Women's Mountain Bike Skills Clinic in Chico

In early July, Maureen traveled up to Chico for a weekend of riding and to help me host the second edition of a series of free mountain biking skills clinics for women hosted through the bike shop I work at. We had a huge and very impressive turnout for the second clinic- 14 women! They all piled into Sports LTD and we began the clinic by talking about bike fit/setup and how to prepare for a mountain bike ride. We adjusted the air pressure in lots of ladies tires, tweaked brake levers, and raised seat posts. We then rolled through lower park, our impressive parade of women on bikes commandeering the trails as we talked about track-standing, cornering, and looking ahead.
We then headed over to upper Bidwell Park and session-ed the first part of North Rim trail, one of the most difficult, rocky, challenging climbs I've done. We talked about choosing your line, body positioning for climbs, and proper gearing. Then everyone had a chance (or a couple) to clear the first pitch, and almost everyone did! There were cheers and whooping and camaraderie to encourage the other riders.
We then continued onwards on Middle Trail and used a flat tire as an opportunity for a brief flat repair clinic. Mo was super helpful in describing the proper way to remove the wheel from the dropouts, use levers to pry off the tire, and check the tire for thorns. Many of the participants had never fixed a flat so it was awesome to share this knowledge with them and to give them a chance to see how easy it really is to change your own flat.
Back on Middle Trail we navigated our way through another challenging rocky descent followed by a sharp climb to the right, and it was so fun and inspirational to hear everyone cheering and encouraging each other, and to see riders clearing sections they'd never even attempted before. We had a tough-as-nails group and the girls barely even flinched as we talked out way through drops, g-outs, and rock gardens. I was impressed beyond belief when I watched Kendra (who was on her first mountain bike ride EVER) gracefully clear a rock drop that took me at least a few attempts to have the courage to try. With such a big group, the ride took longer than anticipated and part of the group split off to get home sooner. The rest of us worked some sections on Lower Trail headed out of the park and stopped for a photo in the gorgeous evening light. We then accepted an inviatation to finish the ride at Sam's house, who's husband is a very talented home brewer. Thank you Sam and Dan! And thank you to to the whole group of riders for being so awesome and fun! Bidwell Park is a very challenging place to learn to ride, and everyone was so brave about committing themselves and trying something new. There will be two more clinics offered: Tues August 3rd and Tues Sept 7th, 5:30pm for both. If you're interested in signing up, post a reply below. Cheers! -E

Ales and Trails: Bikes, Beer, BBQ & Buddies!

Team Lost Coast Brewery enjoyed a third year at Ales and Trails- one of the most enjoyable days on a bike you can find anywhere. This year the event was pushed back to June after a soggy 2009 event in May. The weather was PERFECT for it- blue skies, sunshine, 80degrees with a nice breeze blowing off the bay, and turnout was impressive. I arrived early and said hello to the Marin Bikes peeps as they set up their tents and enjoyed some bagels and coffee from Noah's. Mo, myself, and Brian were all scheduled to lead rides and the sign up sheets for our rides were filling up fast. It seemed like more people than I've seen before were motivated to do the rides before the BBQ, due in part to the incredible weather I imagine. Before I knew it, practically the entire Marin bikes demo fleet was on the trail with various riders doing test rides and Maureen and Yuri were departing for their co-ed endurance ride with a group of 10. I snapped some quick shots as they discussed their route with their group and rolled out.
Not long after, Matt headed out to help guide a big group of riders departing with Dave Weins. By the time my ride departed at 10:30 there were already at least 50 riders on the trails at China Camp, so we switched up our route a little bit and stopped at the main entrance for more water. I had an awesome group for my ride. Everyone was pretty close in ability so the gaps waiting for people were never very long and everyone had a super positive attitude; smiling, cheering, and yielding respectfully to the other riders on the trail. Folks from all over come to this event to support IMBA (and have a good time). There were people from Auburn, SF, Tracy, and the East Bay on the ride I led. We stopped at the top of the steep climb to the missile site, took a group photo, ate some snacks, and enjoyed the incredible views of the Bay. We then continued downward and enjoyed miles of ripping, flowing singltrack back to the group at miwok meadows. With only one crash and no flats or getting lost, it was one of the most successful rides I've been on with a group that size, and so much fun!
Back at the event I eagerly got in line for some amazing food. