MTB'ing As an Art Form

It seems mountain biking is such an art form because you don't see things as they really are. Instead of rocky, root strewn ground you see a line, a distinct path through the patterns -- and maybe something tricky to play off of -- that your eye and your tire follow before your mind even commands them to. Instead of a thread of trail outlining a cliff's edge you see in a-half-of-a-heart beat a sturdy monorail that your bike is naturally hooked to. Mountain biking is fast and slow at the same time. In what else that we do could this condition possibly exist?

Last Super D of the Season

The adventure began before we even got on our bikes. Once we reached the top of the Zephyr lift the trucks and vans were waiting for us racers to take us to . . . bumm, bumm, bummm . . . the very top of the mountain. Our bikes were tossed (in our minds they were tossed. Someone made a comment about 'bike spaghetti.') into the backs of vans and eager, mindless riders piled into SUV's with no seats in the back. Up terrain that looked like you should only ride your bike down we bounced our way around the back side of the mountain to make the climb to the top. The ride was so bumpy that one of the racers, our new friend Roxy, bounced so high her already unstable shoulder popped out of socket. The van stopped while a few riders got out and collectively popped the shoulder back without so much as a squeal from Roxy. She still raced, placing 3rd.

Once at the top, our nerves now taking over, we lined up ON OUR BIKES for our mass start - yay, not La Mans style! Off the line I was the third girl out of ten. I really wanted to hold my position so even though the dust from dirt-thick-as-could-be coming off the first two riders was choking out my vision I tried to stay fast. I could only see the top of Adrienne's, the rider in second, helmet in front of me and I kept my eye on her helmet's movement -- if the helmet went up, set- up for an obstacle, if the helmet tipped sideways, crouch in position for a turn. It was that way for what seemed a long time but I am sure was only a minute until we hit thick, thick dirt single track that was on a slight upgrade. The pedaling was nauseating and I could hear Tina, who was on her light xc bike, coming up behind me. I could also see Adrienne, on her heavy DH bike, slowing down. Stuck between the two I held my own back down the familiar side of the mountain and in to rocky, silty terrain. I was keeping good speed until a wipe out in a sharp, rutted out corner sent me over the handle bars. . . I was cussing like a sailor when Tina (sport class) and Molly (pro) stumbled past me. Damn it!!!! I vowed to catch them and quickly overcoming the mental aspects of the crash I sped up to them on the ladder bridge where Tina had dove off because of two flat tires. I passed her slowing down to ask if she was alright and hearing a word I am sure was "fine" I kept in hot pursuit of Molly, now the rider in front of me. The rest of the rocky, twisty race I was pushing it, but not as hard as I know I have in the past. I think I was a little worn out from a long week of work, but still, I made a strong finish through the technical, but 0h-so-fun bottom of the run to place 1st in Sport class (finishing behind all three pro's).

It was a great run for a last race . . . I am just sorry for Tina who flatted out. Big bummer! At least she took it like a sport. Hopefully next year we can say 'she took it like a pro.'

FUN

See Jane Jump Festival -- DH work-shop, all ladies, with pro coaches. I wannna go, I wanna go! Next year.

See Jane Jump 2010 from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

Funny

I love this video (Darcy Turenne) and I love Dakine gear . . . sponsorship one day maybe??

True Travel Love from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

Took a nice long XC ride yesterday evening . . . oh my aching muscles. It hurts so good.

Race Weekend

This past weekend was a race weekend extravaganza at Northstar . . . ok, well not that dramatic, but it was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work with a case of the nerves mixed in.Practice run Live Wire Classic, Sunday Sept. 29, 2010: Taking it easy, testing out the legs.

Friday evening was the Super D -- the race started with a nice fat stretch of lung & leg burning pedaling, ugh. The Le Mans start had me in second place when we hit the twisty, pedally single track. The lead girl was a xc racer who admonished the rest of the girls before the race to "hold back at the start to save some for the end." Then she took off like a shot, hahaha. Nice. Unfortunately none of us were ever able to catch that tricky girl. I was still holding second when I arrived at the fun downhill part of the course, the upper section of Karpiel. Karpiel is a double-black diamond that I had never ridden before, especially not on the Nomad. However, once I got over my intimidation it turned out to be the most fun section of the course (can't wait to ride it again. I'll wait until I get my DH bike to ride the lower section which is much nastier with steep rock gardens and drops and such). The dirt was loose and there was a bit of sliding around but all-in-all the course was in good condition. From Karpiel we hit a section of Pho-Dogg I had never ridden before -- fun also! Then on to twisy, rocky, flatish Woods - technical, tough and challenging, finishing on fast, smooth Deer Path (back to rocky, twisty a bit at the end on Lift Line -- one of my favorites). Having a blast and pushing it as much as I could I came in 1st in Sport class and was thrilled!

Live Wire Classic, Race photo

After resting up a bit on Saturday, Sunday came and the big Live Wire race was on! I learned something comparing these two races 1) Don't put too much pressure on a race, the nerves will break my concentration 2) I need a little alone time before a race to get inside my head. [Friday I had no expectations and about two hours alone before the race to get warmed up and in the right space]. I felt pretty good during my race run, but definitely made a few mistakes which cost me valuable seconds and I definitely could have pushed a little harder -- although, after comparing notes, you feel like you're spent at times on the course. The track could not have been in more perfect condition! A nice rain the night before left the course super tacky but not muddy at all. It was bliss. It was quite chilly waiting almost two hours at the top for our start time (too much time to get the nerves going and too many people to find any time inside your head). Even though I wish I could have raced a little faster and gotten about 15 seconds better time, I have to say - wow! it was fun. I love riding Live Wire -- and next year there is another race and I can correct the mistakes I felt I made this race (not enough speed into the jumps, faster in the corners, keep LOW the whole time). Next year I will also have a dedicated DH bike which will help out considerably. Until then my awesome Nomad got me through two races this weekend with a 1st & 4th place. I even got new tires put on her just for the weekend -- Minions -- and as Mike at ABW says, "Minion's are the shit!!!" I quote. I also agree.

The thing I also enjoyed about this race weekend was not just the riding and the pushing and challenging myself to bigger and better things, but the atmosphere. No other sport I have been involved in before has the camaraderie been so fantastic. Everyone is happy on a bike and the women in the sport reach out to each other. It is amazing. I made more new friends this weekend and they are fun, super-chill women. Just the kind I like to hang with. And I admire them for how they push themselves. Monday, I was tired, I could barely get out of bed . . . and it was so worth it! We'll be racing again in a few weeks - the final in the Super D series and maybe even the Boondocks DH race on a borrowed bike. We'll see . . . I'll keep you posted.
p.s. - Tina was unable to race the Super D and came in 2nd in Live Wire. Woot, woot. Go Tina!
Marianne is kicking ass developing a strong leadership presence with NorCal and the Placer Foothill Mountain Bike Club. Very impressive ladies, very impressive!

Race!

Two races coming up this weekend: Friday the Super D and Sunday Liiiiivewiiiire (aka Livewire Classic) . . . three days and counting.

Wow. . .

Storming Northstar

Today we stormed Northstar, or actually, Northstar stormed us. First run down and it started hailing, followed by pouring rain and then thunder and of course next came the lightening. The lifts were shut down and the only way to get in a second run was by pushing your big DH bike up to mid-mountain and catch "Lift-Line" run -- which several of us riders who couldn't get enough did. But before we called it a day and gave in to the weather, we captured a few small jaunts on photo and video . . .




If you can see way down the road you'll notice all of us sad sacs pushing our bikes up the fire road . . . we must ride! Thanks T for letting me borrow the 951, that bike rules the school!!

kd

Super D #1 Northstar

Yesterday kicked off the first race in the Super D series for Tina and I up at Northstar. After compartmentalizing our day -- working in the morning, getting into race mode in the afternoon -- we headed up the hill and the butterflies started. I found that laughter really is the best medicine and once we started cracking jokes the tension melted away . . . that's the ticket.

However, things didn't go so smoothly for me once we got on the mountain. My Lyrik fork was just rebuilt by a local bike shop the day before and while it seemed a little stiff on first impression, I really didn't have time to give it a good test run until my practice run where I found out I had about one inch of travel! I was cussing like a sailor the whole way down and not even sure I was going to race at that point. When I was supposed to be up at top of the course at the mandatory race meeting I was down at the bike park's quickie bike shop -- although they didn't have the time and resources to perform a real fix on the fork, they took care of me by taking some air out of the fork and putting some lube around the dust seals. This got me to about four inches, not quite the ride I'm used to, but still I decided to head up the mountain to attempt to race anyway. Arriving late I was happy to find they still accepted me and in a few minutes I was lined up for the (lame) Le Mans start to the race.

After a false start (I heard the word "GO" and me and another girl started running, even though the guy was still only explaining the rules -- oops. No harm) I took off like a shot and managed to be the first girl to reach her bike, flip it over, jump on and take off towards the dusty, rocky, loose single track that would be our challenge for the next 20 minutes or so. There was one length of flat fire road in between and that was where I was passed by a super-fast xc girl. I vowed to catch her on the DH but was met with one more bike malfunction - chain jump. After another session of cursing I had the chain back on the ring and was back on my bike, but alas unable to catch her. The rest of the ride was quite the arm pumping, leg pumping challenge with plenty of technical sections and twisty turns.

Tina, who for her own bike issues had to ride her heavier DH bike, caught up to me at one point and we got lost for a minute which didn't help in my quest to take the lead - it was a confusing course for sure!! After all was said and done I was very happy with a second place finish, Tina in third. It was a great race overall and we even made a new riding buddy, Roxy from Oakland. Looking forward to the next race -- and getting my Lyrik dialed in!!

New Trails at Squaw (these photos are not from there)

Yesterday I rode with a really fun group up at the new bike park at Squaw Valley, Tahoe . . . it was crazy and beautiful . . . and unfortunately we did not get any photos. Although the photo ops were great, no one had a camera, or would have wanted to get off their bikes long enough to take a picture for that matter.

So, totally unrelated, here are some photos taken on the confluence trail in the canyon just beyond my house. These were taken on a nice, hot, dusty Sunday morning. . . Northstar Super D race in five days and counting!



kd

Megavalance -- we should try it!

Don't forget to click on the square in the right hand corner to make it full screen (like I forgot to do). Enjoy!

Skill and Fitness

You hear those two words a lot when you talk about mtbing: skill and fitness. Yesterday on my way home from working in Reno I stopped at Northstar for a few hours. It was a relaxed day because I had not gone up with any of my friends to ride and it was a second-hand trip to my business trip in which I did the presto-chango from business suit to freeride clothes in the parkinglot after a 10 minute nap in the driver's seat of my Highlander.

It was a great ride! Working Livewire with run after run was a blast in progression. Then I decided to pedal across the mountain to the trail we had ridden in the first-ever Super D at Northstar last year (right before I shredded my knee for the season. yikes!). Flameout is the name of the trail . . . and it is brutal. I now remember why I was so whooped after the race last year. That trail is 20-25 minutes of t-e-c-h-n-i-c-a-l (if you really want to spell out a word that long). It is physically and mentally punishing and makes you cry out for the smooth, flowy, easily-launched-in-the-air ride of Livewire. I was beat up after Flameout. At least in DH you have gravity to help you overcome obstacles (albiet I don't hit the big features in trails like Boondocks. Talk about demanding) . . . but this course it's you and rocks and twisty, narrow single track and gravity isn't always there to lend a helping hand. Sometimes sheer brutal pedaling speed is the only way to attack. It is quite equally demanding of both skill and fitness . . . and in this Super D season which starts July 23rd, I look forward to crushing it.

MTBing: The Adventure Art

It's hot and dusty and summer riding is in full swing.

Sorry we haven't been posting lately but we've been out living adventures.

