As July rolls around, a select few endurance and gravity racers merge to take part in the Downieville Classic. This two stage mountain bike race consists of a point to point XC race on Saturday and 45 minute DH on Sunday, both of which must be done on the same bike. For the event, my teammate Matt Ryan planned to fly into San Francisco Tuesday evening to offer plenty of time to adjust to the fast and wide open California terrain. After making the 90 minute drive to Frisco in 4th of July traffic, I found myself in the cell phone parking lot waiting for Matt’s arrival. During this time I noticed my phone had been turned off, an added feature I did not pay for but randomly occurs due to being a 4 year old well used phone. I turn it on; 8 new texts. First text reads “Aaron, I missed my connecting flight in Seattle, I fly in the morning.” Nice…. So Matt had 10 minutes to get from one end of the airport to the other only to find that Alaska changed the gates, resulting in him missing his flight. So I drove back home to Santa Cruz then back Frisco 8 hours later to pick up the Can-aussie. This fiasco was only the tip of the iceberg for what would turn into a huge fiasco for Downieville weekend.
Following Matt’s luckless travel experience, we were faced with the problem of finding a place to stay. People thought I landed a place to stay, I thought they landed the place to stay; in the end, no place to stay. For those unfamiliar with D-ville, it is a small mining town hidden high in the Sierra Nevada range, an hour from any services. This diminutive community explodes during the Classic as hundreds of racers along with family and friends take part in the festivities. As a result, all housing and camping spots are taken within a 50 mile radius. I guess things could have been worse, and we managed to make things work despite our ongoing adventure.
Saturday rolled around soon enough and I found myself climbing into the clouds with 800 other people. The race starts off with a 55 minute, 2500’ climb which offers endless suffering. While going 110% and seeing red, through my tunnel vision I could see Carl Decker riding away with ease. As I crested the climb I noticed another Giant team rider ahead of me rocking lightning bolts on his calves, Duncan Riffle. Riffle, Ross, Snyder and I cruised the 20 minute fireroad traverse before dropping into the first section of single track. I was looking forward to watching Duncan rail the trails back into town but unfortunately he double flatted. Carl won, Adam was second and I was a ridiculous 12 minutes behind. I guess pursuing Rally racing and turning mountain biking into a hobby is paying off, nice riding Carl.
1 Carl Decker Bend CA 37 35 1 M 0-99 1:50:50.3
2 Adam Craig Bend OR 1 28 2 M 0-99 1:56:35.1
3 Jason Moeschler novato CA 2 30 3 M 0-99 1:58:52.5
4 Tim Olson Chico CA 7 37 4 M 0-99 1:59:27.6
5 Sid Taberlay South Pasadena CA 22 30 5 M 0-99 2:01:46.6
6 Mark Weir , Novato, CA 5 37 6 M 0-99 2:01:50.4
7 Adam Snyder Durango CO 57 25 7 M 0-99 2:01:51.6
8 Aaron Bradford Santa Cruz CA 33 25 8 M 0-99 2:02:54.4
9 Kenny Burt Folsom CA 16 39 9 M 0-99 2:03:13.7
10 Dana Weber Aliso Viejo CA 20 29 10 M 0-99 2:03:54.3
11 Gregg Stone Truckee CA 59 38 11 M 0-99 2:04:13.6
12 Ross Schnell Grand Junction CO 3 30 12 M 0-99 2:06:06.3
13 Clint Claassen Sacramento CA 24 26 13 M 0-99 2:07:07.3
14 Sean Donovan South Pasadena CA 21 32 14 M 0-99 2:07:32.3
15 Kevin Smallman San Leandro CA 18 25 15 M 0-99 2:07:48.8
16 jason sager Ogden UT 54 35 16 M 0-99 2:08:07.4
17 Nathan Riddle Ashland CA 4 34 17 M 0-99 2:08:12.9
18 Mark Jordan Ventura CA 8 36 18 M 0-99 2:09:17.9
19 Duncan Riffle Santa Barbara CA 52 23 19 M 0-99 2:10:09.4
20 Matt Ryan Whistler BC 53 33 20 M 0-99 2:10:54.0
Following my 8th place finish on Saturday, I was sitting well for the overall coming into Sundays downhill. The course was 45 minutes long with nearly 2,700 feet of descending. This race was going to be the first and possibly last time to rock my custom stars and stripes national jersey as nationals was in 2 weeks. With the spirit of things coming into D-ville, I put in a relatively clean top half then managed to plow into what seemed like a drunken spectator standing in the option line on the “waterfall” section. Sweet... In the process, I broke my chain. After some time on the side of the trail fixing my chain & watching riders pass by kicking up a cloud of dust, I was on two wheels again in an effort to salvage my weekend.
