving at Pacific Union College I'm soaked wet through. I meet up with Jason and we hang around the start line until its time to go. I'm still optimistic and he's poised and confident. No ideas of the horrors we're about to endure. Jason's riding single speed so he heads off. 10 minutes later me and a bunch of other 19-34 year old males are heading through the college towards the trail head.

Now, I won't labour over describing the ride. The part of my brain that deals with trauma has blocked much of it out. Needless to say it was, as the locals kept saying "brutal." About 4 out of the 22 mile track was fairly decent twisty single track that held up well in the mud. The rest was uphill slog, pushing the bike against a torrent of muddy water. The trails were seriously rutted which made the downhill switchbacks especially challenging when you're fading into a hypothermia induced delerium. I lost count of the number of poor souls I saw at the side of the trail shivering, waiting for the nice man with the quadbike ambulance and blankets. By mile 15 everyone's legs were getting cramped, but survival instincts kicked in and we pushed on.

After a few hard falls and some hairy muddy descents, I arrived at the finish line. Glad I'd made it one piece. I really didn't care about my time (which was just as well as I finished last in my category as it happens.) I found Rosson, shivering in his truck. He rolled down the window and I was horrified by his blood red eyes. He learned to wear goggles on a muddy ride the hard way. Jason saw my disgust at his eyes so decided to distract me by displaying his hideously disfigured hand. The poor fecker had dislocated a finger! (but still managed to finish ahead of me!?!) I offered sympathy to the poor dude.... but then realised I'd suffered an injury even more tragic. On one of my many high speed (ahem) tumbles I'd put a feckin' hole in my new Canondale jacket. Gutted. Jason shed a tear. We tried to console eachother. It was a great jacket.

Trail Fruit

2010-04-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

When out on the trails, keep yer eyes peeled for these little fellas. You can't miss 'em. They're about 8 inch long and bright yellow. The locals refer to them as "Banana Slugs." We had no idea why until Jase had the idea of peeling it from the arse end. Sure enough, it had a firm pulp for insides that tasted just like banana! Who needs Cliff bars and gel shots out on the trails when mother nature provides the avid rider with such a bountiful selection of natural treats? Marvelous.

April 2010

2010-04-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

It turns out California also suffers from April showers. Nonetheless we set out, one wet Sunday in April to make fools of those who say "you can't ride Skeggs in the rain." Well.... they're wrong! You actually can't ride Skeggs when its wet, slippery and full of soul sapping mud! See, Skeggs is full of epic climbs. Epic is a manly way of saying "really feckin' hard" Those climbs become even harder when you've only got one pack of Sharkies between the three of you. Imagine the Travelator on ITV's The Gladiators - its like that. Except the Travelator is covered in mud and roots and you're running up with with a bike that - in my case - weighs about the same as a Wolfman. You get the picture.

Still, we discovered the South Leaf trail (which they thoughtfully put right below the North Leaf trail.) Definitely one to hit in the dry. Some very challenging, technical climbs and great descents. Come on Cali'... where's the feckin' sun? Still, on the bright side, the drive back on the 101 cleaned the bikes up proper job.

Mikey's Blog

2010-04-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Mikey Ford has been riding bikes since before you could get them in colour. He's a true vet' and an all round great guy. He lives on the doorstep of some truly epic scenery and trails. He's been kind enough to give us a little insight into his world here :

http://www.tastypixels.co.uk/blog/

Mount Tam'

2010-04-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

For some strange reason, I'd avoided riding mount Tam until now. I'd always imagined a brutal climb, nice views, a quick fireroad descent and then home for an early bath. One weekend in March I was proven wrong.

Me, Jase, Scott and Aaron parked up in Mill Valley and started the single track ascent to West Point (about 1700 feet.) The climb was relentless and had some extremely tough technical sections but was consistently pleasant as long as you had the stamina. Luckily I'd had the foresight to pack some sharkies so I didn't need stamina - I had gelatin and sugars to keep me going.

The views along the way were beyond the scope of my poor iphone. It couldn't do them justice. Needless to say they're spectacular and worth the climb alone. The whole bay to breakers vista is outstanding on a clear day.