Marianne has left for Sweden (her home country) and is living the good life visiting friends and family and swimming, kayaking and biking around scenic lakes. We miss you Marianne and are a tad bit jealous simultaneously. That happens. Before she left she rode the Pioneer trail out of Nevada City -- can't wait for her to come back and show us the way.

I, Kirstie, have been off seeking new trails and adventures. I met a really nice couple at Sea Otter and connected with them for a kick-ass ride in Ukiah, Ca. They were generous enough to take the day off and show me some of their DH trails. The first one rocked hard -- steep, (but a bit loose), windy, jumpy. It had it all. The next trail was a true freeride adventure -- complete with harrowing experiences. They said it was a new trail their buddies had built but as we skid our way down a steep, shrub encrusted mountain-side any semblance of a trail disappeared. We found ourselves lost -- for about three hours -- basically managing our bikes down the mountain as opposed to riding. Once we found our way down the shaley mountainside, out of a waste-high weeded hillside and through the backyard of a farmer's house, down his private road and out to finally find our vehicles we kissed the ground and celebrated what is to go down in history as a great adventure. (It's always nice to look back and say how much fun that was although while you're going through it you're cursing the circumstances you have put yourself in). A few days later I found myself off to Northstar with Tina and we had a BLAST! I went back the next day to watch the National Pro GRT race but was too pooped to really ride much -- did a little. And this past weekend found me on a late night drive up to Downieville to spend the night in the back of a pick-up truck -- ahhh, open air sleeping is the best!! The riding was glorious the next day, although the amount of snow at the top on Sunshine was a little wearing to slog through. We were warned but chose to forge our own path -- occasionally getting lost. I love Downieville for the riding (excellent!), the scenery (spectacular) and companions you meet on the way (always friendly). Definitely DH MTBing is the friendliest sport I've participated in so far. Today took me on a challenging XC ride through the back trails of Applegate -- Hermet Hut trail, always a good one!

Tina's been busy too. Besides our incredible day of riding at Northstar, this past week her and I rode the fun, fast, flowy part of FHDL loop and enjoyed ourselves the whole way. She's out kayaking today after a Confluence ride. I can't wait to hear about her adventures.

There is no shortage of great stuff to ride. We've even found two new trails in Auburn that are begging to be better explored by the Girls. Time is the only barrier. Balancing life with riding is an art and we are always perfecting our art. And we are loving it!

Did I mention I met the Athertons in the med tent at Sea Otter . . . what, only once or twice? Oh, ok then.

In Case You're Wondering

World Cup DH MTB Schedule

2010 World Mountain Bike Calendar

May 15-16: World Cup DHI #1 & 4X #2, Maribor, Slovenia

June 5-6: World Cup DHI #2 & 4X #3, Fort William Great Britain

June 19-20: World Cup DHI #3 & 4X #4, Leogang, Austria

July 24-25: World Cup XCO #4 and DHI #4, Champéry, Switzerland

July 31 - August 1: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #5 and 4X #5, Val di Sole, Italy

August 28-29: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #6, and 4X #6, Windham, New York, USA

August 31 - September 5: World XCO, DHI & 4X Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada

From Race Pace To Going the Distance

Two days in a row of riding with the ladies and the elbow is feeling fine . . . the fracture is just a distant memory. Time now to get the muscles back in riding shape -- Northstar should be opening soon! Sunday the ladies and I climbed our usual butt-kicking climb to the top of one of our favorite trails (which may be the site of a super fun Super D race course coming soon if the race promoter can get past a few recently encountered snags). At the top of the trail I was challenged by a random dude who was riding with a friend -- he saying he had only ever seen two girls riding a Nomad before and I was the second one. He wanted to see what I could do on that bike. I tried to say I was just coming back from an injury but after a good long group discussion about bike set-up and components I decided no more sitting and talking and 'no excuses' and took off -- with Tina, two random dudes and Marianne on my tail. I flew! I don't think I have ever ridden the Culvert trail so fast or so precise -- or ever had that much fun on it! It seems the key to speed on that trail is staying loose and flowy in the rutted sections, having a good lean in the corners (and letting the rear drift a bit) and using the small jumps and rocks to launch into the next section. After pausing at a common pause-area the gentlemen passed by with a 'niiiice job' and we waited for Marianne who had experienced technical difficulties along the way. Victory was had!

