Dirty Faces

That's what we had. Battle weary, sun kissed and caked deep with California dust. Yep, our faces told the story of this year's Annadel Bike Monkey Race. Last year I had some teeth yanked so had to rest up while the other lads took up the challenge of a few hours in the dust. This year, I was set. I'd even done a cheeky pre-ride the week before. So I was super excited to finally get to ride my favourite NorCal trails with a couple hundred like minded souls and see what I could do.

We started out en mass from Bike Monkey headquarters in downtown Santa Rosa. A couple of miles of police escorted riding must've been one hell of a sight. We buzzed along, our knobbly tires on asphalt like a swarm of angry wasps. Once we reached Howard Park it was time to set the clocks and hit the dirt. The race was on!

We worked our way to Channel Drive. Jostling eachother out of the way, any slight widening of trail was used to gain an extra place. I took things easy as I was keen to warm up. But I also knew that none of the climbing was that steep or sustained. So kept the pressure on the pedals, inching ahead of slower riders. The mass kept bottlenecking though. Anytime we hit something remotely technical, things would grind to a halt. Disappointing, and slightly odd. Maybe we had one too many casual MTB riding roadies amongst us. This pattern carried on as we hit Richardson and then North Burma. I'm never especially aggressive with fellow racers, but I couldn't help but gnash my teeth as people refused to pull on the descents. Hmm.... The buzz was getting somewhat killed and the climbs were even less appealing than usual as I knew the descents were going to be throttled by discourteous, timid arseholes riders.

Still, I felt really strong. The pre-ride helped a lot as I knew when to settle back in the granny and spin out to catch my breath, and when it was worth surging ahead up a techy climb overtaking as many people as I could. Forewarned is forearmed as they say and today was proof. As we crested the South Burma climb, I pushed hard to Lawndale. Determined to have a good crack at a fast descent before the final climb out. After a couple of early overtaking moves I found myself with Annadel's (arguably) best trail all to myself. Dust hung thick in the air masking a clear view, but I felt familiar enough with Lawndale's curves to drop the hammers and enjoy the lovely flow.

Hitting the little step jump at the end of the trail, I landed in the Lawndale car park just shy of 2 hours in. I could feel a few twinges in my legs but a welcome rest stop and water douse reinvigorated  me enough to push any thoughts of cramp to the back of my mind and push on. A couple more salty pills mixed with a Gu gel and I ended up feeling fine for the rest of the race.

Once we climbed Shultz I knew the homestretch was just around the corner. A little more techy climbing through Ridge, and then a fast blast down Marsh and Canyon. I checked the Garmin... 2:45. I'd entertained a fantasy about coming in around the 3 hour mark (our pre-ride was done in 3:20.) With 15 minutes to go it seemed almost feasible. A few Strava PRs are proof that I rode like the clappers and came in seconds under the 3 hour mark. Woo hoo! Great stuff.

This year's Annadel race was certainly a highlight in terms of how good I felt. I felt strong all the way around (a stark contrast to the Howell Mountain Challenge a few weeks before.) Never did I feel like my fitness was hindering my riding. I climbed strong and passed enough people on the descents to know I was riding smooth and fast. Good stuff. Just a shame about those feckin rock shy lycra bunnies clogging up the fun bits ;o)

Fat Fellas in Lycra....

.... is one of the major downsides to the mountain bike race scene. Getting stuck behind some bloke who looks like a ready-to-pop sausage is not a pleasant way to spend an already grueling grind up a hill. But that's about the ONLY thing about the Downieville Classic XC race that I can find fault with. Everything else was, as hoped and expected, outstanding. This year's was my third in a row and with all the snow gone we were back to the full 29 mile (or so) race route. I was keen to see how I'd fare against my time from two years ago. Chris, here for his first Dville race, was keen to experience firsthand the wondrous trails that I'd so misty-eyed talked about.

We got up early on the Saturday to digest electrolyte goop and Weetabix carbage in preparation for the day's assault. The Nomad, freshly tuned, dialed and primped, looked awesome. I felt pretty good too. Skipping the marathon felt like a wise move. After an earlier in the week cheeky 'Rancho night loop, everything felt solid. My legs, save for some residual soreness, were like coiled springs. This race is easily the highlight of the biking year for me so I couldn't wait to ride out into the beautiful morning sun, hit the best trails California has to offer and see what another year's riding experience brought to the table.

The long, long climb to Packer Saddle was it's usual steady grind. Nice views mixed with the occasional challenge of balancing at a slower than ideal pace behind the masses. A few calculated spurts of energy got me past the slower riders and kept me at a good pace. I knew I'd done this climb in around 1.30 previously so kept that in mind as a target to beat. As we hit the margarita aid station I felt a twinge in my legs. All my systems felt good... maybe just some muscle pump. Luckily the bikini wearing beauties handing out drinks kept my mind off my lactic acid levels as we hit the first section of singletrack.

