On Saturday I started my 29 Trails in 29 Days challenge with a bang, riding the 34-mile Snake Creek Gap Time Trail in Dalton, GA. Temperatures were predictably cold at the start (34 degrees, 18 with the wind chill) but the sun was out and the trails were mostly dry. This was my first time riding this section of the Pinhoti Trail and I loved it!

With the shuttle buses scheduled to leave for the start at 9am, I was geared up and had my bike loaded by 10 ’til – only to find that the shuttle vehicles were already full. About 15 of us were stranded in the parking lot, awaiting one of the first shuttle buses to return to pick us up after the 1-hour round trip. Since the race is a time trial, a late start really isn’t a big deal, though it was sort of a bummer to stand around in the cold for an hour before getting underway. Other than that, the logistics at the start were great – I’m guessing there were just more race-day registrations than organizers expected.

At the trailhead, things were quiet with all our bikes ready and waiting. Apparently the race plate was blown off my bike on the way over so I called out my number at the start and blasted down the fire road. The first couple of miles were flat to down leading to the infamous first stream crossing. On Saturday the water was less than a foot deep and roughly 20 yards across, though in past events the crossing has been much higher and wider (thigh deep by some reports). After the stream crossing where I managed to keep my feet mostly dry, the trail began a pretty serious singletrack climb and I could tell that my legs weren’t really feeling it that day. Thirty miles to go.

The singletrack climb ended at a gravel road and descended steeply before a short climb back onto singletrack. During these first several miles I passed riders back and forth enough times that I really wasn’t sure how many were in front of or behind me. We were all at least an hour behind the main field which wasn’t a good feeling. At one road crossing a volunteer asked how many more riders were behind which got me worried that perhaps I was the last rider of the day. Fortunately I later learned there was a “sweep” group that would pick up any stragglers.

Ahead I found more singletrack climbing with some ridge exposure before descending fast, swoopy singletrack down to the first official sag stop at highway 136. The highway crossing felt a little dangerous because the trail basically pops you up onto the asphalt with little warning; fortunately, volunteers were posted to let the riders know when it was safe to cross. This was also the start of the 17-mile time trail option which meant I was at the halfway point of the race, even though my GPS only registered 15 miles. At two hours in I felt pretty good about my pace despite feeling fairly exhausted already.

If you know anyone who’s ridding this next section of the Pinhoti Trail, they’ve undoubtedly told you about the “technical” conditions atop the ridge between Snake Creek Gap and Dug Gap. Sitting at the sag stop I was really dreading what was to come, imagining a 5-mile long rock garden that would be just as difficult to walk as it would be to ride. There was also a section ahead called “the wall” that I imagined was some kind of 1,000-foot stair-climb/hike-a-bike to the top. Mentally, I was at a bit of a low point, worried about how I would tackle the second half.

From Snake Creek Gap the trail climbs at a reasonable grade and before I knew it I was coasting back down the other side. This section was easily my favorite with sweeping turns, smooth trail, and bermed water breaks that were perfect for catching air. After reaching the bottom of the descent there was a gradual fire road climb to the final sag stop and the start of the 8-mile “technical” finish.

I’m using the word “technical” in quotes here because I’ve decided I don’t really like that word anymore. I mean, mountain biking is full of variety and using a single word to describe difficult conditions really doesn’t convey a lot of information about what to expect. Drops, boulder fields, roots, rock gardens, mud, snow, sand, eroded soil, pea gravel, tight trees, slippery bridges, man-made obstacles, and jumps are all technical but they each require slightly different mountain bike skills.

Anyway, back to the race. After riding several miles I honestly wasn’t sure if I had reached the “technical” stuff yet. Sure, the trail was slightly rockier than previous sections but it was still rideable and not all that different from previous sections. Admittedly a couple of the downhill sections were scary on my hardtail but I managed to keep the bike upright the whole way down. At this point the rocky trail was becoming more of a physical challenge as I dealt with leg cramps that seemed to seize every time I slowed to pick my lines through the rocks, especially on the descents.

At “the wall” I caught up with two other riders and we walked the steep (but probably rideable by someone) section together. Was this the wall? I honestly wasn’t sure because it was so much smaller than what I had built up in my mind. From here the trail got rockier and the rock gardens seemed to stretch further between breaks so I ended up walking my bike a good bit. All told I probably walked about a mile over the 34-mile course but before I knew it, I caught sight of the radio towers at the end of the trail. From here it was a screaming paved descent down to the finish line.

