NorCal MTB Series

In Real Estate, one of the aspects of my job that I really enjoy is researching things. I have certainly earned the reputation as an "over-analyser" on more than one occasion in my lifetime. Along those lines I was reviewing all of the series results for the http://www.teambigfoot.net/ Northern California Mountain Bike Series and made an interesting observation...

WE ARE KILLING IT!!!

Check this poop out:

Class Leaders:
Pro Women: Shelly Monroe - 1st Place

Pro Men: Aaron Bradford - 1st Place

Expert Men: Brian Butler - 1st Place

Sport Men: Brett Butler - 1st Place
Beginner Women: Brianne Spiersch - 1st Place

Holy Crap, that seems pretty good! But, much like a late night info-mercial -

THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

Podium Contenders:
Pro Men: Greg Heinz - 3rd Place

Expert Men 35+: Mark Faulkner 3rd Place, Travis Sludder 4th Place
Sport Men 35+: Steve Kelley 3rd Place
Sport Men 45+: Wild Bill Clevenger 8th Place

With 3 great races left in the series Joselyn's and the other local boys have a chance to really dominate in TWO SEPARATE MTB series' this year. Pretty impressive.

The last few races include:
Howell Mountain Challenge - Next weekend, SWEET SINGLE TRACK!
Whiskeytown Classic - Next month, killer, challenging trails

Weaverville Final - Mandatory for series results, GREAT EVENT!

Check the website, mark your calendars and hope to see you there!

You can't miss me...

My Other Passion...

Most people think of dirt bike racing and think of Supercross, Motocross or X-games freestyle goons that they have seen on TV. That is all fine and dandy, but what I really love is conquiring terrain (hmmm, not much different from how I ride on pedals eh?) in places so remote that no eco-extremo has ever taken the time to hike there.

EnduroCross bring the logs, river crossings, and gnarly rocks from the far reaches of the outdoors into a tight-knit stadium environment which creates a spectacle of amazing riding, carnage, and great racing! I am pretty sure we need to build one of these tracks in the backyard, too!

Check out the sweet video here.

PS: To "freestyle goons" and "eco-extremos" who may be offended...don't come back. Not because I don't care for the environment or because I don't consider myself a freesytle goon when performing sweet 1-footers on my bed, but because if you can't handle some humor, then maybe you belong here...

24 Hour Solo Champ - AGAIN!

This just in from the North, where the trails are tight and demanding and the riders are skilled, tough and even more relentless than the singletrack!

"3 Pete, Jeff Linder, wins World 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World MTB Championships for the 3rd time in Canmore, Canada!"

When asked if he would be defending the title in 2010 his reply was:

"What! Are you out of your friggin mind!?!?!?"

I am pretty sure that translates into:

Don't even think about bringing the heat, because I will pedal circles around any suckers who show up trying to be beat me!

Jeff is a CCCX Series Champ, 24 Hour Solo Champ and the year still has a lot of racing left!

JEFF LINDER IS THE MAN!

Great Weekend!

Wow, 1 weekend after Colorado and we are getting settled back into things and caught up on all that "stuff" that was put on hold for a week...even if Bri says my paperwork piles spread across the living room floor are messy, I like to think of it as "organized" confusion...

We were fortunate enough to have Bri's little sister and friend come down to hang out and I didn't realize that teenagers could be such angels! Fully cooked gourmet dinners, dishes washed, cleaned kitchen...is this a sign that kids aren't the devil off-spring that I always preach they are? Maybe I shouldn't threaten them that if they don't cater to us hand and foot then we will make them sleep outside and become mountain lion food! Good times girls!

Sunday was super fun as we attended an annual party at our new friends house in Capitola that coincides with the wharf-to-wharf run. Over 4th of July weekend we were riding the epic "Hole in the Ground" trail when we ran into Dick who had lost touch with his wife and son while riding and had decided to embark on his own epic ride of 4+ hours! When he rode up to us I immediately commandeered his brand new 29er Stumpjumper in exchange for my cell phone (I thought it was a fair trade!). Anyhow, long story short, Dick still had plenty of strength left to ride out on the proper trail and we all had a great time finishing up the ride and getting him back to his relieved wife and son.

