Well, I just got back from the race and a long drive with alot of traffic. This race is actually more of a x-country race without any major climb. The course itself was a fun and fast. A mid suspension bike with 4-5" of travel should be perfect for this course. Oh yeah, don't forget the triple chain ring for the climb unless you're somekind of stud who can climb with a 42T or 44T.

On my practice run, I hit my big ring on the rock and bent two teeth and probably bent my chainring. This gave me problem shifting from big to middle ring and occasionally dropped my chain. Oh yeah, one other thing, I almost got run over by a crazy MX guy coming from the other direction. The guy was drifting through a corner at a good speed and missed me by inches.

My race run was actually going pretty well since I passed 3 guys and caught the guy who started in front of me. I guess he noticed that someone was trying to pass him and he picked up his pace. At that point I had to let him go because I was getting tired. Towards the end of the course I did something to live up to the spirit of our team, which is going the WRONG WAY. I was coming down this fast fire road and somehow I missed the course marking and went all the way down to a dead end. I was so angry at myself and of course at the organizer (gotta blame someone) for not marking the course clearly. I tried to shift into my middle ring to go back and climb and it turn out my chain was stuck in my crank. I pushed my bike all the way to the top and fix my chain while cursing at myself because I waisted at least around 3 minutes. I finished with a time of 1:01:45

Don't really know where I placed since I left early trying to beat the traffic.

Other TWW'ers on the scene:
Jeff Hane
John Heim (broke his bike on the practice run)
Dawn W. (Where were you? I didn't see you at the start)

Race Report by Jon Heim

Not much to report. I did a practice run Saturday, my first time on the course. It was a total blast until I broke my GT frame. Contrary to what you might think I actually broke it on the climb, just after the top rough section. I had a 46-32 low gear and was standing on the pedals putting maximum torque into the bottom bracket area. The STS-DH frame is a composite structure molded into hollowed-out cnc'd aluminum lugs at the bb, head tube, and seat tube. The lug at the bb area actually snapped in one section. As soon as I felt it I knew it was all over. I was able to ride it back to town by not pedaling much and not airing it out. By the time I got back the lug was broken in two more places and was a big wet noodle. If I had brought my hardtail (always bring a spare bike) I would have raced it, but I didn't so I left saturday night. All in all it is a very fun event put on by great people, and I will definitely be back next year. Hung out and rode with Jeff (top 10 xc), Dawn, Rich and JR.

Jon

Race Report by Jeff Hane

[uh, this is a lot longer than I planned, so be warned;]

Well, most people have heard of the awesome downhill's that has made Downieville famous; however, as I've said in the past there is truely awesome singletrack in the area that most people never enjoy. And for the rare, sick individuals there is climbing, and lots of it! These are obviously the people who are responsible for the Downieville Classic XC race.

The course: I had heard that there was a very long climb at the start of the race but I wasn't aware that the race was 29 miles long! The course starts in Sierra City and climbs, and climbs, and climbs 8 miles up to Packer Saddle. Packer Saddle is the place where the shuttles normally drop you off when you go up for a more recreational ride. After that, you work your way over rolling fireroads to where I was told the downhill course starts and then you do the downhill course! Eventually, you end up in Downieville

The race: I decided to take a more laid back approach to this race for a couple reasons, 1) can you say 8 mile climb? 2) I've been sick for over a month since the Death Ride and was lucky to get on any back more than once a week 3) I stacked, hard, on Tuesday night so had stayed off the bike all week and wasn't even sure if I could ride on Saturday. Well, Saturday came bright and early and I woke Dawn up who would be my "shuttle driver" up to Sierra City. Since there was a 8 mile climb I wasn't real concerned about getting to the line early so did a liesurly 15 minute warmup to make sure everything(bike and body) was working then headed for the line. The start was different, basically just 3 starts. Pro, expert, SS and clydesdale went first, than all sport men and women, then all beginner men and women. With 8 miles of climbing, start position is pretty irrelevant.

The first mile is asphalt then you hit the dirt. My strategy was just to try to stay below a specific heart rate so I wouldn't be totally dead by the top. I had to let a lot of people pass for awhile in sticking with the strategy but it did work over the long haul. My initial target was under 180 which was good until we hit the only real hard part of the climb. There was one loose, rocky section where everyone was walking, well everyone but the guy in front of me. I decided if he could do it then I would try. We must have past 30 or 40 people right there! I looked down to see my HR at 195! I keep going and my HR slowed to about 186 where it stayed for the rest of the climb. The climb is totally exposed and goes on foreeeevvveeeer but I finally made to Packer Saddle.

