Trail Issues

Trail advocacy affects all trail users in one way or another.....

Usage of trails is awesome, but protecting the trails so everyone can have access is a major priority for me in my day to day work as a promoter and a racer.....

Today we had a users group meeting for trail access of the former Army Base at Ft Ord. I am facing trail closures to some of the best MTB riding in this area. Plus many of the trails that I use for my CCCX race series are being shut down. It really is a sad situation, and I am having to work extra hard to turn out something positive from these closures. I will have to put forth a complete usage feasibility package showing the new land controllers the importance of our local race series, and that my race series can work around their no trespassing area's. It is not going to be easy, but I must not give up the fight to keep the dream alive for our local racers to compete and race on trails so close to our central coast cities.

Tuesday Night Circuit Race

This weekend I will take part in the CCCX XC & DH races at Toro Park in Monterey. The XC race will be very hard, & I just hope to ride better then my last XC race at Toro Park- where I was dropped from the lead group after 4 minutes of racing.....

It was a strong group tonight at the Ft Ord Circuit race. We do 5 laps on a 4 mile road circuit and the pace was very fast. Riders were dropped right away, and after 3 laps it was down to me and 5 other riders for the win.

On the last lap I did a huge flyer with about 1 mile to go in the race. It was on the hardest climbing section into the wind. I thought for sure I would be marked right away, but the group hesitated and my gap was very big by the top of the rolling hill. I think the high pace during the race tapped the other riders energy out, and no one could respond quickly to my attack. I dug extra deep into the wind and rode solo to the finish line to win the practice race for the 2nd week in a row. I was really stoked for this win and doing it solo from so far out was extra sweet. It was a amazing feeling to drop the other riders, who are all very strong, and go solo to the line. It is times like this that make all my training and dedication to the sport of cycling worthwhile.

Sunday

Mt Diablo is the giant of our region- my favorite mountain to climb- it is simply a epic bike ride.....
The view north from the very peak....

Most of the climb looks like this, steady roads with beautiful scenery...

A typical view from the lower slopes of the south side ascent....

Sunday was the Wente Criterium held in Livermore. The field was sold out, so 100 racers in my field. All of the Nor-Cal teams were present and the field was super stacked. It seemed every team came with their "A" list to fight it out on course. The pace was very fast, I think we averaged 29 miles per hour for the entire Crit. The course was flat and 1.2 miles long. As the race progressed it looked as if the high speeds were going to lead to a mad sprint in the end. I did my best to get into a position for the finish, and had to dig deep to have a chance for a good result. It was all about bar banging and elbow knocking on the last lap. It really was a crazy sprint for the win with so much jostling for wheels that crashes happened in the group. It really was extremely hectic.

I managed to finish a solid 7th place on the line. It was all I could do to battle it out for a good result. There was so much speed and so much horse power from the other teams, my 7th place was very respectable. Only 6 guys beat me and there were many, many big named riders who were behind me at the finish. I am only going to improve on the road racing scene as the year progresses. So this was a very good experience in my progression on the road.

After the race I went to ride MT Diablo for a cool down. Mt Diablo is the best mountain to climb in this region. It is 13 miles of great climbing and 3500 vertical feet gained. And best of all the entire road to the top has been freshly re-paved. I was climbing slow after my long weekend of riding, but it was a great feeling to climb the mountain at a easy pace.

I did 5 hours and 70 miles for the day and I am now ready for a rest day!

Saturday Afternoon Ride

After pumping out 50 miles on my road bike earlier in the day on the Saturday morning ride. I needed to shake my legs out and get some easy riding on the carbon Zaskar.

So this afternoon I went to Toro park where there is high mountains & lots of elevation in the terrain. I did 1 hour 30 minutes of climbing on the MTB. It is nice to do double sessions of riding when I have the time. I am using new shoes and pedals, so I just wanted to spin the legs and work on feeling comfortable when riding the GT. Some of the trails in Toro park are really steep. It was fun to keep stuck to the saddle when climbing to achieve proper traction and balance to climb trails that can only be mastered using the granny gear.

And of course the reward for climbing high mountains is letting go of the brakes on the descent!