I definitely felt faster through Sunrise Trail. Thoroughly warmed up, the change of pace was welcomed by throwing the Nomad around the twisty corners and enjoying skills developed from the BetterRide clinic. Once we hit the Baby Head Rocks section I dropped the hammers, hunkered down into a fighting stance and let the dual 6inch travel beast do it's thing. The Nomad skipped violently in places as I was forced to take rougher lines to overtake people. A couple of recent Northstar sessions served me well though and I kept both tires planted. After a brutal, but awesome run, we were free from the jarring rocks and onto some fireroad relief. As we climbed towards the Pauley Creek descent my earlier muscle twitch made it's presence felt with some hideous hamstring cramping. Not even halfway through the race and my legs were crippling my chances of a decent ride! Pissed off that the electrolyte guzzling hadn't done shit, I decided to ride through it. Nothing was going to ruin this race. Not even my own stupid anatomy!

The Pauly Creek Trail was incredible. Fast, but loose, rocky and rooty. I love this kind of singletrack as it forces you to commit to a fast line to make it fun and safe. It's no good picking your way through - especially not when you have a few dozen fellas barreling down on you. I don't think I've ever overtaken as many people on a race section as I did here. Icing on an already delicious cake! After Pauly, more climbing and my cramp came back with a vengeance. Knowing what was to come, I eased off, stuck the Nomad in the granny and tried to spin out my lactic acid drenched legs.

Third divide. The most amazing trail of all time. I was taken to see Return of the Jedi as a mere 5 year old kid. The wide eyed wonder and excitement brought about by the speeder bike sequence was to be rekindled here, in Downieville. I swallowed my cramping pain and dropped in. Unbelievably I had the whole trail to myself. A couple of well timed overtaking moves at the top of the last climb gave me all of Third's epic, magic carpet strewn dirt to enjoy solo! Save for the constant hanging dust, the trail conditions were fantastic. Daring you to go faster and faster, I couldn't believe how much fun I was having - or how hikers manage to survive unscathed out here. At times I struggled to keep a low attack position due to my pesky cramping quads and almost went over the bars on some of the bigger technical sections. But the grin was too much of a draw to let bad form or muscle pain stop me from going as fast as I could. I kept telling myself "just grin and bear it... leave off the brakes... stop wanting to sit down at a time like this! This is INCREDIBLE! Woo hoo!" ;o)

After Third Divide, I was feeling spent. Knowing the big stuff was out of the way I cruised the last climb and sailed down First Divide. One last fun, flowey descent before the final welcome into Downieville's main street. I felt shattered, but elated. This place brings the best out of my riding and this year was no exception. Coming in just shy of 3:20 I knocked almost 20 minutes off my previous effort. Clear signs of progress! But most importantly, me, Chris and Rosson all came away grinning, unscathed and looking forward to next year's race.

Schmarathon

After last week's disastrous race at the HMC I was faced with a stark truth : running and riding don't mix. At least not for this mid thirties desk jockey. So.... I decided to can the marathon and focus on the riding. With less than a week to go before Downieville I didn't want to overcook my quads and go into a difficult race pre-exhausted.

With the running race out of the way, I was free to join Dave and Chris for another cheeky Northstar day out! Perfect training for the Dville descents, plus some more warming up ahead of next month's Whistler trip. Awesome!

We spent much of the day hitting our favourite trails ; Livewire and Gypsy. Plus we added in some Big Trees to mix things up a bit. My rental bike had some major brake issues and needed bleeding after the first run. A quick trip back to the shop and it felt much better. But not quite as dialed as I'd like. That's the problem with rentals, they're always a bit knackered. Everytime I go to N* the arguments for investing in a downhill rig become stronger.... Maybe next year.

We had a great day. In fact we rode for a solid 5 hours or so. Dave and Chris were touching clouds and hitting some big features. I followed, for the most part. But I still felt my sense of self preservation keeping me nice and cosy in the comfort zone. Maybe I had the upcoming bike events in the back of my mind. I deliberately eased back to save injury spoiling the goodies to come. Or, more likely, I'm just going at my usual slowly slowly pace of learning. Either way, I need to be hitting those jumps with more confidence if I'm going to get any faster. But I do love hitting the rocky rough stuff. Especially on those big burly bikes. Next weekend I'll be doing much the same but on my trusty Nomad. Downieville here we come!

Grin and Grind It

A couple of years ago I first rode the Howell Mountain Challenge. Fresh from a decent run at Downieville I felt strong and managed a decentesque time of 2:15. This year, the HMC fell a couple of weeks before Downieville. The perfect warm up for one of the race highlights of the year. With a couple more years riding experience under my belt I expected to do better than I did in '010. However, as I readied the Nomad and kitted myself up I felt distracted by the morning sun which was burning strong already. Me, Chris and Spangles had done a China' loop the day before and, although fairly leisurely and early, it had managed to trigger the all too familiar heatstroke headache and nausea. So as I hung around with my fellow Cat 2 riders waiting for the start I felt somewhat queasy in the rising heat. Not good.