The rollers to get over to Butcher's were just killing my and everyone else, you could tell the climb had taken it's toll on everyone and we were all looking forward to the downhill.

We started down Butcher's and I was getting my ass totally kicked. This is the infamous baby-heads. Lots of dust, and large, loose rocks the size of a baby's head. Not really my strong point and it was pretty evident since I got passed by at least 10-15 people in here:(

Finally it started to smooth out, I caught a few people, crossed Pauley Creek and new the real fun would start shortly. Suprisingly, I wasn't feeling to bad at this point despite the climb and started to open it up. Pauley Creek trail has a wide variety of things on it, lots of rocks and roots, parts of the trail are a part of a stream and it was really dusty. I had forgotten how demanding this trail was and despite my lack of technical ablity I was doing well, real well in fact. I had been passing a lot of people and hadn't been passed once! I knew it couldn't last. Anyway, if you resemble a 195 lbs wussy on a Al hardtail that whined about Boggs being bumpy, you would have been crying for your mama at this point!(not that that description fit anyone, right? :) All, I knew is that 3rd divide was the next trail and it is truely screaming fast!

Just before 3rd Divide is a 500 ft climb that the downhillers hate and judging from the speed that the XC racers were moving, they were to happy about it either. I don't know how or why, but I was still feeling good and flew up the hill passing about 6 people.

Then we were there, the 3rd Divide!! This trail is reasonably smooth, has some great jumps and is just plain wicked fast! I wasn't even thinking about racing, I was just having fun. And I was still passing, a lot, and not being passed. Not once??? It was just to weird because I am just not mr downhill. I just figured I wasn't that high in my class so most people were in front of me.

All to soon, the 3rd Divide ends and I know only 1st Divide is left and the race if over. I decided I would stick with my little "no-pass" streak and try to make sure nobody passed me on this last trail. 1st Divide is a pretty cool trail that rolls its way only the river. It's loose and a little tricky at times but the bad part is that it's flat and rolling so after all the downhill you have to do real work. I don't see anybody for a long time but I can hear somebody close behind, damn! I know that if I can just hold him off to the second half of 1st divide that there is a small climb and there is now way he will take me after that(I'm obviously feeling pretty cocky at this point). I pass a few more slower riders which I sure will help slow the guy down also.

I had the final incline, come up out of the saddle and blast up the hill. I know I have about 2 miles or so to go so might as well use what little energy I have left. I caught another guy and see one more I can get before the end of race. He's moving slowly, I come up on him fast and ask about passing. The trail widens, I say "on your left", I start passing and the guy swerves to his left and forces me off the trail and over a bank! My name is no longer Jeff, it's superman!! I let go of my bike and throw my hands out to catch a tree to stop me from flying down the bank. Unfortunately, it's dead, snaps off in my hands and I roll about 15+ down the bank. I jump up and about fall back down, I slammed my left quad into some that was very, very hard. I look up the bank and there is a swath of desctruction thru the PO patch I just rolled thru, just great.. I limp/run up the bank and by some miracle I get back on my bike before anyone even passes me!! I hit the last mile which is asphalt and sprint for the finish. I'm to exhausted to even look for the bonehead who ran me off the trail.

So I'm dirty, bloody, have new wounds, re-opened Tuesday's wound, covered in PO, have a bruise on my but and a limp that will last 3 days! However, checking the results later I get a fantastic, unbelievable suprise.. 10th out of 38 finishes!! I'm estatic but in to much pain to jump up an down. Talk about pure luck, I couldn't have done that well if I tried. Anyway, final time was 2:44. From my HR I spent 1:44 above 175 and my average for the the 1 hour below 175 was 165.

This race and the downhill revolves around a little festival that they have so there are lots of people, companies and fun to be had. There is a live band and a bike jump into the river contest on Saturday. Several of our sponsers were there so I talked to Chris King a bit, told them what great products they make(like they need to be told) and discuss what it take to destory a headset(a very rare event but one I managed earlier this year and of course they replaced it:)

Definitly a great event, although not for everyone, but just a great place to go hang out and have some fun. Plus proceeds from the race go toward the local fire dept or some other local charity.

jeff