Fast forward a few weeks and we were enjoying a DELICIOUS breakfast complete with fruit, eggs and home cooked pizza...YUM! Not only great food, but an incredibly cool house, very nice friends and more good times had by all. Thanks for the great day and we are looking forward to some riding in August guys!

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Bat Cave working on the Red Rocket. 4 hours later I had changed tires, cleaned the drive train, greased the bottom bracket, installed new brake cable and housing and topped it all off with fresh bar tape. I would say 4 hours every 4 years is definitely a fair exchange of fun/maintenance factor! Now she is ready to RIP!

I didn't get out on the Moto like I wanted this weekend, but I am certain that it will happen soon!

If you are ever in BFE Utah, don't miss the DINOSAUR MUSEUM!!! MORE GOOD TIMES!

Brian is real good at sneaking up on those herbivores!

Sometimes Brett spouts big horns like his long lost cousin!

Bri is teaching T-Rex some tricks of the trade!

Few National Pics...

The Gang lookin' all beefcake and ready to RIP! From Left:
Aaron "The Champ" Bradford,
Shelly "I don't train, I just Podium BIG EVENTS" Monroe,
Brian "IF there was any air to suck, then I would" Butler,
Bri "Yeah, 2 races, 2 podiums, no biggie" Spiersch,
Timmie "I'm just takin' Gramma for a walk today" C.,
Brett "Did you see Todd Wells' throw his bike?!!" Butler


Brett finishes up after his laps around the brutal, full national calibure XC Course

Bri in her standard post-race hangout: THE PODIUM!

Brian trying to rub some speed off of AC's shoulder. We are gonna trade moto for bike tips...

3 FAST WOMEN! Between them, I think they had like 5 or 6 podiums!

Going ABOVE AND BEYOND - Just one of the few benefits of having Todd for a hubby...

Mr. and Mrs. Man/Woman Friend. Nice jersey, eh? Those are reserved for THE BEST!

Monterey, after 10+ hours of driving and not looking the worse for wear...

National Championships - Summary

Ok, so the exhaustion is starting to subside, but it is certainly still on the radar, so in summary here are a few tid bit's from National Championship's...

The Hardware goes to the girls!
Bri got 2nd place in Friday's XC and not only that, she turned in the 3rd fastest beginner women XC time of the day! Nice! While I am not personally pushing the class bump, I think she is considering doing it on her own. Either way, it will happen soon enough and she is flying...which would explain her SECOND medal of the weekend!

Yup, she entered her very first ever Super D (why not do it right at Nationals!) and she pedaled to another podium with a solid second place finish among a bunch of women from higher division classes. YES!

Not only that, but Smurfette continued her strong string of top calibure finishes by nailing another podium with a solid 3rd place at Nationals! Like Bri, she followed that up with a strong Super D performance in her first try as well. In fact, if not for getting cut off on the start, I think she would have gotten her second podium as well.

As for the local boys' John Pattullo pulled off a Super D podium after getting a good start and making a solid pass on the "half-way down climb" to finish a very impressive second! Nice work John!

Probably one of the most spectacular stories of the weekend had to come from "local" boy Aaron Bradford who pulled off a major upset in the Men's Pro Final Super D, dethroning the 5 time (straight!) champion: Adam Craig. Check out this video to see how his quick feet, sweet bike grab and aggressive start aided his decent of the race and the ascent of the podium! Not only a great start, but a smart pass on a course where passing was risky to dangerous at best shows why Aaron has not just the skills, but also the smarts and mental ability to get the job done.

Driving home with 3 podium medals between Bri and Shelly and a National Champion jersey with Aaron, it seems things worked out pretty good for our little group from Monterey.