As we set off from the start everyone fired ahead. Lost in the spirit of racing and keen to get into a good position. I took a steady launch from the start line (knowing I ride better with a warm up) and eventually caught the throng at the first hike-a-bike section. Heading out of the college grounds we hit a long stretch of fireroad. The perfect way to thin out the masses. After that, some twisty turny trails through the trees. This section was a lot of fun. Constant ups and downs and some tight corners meant gear choice was key to keeping a good click. And it was shaded. I started to feel in the zone as my nausea was lost to the thrill of riding dirt! The wooded section opened up to a fireroad connector to some awesome open singletrack. A little like China Camp's front side flow section, the trails had nice flowey corners and long, fast straights. Plus a few rooty drops and rocks peppered the trail to add interest.

After the turns... came the earns. A short steep climb followed by a long sustained ascent. I managed to stick the Nomad in the granny and grind it out. Slightly cooked, I started to feel under the weather again. The grin inducing flow had masked my below par condition. But now I could feel something wasn't right. As I hit the three roller coaster rocky sections near the end of the first lap, things started to go downhill - in every sense of the word.

The end of the first lap, at the aid station, and I downed as many cups of lovely cool water as I could before I started to drown. And then I emptied them down my back and neck - trying to cool down and reinvigorate my weary state. I almost considered bailing. Almost. I didn't feel great and knew it was going to get worse. But, I cracked on and decided to forget about getting a decent time and just enjoy the trails. However, I steadily felt worse..... My systems didn't seem too bad. No cramping, cardio felt ok. But I was losing the will to ride. Every steep climb defeated me. My mind swam with thoughts other than trying to crush the dirt. My heart wasn't in it and my head was too hot and sore to fight it.

As I reached the last big climb before the end of my second (and last) lap, I played good samaritan to a Cat 1 rider with a puncture and no means to fix it. As he busied himself with my spare tube and pump I was glad of the chance to sit down and gather my frazzled self before the final push. I actually managed the last climb (no great achievement given that in 2010 it barely registered in this blog as a steep climb) but today it felt like a Herculean task. The last mile or so to the end line was almost insane. I could barely manage Sunday stroll pace let alone race pace. Still, I had a lot of fun on the descents during lap 2. The corners were perfect for practicing the BetterRide skills. Open and smooth but a little loose, they dared you to leave off the brakes and use good technique to rail them. Great fun.

I came in around 2:45. Even minus the puncture stop I finished a solid 20 minutes slower than last time. Bah.... Oh well. Maybe it was the heatstroke. Or maybe training for bike races AND the SF Marathon is proving too much for my mid-thirties carcass. Either way, I'll be back to ride the Howell Mountain Challenge next year. Sometimes I compete in races and realise I'd never ride those trails were it not for the atmos and fun of racing. By themselves the trails aren't all that. But I'd happily take the trip to Napa to ride the trails at Angwin on any given Sunday. There's just so much good stuff there to shred. Next year I'll just have to make sure I get a decent rest and a good night's sleep beforehand  :o\

There Can Be Only One....

Here's Rosson. Stoic. Resolute. Yet somehow elegant as he stands beside his agile slayer. Us mere mortals, those who ride suspension back AND front are instantly crushed by the two stroke prowess of this legend as he powers his nimble steed through the gnar. Leaving us to stare bewildered and in awe at his dust.

What I mean is, Rosson came with us to China Camp and feckin' smoked it on his sodding cyclocross bike. We got there nice and early. Dewey moist and ride perfect cool. I even got some PRs on my favourite descents. But there's nothing more likely to prick the ego than seeing a fella on a curly barred bike with skinny tires fly past you with a grin and a wave....... Good times ;o)

Culture

I'm feeling a bit battle battered after yesterday's Northstar trip. But it's a shame to let a whole day pass without spinning some pedals. So I cruised around the city on the Jackal ; dropping stairs, hopping curbs and lovingly posing the bike against the city's urban art landscape. Joy ;o)

Seeing Stars

There's me and Chris there ; posing with our Giant Glory rental steeds. This weekend we took another trip to Northstar to hit up some DH gnarly goodness. It was Chris's first time at a bike park and a good chance for us both to get prepped for Whistler. Like last time, I shied away from all out aggressive riding. I like my progression on the steep stuff to be steady, controlled and measured. Plus I'm paranoid about injury ruining next month's races. But we had a great time taking on the usual flowey treats that Livewire has to offer. Plus we rode a few of the techy trails like Gypsy and Flameout. Rocks and boulders provide one hell of a workout on a DH rig. We were both blowing hard after a few runs. But I do love riding the rougher, wilder stuff. Feels more like "real" mountain biking as opposed to the groomed fun of Livewire. That's not to say Livewire can't bite though, as I found to my cost.

