Klunker Dude

My goal for 2016 was to rekindle my passion for drawing and illustration. Over the course of the year I've managed some half decent scribbles, some inking and - most recently, working on my nice new iPad pro with Procreate software and the iPencil. My first finished piece combines my newly rediscovered love of art with my existing passion for mountain biking - The Klunker Dude! Inspired by the crazy pioneers of our sport and a few of my favourite artists, I created this ballooner riding maniac as he rips down a stylized Repack trail - drool, dust and hub grease left in his wake!

Procreate also stores a timelapse video of each paint stroke. I added it HERE if you're interested.

Cheers!

Tough Mudder

Its that time of year where, within the space of a month, the weather goes from short sleeve jerseys and shorts to multiple warm layers and snoods. Yep, its Autumn in Northern California and the crisp, cold weather, clear cobalt skies and tacky trails mark the end of another summer season of shred. As is tradition, the holiday season is celebrated with a lung-busting slog up Pine Mountain along with a few hundred other keen souls for the Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar!

I'll spare details of the route as it is exactly the same as last year, and the year before that. Suffice to say we climbed a lot of steep rocky fireroad in order to descend with wild abandon some other steep fireroads. This year the mud was back in full force. Each wincing grind and grimace of my slop caked bike felt like a massive "fuck you!" to my poor components. Due to harsher conditions and a few group mechanical incidents our ride took almost four hours. Cleaning off the clay like muck took a further hour and a half..... plenty of calorie burning to justify the rest of the day's eating and drinking!

It felt good to be out in the beautiful Marin mountains, bathed in sun and seeing lots of MTB buddies along the way. The mud really messed with my mojo on the descents though. I don't feel like I rode hard or fast, but I got some solid exercise in and felt better for it. Work is crazy (as usual) so escaping into the fresh air and punishing my legs for a few hours definitely beats sitting in front of a screen. For that reason, I'll get the Trance fixed up and hopefully punish it once again next year - come rain, mud or shine!

North Stars

This right here, this mess of crazy fools - this is what a great day looks like! Heading up the mountainside on a chair lift, ready for another fast, loose and dusty run back down on our two-wheeled steeds. The first (and likely only) visit to Northstar this season was a full on day of shred that contained more than its fair share of punctures, mechanicals, spills and - most importantly - grins!

I haven't ridden the Glory since last season so it felt good to throw a leg over and wake up the shiny beast. We spent the whole day laying down runs and I couldn't keep from smiling. A little rusty since our Whistler trip, but extremely grateful to be riding awesome trails (especially after the dull confusion I experienced at Mammoth.) The bike and I both felt pretty good and even though the trails were made more technical than usual by some decent dust levels, I experienced a satisfying amount of flow.

I didn't conquer any new features, and I took a punishing spill on Boondocks which messed up my mojo for a while, but we left Northstar feeling like we'd left the best ourselves (and in my case, some elbow skin) out on the trails. This season has definitely lacked quantity (of riding) but I feel the quality has been enough to keep me feeling good about my progress and motivated to keep at it and ride hard next year. Good times!

Mammoth Disapointment

Last weekend we took a family trip to Mammoth Mountain. Although I'd be riding solo, it seemed like a crazy waste of opportunity if I didn't ride "America's Best Mountain Bike Park" (or whatever they claim its title to be.) So, with great excitement and anticipation I turned up at the Mammoth Village shuttle point early Saturday morning, ready for a full day of new downhill discoveries!

For reasons too boring to document, I didn't bring my Glory, but elected to rent a bike instead. I ended up with a Trek Session. Like most modern 27.5 downhill rigs it felt light, nimble and not too dissimilar to a regular trail bike. I haven't ridden my Glory since last season and I suspect its going to feel like a moto-cross bike in comparison to the V10 I had at Whistler and the Trek I rode here. However, as nice as the Trek felt, after a few runs I started to realize I was seriously over-gunned.

Mammoth is huge. A massive sprawling mountain with miles of barren trails. Surprisingly its easy to hop off the lift and almost immediately get lost. I honestly have never had such a confusing, frustrating day on a downhill bike in my life. The trail map (which I used constantly) is a spaghetti mess of criss-crossing trails. There's no clear route to take - at least not that I could fathom. After reaching the peak (via gondola) I rode down the double black rated Skid Marks. An endless, dusty single track with a few rocky features here and there to add interest (though I didn't encounter anything that suggested an "expert" level trail.) Aside from being confusing to read on the map, the trail ratings themselves are also odd. There's the familiar greens, blues, blacks and double blacks, but then there's pro and expert lines. The blacks felt like Northstar blues and the double blacks felt more like singles. Once I'd mentally re-callibrated it made trail choice decisions easier, although the lack of adequate signage meant I took plenty of wrong turns and had to back track often. Pedaling a downhill bike isn't fun at the best of times, its even more annoying when you're trying to find your way to a half decent trail.