Tomorrow I will be racing in a Criterium near San Francisco. There will be 100 racers in my group, so the action will be fast and furious for sure.

Saturday Morning Ride

It was cold and windy for our Saturday morning group ride here in Monterey. The group ride starts at 7:00 a.m. and is always well attended. I felt only average on the climb. I was at the front but I could not make any real accelerations. I came over the top on the lead with a time of 13:27.

I did claim the win in the final sprint along the coast. The final sprint is the one spot everyone tries to win if they have made all the selections. I was happy to win this sprint, even if I did not feel sharp during the entire ride.

Turning The Pedals Over.....

I am just trying to find some form and get the pedals turning over smoothly now that the Sea Otter Classic is done for 2009. Now I can focus on getting in a groove on my Zaskar.....

I am trying to get the legs and body going after the Sea Otter Classic. I am usually pretty tired and drained of energy after this event. For the event I have lots to do physically, and I have so much on my mind, that at the end of the affair I am pretty much at the low end of my racing form.

However I did win the practice Circuit race we have each Tuesday night here in Monterey two days ago. I was able to hold with the leaders, then attacked at the end, and won in a two up sprint with one of the better road riders from this area. I was in a lot of pain after the hard effort to drop everyone. But it was nice to get my first win of the year in the Tuesday night practice race at Ft Ord.

Then on Thursday I drove up to the best climb in Northern California- Mt Diablo. They have a group ride Thursday nights that is basically a race half way up the mountain. The group was very small, but still the mountain is hard to tackle at full speed. I posted a 27:45 for the hill climb and was first to the top out of the small group. The best climbers were not there or I surely would not have been first to the top. My legs felt sluggish and I felt a little off in my pedaling. Yet I was happy with my 27:45. I was just hoping to break 30 minutes, so for the first race up Mt Diablo for me a 27:45 was not too bad.

Super D Win At The Sea Otter Classic

Winning the Sea Otter Classic Super D race for the 2nd year in a row was very special. It was extra nice to have a very large crowd, including some of the GT Marketing management group, at the awards ceremony to celebrate the win with.....
The Sea Otter Classic is one of the most hotly contested races in America. I was so stoked to win the Super D on my carbon Zaskar, and then take the bike up on the awards podium to show everyone which make and model was the fastest bike on the day....

I even got to pose with Sparky the Sea Otter race mascot.... Fellow Dirt Coalition rider Dean Meyer was the perfect team mate in setting me up for a Super D victory in 2009. Meyer and myself worked out a plan for claiming the win, and then executed it perfectly on the matching carbon Zaskar bikes we were so fortunate to be riding. The bikes worked flawless, and so did our plan of attack. In the end I was able to win the race for the 2nd year in a row. Thanks to GT Bicycles for making the 2009 Sea Otter Classic so memorable.

Sea Otter Classic Was Huge!

The Sea Otter Classic was huge for 2009......

GT Bicycles had a very large impact on the event making for a very special Sea Otter Classic for myself. The weather was perfect, the crowds were solid, and the racing was top of the line.

I will share some of the stories here, as soon as I finish cleaning up after the extravaganza. I always have some serious work to do cleaning up after the event. My slalom course takes a few days to take down and then I can catch my breath and write about some of the incredible action from the past 4 days of racing.

The Calm Before The Storm

To celebrate Easter Sunday I rode my Road Bike for 3 hours 30 minutes, and climbed our best local climb. The climb is Robinson Canyon Rd. and it was an incredible day to ride. The sun was out in full force and the sky was blue, making for a sun screen mandatory type of day.


Yesterday I got a little loose on an off-camber corner during the downhill race in the Hardtail division. I had to do a balancing act on the bike just to keep the rubber side rolling in the proper direction. I must say that the Zaskar is awesome for descending and I hope to put it to good use for the Sea Otter Classic Super D race next Friday..... I put the podium for the CCCX DH race right in front of the GT Demo truck & trailer, this made for some great photo opportunities for all....

The tidal wave that is the Sea Otter Classic arrives this week here in Monterey. This means I face one of my most hectic weeks of the year. And it sure is fun!!!

I am really looking forward to all the racing action. It is also great to see many people who come back to the event each year. It is great to do some announcing for the slalom. And of course I will try and sneak in some racing myself at America's one of a kind cycling festival- The Sea Otter Classic.