Once we hit West Point, we started the descent towards the general direction of Stinson Beach. The descent starts with some fun, fast fireroad and then turns into some epic single track where your only choice is to batten down the hatches, hold on and grin!

We then climbed our way back to West Point and descended back to Mill Valley the way we came. Again, great fun - but beware of hikers and sunday cyclists. The technical sections going down were no easier than coming up. A couple of tumbles were had and blood was spilt, but all in a days work.

Mount Tam - 1700 feet (x2) 25 miles....... and another cracking ride in the bag. Nice!

March 2010

2010-04-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

So, we hit March and finally the mud starts to dry up. This means more of the day can be spent riding and less of the day scrubbing the nooks and crannies of bike parts. Brilliant. We decided to hit Skeggs point - or more specifically the trails at Corte de Madera open space, just south of Half Moon Bay. I'd ridden Skegg's last year with a couple of MTB rockstars on superlite full suss rigs. I spent the day on my pig-iron hardtail, tripping out on lactic acid desperately trying to keep up... the whole time I had the "F" word rattling around my head.... that "F" word was.... fun!

So it was that me and Jason found ourselves there this March, armed with bikes, a map and a cooler box full of goodies - all set for a day's riding. Skegg's is unique in that you start with a descent not a climb. You have a big climb out at the end, but lets not worry about that now. My memory of the trails was sketchy so we decided on a rough loop of the park to get a feel for the place.

We headed to the northern part of the park and hit the Fir trail. Fir trail is a swooping length of double track with some fantastic jump opportunities and some steep descents. The alternative (as we found later in the day) is to take Resolution and North Leaf. Both very technical descents which add to the fantastic variety of riding you get at Skeggs.

We left the park (after a brutal climb out up the Methusela trail) wanting more. People had told us - misty eyed - about the Steam Donkey trail. We also took Giant Salamander one way when it was clearly better to hurtle down it the other. So we'll be back. In fact, I want to christen my Nomad here. Its the perfect playground for a new ride.

Santa Cruz

2010-04-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

So, one sunny saturday in late Feb (or maybe it was early March) me and Jase found ourselves nipping down the road to Santa Cruz. Our mission was to pick up his newly ordered S-Works Stumpy and then christen it on the local trails known as "Mailboxes."

After an hour or so of suspension tuning we were ready to hit the trails. Jason on his new steed, me with new clip in pedals. The first trail we hit was closed for the winter. We gave it a try anyway and three miles in we were kicked out by the parky. Almost ready to call it a day as a bad job, we noticed some locals riding off into the woods across the road from where we parked. These trails - as it happens, were college grounds and therefore not closed. The day was saved!

I'm still not sure if these trails form part of the mailboxes or not, but they're a fun ride - though not for the nervous. The trails are tailored for downhill and the place is littered with uber fast 16 year old kids with full face helmets and burly downhill rigs. Not easy to dodge when you're trying to climb up the downhill trails, with new clip in's that are a bit too tight.

Needless to say, we had a few hishaps (mainly me falling sideways everytime I needed to stop) but a great ride all the same. Will deffinitely have to return once I've retired the hardtail. Yep, my trusty Orange P7 will soon be replaced. Whilst Jase was settling up on his purchase, I found my next. A Santa Cruz Nomad (X9 kit.) I'll be getting it very soon.... from Santa Cruz (its spiritual home.) I say spiritual because the frame's are made in the far east somewhere apparently.
See, people tell you the camera never lies. But in this case it did, because that trail felt a LOT steeper in real life. No, seriously...

China Camp

2010-04-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

China Camp, in Marin, is guaranteed to induce a few grins. Ride there with Scott and Aaron and its likely to induce a fair amount of fear too. These fellas like the rough stuff. The best thing about China Camp though? It stays pretty much mud free during the winter. Fantastic. Somewhere to tide you over until Tamarancho dries out.

Actually, I just remembered.... the BEST thing about China Camp is this place ; Bogie's Cafe. Somewhere to grab a decent plate of food after a hard ride. They even have some fellas playing ukeleles as you sip coffee. Nice.