Because Mammoth is so big, it meant I barely saw anyone all day. I would've loved to have latched onto some folks and followed them. I had a pervasive sense that I was somehow missing something. That there really was a fun, flowey loop via lift and I just kept missing it by accident. The only fellow riders I did see were riding XC and all-mountain rigs and wearing normal riding gear. I envied their ability to explore and enjoy the alpine air as I watched from behind foggy goggles, huffing and puffing on my burly bike.

Eventually I found a decent descent. From one of the lifts I followed a fellow downhill dressed dude to Flow, Pipeline and Shotgun. Flow was an expert trail and had some fun, steep rocks. Pipeline had a big drop and Shotgun had a few tables and some tech and flow sections. However, by the time I discovered them, I was already beaten down. There's no such thing as dirt at Mammoth. Just dense, kitty litter-like ground pumice stone. Every corner and random parts of the trail (usually just before or after a jump or feature) had deep trenches of the stuff. Big speed sapping traps that would easily send you flying if you touched the front brake enough for the wheel to dig in and send you over the bars. Because my bike wasn't set up moto, I did this a couple of times by mistake - on one particularly bad (but lame) fall I hurt my neck. Without knowing exactly what damage I'd done, I decided to skip the extra steep sections and drops, do a couple of runs to at least warrant getting the bike rental, and then I called it an early day.

Mammoth was bitterly disappointing. I almost want to scrub the experience from memory and go back with the same excitement I previously had, but this time ride with someone who knows the place, and preferably after a period of rain. With decent dirt the trails would be faster (or at least rideable) and knowing exactly where to go without being stumped at every signless five way intersection would make for a much more enjoyable, flowey day of riding. But, it wasn't to be. Fortunately my neck is fine, but the bad taste left by riding somewhere that promised so much is still lingering. A shame :o(

What a Difference a Day Makes

Your man Mark Twain wasn't wrong.... Summer in San Francisco is feckin' cold. I guess I never noticed it so much when I lived there, but commuting home to Marin its hard not to notice the juxtapose. The wind and icey fog leaves you damn and chilled as you cross the Golden Gate. But hit Sausalito and its back to sunny California again. Crazy, but it makes me appreciate what I have on my doorstep. Half a day later and I'm wearing a vest and baking in beautiful golden sun. Good times.

Whistler Trip 2016

After my last trip to the mecca of downhill mountain biking, I wasn't sure if I'd ever return to the big mountain again. I left the place dampened (literally and spiritually) after some (albeit great) coaching sessions dug deep into my abilities and exposed some real flaws in my riding. Not what I wanted from the trip, especially as it paired with God-awful weather for the whole week. However, with a healthy amount of time to reflect, I realize it was just what I needed (the skills analysis, not the rain!) and for the two years since then I've been working on a few things : getting my body position and weighting correct, pumping through corners, using my hips, getting my upper body working to help bike lean and - most importantly - not allowing self criticism to get in the way of a good ride!

I figured I'd venture back to Whistler one day, maybe in a couple of years or so. However when Eric kindled the flames of a trip suggested by Chris earlier this year, a date was set and I couldn't bear the thought of missing the chance to ride. So I signed up too! Along with Rosson and his brother Todd, we had a crew! And so it was that we spent a week this June up in beautiful British Columbia, surrounded by like minded folks all looking to hit up mother nature's roller coaster for some full on shred!

To save major hassles with airlines, I decided to rent a rig. A nice 650b Santa Cruz V10. Aside from having brakes that felt a little under gunned for the task at hand, the bike felt great! Burly enough to inspire confidence but playful enough to push your limits. In fact by the last day's riding I was experimenting with bar twists when mid air on some jumps. Great fun!