The next day Marianne and I set out on a completely different ride. I took my son's new awesome XC bike, a Giant Trance x2, and Marianne and I rode what will become known as the Cross the Canyon Waters' Edges Ride -- or some name more more clever when we think of it. It was a new loop for us that we invented along the way. We started at the bottom of the canyon at Mammoth Bar by the edge of the middle fork of the American River . . . climbed up Ranch trail, up Ranch Dressing Trail until we crossed Foresthill Road then headed down Doc Gordon's road (a big breezy fire break trail) cruising down 1.5 miles to the stunning Upper Lake Clementine. We enjoyed the serenity at Clementine's water's edge for a few minutes until we made the leg-pumping climb back up and over and down Stonewall to the other side. Back to where we started. It was a beautiful tour of the canyon -- the foliage was green and the wild flowers still blooming thanks to all this late in the season rain and a touch of humidity. It was quite the loop. And it pooped me out. I was toast the rest of the day. I'm sure that ride helped me get my bike riding legs back though. Both rides did in their own way -- Two totally different rides on two different bikes in two days. How lucky am I? Pretty darn lucky!

kd

Maribor World Cup Results

Sometimes-local pro-rider Joanna Petterson placed 13th in the first World Cup DH race held in Maribor, Slovenia. Congratulations!

And you should really read Rachel Atherton's account of the race by clicking on her post in our Blog List to your right --> . . . you might want to grab a cup of coffee, or beer, or wine, or beverage of your choice and settle in first. The read is worth it.

Maribor World Cup: Women's DH final full results

Women	Time	Diff
Women	Time	Diff
1 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles	3:39.59	0
2 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center	3:39.90	0.31
3 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Iron Horse-Kenda-Playbiker	3:43.33	3.74
4 Céline Gros (Fra) Morzine-Avoriaz 74	3:48.08	8.49
5 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) www.funfancy.jp	3:50.66	11.07
6 Myriam Nicole (Fra)	3:55.17	15.58
7 Emilie Siegenthaler (Sui) Scott 11	3:59.20	19.61
8 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team	4:03.87	24.28
9 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Trek World Racing	4:06.05	26.46
10 Miriam Ruchti (Sui) Team Vario Racing	4:07.12	27.53
10 Claire Buchar (Can) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense	4:07.12	27.53
12 Anita Molcik (Aut) Yeti	4:07.52	27.93
13 Joanna Petterson (RSA) Commencal USA	4:08.81	29.22
14 Jessica Stone (GBr) 2Stage Factory	4:09.06	29.47
15 Petra Bernhard (Aut)	4:15.39	35.8
16 Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS	4:16.77	37.18
17 Caroline Sax (Fra)	4:30.87	51.28
18 Fanny Lombard (Fra)	4:33.14	53.55
19 Emma Atkinson (GBr)	4:58.35	1:18.76
20 Sophie Borderes (Fra)	5:18.66	1:39.07

Back On Bike

Man what a feeling. To be back on a mountain bike. Yesterday I got back on the trail and rode, really rode for the first time since the fracture. No doctor's note required -- we know what our bodies need and can handle. Mine told me it was time to ride. The first section of single track on the Culvert trail was a little harry. I didn't remember the line being so rutted out and I could feel the chatter in my elbow, but nothing that was telling me to stop. When Tina and I got to the end of the Culvert trail I said to her, 'when were there so many rocks involved in mountain biking?' Haha, we had a good laugh. And then I followed 'Her Quickness' down Clementine and I marvelled over every section of the trail. Wow! What a feeling. My legs were burning, my lungs were working and my heart was beating right out of my chest. I'm sure my heart was pounding not just because I've gotten a little-out-of-mtb-shape but because I'm so in love. So in love with mountain biking.