There was just a small group at the finish area when I arrived and the parking lot was nearly empty which was kind of a bummer but I was glad to be done either way. It took me around 5 hours, 15 minutes which was about 45 minutes slower than the average rider, meaning it should be pretty easy for me to improve by the end of my 29 Trail experiment. With a better start, knowledge of the course, and more training I hope to finish the second time trial in about 4 and a half hours.

The Snake Creek Gap Time Trail is a great event covering some of the best singletrack north Georgia has to offer. If you didn’t make it to the first installment, don’t worry – there are still two more races in February and March! I’m looking forward to going back in 27 days.

photo courtesy uci.ch.

Last week the UCI published updated mountain bike regulations and there are a few interesting new developments in the 4X and Marathon arenas. The new regulations go into effect January 1, 2011 and you can see what’s changed for yourself in this highlighted document.

Four Cross (4X)

The biggest change to UCI 4X events is the addition of a penalty carding system similar to the one that’s used in soccer. Race officials can present one of three cards to race competitors:

• Yellow: Warning card for behavior that’s against regulations but doesn’t give the rider an advantage. No penalty for the first yellow card.
• Blue: Straddling or missing a gate results in a time penalty (basically a false start).
• Red: Disqualification for putting other riders in danger.

If a rider gets two cards he or she is disqualified from competition. While we assume the new carding system is meant to improve safety on the course, it could have the opposite effect. Consider running events where competitors are allowed one false start without being disqualified. Runners often try to anticipate the gun, figuring they have nothing to lose if they get caught the first time. In the same way we could see more aggressive riding since competitors know they have one yellow or blue card to give away.

The new regulations also require 8 first aid personnel on site during 4X events (2 per rider!) and competitors must wear a full face helmet (with visor) on the course at all times (including training runs).

UCI Marathon Series

The UCI Marathon Series is a new designation for UCI mountain bike races that are 80-120km (for men) and 70-100km for women. Marathon race courses can be run over a single lap but must not exceed 3 laps which kinda sucks for spectators, though I’m sure there’s a good reason for the rule (racers getting bored? dizzy?). The new series makes the qualification process for the UCI Marathon World Championships a little clearer with the top 50 riders in the series making the cut along with the top 20 in each individual race.

Although it may seem like UCI regulations only affect pro riders, new rules and standards often have a way of trickling down into local events and even equipment design choices. We’re definitely interested to see how this year’s changes play out…

photo courtesy LoGMB Facebook page.

It’s cold in much of the US right now but in the southern hemisphere, mountain biking season is just warming up! We’ve been reading the MTB news out of New Zealand and it just doesn’t seem fair: new trails opening, a mountain bike park launch, and the League of Gentlemen Mountain Bikers Summer Race Series. (Of course it’s not all good news – we also read about an early season injury that nearly paralyzed a Kiwi rider.)

The LoGMB Summer Race Series sounds particularly awesome with events like the Das Super D where riders blast downhill then back up again to scull a pint of beer. Then there’s the chainless DH race on Feb 3 and the MeagreAvalanche Mar 12 modeled after the MegaAvalanche held in France each year (though MeagreAvalance gets about 20 riders compared to thousands at the French version). Rounding out the series, the club hosts a pump track party, a slalom-style MTB race, and a “wacky dress” DH race to cap off the series.

All the LoGMB events are low key with $2 entry fees and a request to bring your own timing device. The group posts regular updates on their official Facebook page so even if you don’t live in Queenstown, you can start getting ideas for your 2011 MTB club events!

photo courtesy redbull.co.nz.

On December 4, the Red Bull Rock Drop will challenge 80 DH mountain bikers to race to the bottom of a gold mine in New Zealand. The Martha Mine in Waihi is 250 meters (about 800 feet) deep and features slopes up to 70 degrees. Riders will go down in groups of 4 making this essentially a 4X event, though it’s tough to compare this to any race that’s been run before.

Looking at the photos it’s easy to underestimate the scale of the mine but according to the website, trail builders were attached to fixed ropes during construction due to the steepness of the slopes. The terrain ranges from super hard slabs of quartz to soft volcanic ash so there’s bound to be a variety of conditions from top to bottom.

With $10,000 in prize money on the line there should be some pretty aggressive riding on the way down. Red Bull promises “rock drops, gap jumps, mine trucks, free ride and speed lines” and the event is open to spectators. Video preview embedded below.

photo courtesy larutadelosconquistadores.com.

