If I had a nickel for every dirt jump video I watched on YouTube… Honestly though, there’s really nothing like seeing the action in person. And if you live in Northern California you don’t want to miss the 2nd Annual Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival.  The event is being held on April 9th & 10th in Aptos Village, California, and there will be no shortage of jumps and tricks.  If you want to hit the trails yourself, you’ll have a chance to join a 40-mile endurance XC ride or do shuttle rides at Soquel Demonstration Forest, one of the best mountain bike trails in California according to our readers!

Singletracks is excited to support this event to benefit mountain biking in Santa Cruz and to help create a permanent bike park in Aptos. There will be singletracks stickers for participants and even an official singletracks jersey going to the highest bidder during the silent auction. Here’s an official run-down of the SCMBF events:

Fox Racing Shox 831 Jump Contest: This juried dirt jumping competition will showcase both world-class professional riders as well as top ranked local amateur riders. Pro class winner will pocket the Pro Purse and the Amateur class winner will ride off on a brand new 831 Fox Fork! The 831 Jump Contest is a fantastic opportunity to see aerial stunts.

Specialized & Scotts Valley Cycle Sport Short Track Race: The exciting short track race will feature open mens/womens and pro mens/womens classes. In true Santa Cruz fashion, this technical course will offer berms, rollers, and strategic obstacles that guarantee an exciting event.

Black Market Bicycles & Epicenter Cycles Pump Track Pandemonium: This unique format of racing will test each racer’s bike handling skills without a single pedal stroke required. All ability levels will enjoy the track as they pump their way through 12 perfectly apexed berms.

Trek Epic XC Challenge: challenging 40-mile endurance ride from Aptos Village to Soquel Demonstration State Forest and back will be led by local Santa Cruz County pro XC riders. The Epic XC Challenge is free, but spaces are limited on the ride, so participants are urged to sign up early.

Demo bikes available from Black Market, Specialized, Ibis, Trek, Yeti, Caletti Cycles and many others

Vendor expo area

Shuttle Rides to Soquel Demonstration Forest provided by Shuttle Smith Adventures

Pump track skills clinics

Bike handling skills clinics

Beer garden with Santa Cruz County’s most notable breweries

Fund raising events including raffle & silent auction

For race and ride registration, full schedule times, and event details please visit the SCMBF website: http://www.santacruzmountainbikefestival.com/

Last week I traveled to Northstar Resort near Lake Tahoe to check out the mountain bike scene and – surprise, surprise – I had a blast! Mudhunny actually rode the DH trails at Northstar almost 7 years ago on her hardtail so it was my turn to hit the slopes, though I chose a bike with a bit more travel for my trip.

The Bikes & Gear

One of the great things about Northstar is you don’t need to bring any of your own equipment – just choose the bike that fits your riding style and hit the lifts. Northstar has partnered with Giant bikes to offer a rental fleet stocked with the Glory DH bike (8″ travel), the Faith FR (7″) and the Reign SX for XC / light FR. Our group chose the Faith which is great for riders who are new to DH riding and aren’t looking for a super aggressive bike. I was amazed at how light the bike felt compared to other DH bikes I’ve ridden and on the trail it felt as smooth and refreshing as soft serve ice cream.

Northstar also rents protective equipment and most of the stuff looked brand new. I got set up with a POC full face helmet and POC Bone VPD shin guards featuring Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough. Everyone I talked to really liked the POC shin guards because the “dough” is supple and comfortable when you’re riding but becomes super rigid upon impact. Riders can also rent gloves and full body armor suits.

This year Northstar is offering a Ride 101 course for folks who may be new to DH mountain biking and at just $15 for a 1.5 hour lesson it’s a real steal. I went through an abbreviated version of the course and picked up some great tips on balance and braking in a DH environment. For more experienced riders there’s a $39 Bumps & Bends course that lasts 2.5 hours and covers things like cornering on flats and berms and jumping. The instructors are top notch and not only can they shred, they’re great teachers as well.

The Trails

Northstar claims to have about 100 miles of downhill mountain bike trails and looking at the map it’s certainly not a stretch. Trails are rated from green (beginner) to double black diamond (experts only) and there’s a good mix of everything else in between. For the Ride 101 class we started out on green-rated fire roads but quickly moved on to intermediate and advanced trails by our second run down the mountain (talk about fast learners!).

photo courtesy Matt Savarino @ ridertech.com.