See you out there!

kd

Sea Otter Was Classic

(Photo of practice run before race shows me riding with a yet undiagnosed fractured elbow -- ouch!)

Sea Otter Classic 2010 had us hoping for the best this year. We started out missing one girl from the Eastside so only two were going to represent. (One girl got a brand new totally bitchin' [yay, 80's slang] Intense 951 as a trade off. Sometimes those decisions have to be made). The other two of us signed up for a race we were not yet familiar with at Sea Otter -- the Super D. We went in not knowing what to expect and one came out pleasantly satisfied. If this post seems all about numbers 1,2,3 -- it's because it is: Three talked about racing, two went to the race, and one ended up racing.

I started out Thursday practice on an absolutely gorgeous day out at Laguna Seca all by myself -- no one from my group showed up until that evening. The course was more than perfect. It was fast, flowy, jumpy, challenging but not too rutted-out. Riders lined up for practice runs chatting excitedly with each other, happy to be together where bike lovers/geeks/enthusiasts come from all over. I met local people, people from Florida, people from Nashville. It was awesome! I was feeling really good on my bike too and focused on having a great ride. I wanted to get in as many runs as possible so I figured I'd hang out on the DH course most of the day.

First run, I got familiar with the course -- and as I mentioned, it was fun! Second run, was probably my best of the day and I felt totally at one with this course and my beloved bike. I was getting really excited for the race on Saturday. Third run, I was surprised at how I was already feeling tired. It's amazing how much physical and mental strength and stamina a three minute course demands! It totally blows my mind and is very hard to explain to some people who couldn't understand -- how long is race, they ask? About a mile, I say. Uhhh, is there response. I explain it's like a sprint, a very intense, high skill level sprint. The mind and body are working very quickly and powerfully together (I usually don't give that much information). What can I say, I'm in love with the sport.

It was my fourth run where I crashed on a gap jump. I'm not exactly sure what happened. I mean I know that I decided to land on the right side of the jump and that the landing was off-camber, but it happened so quickly that I was tossed to the ground, sliding across the dirt on my full-face helmet. Thank you helmet. I let my body go limp -- you know that feeling when you know you are not going to pull out of a crash so you just surrender to lessen the torsion of your body at impact (learning to crash . . . it is one of the skill levels). The pain was immediate but the endorphins were high and I didn't realize that I needed to go to the medical tent until about an hour later. Once I got home an x-ray confirmed a fracture in my right elbow.

To spare the reader any more details, I opted not to race in either race, the Super D or the DH. I made a practice attempt at the DH before the race and the course was very choppy now compared to Thursday and I decided since I couldn't ride to my full potential and that I would listen to the pain, I wouldn't race. I was beyond disappointed about the DH race, but had to tell myself "there's always next year." And there is. I got excellent care from a totally hot intern in the medical tent. (In fact he emailed me and asked if he could use my case for his class presentation. Go for it dude). I got to meet Rachel, Gee and Dan Atherton in the med tent. Dan actually gave me some riding tips and the greatest smile ever. (Thank you Dan!). So, Sea Otter, like anything in life, is what you make of it. And what you take away from it. I chose to take away a great experience (although Friday I was suffering quite a bit) and continue learning from this classic year at Sea Otter.

Healing is going really well. I'll be back on the bike again soon!

kd

Jump Session #1

Today was all about clearing that one gap jump at the top of Culvert Trail.

We took a few practice runs at it . . . and then hit it and cleared it . . .

and then cased it. Then it turned into a flat changing (and broken chain fixing) session as we tallied up three collective flats for the day. Jumps and flats -- all in all it was a good start. Now we are readying for Jump Session #2.

kd

MTBing is the Best Medicine

When the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you're having difficulty pulling out of a funky mood . . . there's nothing like getting on your bike for a quick skip and hop down a beautiful trail to set your world straight and put a huge smile back on your face. The welcoming glow of single track. (Auburn, CA)

kd

Awww, race cancelled

Apparently the first Gold Country Gravity Cup race was cancelled due to lack of participants (come on people!). However, an "event" is still happening that day, April 3rd . . . and apparently a bbq. - Thanks for the nod Olmstead. haha.

kd

Sometimes We Hike

. . . and sometimes we need to take our bikes back to the places we hiked and ride. -Fern Creek Trail, Mt. Tamalpais.