After arriving to an apocalyptic looking sky filled with rain, the chances of a soggy week's riding seemed likely. However as we suited up and collected our rental steeds early the following day we walked towards the lifts with sunshine in our grinning faces. Aside from some showers on the very last day we were spared the wet weather and instead treated to some near perfect (if not sometimes muddy) conditions. After some warm up laps down old friends B Line and Crank It Up we ventured higher up the mountain and rode Blue Velvet and Freight Train. 'Train became a new favorite on this trip. The perfect mix of flow, jumps and some fun tech. And it has the infamous Drop In Clinic - a feature that I've previously wilted at, but on this trip we all hit it on the first day! By the end of the long afternoon's riding I'd also successfully hit the drop on A Line that was also on my bucket list. My only other goal was to clear the container jump, however - as much as my jumping improved over the week, I never felt fully confident to try it. Watching Rosson painfully case his rental Glory into the metal box's lip didn't help inspire confidence in my own ability to clear it either. Something for next year maybe....

My number one goal for this trip (aside from going home injury free) was to enjoy my riding for what it is, whatever level I'm at and not pressure myself to improve and nail everything perfectly. This mindset, the great conditions and being surrounded by good friends (even bumping into fellow Brit Chris Walley!) meant I not only rode better than previous years, but that I also had a feckin' great time doing it. Its probably also why I didn't hurt myself. Save for a couple of bad line choices and one or two spills, I didn't fall hard once. I was extremely happy with my riding. Corners and berms in particular felt really smooth. Weighting correctly and hips and leg pumping all came together in concert and allowed me to (for the first time) feel utter freedom on the flowey trails.... Coach Oscar would've been proud!

Amusingly (in hindsight) we did get completely outplayed on day three (or maybe it was four.) Taking a shortcut through In Too Deep (a very aptly named double black technical run) lead to a full on hike a bike down large sections of insanely challenging (on foot!) trail. Knowing the crazy steep features were designed for a level of bike riding well outside our comfort zone was both humbling and awe inspiring. Definitely a glimpse of what our future could hold if we keep up the progression. On regular black technical runs (which are still pretty gnarly - at least on par with Northstar's double blacks) we all did really well. Hitting wet, muddy and rooty descents with confident abandon whilst others stood around umming and aahing. We also did some nice steep boulder roll drops too. The flowey trails are amazing fun, but there's nothing quite like the satisfaction of cleaning an intense technical trail and feeling in control as the bike bucks wildly below.

My jumping skills however will always be a little behind everything else. I get the theory, and I know when Ive done it right. Also, big step ups and any blue run jump is something I'll gladly pedal towards with a crazy grin. But I get shy in front of certain steep black jumps. I'll get there, it will just take time and patience to get me where I want to be. But berms, drops and technical skills all felt pretty solid. I honestly think I rode the best I've ever ridden. And I loved every minute of it!

So thats it. Another trip in the bag. Five years since my first visit north and I really hope to be hitting those groomed hero dirt slopes, with my good riding buddies, for many more years to come. Here's a short edit of Blue Velvet to Crank It Up. Both blue runs so no crazy gnar, just flow and good trail times. Cheers!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>VIDEO HERE<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Staycation

Another pre-summer work slog over and another blockbuster in the bag. With it came the usual slide into slothiness and fitness dive that comes from not being able to ride regularly. Coupled with endless snacking and beer drinking crutch sessions I was left feeling fat, toxic and in need of UV light. So I took a two week staycation to recharge ahead of a summer of (I hope) shred.

Although I struggled on bursting lungs, I managed to get plenty of riding into my fortnight of fun. A few cheeky Tamarancho and Porcupine loops were the warm up for a blissful ride at Annadel and then a leg shredding and brake stripping day at Demo. I finished my holidays a little fitter, much happier and with my bike kung fu back on point.

Annabel never fails to leave me filled with utter joy. Its my favourite place to ride in the area. The fast, loose, natural feeling terrain coaxes the best out of me and despite rising lactic acid levels I managed to transcend my weary body and attain the heady, intoxicating state of flow. Amazing. The next day me and Owen headed south to Santa Cruz. Its been a year since I last rode Demo  - I always leave the place vowing to hit it more frequently but I never seem to manage it. The Trance felt awesome on the purpose built trails, soaking up the extra rutted and gnarly descents caused by the Winter's rains.

I finished my time off with a solo Tamarancho loop. Since then I've started back at the grindstone and braved the hideous head winds on my roadie work commute. It'll take a while for my legs to feel strong and capable again. Hopefully they'll get there in time for next month's Whistler trip!

New Shoes

Time flies when you're having fun. Just over a year ago I swapped my trusty beastly Nomad for the uber lite, extra spangly Trance Advanced. I unwittingly marked the anniversary of its maiden voyage by going back to Tamarancho for a swift loop in primo tacky dirt. The storms seem to have abated for the time being, leaving behind soft dirt that has been baked to perfection in the warming Californian sun.