Matt and I chilling after the finish of the super-D. Ross giving the bunny ears
Post DH run, I found myself waist deep in the Yuba River with a beer in hand, finally enjoying the beauty that Downieville has to offer. In the process of packing for my continued trip to Keystone, I missed my opportunity to congratulate Decker on his overall win. 11th in the All-mountain class, I can't complain about that. Also, thanks to Garth and Geoff for the help at the race and thanks to Bri for the feed at the top of the climb. Another Downieville Classic in the record books.
After Downieville, I was off to Keystone with Kirt, Lindsey and Rocco Voreis in the All Ride Tour van. Looking PRO with fresh decals on the team van and trailer, we drove through town after town with people stoked on our rig. The two days and a thousand miles seemed to fly by as Kirt entertained Lindsey and I with endless humorous stories of his adventures on the road. Thanks again for letting me tag along, you guys are RAD!
Once in Keystone, it was time to meet and greet all the employees of Specialized along with the bike shop dealers for the Specialized dealer launch. The dealer launch certainly gave me a better understanding of the relationship between Specialized, its dealers & their customers along with a greater appreciation for the size and influence of Specialized as a whole.
With Keystone being at 9k feet, not only did this trip offer some time in the saddle riding conditions similar to the national championships course at the end of the week, it also got me conditioned for the elevation at nationals. This was a good excuse to ride with friends from all over the country who were in for the event. A day of riding in the bike park with Wes of Sycamore cycles with Sloan leading the crew lead to some good times riding bikes from the 2011 lineup.
Post dealer launch, we were off to nationals in Granby CO, about 120 miles away. By this point, I was beginning to feel some fatigue from the elevation as I was rolling into my second week at <7,500’.>
Crested Butte
Crested Butte
Stumpy in her element
After a few days of CB action, we were off to Fuita CO to hit the familiar Kokopelli trail system. With day time highs near 95 degrees in the summer, we set out for an evening 2 hour ride in much more tolerable temps, good advice from local rockstar Ross Schell. An hour into the ride my rear derailleur cable broke. Despite the mechanical, this didn’t stop us from soaking in the vistas of Colorado’s colorful sunset on desert red slickrock with the mighty Colorado river lazily snaking through the canyon. Following Fruita we checked out the Grand Canyon. It was my forth time to see this famous hole in the ground but it still has the ability to leave me speechless upon walking to its edge. Flagstaff AZ was the next destination on our journey westward. Flag puts off such a positive vibe with its small town atmosphere and colorful people. The town reminded me of Ashville NC or Bellingham WA with the countless places to eat, places to listen to live music, and friendly people to offer advice on the happening things to do. After hitting up Specialized dealer Absolute bikes, Shelly and I began our trek with a detailed trail route (left at burnt stump, right at the two rock piles, etc...) which was part of the Buffalo Park trail network. Once we reached the top of “the climb,” local downhill rippers offered a refreshing Coors Light before continuing on their way. Shelly and I continued to follow our trail route (follow ridgeline, halfway through bolder field veer right….) which rewarded us with views of the city below. After completing a handful of technical descents, the trail dumped us out in the middle of a blooming meadow of wild flowers. Bumble bees the size of quarters were busy gathering pollen in the fragrant sea of blue. Continuing our descent into town, we stopped at the Crepe Place for an amazing Nutella and berries crepe to seal the deal on the days’ adventure.
Evening ride in Fruta
Sunflowers in bloom
Shelly mid ride outside of Flag
Colorado skies at dusk
What an adventure, traveling from one destination to another, riding amazing bikes with amazing people. Lastly, a special thanks to Kirt, Lindsey and the All Ride Tour team for their support and entertainment during the nationals trip. I look forward to more adventures with this fun crew in the future. Check back soon, more photos to come.Get rad!
Also, if you are living in the dark and haven't heard of the newest bike movie everyone is talking about, hear is a teaser, I would suggest you preorder now. This film took 4 years to produce and the quality is beyond anything I have ever seen. Check it!