The 2010 La Ruta de Conquistadores mountain bike race across Costa Rica kicked off this week and the stage 1 results are already in with Benjamin Sonntag in first place but only by minutes. For those who are interested in following the action, race updates are being posted via Twitter and are also streaming video at livestream.com (though we couldn’t get the video to load earlier today).

La Ruta is a notable race for a couple of reasons. It’s one of the longest running mountain bike stage races at 18 years (the race website is adventurerace.com so you know they must have been one of the first). La Ruta is also considered by many elite athletes to be one of the toughest mountain bike races on the planet due to extreme climbs, sketchy terrain, stifling heat and humidity, and its remote location. The four stage race takes riders from the west coast of Costa Rica along the Pacific to the east coast and Caribbean Sea.

This year, race organizers have modified the rules a bit to discourage outside support. Traditionally Costa Rican competitors have had an advantage because they’ve had supporters follow them along the course on motorcycles. Without the support from outsiders this year, it’s anyone’s race.

In the women’s race, Leadville 100 winner Rebecca Rusch is looking for her first victory at La Ruta. Rusch last raced La Ruta in 2005 and is looking to improve on her fourth place finish that year. After stage 1 Rusch is about 30 minutes behind women’s leader Angela Parra Sierra but it’s a long race and anything can (and usually does) happen.

The race concludes Saturday so check out the La Ruta website for the latest updates and results.

According to RoadRacingWorld.com, Lance Armstrong dropped out out the Mellow Johnny’s 6-Hour Classic mountain bike race this weekend after aggravating a previous knee injury. Eventual men’s solo winner, Ben Bostrom, even held Armstrong off for several laps before Armstrong bowed out. Race results show Armstrong completed 4 laps in 2 hours, 17 minutes, though technically he didn’t DNF (he just didn’t ride the entire 6 hours). I guess it wouldn’t have looked good for Lance to win his own race anyway – nobody likes a show-off.

The Mellow Johnny’s 6-Hour Classic mountain bike race was held at Juan Pelota Ranch in Dripping Springs, TX.

photo courtesy ray’s indoor mtb.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website and raysmtb.com, the grand opening of Ray’s Indoor Milwaukee scheduled for this weekend has been delayed due to city permitting issues. Word is permits for occupancy, alteration, electrical, and fire supression systems are all still pending, though the real culprit may be a recent failed elevator inspection. Let’s hope this gets worked out soon and that all the festivities and celebrities can be rescheduled…

Not since the premier of Happy Days has Milwaukee been stoked for such an occasion: the grand opening of Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park November 12-14. Of course at this point Ray’s name has become synonymous with indoor mountain biking, having opened the original (and IMBA-certified epic) indoor MTB course in Cleveland in 2004. The grand opening festivities in Milwaukee will include a park preview on Friday (no bikes allowed) followed by a celebrity BBQ on Saturday with legends like Cam McCaul, Dave Mirra, and Ross Schnell in attendance. Then on Sunday you can ride with the XC Pros all day or check in during BMX night from 4-10pm with Dave Mirra. Seriously. Here’s a bit from the official press release:

After an extensive search, the location for a second Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park has been secured and Milwaukee-area mountain bikers can now rejoice!  The 110,000 square foot former Menards Home Improvement Center is currently undergoing the transformation from empty warehouse to the most exciting indoor mountain bike park the world has yet to behold.

Building upon the success of the our original Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park of Cleveland, Ohio, Ray’s of Milwaukee will provide cyclists from across the Midwest an unrivaled place to ride, train, and develop their skills throughout the long winter months when local trails are closed or often unridable.

Ray Petro, founder and namesake of Ray’s Indoor MTB Park, had quietly planned the opening of a second Ray’s Milwaukee locale for the past few years. When financing stalled at the last minute, Trek Bicycle stepped in to purchase the business and ensure the continued expansion of Petro’s indoor MTB park vision.

In case you missed that last little bit, Ray’s is now owned by Trek which is convenient since Trek’s HQ is located less than 100 miles from Milwaukee in Madison. Does this cash infusion mean we may see indoor mountain bike parks popping up in more cities around the world? Let’s hope so!

Get more info about both parks at raysmtb.com.

photo by Alan Ofsoski, fotoengineers.com

The Singlespeed Mountain Bike World Championships are being held in Rotorua, New Zealand this weekend and there are over 1,000 riders from 30 countries registered for the main event. The course covers about 40 km through Whakarewarewa Forest starting at the Waipa MTB park and promises to be challenging, even by World Championship standards.

