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Race Report by Scott Schlachter
only about ~30 racers made it out yesterday, probably more Experts than any other class. Modified the "usual" course to include some cool stuff at the top. The rangers recently graded all the fireroads, so it wasn't rough at all, but there were a lot of loose, silty corners on the fireroads. Start was usual place, finish was just after the pond. $20 basicly paid for the ability to bomb down this course legaly, EMT (ambulance) on site, ranger on site, and your time written down (race coordinator said all times will be seperated by class and posted on web page within 48 hours). $100 goes to the top 3 times overall, but I don't think there will be any other prizes or medals at this point (no chance in hell for most of us mortals). I forgot how much of a pedaling course this was... My time was a 5:02, but I have no idea what that is worth yet - not even sure how many guys are in my class yet. Looked like that was about a middle-of-the-road time out of all racers. I'm hoping to get some more TWWers out next week that are interested in trying a DH race - this is a good venue as it is relatively cheap, local, and a cross-country style course (lots of pedaling, no rough sections, mixture of fast fireroad and twisty singletrack - good for hardtails). -Scott
#2 Quick report from last night: I raced my hardtail. They added a few extra bumpy things at the top, but it wasn't too rough. I got one practice run in, and felt like I was doing OK on the HT. Come race time I ran into Jesse (a Junior DHer who is on our list), who contacted me a few days prior. Sounded like he had a decent run. I was feeling really good up until I went off the edge of the trail in the singletrack (and stepped off of the bike). I quickly pulled it back up on the trail and ran up a short hill, and jumped back on. I still got a 5:16 (only about 14 seconds slower than last week on my FSR) - I'll be happy if I don't DFL. -Scott
#3 Report by Dean Thomas "You can't win if you don't finish." This is my new motto after a painful DNF in my first Silicon Valley Downhill event last night. This also happened to be my first DH event. And oh yeah, this was ALSO my first mtn bike race ever! I got there with just enough time to take a practice run. As promised by Scott and others, the people at the event were friendly and helpful. I drove up to the top, got suited up in all my old motocross gear and went to it on my FS Giant Xtc. The course was very cool! They apparently added a little diversion up top since last week where you hop up off the fire road and then jump or roll back down on to it. This supposedly was adding a few seconds to everyone's time. I was doing just fine on my practice run, concentrating on keeping my eyes way ahead, being a little conservative to just learn the course. As I dropped into the single track, I got just a little to the side of the trial and washed out. Aside from all the nasty little briars that covered me from head to toe, the fall was uneventful and I probably only lost about 15 seconds in total. I finished the practice run with a self-timed 5:50. Not bad, I thought, for my first practice run ever, including a small crash. I ran into Scott at the bottom. He was kind enough to give me a ride to the top after helping to pick about a million of those aforementioned nasty briars off of me. Thanks, Scott! I was totally stoked to do my timed run. I knew that there were some sections where I was riding the brakes WAY too much on the practice run. Let 'er run, I thought. I got out of the starting gate fine, down a little bit of fire road and up and over the two off fire road excursions. At the first steep bumpy section, I made my first and last misjudgment of the run. I knew that I was too slow on this part during practice, so I thought I'd stay off the brakes this time. BAD IDEA. When I got to the compression, I was going about as fast as I ever have on a bicycle; hit a bump that bottomed out my fork and just completely lost it. Multiple wild cart wheels. Big clouds of dust. Lots of moaning. I was pretty sure that I had broken at least one collarbone. My front wheel was tweaked too much to ride fast (figured I'd go over the front again) but not so much that I couldn't coast the bike. To make a long story a little shorter - the ambulance crew cleaned up my multiple nasty abrasions, told me they thought that my collar bones were intact and gave me some ice packs. I saw Scott a little later - I'll let him tell you his story... :) Will I do this racing thing again? ABSOLUTELY! If I can get my wheel and my oh-so-stiff shoulders back in shape before next week, I'll be there again Wednesday night. I promise to get a timed run in this time. :) Thanks to Scott for the information and the encouragement. Dean