I started to feel better about the jumps and kept pushing to clear instead of case as many as I could. Just as my confidence peaked, I found myself airborne and on target to land in a tree. Bad line choice and target fixation conspired to wipe the grin off my face in an instant. I managed to abort on landing, missing the tree, but both feet came off the pedals as I hit the NEXT jump. No chance to hit the brakes before I became airborne again. Bracing and wincing I came down both nuggets first onto the back tire, buzzing my nethers and causing the steed to wash out, sending me face first into the dust....  Luckily a torn jersey and bruised pee pipes were all I limped away with. A fair warning that as much fun as this DH lark is, you have to keep on it mentally. These big boy trails don't suffer fools gladly. Still, a great day on the slopes was had and our excitement for the Whistler trip was stoked even more. Good stuff ;o)

'Murica Day

Because these Americans like to celebrate their big day properly (by taking a day off work) I had a bonus day of riding this week. I decided to put it to good use and drag my arse up and down Mount Tam to try and build some climbing bombs ahead of next month's Downieville and Annadel races. I tend to avoid Mt Tam in the summer. With all the lush singletrack available elsewhere it seems a waste to hit fire roads. But, shamefully, I'm not that familiar with the trail geography on Tam and it IS the perfect place to train for long climbs. So I mapped out a route that had plenty of verticals, and headed out into a baking hot 4th of July to educate and flagellate myself.

Thankfully, the sun's heat was offset with a lovely cooling breeze. Just as well as my ride ended up being over 5 hours long. Not exactly race pace, but I had to keep map checking to make sure I was en route. Also, it seemed a shame to hit East Peak and not have a sit down with a Twix and a can of fizzy sugar. I'd earned it.

My route ended up being a big figure of eight. Starting at Deer Park, I worked my way up to 5 Corners, then down Shaver Grade to Eldridge. From there, I took the fun, whoop riddled fire road to Railroad Grade..... A steady grind took me past the West Point in, up to East Peak and then back down Eldridge to Bon Tempe lake. I felt pretty good, even though I was rocking flats and by now had 4k of climbing under my wheels. So I continued my plan of hitting Rocky Ridge, then onto Shaver... Then back down to Deer Park. Rocky Ridge is a fun descent, but you earn it with a steep, nasty climb. I started to feel the first twinges of cramp, but a couple of well timed rest stops got me up and over the summit.

A nice, long, dusty ride. Just what I needed and a great way to spend a bonus day off. And it's all money in the bank that will hopefully make D'ville even more enjoyable than it usually is.

Nut and Bolts

This weekend saw Northstar open it's doors and lifts to the dirt loving downhill crowd. After last year's mishap I felt like I was owed some good riding karma so I jumped at the chance when Spangles suggested we go up for the day. We managed to rope in N* veteran Dave and newbies Aaron and Theo. I haven't done anything big or gnarly since last year's Whistler trip so I was a little nervous, but keen to try out my new downhill setup. I've tried a few different armor/helmet/Leatt neck brace combos and nothing seemed to really gel. The Fox Titan body suit is awesome, but it interferes with the brace.... So I dumped it and went with a simple 661 top with basic chest and shoulder padding. Fox Launch elbow pads and a sexy new POC back protector hydration pack complete the costume and add decent protection without hindering movement or moving the brace out of alignment. I also bought a new matte black 661 helmet which has a profile which better suits the Leatt and - more importantly - looks frickin' cool.

So, game on! I decided to leave the Nomad at home and rent a Giant Glory. The Nomad has just had a bunch of work done and is feeling tip top. I know from experience how brutal DH is on the poor thing, so I decided to spare it from punishment. Also, the slacker geometry of the brutish Glory would make for a safer day's riding.

We did a couple of warm up runs on some blues before hitting Northstar's signature trail - Livewire. A big, groomed, burmey beast with plenty of tabletop jumps, Livewire is Northstar's own A-Line. Perhaps not as long, or the jumps not quite as big, it still offers it's fair share of thrills and - if you're not careful - spills. After a couple of somewhat timid runs, we all started to loosen up and feel the flow. Theo - his first time on a mountain bike (!?!) was a complete natural. Aaron - as predicted - started to hit the jumps with abandon, catching some seriously impressive air. Me and Jason both started to find our Whistler grins, clearing jumps and getting back into the downhill flow. A great pre-cursor to this coming September's trip.

After a few more Livewire runs, plus a trip down the awesome, techy Gypsy, we were done. Legs cooked, arms brake pumped, faces dirty and smiling and all of us without injury. A Perfect day's downhilling! I definitely rode like a bit of a passenger. Nervous of hitting things hard and writing myself off for Whistler, I took it easy and exercised caution. But I felt good. The jumping technique is rusty, but still there. My BetterRide training kicked in a few times too which felt good. And the way the bike melted over impossible looking drops and rocks felt amazing. Hopefully we'll get a few more days up there, with Chris along for the ride too, before we head to BC in a couple of months.

Edit : Here's Dave's GoPro footage from the day.  This was my last run and I was definitely feeling shattered, so wasn't exactly pinning it. That said, I still need to get up higher on those berms and lean the bike more.... Next time!