Mud

With all the rain it's been a bit muddy around here lately. Luckily, it doesn't stop us from doing what we love the most! However, it does mean that almost as much time is spent on clean up as it is on riding -- and sometimes you have to choose your lines competing with where the water is running -- and even past some waterfalls in rocky areas where there hadn't been a waterfall before. (It catches you a little off-guard when you come flying up to it). It all just adds to the gooey, slippery, sludgy excitement. It's in complete juxtaposition to the gritty, powdery dirt of summertime at Northstar -- which I am dreaming of too.

Since the Gold Country Gravity Cup Series in Auburn (our backyard) starts in three weeks and there is training to be had, I hope Stonewall has a chance to dry out a little because here we come! Muddy or not.

kd

High School ride music video

Here is a two minute slide/video of some footage (with a very modest camera I had in my back pocket) from two recent rides with the high school mtb. club. I'm behind the camera but Tina and Kirstie are captured a few times. We like riding with and inspiring the kids, and we do need to mind our behavior around them, ha, ha. One of us skidded for fun and a kid reminded us that we should ride, not slide. Sweet!

Amazing Bike Handling Skills by Trials Rider Danny MacAskill -Enjoy

Now go try your own. Have fun!

kd

Taming of the what . . . ?

bwaaahahahahaha. This old ad is definitely out of date especially when it comes to at least three spirited women I know who have absolutely NO yearning to "be tamed" (or being compared to a car) . . . to all the ladies out there on bikes - let it fly!! The higher the better.

kd

CCCX #5 DH Race Results

Women's Sport Class

1 328w 3'52''.86 Mary Moncorg'e unattached Livermore
2 338w 4'09''.31 Tina Wilson Girls on The East Side Auburn
3 312W 4'19''.08 Ayshe Tuncer Chainsmoke Aptos
4 310W 4'26''.22 Jill Henrich Chainsmoke Sunnyvale
5 337w 4'28''.39 Kirstie Douglass Girls on the East Side Auburn
7 320w 4'41''.66 Natalie Morris Ventana Sacramento

Full race results here . . .

It was a beautiful weekend for a race in Salinas, CA. The sun was finally shining after weeks of clouds and rain. We pushed our bikes up a two mile hill to the top of the course for practices and the race -- thank goodness the course was fast and fun (see the "Thumbs Up" post on course conditions two posts down) -- which always makes it worth it! The riding was great and the atmosphere was too. It's so satisfying being around a group of people who share your passion for MTBing and the comradery is inspiring! The Girls on the East Side met the Dirt Divas (how gang do we sound?) and hope to do some riding in Santa Cruz sometime. Looking forward to more races in the season - yeaaaah!

(Race photo of Tina and practice photo of Kirstie taken by Rick Rasmussen).

kd

PFMBC ride the Quarry Trail

Ride leaders Rich and Marianne had to ride single speeds today so we picked the Quarry Trail with less climbs than our regular routes, but we had plenty of fun with mud puddles, short cuts and detours. Thanks to everyone that joined us and made this a memorable ride.

Thumbs Up

Practiced the CCCX race course today -- really FUN! The course has steep sections, lots of corners, winding single track, and few small jumps . . . and no rocks - smooth sailing on tacky, not at all soggy dg almost the whole down. The sun was shining and we had huge smiles as we figured out the course today. Let you know how tomorrow goes - yeeehaaaa!!

How Excited Are We?

Let me tell you . . . pretty darn excited! The reason is The Oak Tree Super D coming this Summer, June 19th and August 14th.

Rumor has it a DH series is starting too, April 3rd.