Can't find any videos of the Candian Open Enduro but this video shows a handful of the trails used on the course. The rider is young Specialized/Monster ripper Troy Brosnan.
My high school buddy Jamie Nilsen is a rockstar at whatever he does. This is him opening up the throttle to 150mph in the U-37 boat, good stuff.
Crankworx is around the corner and I find myself in WA riding technical trails and preparing for the Canadian Open Enduro. Garth @ Specialized sent a little care package to top off my 2010 S-works Enduro with a new white Henge seat while Cipes ran through my suspension and got that dialed. The bike is looking pretty styling and ready to put in some time on the Whistler trails. I race Tuesday, should be legit! Check out the Crankworx website for the schedule.
Sram XX drivetrain
Enduro ceramic pullies, been running smooth for 2 years now
1X10 system with the direct mount guide
clean and simple
Enduro Ceramic bearings
Roval Traverse EL wheels
Earlier this month I did a quick interview for the PNW News, thanks guys!
White River Revival @ Greenwater Washington, Saturday, July 10, 2010
White River Revival in Greenwater Washington is a fundraiser for a very important person in the Mountain bike comminity.
100% of the proceeds from this race will be going to help defray the medical costs of "Wick", long time mountain bike race promoter.
Wick has been an area race promoter for 20 years. He is the host of the famous "Wednesday Night World Championships" and has served as an integral part of our racing community. Currently our friend is in the ICU unit where he is battling a monumental infection that could keep him there for some time.
PLEASE HELP GIVE BACK TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SUPPLIED US WITH COUNTLESS MOUNTAIN BIKE RACES AND SERVED AS A DEDICATED MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY!
You can help by:
•If you are in the Washington area and interested in participating in the White River Revival in Greenwater WA, online registration is here. •If you would like to make a donation.
After a handful of enduro/super-D races this season, I've beginning to figure out what works on the track. The single chainring up front keeps things light and simple with a goal of preventing the dreaded chain drop. Weighing in at 24 lbs, I think this S-works Stumpjumper is ready for Downieville.
Roval Carbon hoops
The new Specialized direct mount from guide.
In all her glory
Pretty late in the season but I'm finally rocking a stars and stripes jersey, just in time for Downieville.
This past Memorial Day I was part of a eight man team competing in the Ski to Sea relay in Bellingham Washington. I took on the role of competing in the mountain bike leg for the Barron Heating team. The team did stellar finishing second to Boss Construction who set the winning pace. What a unique event that I hope to be a part of next year.
The hand off Photo: K. Greene
A little wet on the course Photo: K. Greene
Washington mud Photo: K. Greene
The next event for the Specialized Trail Team was the weekend of June 12-13th as my Can-aussie teammate Matt Ryan and I loaded up a SBCU minivan and headed for Ashland to compete in the 12 miles super-D. We rolled into Ashland at around 6pm on Thursday, giving us some time ride before dark. We started off climbing from the bottom of BTI trail all while threatening dark clouds began to gather overhead. After about 45 minutes of climbing towards the four corners parking area, we decided to drop in on some trail and got a feel for the wet and sandy conditions. Traction was amazing with the Specialized Purgatory up front and The Captain in the back hooking up on the trail.
On Friday the conditions changed dramatically. Decent winds and drier weather left the lower pine woods section of the BTI trail with sand in the berms while machinery took care of the snow drifts at the start. After taking some photos with photographer Forrest Arakawa, Matt and I shuttled to the top of the super-D course to get in our first full run.
The course loses 5k feet of elevation in 12 miles. You start with a 5 minute fireroad descent with a handful of hairpin 180’s which eventually led you to the bottom of “the climb.” Although only 4-5 minutes long, the climb was decisive in whether you put up a solid time or lost lots of it. Following the climb we were treated with some amazing single track to wide open fireroad sections and back to singletrack all the way down to the finish. The 12 mile is truly the definition of an endurance downhill/super-D event with the winner proving to have the motor to go up the climbs and then be able to let loose on the down.
The Can-aussie put together a clean and fast run until the last left hand turn at the bottom of BTI, resulting in a broken chain. He is definitely in the mix and now has fuel for the fire coming into Downieville. I made it to the finish about 40 seconds down on the leader Mark Weir, next time... Next stop for the Specialized Trail Team, Downieville.
Pro mens times
1 - 3 Mark Weir WTB/Santa Cruz/Fox Shox 34:40.00 2 - 2 Jason Moeschler WTB/Santa Cruz/Fox Shox 34:41.00 3 - 1 Adam Craig Giant Mtb. Team 35:01.00 4 - 33 Carl Decker Giant Factory Team 35:02.00 5 - 23 Nathan Riddle SRAM/Fluidride/Evil 35:16.00 6 - 37 Aaron Bradford Specialized Bicycles/OnSite Ultrasound 35:19.00 7 - 10 Ross Schnell Trek Bicycles 35:28.00 8 - 66 Scott Chapin Rock Lobster 35:33.00 9 - 4 Mike West Maverick 35:55.00 10 - 14 Jeff Kendal Ibis 36:05.00 11 - 7 Timmy Evans Rebound Physical Therapy 36:05.00 12 - 12 Ben Cruz WTB/MRP 36:07.00 13 - 5 Kenny Burt WTB/Ibis 36:21.00 14 - 6 Nate Byron Northstar/Giant/WTB 36:26.00 15 - 34 Ariel Lindsey UC Santa Cruz Cycling 36:28.00 16 - 56 Harlan Price Team CF 36:31.00 17 - 8 Matthew Slaven Kona/Dakine/Easton 36:57.00 18 - 15 Scott Fellers Thunderbringers 36:59.00 19 - 29 Jared Rando Giant Factory Team 37:11.00 20 - 77 Matt Ryan Specialized Bicycles 37:12.00
Ripping the last berm on BTI Photo: F. Arakawa
Trying to scrub a little double into a berm, making a goofy face in the process Photo: F. Arakawa
Lower BTI Photo: M. Houtzager
Video from the Ashland 12 mile Super-D
Specialized rider Kirt Voreis of the All Ride Tour getting loose on the Stumpy FSR
A combination of living in a new location and different motives for the race season has given me the opportunity to compete at new venues against new riders. During the third week in April, the Santa Cruz crew of Doss, Alex, Scott and I made the trek to Redding CA for the epic Saturday race, The Lemurian Classic. With the car loaded down and the trailer attached, we were ready for a weekend of adventure. For those who don’t know, the Lemurian Classic is a big loop race (26 miles) with 5k or so feet of climbing and amazing descending. This event truly is a mountain bikers course that pushes you start to finish. The theme of the day was either climbing or descending. Fun trails and plenty of competition, I ended up finishing 4th on the day after having issues with my chain guide, with the rest of the Santa Cruz crew putting in solid performances all around. Following the race, the crew plus Jeff and Natalie were greeted with ice cold beers as we soaked in the views from the dock at Whiskeytown Lake. After some classic heckling at a rookie sail boater’s expense, we loaded up the car to find a camp spot with the help of some locals’ knowledge which put us next to the river and with great trail access. After setting up camp, it was time for dinner which was prepared by chef extraordinaire Scott Chapin, which was followed by a few more beers before a swig of whiskey (we were in Whiskeytown after all) as a night cap. After a solid 8 hours of sleep, I was woken to a cup of coffee and the smell of french toast, eggs and bacon. Quickly putting down the calories, we headed out on an adventure exploring the Whiskeytown rec area. Numerous vistas, snow caps and waterfalls greeted us periodically. 6 hours later we found ourselves back at our vehicles for the journey home with another amazing weekend in the record books.
Descending gas can hill
The 29er post Lemurian beatdown
The car and trailer/cooking station. Scott hard a work.