Christening the Jackal

The Nomad is waiting on new brake bits so I had to call upon another steed for some dirt shredding this weekend. The sensible option would be to chose the Orange. I've ridden it countless times on dirt before. She's proven in the field. But I couldn't help thinking how much fun it would be to try the Jackal out. So, with that in mind me and Spangles hit the front side of China for a spin. Yep, Jason managed to rescue his bike from the ever growing dust cocoon it's been residing in for the past year. It's good to see him taking baby steps back to the the dirt. Him not being quite in tip top shape meant he made a perfect partner to my unconventional choice of ride. Especially as I had to stand for most of the climbs spinning my tiny cranks. It hardly meant for a blistering pace (as Strava over there on the right will testify.) But it was a great quad burner of a workout.

The Jackal's front fork is designed to absorb big hits from burly jumps. Not to provide plush cush' over XC trails. So the ride was somewhat harsh and the bike jittery. But once we hit the flow section I was able to hunker down into a fighting stance and throw it around a bit. I learned a lot about where my cornering weaknesses are. My left corners are coming on a treat, but my right hand ones never feel as positive. Having a smaller, lighter, more responsive frame meant the feedback was clearer. Less sleigh like than the Nomad I instantly spotted where I go wrong. Awesome!

I can't imagine taking the Jackal to dirt very often. It's not exactly suited to the climbs for a start. Plus I'm having way too much fun using it for the urban riding. But it's proven once again to be a great learning tool for trail riding. Plus that Seabright Blue does look kinda cool covered in dirt!

SoNoMasochist

A couple of years ago I did SoNoMas and, frankly, hated it. I spent more time pushing my bike in agony than riding it with a grin. So I resigned myself to never doing it again. Or so I thought..... I've still not blown the cobwebs away from working looong hours and then doing location work. And now that I've ticked over 35 on the tachometer I'm finding it harder than normal to get my arse back in shape. This need for some punishing rides, coupled with BikeMonkey's offer of a shorter (24 mile) course had me filling out the online registration and driving me and the Nomad to lake Sonoma early this Saturday morning.

Even though I'd signed up for the "beginners" course, I still expected a brutal challenge. 24 miles isn't a huge distance, but we'd be climbing 5000ft of tough, steep, anaerobic singletrack. So as we rolled out en mass, I took it easy and used the initial road climb to warm up gently. Not wanting to spike my heart rate and induce any pain just yet. My main concern was cramp, so I had a camel bladder full of undiluted Gatorade. The first sip made me wince with it's sugary sweetness. By the end I craved water and hated the taste of artificial berry goodness.

The short route meant we bypassed a fair chunk of the 35 mile course near the beginning, before rejoining for the last two thirds or so. This meant getting in the way of the uber fast long riders and having to dive into the shrubbery to let them past. Frustrating I'm sure for them and a constant annoyance for me. But unavoidable due to the geography of the place. I was enjoying the riding though. The first time I did SoNoMas it was so traumatic that I couldn't appreciate the singletrack very much. But today, knowing I didn't have such a marathon task ahead, meant I could focus on the riding and soak in the flowey singletrack. Mainy open and grassy, or tight and wooded, the trails were fun. Not awesome by Annadel or China Camp standards, but a decent compensation for the constant bursts of climbing we had to do.

My plan of taking it easy and pacing myself worked well up until around mile 18 or 19. And then I could feel an all to familiar squirm in my quads. By the mile 20 aid station my legs were locked in contorted spasms of cramp. This continued for another couple of miles making the climbing miserable. I started to get frustrated - with myself for cramping despite all the pre-electrolyte loading I'd done - and with the poor Nomad. Stripped of lube from a half dozen creek crossings and caked in dust I cursed as it dared to squeal and groan in protest.

Fortunately my suffering was short lived. The climbing was done and we had one last descent before the home stretch. Feeling glad I hadn't signed up for the long race option, and enjoying the rocky technical features of the last trail, I popped out of the singletrack and returned to the finish line via a final road stretch. My Garmin hitting just shy of the 4 hour mark as I reached the end. Utterly spent but feeling pretty good.

I'm starting to realise with the racing shizzle that I'm better off sticking to those that better reflect the type of riding I actually enjoy doing. Anything longer than 3 hours in the saddle becomes a serious grind for me. Don't get me wrong, I like the satisfaction of earning my descents, but the descents are why I ride. Races like SoNoMas are awesome for those that like pure XC and have the bikes and legs for it. But that's just never going to be me. Still.... Annadel and Downieville are coming up soon. Hopefully today helped lay down some fitness foundations for those beauties.

The pictures of yours truly are by Nick Gaetano and the talented fellas at Daydreamer Creative Cinema These guys are doing an awesome job of photographing the Bike Monkey events. More of their work can be seen in THIS SoNoMas race report by Red Kite Prayer (which also includes a picture of some fella pulling a half arsed manual across the finish line....)  ;o)

Larkin' About

The Nomad is at the shop having a few bits and pieces replaced ahead of this coming weekend's SoNoMas race (I know.. I know... I had a crazy moment a while back and signed myself up for the sodding thing.) Anyway. While the Nomad is out of action, me and Chris took our weekly night riding to Fort Mason for some concrete based trickery. Right on my doorstep and full of great progression features, it's a great place to get familiar with throwing the Jackal around.