The Trance feels just as tight and dialed as it did when I first bought it. The 1x11 drivetrain is a little sensitive and needs regular fettling. Shifting perfectly across a dinner plate sized cassette is a lot to ask it seems. But when dialed it really is buttery smooth. I'm noticing a little pivot creaking too - nothing a Spring suspension service won't fix. But the only issue real has been the tires. The stock Nobby Nics were always going to be the bike's Achilles heel. Not quite burly enough or aggressive enough to incite too much excitement they were just about good enough until I could find a reason to swap them out. A recent problem with my tubeless set up gave me the excuse to bail on the Nobbys and get some decent rubber installed on the otherwise perfect steed.

I like Maxxis tires so after a bit of research and recommendations from Fairfax Cyclery I decided to go for a High Roller II up front and a Minion Semi Slick in the rear. The High Roller is insane. Incredible grip and handling that inspires confidence no matter how recklessly you clatter through rough stuff, or how hard you lean into the corners. Over the years I've come to appreciate the subtleties of using correct tires and how a little too much or not enough pressure can make or break a ride. But I've never experienced a tread pattern giving such great feedback and inspiring quite as much confidence as I'm finding with the High Roller. I love it!

The Minion is the party animal of the pair. With a tread pattern like Keith Flint's hairdo its a strange looking beast. The low profile centre knobs allow the bike to get up to speed very quickly - I really did notice it. I had the tire pressure set a little higher than is ideal to ensure good seating, so the rear did spin out on some smooth rock climbs. On the descents too it will lose traction under pumping,  but the chunky side knobs soon bite dirt and save the day. Coupled with the aggressive front pairing the bike will simply corner like its on rails once you get it leaning over. I had so much fun playing with the new set up and definitely felt a little faster in some sections.

I actually saw my old Nomad a few weeks ago in a bike shop parking lot. Its new owner had kept it pretty much as I sold it and was really enjoying it. It brought a big smile to my face, but no sense of regret. The Trance has taken a little getting used to and some fettling here and there. But right now I feel like I can tackle pretty much anything with its sleek carbon frame at my command. Giant really did a sound job. I've not felt tempted to swap any of the factory spec. Now the shoes are sorted I'm even more convinced it is the absolute perfect weapon for my riding adventures.

Commuter Bonus

My road ride commute might not be quite as flower or exciting as a typical MTB shred, but it does offer up some incredible views. This was taken on a morning detour up Hawk Hill - a popular Golden Gate overlook in the Marin Headlands. I've decided to try and include Hawk Hill (when time allows) to try and boost my climbing power and to enjoy the awesome descent back to the bridge before starting the day's work. We have a lot of rain here in NorCal at the moment so our trails are slop. Having the road bike steed as a back up for two wheeled fun is definitely a plus, especially when I get to grab a few pretty snaps en route.

Turkey Ride 2015

The Turkey Ride seemed to come around quickly this year. It feels like Summer was just a moment ago, but the dropping temperatures and light frosting say otherwise. Winter is here and, in typical NorCal fashion its really rather pleasant. Cold but sunny and, just like the past couple of years - perfect riding conditions come Thanks Giving time. This is my sixth Appetite Seminar in a row, but my first on the Trance. I was keen to see how its nimble frame compared to the tank like Nomad over the 3600ft (plus) of climbing on this traditional 25 mile mountain route.

Sticking to tradition we met at the Java Hut just before 7:30am, keen to roll out nice and early. I joined Rosson, Greg and the rest of the Zeitgeist team. Its always a thrill to ride with strong racers. It pushes my mettle a bit, making a fun social ride a welcome challenge too.

The ride through Deer Park and up to the Bolinas road was stunning. Early morning sun painted golden light across frosty rugged terrain. I wish I'd stopped to take pictures but we were determined to crack on and warm our fingers and toes before the real climbing began.

I've described the route several times before. This year's was no different, except it felt much easier somehow. I'd like to credit it with my awesome fitness (which isn't bad, but certainly not my best) however it must have been the lightweight Trance. At a near 8lbs lighter than my old steed, it really is quite a svelte beast. Even with the newly acquired flat pedals, ascending the many challenging climbs seemed much easier. Almost enjoyable! On the descents, the Trance really flies. The Turkey Ride takes in some steep fire roads, whoops and rutted double track. The Trance ate it up and provided nothing but stability, agility and grin inducing playfullness. The flat pedal set up encourages some lairy cornering and I dared more than before to push the bike into each apex and lean the frame aggressively. Great fun.