Everything else at this point is a bit fuzzy and bedtime is all I can think about, so more to follow soon....

Top Secret!

We are getting packed up for Colorado and the bikes all seem to be working great. Especially, the new TOP SECRET modification to the Anthem XO seems to be coming along nicely...

On the Downieville front, Travis reported back that he busted a sub 2:35 time after a blistering climb and a few spills on the decent. He claimed he saw a rock or two out there. Hmmm, I don't remember that very well, but apparently he accidently clipped both to them. Fortunately no harm no foul and he railed to a very solid time! Great Job Travis!

No word from Shelly or Aaron yet...can't wait to hear though!

Pinch Me,

I must be dreaming! We just got back from what was probably one of the most fun weekends that I have had. Ever. More miles of technical single track than my bike has ever had the pleasure of shredding and I would like to say fewer crashes than I have ever had on the jet ski at the lake, but that would just be an outright lie...

Friday started out in Sierra City, looking up at the daunting 5 mile climb that starts the Downieville XC race. Brett and I headed up the climb and I instantly remembered why this race can beat you down. Heat, Steep, and loose. The climb is a challenge. Whenever I felt like it was tough, I just thought that Ross Schnell and Mark Weir pedal 6" bikes up this hill with speed I normally reserve for flat sections...Fortunately, we met up with Bri and her dad as well as our dad at Parker Saddle for the FUN PART! The next 17 miles were met with smiles, skids, and more than enough near scares (and perhaps even a few crashes) to last for a long time. Bri and Brett handled it all in stride. The "dads" both thought it was the most technical riding they have ever done. Other than the aforementioned scratches, everyone made it through unscathed and stoked at completing the infamous ride!

Saturday was the 4th and the Spiersch household was headed for their "Second Home" - Pyramid Lake, which is a huge oasis of water, beach front and aquatic fun north of Reno lying in an unsuspecting desert valley. Boats, knee boarding, and jet ski's were on the menu and they did not disappoint! Bri was on the knee board doing all sorts of tricks and helping everyone else to have fun behind the boat.

While Bri literally takes like a fish to water, I am more of a dry-lander. While she was on the lake I sat on the beach...a silent showdown occurring before me and my arch Nemesis - 'ol Mister Jet Ski...floating in the water innocent, taunting me with it's "right side up" floating capabilities, nearly speaking to me "Brian, you can ride me. You can trust me. I won't fling you off like a wild rodeo bull. Trust me..."

Sucker that I am, I took the bait. In an instant I was screaming across the lake fighting for balance and realizing the torment I put my poor dad through the day before in the steep, off camber rock infested trails of Downieville! As I fought for control, I found myself in a familiar place...crashing... with arms and legs flailing as I sprinted for the finish line, rolled up the windows, and kart wheeled through the air in one NON-fluid, spastic motion! SPLASH! "$@***!!! Jet Ski!!! Liar Liar Liar! I should have never listened to you!" Unfortunately, I was too far out into the lake to avoid my foe, for I needed his help to make it back to shore. Like your annoying co-dependent friend that always ends up back in the arms of "that loser boyfriend" I was once again up on Mr. Ski...and once again crashing to my doom. It carried on like this for quite a while because believe it or not, I actually loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back and crash some more! I know, us "co-dependents" have issues...

Sunday capped off the perfect weekend with me, Bri, her dad and friend Matt heading out to the storied "Hole in the Ground" trail and it couldn't have been more fun! Easily, one of the coolest rides I have EVER had the pleasure of completing and despite being somewhat hard to follow, I suggest if you ever have the opportunity to ride it, take advantage and do so! There is beautiful scenery, more rocks, twists, turns, and fun than any trail I can think of. Incredible!

More specifics to follow on this ride later this week. At this point, I'm exhausted and it's time to go dream about the incredible escapades of days gone by...