My slalom course is just about complete. I will use the next few days to buff out the course and make it a pure joy for the best racers in the world.

A Fine Day At The Park~

It was a splendid day to shred the trails..... It was awesome to have the GT Demo program on site.....

It was such a beautiful day at Toro Park and a perfect day to test ride one of the many stellar 2009 GT Bicycles....

My CCCX DH Series went off this Saturday at Toro Park & it was quite a showing for GT Bicycles on the day. 180 racers went at the course and all of them had a look at the GT Bicycles that were there thanks to the Demo program.

The GT Demo Experience made a great impression and provided all the racers a chance to see and test ride the 2009 GT Bicycles. From what I heard from the many riders who took the opportunity to test ride the feedback was super positive. Everyone seemed to really notice that GT Bicycles was for real and on the cutting edge of technology for 2009.

The GT Dirt Coalition tent was there to greet riders at registration for the days racing. And I made sure that everyone checked out my carbon ZASKAR during my Hardtail division race. Many people really dig the bike and are really stoked for me to be sponsored by GT Bicycles.

All in all, it was a beautiful day for riding the dirt. Being on the bike gliding down the super fun trails of Toro Park was the best way to spend the day before EASTER!

So Much To Do, So Little Time~

Wednesday I was involved in organizing the first open track twilight program for cyclists at Laguna Seca Raceway. It was a perfect day for this event as there was beautiful blue sky, and the moon even made a appearance with a early moon rise as the sun was setting. The riding took place between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

With the Sea Otter Classic just a week away now, for the second half of the cycling program I wanted to do a full on practice race on the Criterium course I recommended for the new Crit. race they will have at this years Sea Otter.

The turn out was great for the first twilight cycling session. We had 85 riders and I made sure to place my GT DIRT COALITION tent at registration, so everyone had a look at the cool DIRT COALITION easy up team tent.

The practice race went really well, and the course is pretty fun to race on. The turns are very tight, so during the actual Crit. next week position will be key for success. The pavement is extra plush on track, so railing the turns was awesome. The feeling of the tires griping the track was quite the sensation when turning at full speed.

The practice race was 40 minutes- winner take all. I tried a solo breakaway with five laps to go but was reeled in by the group. Then on the last lap I had to chase down a local rider who made a bid for the win. I had 200 meters to go and it looked like the rider was going to get to the finish before me. But I pulled him back after a brutally hard sprint with only about 20 yards before the finish line. As I passed the rider and came to the finish line it looked for sure as if I was going to be the winner. However right on the line, my local road race team mate snuck his front wheel over the line ahead of me with a bike throw~ and relegated me to second place by a mere 4 inches!

I was a little bummed after doing all the chasing of the break away guy, to be out done right on the line by my buddy. But at least our local CCCX road team claimed first & second on the day. I organized a sweet Mazda Raceway racing jacket for the winner of the Crit., and I was so close to getting the apparel but was denied by a team mate. In the end the raceway staff presented me my very own Mazda Raceway jacket for all of my effort in organizing the open track day for everyone!! That was awfully kind of them!

It seemed all the riders had fun! This is what I wanted most of all.......... for everyone to enjoy the time on the world famous race track riding their bicycles!

Working Over The Sea Otter Dual Slalom

I forced myself to spin the legs for 30 minutes today at lunch in between digging berms from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. basically non stop.....
This is the result of getting big blisters on my hands from working a shovel hard for hour after hour building epic sized berms. The best riders in the world simply tearing up my course in front of the media and spectators. I take pride in building parallel courses that when photographed properly produce outstanding photos......

One of my favorite shots of my slalom course. A friend, World Champion Gunn Rite Dahle, going solo off the front on her way to the Sea Otter Classic Short track win in brutal muddy conditions. My slalom is a very cool back drop and the shape of my berms and jumps really look sweet behind the World Champion Gunn Rite. The green grass and blue sky make the photo complete. It is hard to tell from this photo how brutal the short track race was that year with thick mud making for quite a battle on course for the world class pro fields....