I love my new bike so much - it's awesome! So stiff, twitchy, nimble yet burly when needed. And it's a joy to cruise around on as I soak up the San Francisco sun. The perfect birthday gift to myself ;o) Chris has great trials skills. Mine are at infant stage. But I'm getting a good feel for loosening up on two wheels - which is why I bought the Jackal in the first place. J-hops, track stands, drops and rear wheel lifts are all coming together slowly but surely. And my wheelies and manuals are getting there. It's amazing to feel that weightless point where the bike balances perfectly on the rear wheel. So satisfying. I'll keep at it and see how it improves my dirt riding. In the meantime, enough with the fun. It's time to run myself ragged at SoNoMas......

Days of the Jackal

Here she is! My new steed! The Santa Cruz Jackal in lush seabright blue. I've been thinking about getting a cheeky DJ bike for a while now. Not so much for the dirt jumping, but more for cruising the urban landscape and pulling a few stunts. I figured it'd be a good way to learn a few trail transferable tricks and provide an easy way to get a bit more riding in each week. So last week I went down to Santa Cruz and picked up this burly beauty.

Today was the maiden voyage so me and Chris took to Crissy Field to catch some rays and session some concrete features. As Chris skillfully flung his Inspired 4 Play around, I felt like a complete noob pulling a few manuals and bunny hops. I have a looong way to go. But there are tons of progression features right on my door step, and every step up and tail whip I master will improve my dirt riding on the Jackal's big sister. Short, twitchy and nimble, I love my new bike. It's so responsive. Every move, hip twist and weight shift gives instant feedback - on both good and bad technique. It's a great learning tool, and loads of fun. Plus, being in an urban setting means you're never too far away from a nice beer garden and a few cheeky Coronas ;o)

Rockhopper

Another weekend sees another day out with a few hundred other riders all joined in the collective competitive spirit of MTB racing! This time it was the Rockhopper Race in Vacaville. The race was to take place at Lagoon Valley Park. Open, grassy and full of rewarding, flowey singletrack and punishing fireroad climbing. Me and Chris signed up for cat 2, which meant two 9 or so mile loops with about 1600ft of climbing. A decent ascent, but still less than 20 miles of dirt overall. Even in my less than race shape I figured I could have a decent crack at it.

As we queued for our bibs it was announced the start time of the XC race was to be until delayed until 11:30, meaning we'd be riding during the hottest part of an already sweltering day. Once we got geared up, strava'd up and sunscreened up we set off in waves across the start/finish line and headed out into the heat. The race started with some twisty climbing and a little descending, followed by a steep, dusty descent before opening up to some more flowey singletrack. A great way to thin out the throng. I opted to switch on the Nomad's propredal to help with the climbs on a not very technical course. Lap 1 and the steed didn't feel right. Skittish and unsure I was convinced it was the different cush setting rather than my own nerves, so I went back to normal and all felt well again. I'm really starting to notice how subtle changes like this can really affect the bike's handling. A good thing as it means I'm becoming more connected to my riding.

The course was a lot of fun. A few steep sections and some chunky rocks here and there threw in some interest on what was otherwise a fast, smooth and flowey track. The climbs were tough though. Mainly fireroad, we were left exposed to the brutal heat of a Californian summer's sun. At the end of lap 1 Chris - sensibly - bailed. We'd already tended to one poor girl who had collapsed with heat exhaustion. I was determined to crack on though. I need to whip my arse into shape and it's days like this that will help that along. So as I crossed the start/finish, I pushed on into the searing heat and tinder dry dirt for a second punishing lap.

My second lap was actually better than the first. I really settled into the riding, acclimatised to the heat and found a low gear that I could more or less comfortably grind on the climbs. I left nothing out on the trails though. By the end my quads were squirming with cramp and I felt wrung out. Perfect! As I crossed the line for a second time I felt great. Pleased with my riding at least, if not with my finish time (around 2:30 hours - hardly race pace but a decent ride pace.) Also, I felt the benefits of the BetterRide course yet again. On the switchbacks I used good techniques to clean the uphills and smoothly rail the downhills. And on the steep, loose and dusty descents I had full control under braking whilst others skidded uncontrollably with arms locked out and worried looking faces. Money well spent yet again! And money in the bank in terms of getting back to bike fitness. Tomorrow, I'm out on my new bike for some urban shizzle..... I'll post pictures soon so you can see her. She's a beauty!

Boggs

Aaah.... it's that time of the year when I get to strap a number plate to my bars, get up early, and go join a few hundred other like minded souls for some competitive shredding. Boggs 2012 organized by the masters of NorCal bike racing - BikeMonkey. This was my first time racing this event and I was excited. The format is a relay style lapped event where team members (or solos for the masochistic) take turns to ride a 7 odd mile loop at Boggs Demonstration State Forest. 7 plus miles, and just over 1000ft of climbing on some of the loveliest, flowiest trails I've ever seen. Awesome stuff.