The signature trail at Northstar is a run called Livewire and it’s the first (and only) fully irrigated downhill mountain bike trail in the US. Keeping the trail moist means faster, tackier conditions which is great for going down fast. It also cuts down on trail maintenance since dry, loose trails tend to erode quickly and the moisture keeps dust to a minimum when you’re in hot pursuit mode.

Hans Ray has been promoting his concept for “flow country trails” recently and that’s a pretty good description for Livewire. The trail definitely flows well and the great thing is riders of almost any skill level can have a blast coming down. Advanced riders catch huge air off the jumps while beginners enjoy experimenting with speed and cornering on the smooth, bermed turns. One of the riders in our group rode Livewire on her hardtail and seemed to have just as much fun as those of us on full DH bikes.

photo courtesy Matt Savarino @ ridertech.com.

For those looking for a more “classic” DH experience, check out Boondocks, a double black diamond run on the far left side of the mountain. Big rocks, huge jumps, and gnarly terrain that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Admittedly I was in over my head on a few sections of Boondocks but it only made me want to ride more to improve my skills!

The Resort

Northstar is a great day trip from the Bay area or Sacramento but if you have some time I highly recommend staying at the mountain for a night or two. There’s tons of lodging and great restaurants right at the resort so you don’t have to get into your hot car after a full day of shredding the trails. Hitting the swimming pool and hot tub at the end of the day never felt so good. If you have some cash to spend and are looking to treat yourself on a mountain biking trip, this is definitely the place to do it.

Of course Northstar isn’t just about downhill mountain biking with easy access to the epic cross-country Tahoe Rim Trail about a mile away from the resort summit. Next week I’ll be sharing my cross-country experience at Northstar along with more on the trail building and maintenance philosophy at the resort. California mountain biking at its best!

Thanks to the folks at Northstar for hosting.

There’s been a lot in the news lately about trail building and advocacy and fortunately most of it has been good news thanks to groups like IMBA and local bike clubs. On the flip side there’s also been news out of California about illegal mountain bike trails being built on public land that threatens to undo years of positive progress.

Just last week the LA Times wrote about an illegal trail network that was found in Limestone Canyon and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Before being dismantled by rangers and volunteers, the trail featured wooden bridges, jumps, and even sandbag-reinforced switchbacks. Apparently several other Orange County parks have seen illegal trail construction as well, though the Limestone Canyon trail was in a particularly eco-sensitive area.

Up in Marin County they’re still bitching about us and one letter to the editor of the Marin Independent Journal points to the damage freeriders have done in the Tahoe area by building illegal trails.  Here’s an excerpt:

(L)ast summer the U.S. Forest Service announced the discovery that renegade mountain bikers had secretly cut up to 30 miles of trails in the Tahoe backcountry during this past decade. In 2009, the USFS spent $29,000 to close three miles of illicit trails at Tahoe alone. Despite having 255 miles of trail access in national forests around Tahoe, that isn’t enough for the free-riders.

The writer goes on to connect the irresponsible behavior of an unknown group of riders in the Tahoe area to all mountain bikers and voices her opposition to an alternating day use plan split between hikers and bikers in Marin County. It’s really a shame because the alternating day policy seems quite reasonable and this person assumes mountain bikers won’t follow the rules because of what happened in Tahoe.

On the spectrum of things that are bad for the reputation of our sport, building illegal trails has to be one of the worst (if not the worst) things we can do. So if you’re thinking about putting a shovel to dirt this spring on land you don’t own or have permission to use, give us all a break and volunteer with your local club to improve existing trails.

If you live anywhere near Laguna Beach, CA, you have to check out the annual Crankbrothers Christmas sidewalk sale this Saturday, December 19. The event runs from 10am-2pm and you can get 40-75% off clothing and a limited number of demo wheel and pedal sets (I wonder if they’re selling the Cobalt wheels I tested earlier this year?). There’s even a “pedal spa” where you can get your Crankbrothers pedals cleaned up for the new year.

The best part about this event is that Mr. No Way himself, Hans Rey, will leading a group ride at 11am. Not sure exactly where he’ll be taking riders but the first lap is going to be “easy” while the second will be more “challenging.” My curiosity is piqued…

A portion of sales will go to a local food bank and to Rey’s charity that provides bikes to people in developing countries. If anyone is able to make it pretty please email us some pics or tell us about it in the comments. I’m almost tempted to buy a plane ticket to get there myself.