I spent 9 hours today working on the Sea Otter Classic Dual Slalom. I went through 3 different sets of helpers. Each time my volunteers would help for a couple hours of digging and building jumps and berms, then get tired and quit. It is hard work so I can not blame them, and most of my helpers are young guys who think building jumps are fun, but I work them hard and after a few hours they are toasted. Thankfully I had 3 different groups come out to the course today and spend a few hours working the course over. I focused on the rhythm section after the third set of giant berms. I extended this section and added a extra berm leading to the road gap jump.

I think this years course is going to be extra special.

My deadline is coming very soon with the project and the Sea Otter Classic is starting to take control of the Laguna Seca Raceway this week.

I am exhausted from the hard labor!! Yet when I see the best riders in the world styling down the slalom and show-boating their skills as if they were kids in a candy store, it makes all my hard work worthwhile!!!

CCCX Series- Monterey 4/04/09

Having too much fun ripping the downhill sections....
Me & the ZASKAR were tested by a very fast course....
Top 5 Experts....

Bloody knee and elbow, covered in dust, but still pedaling....

Single track trails were the order of the day....

I decided to lead out the group and get the hole shot at the start.....

It was a picture perfect day for a cross country race this past Saturday in Monterey. I felt much more comfortable on the GT ZASKAR, and after some testing during the week I seem to have my seat height near proper position. During the race I was on the lead early and my legs felt much better then the initial race on my new ride.

The GT ZASKAR is one tough bike~!!

I had two hard crashes as I was chasing the leader, both times sliding out after losing my front end on a high speed off camber hard packed turn. I ended up with a road rash on my knee and elbow & covered in dust.... but the GT ZASKAR came out of the slide outs with out a scratch!! The bike is super tough and I was expecting at least a few marks on the brand new ride, but the bike still looks absolutely perfect.

In the end I faded to 5th place in the race. The crashes came at very inopportune times and certainly set me back. It seemed that without the crashes I would have contested for the win.

On a good note, I felt really good on the climbs and my legs were turning over well and I felt much more comfortable on the team bike. My position seems to be just about right, now if I could just keep from crashing I might have a chance at the result I desire!!

Recovery Ride

Just messing around in Monterey on the ZASKAR....
I had to mix in some uphill work on my ride....

I am definitely getting more comfortable on my new bike....

I pumped out a really easy ride today looking over the route for this weekends XC race in Ft Ord. I picked out a course that is really fast with some really fun turns.

Then I went to the Laguna Seca Raceway and did a quick spin up some of the hills near the famed "corkscrew" turn of the race track.

After my ride I did some work on the Sea Otter Classic Dual Slalom. The course is coming along well, but there is never enough time to do all that I want to do. The course is big and it takes hours and hours just to add obstacles or make changes to the course. I think the riders will really like this years version!

I am slowly becoming comfortable on the GT ZASKAR. Each ride I am getting into the groove on the bike and I am pleased with my progress on getting in the best position for pedaling on the new GT machine.

Victory For The Boys....

I enjoy racing Cyclocross. I especially like to bunny-hop the boards, and use some of my jumping skills when the others have to get off and dismount.....

The Tuesday night Road workout went off again tonight and it was a beautiful day for going at it on the bike against the local teams. There was a steady wind in the long straight toward the finish and this made for interesting tactics in the group. Tonight my legs were working good, however on the first lap I did notice my heart rate jump a bit from the first attacks. Then I settled down and noticed I was pedaling a bit smoother then the other riders. So I kept launching attacks on the group up the climb portions of the Road Circuit. After 3 laps it was down to 8 guys and 3 of them were part of my CCCX group, all sporting the CCCX Series jersey. On lap four I went solo, had a gap, but it was too far to go alone so I sat up. Then on the final lap I shot off again, I know the other guys were ready for my attack but I did it anyways. I had a solid gap but I looked back and two of the guys from the other teams represented were pulling the rest up to me with everything they had. The problem for them is they were pulling up my boys in the CCCX jersey's. They caught me with about 600 yards to go to the finish. So my boys immediately launch a counter move, roll off the front and take it to the line for the win! It was perfect team tactics, and I was more then happy to set the others up with constant attacking. I felt really strong going up the hills, and it was nice to claim the cash pay out I put up for the workout and share it among my guys!!