Me and Chris (team Limey Bastards) got up at silly o'clock and drove the 2 hours north to Boggs. Chris took the first lap and I waited, nervous with excitement for him to return, high five and then send me on my lap. The course was mainly singletrack with some fireroad climbs and one ripping fireroad descent. But it was the singletrack that really made the day. Super smooth, flowey and with enough tech to keep things interesting - I loved it. I just wish I had more fitness to fully enjoy it. Race pace? More like fat kid at the back pace for me. The first lap was fine, but by lap 2 I was feeling it. I made the fatal error of wolfing down a loaf sized burrito and then going straight into lap 3. Big mistake. My fried legs wrestled for blood with my poor intestines as they both tried to process the abuse I was throwing at them.

Having a lump of concrete in my guts didn't help my already slow climbing... but the descents were still a lot of fun. Last week's BetterRide camp was still fresh in my mind as I leaned the bike into corners and kept my stance and vision in check. I felt a big difference and a renewed sense of oneness with the Nomad as I flowed down the lovely trails. Great stuff. I can't wait to keep working on the skills and drills and see how they improve my normal weekend rides at China and the like.

I'm not sure where the Limey Bastards placed. But we had a great day of sun, bikes, dust and hanging out with good riding buddies. That's really what the racing is all about for me. I do need to get some fitness back though. Especially as Downieville isn't THAT far away....

Here's to Better Riding....

Having come into this sport at the ripe old age of 30-ish I'm at a slight disadvantage compared to the youngsters. I have plenty of enthusiasm and love for the sport, but not as much time as I'd like, or as my old frazzled brain and muscles need, to achieve a strong level of competency. So, I've taken to signing up for clinics and courses as and when they crop up on the calendar in the hopes of accelerating my learning. I've had success too, especially with the downhill and jump clinics. One or two "Eureka!" moments on a course can really help to boost my riding and get me out of a rut. I feel like my riding has been improving on it's own lately. My flow, body position and cornering all coming together slowly but surely. But it's not quite there. Certain situations still throw me off and cause great frustration. So I decided to sign up for an intensive three day camp with the guys at BetterRide in the hopes that I could finally push past these stumbling blocks and keep improving..... And hopefully keep Chris, Dave and the other fellas in my sights on our local descents!

I was drawn to the BetterRide course because it's focus is on core skills that can be practiced through drills - much like a martial art. By mastering the basics, and working at them regularly as part of a riding routine you become a more efficient, competent and therefore faster rider. Just what I was looking for. Day 1 and we were introduced to the two most important things in mountain biking ; having fun, and vision. Of course, it's all about having fun. But we were all there to learn how to improve so we can have more fun and feel less frustrated at our riding. That's where vision, as a first step, came in. By using drills and cones we were taught the art of looking ahead and tackling obstacles two or three at a time and trusting peripheral eyesight to deal with what was directly in front of our wheels. Vision techniques were then combined with a solid, relaxed body position which allowed for correct weight distribution and separation from the bike. After lunch we hit dirt, but not before instructors Dylan and Andy took us through wheelies and manuals. I've neglected to practice these skills in the past. I always made the excuse that my bike was too big and burly to learn on. Dual suspension bikes were not ideal for wheelie practice blah de blah... But after breaking down the techniques and giving demonstrations, we were soon riding the rear wheel. Dylan made a point about pushing the shoulders backwards and "throwing the monkey off your back"... With this in mind I was suddenly pulling wheelies! During the course of the weekend I kept playing with it and whenever I applied correct technique I'd manage a decent wheelie. Also knowing the (significant) difference between wheelie and manual body position means I can now work on those skills separately and hopefully get them trail ready.

I was excited about day 2 ; cornering! We spent the morning doing carpark figure of 8 drills, concentrating on one element of correct body position and vision at a time. Counter steering, dropping weight into the outside foot, getting the outside elbow really up and out and using the hips to keep on track felt really good. I could feel myself settling into a solid stance and the Nomad's front wheel behaved like it was on a rail. After some solid braking technique demos we hit Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve to put the morning's drills into practice. I found myself hitting some of the corners a little too quickly and fell back on old bad habits to get me through. But when I did employ the new techniques I felt myself settle into a confident stance again. This, plus good vision techniques will really help me rail corners and hopefully improve my overall speed. I just need to keep doing those figure of 8 drills.