See you in our backyard!

kd

PFMBC 2nd & 3rd ride

Here is an Animoto video of the two latest rides with the high school kids. It's a blast to ride with them and watch their progress. The American River Canyon is an amazing playground for us mountain bikers. Some kids are already so good that they are hard to keep up with. Others are just starting out and their improvements can be noticeable in one ride. These last couple of rides we stayed together as one group and the strong riders would climb the hills twice to allow newer riders a chance to catch up. On downhill sections the fast riders could practice balance skills etc, while waiting up for the group. As the club grows we'll offer two different rides for the kids. One competitive and one recreational. I hope you like the video.
Marianne Levine

Riding In The Rain

A little rain and mud never hurt anyone -- in fact I am of the opinion it is good for anyone. Today we had an amazing ride in the 'inclement conditions'.

Obligatory post-ride photo.

Marianne was cracking up because at one point in the ride I had mud all over my teeth. I said it must have been because I smiling the whole way. Fortunate for us we knew the trails so well because visibility was not on our side -- glasses all fogged up and spattered with rain drops and mud. We didn't miss a beat though.

I couldn't put my washing machine through that mess so after washing my bike (in the now pouring rain) and then my helmet, goggles, gloves, shoes, camel back I had to strip down outside and hose off my clothes as well. We were covered -- and we were happy.

kd

Quotables From Historic MTB Women

"My saddle was getting way more action from me than any person was." - Jacquie Phelan

"Women can be strong and do anything they want." - Marla Streb

"To me it's a soul sport, an art form. I see the world in a different light when I'm looking at it from a bicycle." Missy Giove

All of these sentiments have been uttered among the Girls on The East Side at one point. Maybe just worded differently. Maybe almost exactly the same. It's interesting to note that no matter what level you ride at, we share a common thread about the sport we love . . . more to come . . .
kd

More on Bikes

Read a small blurb about the first recorded female mountain biker. To see a little more, watch the documentary "Klunkerz." Klunkerz tells an interesting history about the origins of mountain biking. My favorite point made in the documentary is that mtb'ing was born out fun -- a group of people wanting to do their own thing, go out in nature and have FUN -- before it became an industry. I hear you!!
kd

Epic first club ride for Placer Foothills Mountain Bike Club

Download now or watch on posterous

First Epic Ride.mp4 (12019 KB)

Placer Foothills Mountain Bike Club had its first official ride yesterday! We had 4 high school riders, 8 ride leaders and were joined by pro downhill rider Joanna Petterson. Joanna is ranked among the top 20 racers in the world and she races for South Africa but resides in Folsom and Kauai. Several riders missed this historic day and for them, our fans and the riders that made it, my husband and I put together a music slide/ video of some footage from our ride. The music selection was approved by our son Dylan and his friend Jordan Klopp. Jordan is joining our club. Please note that one picture is of our Norcal League competition from Oakmont High School. They have their jerseys and were finishing time trials on Stage Coach Trail. We don’t have our jerseys yet but we sure look like fierce competition. What do you think? Please comment.

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Girls On The East Side hit the East Side.

What a fun day. Yesterday was a valuable but long day of practicing coaching techniques for the Placer Foothill Mountain Bike Club for high school kids so we had to ride like we minded our behavior, but today we got to tear it up on the East Side. East Side Girls on the East Side, literally! We were psyched because we don’t ride on the east side as much as we would like to. We had a brave “joiner inner” named Lisa Auchincloss. Rarely do women riders want to ride with us. Lisa is a strong road rider for U.C. Davis but she also enjoys mountain biking. She did great on the east side and discovered her new favorite trails. We hope that she'll join us again. In the first picture we are getting ready to ride the East Side which had been swept by fire last summer. Lisa took the picture of Marianne, Kirstie and Tina. In the second picture we have Lisa, Tina and Kirstie getting ready for the fun thrill of Stonewall. At the end of the day we were freckled by mud and enjoyed a Single Track beer and a Gobble Me Please sandwich from Tsuda's Eatery. Yum. What a perfect day. Thanks ladies. Next Sunday we'll hit it harder!