Our final descent was the Porcupine trail. Fast and flowey by default, it was made more fun this year by some spirited racing and switchback overtaking with the Zeitgeist crew. Definitely a great way to end the ride and some inspiration to maybe get back into the race scene next year.

I hope to be doing the Turkey Ride for years to come. I'm not a native of this country, but I'm grateful to the Thanks Giving holiday. Not only is it a day off from the usual grind, but its a genuine chance to take stock, reflect and appreciate just how much mountain biking (and its community) really means to me. Cheers!

MTB Mutt

Another long stretch with nothing blog-worthy to upload. Not to say I haven't been riding, I have. Living in Fairfax means I can pedal out of my front door and soon be hitting dirt. We've been riding the usual haunts on a regular basis and I'm continuing my roadie commuting commitment. There's also some cool stuff on the horizon : checking out Stafford Lake Bike Park is a hot agenda item and there's whispers of a summer Whistler trip too. Until then, I'm keen to simply enjoy my favorite time of the year - Autumn! (I still refuse to call it Fall.) The air is crisp, clear and at times bitterly cold (by California standards anyways) but I do love the holiday season. Each ride feels like an adventure and the trail conditions are often perfect. Plenty of sunshine sprinkled with just enough scattered rain to create beautiful tacky dirt.

This year I have a new riding buddy to share good trails time with : Chana! Our beautiful 9 month old mutt. As soon as we got her I had dreams of her running like the wind - tongue lolling out the side of her face as I ripped alongside her. This weekend we went to Sorich Ranch and did just that. Chana wasn't at all bothered by the bike, in fact she has a bad habit of getting too close to the wheels. As much as I'll try to avoid her, a quick accidental rubbery buzz to her hind quarters is inevitable. But she's a tough, fearless girl. Thats why I love her! I can't wait for the many trail adventures we'll share.

A Long Day in the Saddle

Its been a while since I did any sort of race or organized bike riding event. I've not really missed it, I've been happy to ride at a decidedly non-race pace and just enjoy good trail times at my own leisure. However my good lady pointed me to the Marin County Bicycle Coalition organized Solstice Fondo event and my interest was piqued. The registration cost was somewhat expensive, and the stats seemed grueling - 38 miles and 6300ft of climbing up and over some of Marin's steepest routes. But it was a good chance to explore new trails and to connect old favorites together in different ways, something I've wanted to do since moving to the area as I tend to only ride the same old loops over and over. Plus riders would receive a sweet t-shirt souvenir. I was sold!

Unlike a race which has a mass start, the fondo had participants register, pick up their wrist bands and head out solo with nothing but a turn by turn guide and a promise that we'd have our route marked and support stations along the way. During the day we'd occasionally see fellow riders and suffer up climbs as roughly assembled packs, but for the most part it was a lonesome day in the dirt, pitching mettle against a long and challenging route. I didn't mind this too much. A chance to see new trails and take in amazing views was what I signed up for. And it was nice not to have the pressure of a race vibe pushing everyone along.

The route covered most of the Marin rides around (but not including) Mt Tam. We started out from San Geronimo onto Porcupine trail and then up to the 680 trail. The day's first climb felt good. The sky was overcast and the temperature cooling. I'd ridden this route before - its the way we normally head to the Solstice trail. But I'd never continued along the 680 trail as the steep rugged fun of Solstice was always too much of a draw. I was suprised and pleased to discover the 680 is awesome fun to ride! Flowey and fast it feels a lot like China Camp's Bay Trail. Already I'd discovered a new riding route to add to our weekend options and the fondo was less than 2 hours in!

The first aid station, at the end of 680, was a welcome chance to rest, fill up on PB&Js and ready ourselves for the next climb. The morning mist was burning off and the heat of the day was making itself known. I topped off my Camel Sack with electrolytes and cracked on.

The Luiz fire road is rutted, steep and seems never ending. I caught up with a few stragglers and we all spent most of the climb pushing our steeds up the face of the hill. After a few false summits we eventually reached the telecom towers which meant the grunt was over (for now.) Our reward was a fun descent to Big Rock where the second aid station awaited us.