Day 3 of our intensive, sun kissed clinic and it was back to the carpark. This time rear wheel lifts coupled with wheelies and manuals to help us clear trail obstacles. And then, switchbacks. After some cone drills we hit Arastradero again to session some real switchbacks. Dylan and Andy gave some solid nuggets of information. For example on uphill switchbacks keep the chest down and vision up to keep the bike balanced as you look through to the exit. Also, gear selection should be for the tightest, steepest part of the switchback. Seems obvious but I often fail on uphills because I'm geared too high for the critical steep bit. On downhill switchbacks, again use good body position and vision, but use the brakes correctly to get through smoothly and quickly. Use the rear to scrub speed, and the front for control. Once you hit the apex, lose the front and roll out.... but don't reapply the front as it will screw up the turn by standing the bike up and pulling it off course. A small, but hugely significant tip and one that will hopefully speed up my Tamarancho descents.

I came away from the course with a few great nuggets of info that I can apply immediately and see results. But best of all, I came away knowing what I need to do, drill and practice to build a solid foundation of core skills that will really help me get smoother, faster and - more importantly (as the guys said over and over) have lots more fun!

Deja Vu

Aah... it seems like only this time last year  I was stuck on a shoot, living out of a suitcase in five star luxury and severely missing my bike. Well, given it's that time of year again, it seems only right to keep the tradition alive and miss out on Sea Otter, Shasta Lemurian and other great bike related events ... Just so I can sod off somewhere to take photos for a movie (ofcourse I wouldn't have it any other way.) This time its Hong Kong. A sprawling urban jungle where there's no time to do anything bike related other than take pictures of the dirty workhorses that litter the streets.

Ah well. I'll be back in Cali' next week where I'll be hitting Palo Alto and achieving the dream of doing a Better Ride course.... Stay tuned!

Inspired

Two weeks of rain plus dirt equals mud. So I let the Nomad gather a little more dust this Sunday and joined Spangles for some city urban riding shizzle and beers. Not quite the training regime I image will get me ready for 8 Hours of Boggs... but still, a fine way to spend a day.

Bike Skillzzz

I've been feeling pretty burnt recently. Crunch time on the next summer blockbuster means long hours right now and a frazzled brain. Riding has been good, but I've only managed once a week, at best, at one of the usual haunts. Just ticking over really. Still, when the fellas at Bikeskills announced they were putting on a clinic at Tamarancho, I had to check it out. I've been wanting to do one of their clinics for a while, and the chance to learn how to improve my Strava times at one of our favourite loops was too good to pass up. So Saturday morning, a little bleary eyed, I joined a rag tag bunch of fellow mountain bikers at the Java Hut carpark in Fairfax, ready to get my learn on!

The course was lead by Jason Van Horn and Ian Massey – two incredibly skilled riders and lovely guys to boot. We were in good hands! We started the clinic in the carpark, practicing track stands and lifting over curbs and looking at body position. This gave us a chance to warm up our Kung Fu and for the instructors to check out our rides. I’ve been having front brake woes since a recent crash on Lawndale, so the Nomad wasn’t exactly ship shape. But aside from that Ian spotted some subtle, but significant tweaks could be made to my setup to help my riding. Rotating my bars slightly forward and increasing the rebound rate on my shock meant I was set up for a more aggressive rider position, and my bike would respond better to the rough trail instead of wallowing in sag. Getting this sort of feedback and tinkering from an expert eye is one of the many reasons I love signing up for clinics like this. There’s no way I’d ever notice this stuff by myself.

After the carpark drills, it was time to hit a few key Tamarancho features to go over some fundamentals. I still struggle with tight uphill switchbacks but seeing good technique demonstrated and explained helped a lot. Keep the front wheel wide - as wide as possible and apply power on the apex to overcome the incline and set up for the exit. Getting out of the saddle and using trackstand balance also helps – something I’m guilty of not doing enough.  We then did some corner work. I’ve started to feel my cornering slowly come together over the past few months, but watching Ian and Jason carve and rail made me realise there’s still a few key ingredients missing. Jason explained the importance of a low, exaggerated stance. Keeping your head and weight low allows you to push the inside bar, and therefore the front wheel into the dirt. It also sets you up for a nice pump out of the turn. After a few attempts I could feel and hear it. My front tyre making a satisfying sound as it bit into the trail. This also seems to be the key to hitting downhill switchbacks with speed too. Following the guys, I was amazed at how quickly they railed the tight curves. The same dropping, carving and pumping motion was the secret. I definitely feel inspired to get out and  work on it for myself.

After working on some of the trickier, technical features of ‘Rancho – including the big rock (still didn’t clean it… but at least know the theory of how to clean it) it was time to head back. A spirited descent back down Alchiemist finished an awesome day of learning. I wish my head wasn’t quite so fried from working so much. But some golden nuggets of info managed to stick. I’m just itching to get back out on the bike and put them into practice!

Funday

Every now and again I like to relieve my trusty Orange hardtail from it's commuting duties and go for a decent spin around the city. With my Nomad in the shop having brake work done, today ended up being one of those days. Recently primped and preened with some nice, slimline tires and awesome little "Exposure Lights" commuters, the Orange is looking like a true urban warrior. And she's still  a heck of a ride. Sometimes what the soul needs is to get out, enjoy the fresh Pacific air and lay down some miles just for the pure fun of riding a bike.

2Bliss

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

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

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

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!*

*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)