This week’s MTB news round up has a decidely “happy” flavor to it and with Independence Day coming up, what more could you ask for?

Lost mountain biker rescued. On Sunday a 58-year-old mountain biker became lost on Bummer Peak (seriously) near Lake Sonoma in California. Fortunately the only bummer was that he rode to the top of Bummer Peak and didn’t get to ride down – a rescue chopper took him to safety instead. No word on if he had to leave his bike or if it made the trip in the helicopter but the good news is he was able to get a cell phone signal to call 911. Guess his phone didn’t have GPS…

New trails proposed at Mount St. Mary’s University. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of Mt. St. Mary’s University (MSMU) yet – it’s a small Catholic school in Emmitsburg, MD with a freshman class of about 400 students. Although you may not know the school, you’ve probably heard of Marla Streb, champion downhill racer and MSMU graduate. Marla is working with the school to design and build a network of 12 miles of biking and jogging trails on the campus which may one day connect to land owned by the town of Emmitsburg. Streb has a master’s degree in Environmental Science so she knows a thing or two about designing sustainable trails – we can’t wait to see what MSMU comes up with!

Legally blind mountain biker continues to shred. You’ve probably heard about Bobby McMullen, the blind downhill rider who was profiled in a recent documentary but Tommy Kinkle could probably give him a run for his money on the trail. Kinkle has just 5% vision in one eye and can’t drive anymore but get him on a mountain bike and just try to keep up! As a kid Kinkle was a sponsored BMX and skateboard rider and he hasn’t let his disability slow him down one bit. Read the article and get inspired!

IMBA’s April newsletter is chock-full of new trail news from across the country:

Oregon: An anonymous donor has pledged $1 million to help fund a “destination bike park” on a 35-acre plot in Portland between I-84 and I-205. The land is between two interstates and near a former jail (remember what we said about MTB trails being built on crappy land?). No matter, $1 million can go a looong way toward building sweet trails and the early plan is for free ride and skills stuff in addition to cross-country style trails. Apparently this is a large project because it is estimated to take 3-5 years to complete.

Photo from Raystown.org.

Pennsylvania: Raystown Lake just got 30 miles of brand new, purpose-built singletrack thanks to IMBA Trail Solutions and 6 other trail building firms. The grand opening for the Allegrippis Trails is set for May 9 with group rides, demo bikes, and food. Trails are rated from beginner to expert so it sounds like there’s something for everyone!

California: Paradise Royale just got a $600,000 grant to expand the mountain bike trails in the King Range National Conservation Area. Bike magazine claims that Paradise Royale “might be America’s best new trail.” With a name like Paradise Royale it better be – those are big shoes to fill

So many new trails, so little time. I gotta update my ride wishlist…

Photos by Reserverockhopper

We drove up to North Carolina this weekend for a wedding on Valentine’s Day (romantic, huh?) but luckily the weather was great and mudhunny and I were able to get a ride in yesterday (more on that later). Some of you may have had to skip your regular trail ride on February 14 but the guys who organize the Racers and Chasers MTB series in California thought ahead and offered a red rose to all race class winners – isn’t that sweet? Sure beats trying to win your sweetheart a stuffed bear at the county fair

Anyway, on the way back home we stopped off in Greensboro for a ride with some friends at the new Wild Turkey MTB trail on Lake Brandt. Wild Turkey is the newest mountain bike trail in the area and has been open for about a year and a half or so. It’s a 4.5 mile out and back trail which is a shame because the lake is looped by singletrack trails, some of which are closed to mountain bikers. The new trails are fast and smooth – swoopy with great flow. The banked turns on the descents are some of the best I’ve ridden – kudos to the Greensboro Fat Tire Society for the trail work! Riders of all ages seemed to be enjoying the trails including at least two riders on Surly Pugsleys – I didn’t know it snowed that much in Greensboro

After Wild Turkey, Jim, Gary and I decided to throw in a loop around Owl’s Roost just for old time’s sake and it was great. Owl’s Roost is much rootier than Wild Turkey and has some pretty gnarly short climbs in spots but my new 29er seemed to just glide over the bumps and leapt up the short steeps. By the time we got back to the house we had clocked over 20 miles in just over 2 hours or so, 70% of it on singletrack – incredible for a February ride!

I’m hoping the nice weather we’re seeing here in the southeast is here to stay – maybe Punxy Phil was wrong after all…