According to this article, some of the riders plan to wear costumes during the race – and not because it’s almost Halloween (do they even know what Halloween is in New Zealand?). One rider explained it this way:

I guess you can call it the punk of mountainbiking – back when it all got started not too many people were interested in singlespeed but now like punk it has become fashionable. It’s all about having fun – getting dressed up, having a few beers and racing just for the hell of it.

This year’s course offers a shortcut available to riders who chug a beer before hitting the alternate which sounds like a no-brainer to me. Perhaps the coolest part of the Singlespeed World Championships is the prize: the top male and female finishers get a tattoo! The Rainbow jersey is temporary but the Singlespeed World Championship honors are permanent!

And for those of you who are into the Gates Carbon Drive thing, Gates rider Jake Kirkpatrick took 3rd in the singlespeed division of the Whaka 100, a 100km endurance race that kicked off the overall Rotorua Bike Festival this week. Jake rode a fully rigid Black Sheep titanium bike with the new Gates Center Track carbon belt which seems like a pretty solid endorsement.

Lots of other cool stuff is happening around the race this weekend – if you can make it to Rotorua definitely send us a report!

The Red Bull Final Descent series wrapped up last week when 121 riders saddled up at Angel Fire Resort in New Mexico for a shot at $5,000 in cash prizes. The object was simple: complete the most downhill runs in 12 hours. The race ran into twilight hours which added an additional challenge as riders strapped on lights for the final laps. Exhaustion + darkness + DH racing = epic racing conditions.

Ryan Sutton of Crested Butte,CO  and Jackie Harmony of Sedona, AZ took home the Pro Solo honors with 33 and 31 laps respectively, and both swept the series in the process. The race format allows riders to choose from several courses to get down the mountain and only one rider / bike is allowed on each lift chair. If you’ve ever ridden DH at a lift-serviced resort you know it’s tiring – just getting in 5 runs is an epic day. These guys (and gals) did six-times that amount at Angel Fire!

Last year’s Race Across the Sky was a great mountain bike movie that seemed to have it all: star power (Lance Armstrong), an epic clash between an outsider and a local hero (Armstrong and Dave Wiens), and a beautiful and harsh natural backdrop (Colorado, 10,000 feet above sea level). To top it all off the movie was shown in movie theaters across the country to sold out crowds of mountain bikers. Rock on!

Despite having such a tough act to follow, the Citizen Pictures folks decided to make a movie about this year’s race. Armstrong has been replaced by his slightly-lesser-known teammate Levi Leipheimer while Dave Wiens, still a local hero and an amazing rider, no longer has a winning streak to defend. Of course the incredible scenery is back for 2010 and course records were set on both the men’s and women’s sides but it’s not obvious where the drama will come from, especially since the results have been known for months now. The website alludes to personal challenges faced by “citizen riders” but that almost sounds like a remake of “Spirit of the Marathon” which wasn’t that great.

In any event, Race Across the Sky 2010 will be shown in theaters November 4 with an encore scheduled for November 9. Tickets go on sale October 1 but IMBA members have the chance to purchase tickets now before the general release. Trailer is embedded above.

These days mountain bike movies seem to come in two flavors: documentary and music video montages. Both formats seem to work well, though we’re a little bummed no one has found a way to make a scripted mountain bike film that isn’t completely cheesy. Anyway, this week we came across two mountain bike films that deserve your attention.

Ride the Divide

Following three riders as they attempt to complete the “world’s toughest mountain bike race,” Ride the Divide promises to be an epic film. Even if it isn’t the toughest mountain bike race, it’s certainly the longest and the self-supported riders who complete the route join an elite club. The race has no sponsors, no prizes, and just one checkpoint (the finish line). This should be a good film to watch if you’re considering an epic bikepacking trip next summer.

Screening in Denver Grand Junction this week: Thursday, Sept. 16 @ 7:30pm, Avalon Theater. Tickets are just $10 and the filmmakers will be on hand to talk after the show.

Life Cycles

Lame title aside, based on the preview this mountain bike movie should be pretty fun to watch. The Life Cycles film was shot using a RED camera which is a super portable high-def camera that seems to be all the rage in Hollywood. The DVD should be shipping sometime in mid-October and pre-orders are $5 off. Too bad more stuff like this doesn’t show in theaters…