Race Report by Scott Schlachter I was happy to see Dean, Mike Urbina, Jon H., and Charles P. out at yesterday's Si Val DH race! Sounds like Jon and Charles had decent runs - with the exception for Jon that he dropped his chain to his front granny in the singletrack, and couldn't get it back up. Still did a sub-5 minute run, the fast bastard that he is... I ran my hardtail again, despite the addition of another rought section at the top. Just like last week for me, great practice run, only to follow with a crash in my race run. I was really bummed, as I was railing it, and no doubt heading for a sub-5 minute run, when... crash. In the singletrack, and I have no idea what cause it either - one second I'm railing, another I'm flying over the bars and skidding on the ground. Thank you again Fox knee/shin guards - they are VERY scraped up, and I still got a few scrapes on my knee. If only I was wearing an ass-guard (my right side, just below my hip is VERY sore today...) So, also with my continuation of my wave-of-mechanicals-from-hell, after I crashed, I jump up to get back on, and find my bars are twisted all around. Yanking them back (the wrong way), I snapped the front brake cable and noodle. No problem, I still have a rear brake... The stupid chain was off in the front and binding between the crank arm and large chain ring. I could pedal for about a half stroke (ratcheting, as Jon put it), so that was how I crossed the finish line... 7-odd minutes. I kept looking back to see the next rider - where was he? It was Dean :-) Pedaling back up the hill to get my car - what's this - a rear flat tire cause by... A FREAKIN' FISH HOOK IN MY BACK TIRE! No problem... I stop and change the tube - while doing so I see Dean, Jon, Charles, Mike U., Rich Davis and JR and swap stories. Lots of offers for a ride to the top, but I decline as it is a really nice bike ride up. Almost to the top... what's this - MY SPARE TUBE IS GOING FLAT... (it was a patched tube). The one redeaming thing about yesterday happened to me just before I noticed my second tube going flat: On the road up, I noticed a small animal crawling up the road ahead of me - turned out to be a HUGE, hairy, California Tarantula. After waving one truck around (which probably would have squished this little guy from where he was in the road), I managed to coax him onto a stick, and sent him flying down the hillside. Hopefully I earned some mountian bike karma points for that one - I need it... -Scott
Race Report by Jon Heim All I want is one clean downhill race where I don't mechanical, crash, or both...
I finally made it out to the SiVa DH after missing the first two. Got a
couple of practice runs in. The course was basically the same as the Sizzler
except some fun stuff added at the top, and it ends before crossing the
road. This is one of the few courses around considered a pedaling course,
which oddly keeps some DH'ers away. I had done ok at the Sizzler after
crashing at the last turn, wrapping my chain around the BB and coasting the
last 50 yards. So I was looking forward to seeing what I could do with a
clean run. This race is great thing. Perfect for first time DH'ers on a hard
tail or short travel bike. It is all very smooth, and not very technical.
Anyway, racetime comes and I am having a good clean run. About halfway down
the course transitions from fireroad to singletrack in a wide sweeping
right-hander by the road. "Hollywood" corner it's called as it allows good
spectator access. I railed the turn feet up and start pedaling again, and...
what's this? No power! I look down and my chain has dropped to my 23t granny
front ring. I modified a 23t rear cog to bolt onto my single ring DH
crankset so I can climb on this bike. I was using my front derailleur as an
upper guide along with an AC DH lower guide and my DH crankset. This
combination would not let me shift back up to the big ring after the chain
dropped. Needless to say I was slightly bummed not being able to put power
to the ground. There are a couple of slight uphill rises at the end where I
could pedal without spinning out, but otherwise I was coasting.
ARRGGGHH!!!!!! I finished with a ~4:57 but don't know yet what place. I
entered open Sport cause the field looked bigger than open Vet, but
whatever. Enough of this derailer experiment I decided, the upper guide is
going back on. Gonna have to figure something else out for Downieville
though for the climb. Funny this stuff never happens on practice or training
runs - only during races. Saw Charles and Scott. Poor Scott had some
calamity as you probably already read. I think it was Charles' first DH, way
to go. Got some shuttle rides with a nice woman named Allie (sp?) and her
sister. Allie smoked the course with a ~5:30, very impressive. Left early
the next morning for the Crystal Mountain Norba national in Washington,
report to follow...
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