Scott waiting for his cozie to float to him
Stickered up. Wasabi, Alex's band
Views from the dock
The Lemurian crew
During the last week in April, I was off to the land of gray weather where the locals are notorious for wearing socks with sandals. Yes, I’m talking about my native Pacific Northwest. Once again I found myself in the Mazdaradi heading north on a 850 mile journey to Hood River Oregon for the first round of the Fluidride Enduro series race. For those who are unfamiliar with the enduro format, it is similar to Super-D racing with endurance downhill runs over 10 minutes, though typically it is a multi-race run weekend so consistency is key. I had loaded in the car my S-works Stumpjumper FSR and my newly acquired S-works Enduro so having the right bike for the course was not an issue. I found myself rolling into the venue at 6 p.m. on Friday, giving me time to pull out a bike and do a little recon work on the course. The course started out of the gate with a wide open fire road with drifty sweeping turns then quickly dropped into single track. The top section of single track was rather techy with tight switchbacks and loose off camber followed by wide open traverses following the ridgeline. 7 or so minutes into the run, riders were faced with a slight uphill to rolling climb that was nothing when riding at a casual pace, but at race pace it quickly put racers into the red and seeing stars if you were giving it your all. The guys to beat were local legend Nathan Riddle and Kona rider Matt Slaven. Rolling off the starting gate on my first run, I managed to put up the time to beat with a sub 12 minute run with Nathan and Matt bringing up 2nd and 3rd. Following Saturday’s races, Sundayss race was on the same course though times were expected to be a little faster. I ended up dumping the bike in one of the top switchbacks and ended up 2nd to the Riddler with Matt bringing in 3rd on the weekend. What a fun format of racing and there is no wonder enduro racing is so big in Europe. Anyways, good racing, quality courses, excellent trail riding with the guys and even a little pumptrack action while in Hood River, I’ll be back for sure. Also, mark your calendars for the second round of the Fluidride Enduro Sept. 9-12 at Mt. Hood, if you don’t make it you truly are missing out on a fun weekend.
One of the many switchbacks
After packing up the car following the weekend of fun, I noticed an oil patch under the Mazadradi. For those who don’t know, I drive a 1990 Mazda Protégé. It is far from new in looks and feel, but it is reliable and I know it inside and out. My father gave it to me my junior year of college, and soon after I drove it 3000 miles across the country for school in North Carolina. Since then, I have driven it back to the west coast and currently has 199,000 miles on it. A couple months ago, my dad and I pulled the motor out and replaced the clutch as I anticipate getting everything I can out of that little maroon speed demon. Anyways, for as long as I have had it, it has burned/lost a quart of oil every 1500 miles. After noticing the leak I checked the oil, not even on the dipstick so it was losing more than a quart every 500, DOH. I made the decision to drive north 150 miles to tackle the issue with the help of my dad and use of his garage. After the replacement of a few seals and a gasket I was back in business and looking at the calendar for upcoming races in the PNW.
After two weeks in the northwest, I drove south to the Ashland Spring Thaw double header. Based out of Ashland Oregon, the Spring Thaw is a two event weekend with at 26 mile xc race on Saturday and a DH (more of a Super-D) on Sunday. Despite 20 miles of both climbing fireroad or traversing fireroad which both seemed endless, the 6 miles of descending was a blast. With a decent sized step-up, step-down jump on the top section followed by fast and wide open singletrack with an occasional tight switchback thrown into the mix, the descending left me grinning ear to ear. I had cleat issues about 15 minutes into the xc race and lost contact with the leaders though managed to finished 14th on the day. Props to Brian and Shelly finishing 1st and 3rd in their categories though, very cool! Following the xc race was the DH on Sunday. Race times were close with times a little over 4 minutes on the fast, non technical course. Wier took it (again) with Slaven and I rounding out the podium. I will definitely be back again next year as the whole weekend was a blast. A special thanks goes out to Bill and Sue of Ashland Mountain Adventures for the shuttle service and keeping everything running smoothly. There is rumor of making an all-mountain category for the event with the best all around rider winning the race, similar to Downieville which would be cool.
Podium in the DH
Using all the suspension on that S-works Enduro
Check out the video below for race footage of the DH
This week I am up in my hometown Auburn Washington to participate in a race unlike any I have ever competed in. I am one of eight on the Barron Heating team competing in a seven leg relay which starts at the top of Mt. Baker and ends in Bellingham Bay. The 90 mile relay starts off with teammates Torin Koos in the cross county skiing, Morgan Titus downhill skiing, Phil Mitchell running, Adrian Hegyvary doing the road biking leg, Brad Bauer and Ray Trudgeon tackling the canoeing leg, me riding the mountain bike leg and Rich Sprout doing the sea kayak leg. I am on a tremendously talented team with guys who have previously been in the Olympics in their respected disciplines. I look forward to working with these guys as we attempt to get the fastest time on the day. Wish us luck! The article on Ski to Sea on the USA Today website
Matt and I chilling after the finish of the super-D. Ross giving the bunny ears 
Crested Butte
Stumpy in her element