CCCX Final Recap

Wow, can you believe it's been 3 days since the final CCCX cross country of 2009? Time sure does fly when you are "lost in space" due to the lingering effects of a direct judo chop to the hard terrafirma of Fort Ord with your head...or more specifically your face. I haven't ridden back out to the crash test dummy site yet, but I am pretty sure there is a facsimile of a squirrelly looking dude's face that strangely resembles my own firmly planted on the dirt surface...That being the case and knowing ahead of time that I am "going by memory" (which Bri has pointed out several times this week to be shaky at best) please forgive any errors, inconsistencies or omissions as I am still not operating on all cylinders yet...you are right, I NEVER really was, but now it's even worse.

As usual Bri got things off to a roaring start in the morning race. From the line she pretty much pedaled to the front of the pack and had the rest of the girls against the ropes. A few of the Jr. girls managed to keep in contact for the first lap, but in the end she was able to ride away to another decisive victory. I overheard some of the girls at the podium "It's like she is a train! She just keeps going THAT speed!" ha! Of course the win clinched the first "title" of the day for the "Worlds Best Beginner" :)

Next up was the afternoon sport race and with it, the "Single Bottle Brigade" composed of Steve Kelley and Brett Butler were out on the course. I go through more water on the FIRST LAP than these two guys put down in a full race...combined! Oh well, looks like it might be a secret to their success as they both finished the series out on the Podium with solid 3rd place finishes. Brett even finished 5th in his race...one of his best finishes! Also up in the afternoon race was Bill Clevenger who had to fight tooth and nail for his positions in what was a very 45-55 class, but he managed to hang tough and gut out a podium finish in the series as well. Nice job Bill!

As we headed into the afternoon's main expert event it should be noted that James had been on hand pretty much all day and despite not being able to race due to work obligations, he was long on helping everyone along...especially with encouraging words, my personal favorite along the lines of..."Come on! You can pedal harder than that! Heck my daughter could pedal harder than that!"

The afternoon race got under way with the addition of a "BONUS" lap...wooo hoooo, now that's what a cheap bastard like me is talking about! On a dollar per lap fun factor, I just went from $7 bucks a lap to $6...yeah baby, now we can afford to buy that new yacht and sail the globe! Or maybe it just meant a tad bit more pain and suffering. Either way, the event ended up being one of the longer of the series and provided ample opportunity to see what everyone had you could have a short coming and still make up time.

And speaking of what everyone had, it looked like John Pattullo was on a mission! He went by me so fast that I thought the prologue to the Tour de France had started early and in Fort Ord!Man! I tried to get on his wheel, but quickly realized that capacity of riding was beyond my abilities for the day. Apparently, it was beyond everyone else's, too as it looks like he set the fastest time of the day aboard his "big wheels keep on turnin" 29er.

In the end, Joselyn's collected 5 more podium finishes with Shelly doing great in the races she completed to earn a 2nd place finish in the Women's class and a pretty domineering showing in the 35+ class with Alex on top, flanked by Mark in 2nd place. Those guys were battling for top spot all year long!

After focusing on the series, Greg was rewarded as the Top Pro finisher and got the "top step" monkey off his back after a few years of being denied. Way to do it though...in the Pro class and all!

As for myself, I managed to gather just enough wits and composure about myself to realize after my crash that I HAD TO WIN in order to keep this train going since I missed too many other events. Not sure exactly how that happened, but I managed to put in another decent ride and end up finishing Top 'o the Box as well.

Just counting end of year podiums, it could be said that Joselyn's certainly dominated the series, but there is also the efforts of several other riders who were out there working on themselves race in and race out. Travis stepped up to the expert class and found out that he is tough enough to hang with them. I am confident he could have done great in the Sport class, but he was up for the challenge and he took it to them every race. Nathan also kept his head down and consistently rode his own race...often times sprinting off ahead of the pack on the start!

In the end, that which doesn't kill you only serves to make you stronger...or some philosophical mumbo jumbo like that. And for those of you that didn't get your fill...never fear, there are still plenty of GREAT RACES left to test yourself at this year! See you out there, ready for the next test!