By now I was around 3 hours in but still felt pretty good. My plan had been to skip out the upcoming Tamarancho section to save my legs some grief. I knew I wasn't conditioned to do the whole planned route with any amount of prowess, and I know rancho like the back of my hand anyway. This ride was about discovering new adventures, so I felt fine about skipping a familiar chunk of it. But as I climbed Loma Alta heading towards White Hill I started to feel differently. Out there pretty much alone, it felt good to be pitching myself against such vast open space with nothing but my bike, determination and some peanut M&Ms to get me through. I decided to see how I felt once I'd dropped down White Hill trail, hit the third aid station to refuel and made my way to the B-17 extension.

Once I got to 'rancho, my legs were filled with the familiar dull ache of fatigue. My head struggled to stay focussed and I'd pushed up sections I've ridden with ease many times before. I should've played it safe and headed out to the finish, but common sense lost to bravado and I completed a Tamarancho loop in a fog of heat and exhaustion. From the cursory attention I'd paid to the route map, I figured I was almost done anyway. On the home stretch at least. The organizers had put the climbing total to be 63000ft and my Garmin was already pushing 6k. No worries. I headed out of B-17 and continued my way up White Hill.

As fireroad gave way to loose chunky rocks, my addled brain started to feel a twinge of familiarity. This was the route (in reverse) that we do on the Thanks Giving ride....... Realisation of what was to come dawned on me in an awful way. I had a LOT left to do and it was all technical and steep. My Garmin must've been confused as I clearly wasn't close to finishing. But it was too late now. I just had to dig deep and climb (or hike a bike) as best I could and keep fantasizing about finishing and stuffing my face with ice cream and cold sodas.

Eventually, after some sketchy fast descents (undertaken near-blind as my fogged up contact lenses had to be discarded trailside) and one last killer ascent I was spat out onto paved road. Bedraggled, sunburned and utterly fucked I could barely navigate back to Sir Francis Drake Blvd and the finishing line. The MCBC website says the average rider will take 7 hours to complete the Solstice Fondo. I did it with two minutes to spare. My Garmin friend insisted I'd ridden more than 38 miles and climbed over 7500 ft. I could well believe it as every fibre in my legs and ass groaned and grimaced as I finally climbed off the Trance.

I pushed myself too far. I rode more miles than anticipated, but I didn't climb in the saddle as much as I'd like either. Hike a bike became the only choice for much of the last two or three hours of riding. But I'd managed the whole distance and found some new fun trails (and discovered others I'll happily never climb again.) The event was pretty well organized, the aid stations in particular were well stocked and a real morale booster. However the camaraderie and sense of biking community you typically get at race events wasn't there. Even the post ride BBQ seemed to have fizzled out by the time I finished. But I achieved what I set out to do, and hopefully gave my fitness the kick up the arse it needs. Next weekend we hit Northstar for the first time this season. As riding goes, the polar opposite of what I just did. Thats why I love this sport so much..... variety of adventure!

MMBHOF

The Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame finally opened its doors earlier this month. Being in the heart of Fairfax, the birthplace of Mountain Biking, it houses a comprehensive collection of steeds that help to document the rise in popularity (and ensuing technical advances) from humble bone shakers and Klunkers to today's sleek, burly and impressive shredding machines.

We took a tour round on the opening day so the museum was somewhat of a zoo. It was hard to read all the good info that takes visitors through our beloved sport's past, however there was plenty of room to admire the bikes. I hope, over time, more resources allows the MMBHOF to display some more modern machines. Maybe some of the awesome downhill world cup steeds that have really pushed the sport into one of the most impressive, challenging feats achieved on two wheels. For now though, it is well worth the price of admission and some quality time spent geeking out over treasures past.

** b!K3 p0R-n D@y!!!

Sea Otter is the perfect bike geek's day out. Glorious sunshine, plenty of sexy looking anodized gubbins, components and shiny new kit to check out, plus acres of sweet sweet rides to gorp at. The 'Otter is also a great chance to see the heroes of our sport competing (albeit casually and with plenty of showboating) in dual slalom and downhill races. Perfect for getting pumped for our upcoming Northstar downhill adventures. So, this weekend, me and Chris headed down south to the Sea Otter Classic to indulge in some bike related drooling. Here are some pics from the day! :

Almost all of the pro downhill racers opted to ride regular trail bikes instead of burly dual crown beasts. Here's a Giant Trance Advanced getting some big air.... Just goes to show what you can do with these rigs!

No chance of dropping a chain on this clever Commencal DH rig....

Old and the new (in the background.) Shaun Palmer's radical Intense downhill bike has earned legendary status and looks pretty sweet in the flesh.

Subaru's wall of innovation. This kid's face says it all.... not too convinced by this early fat bike!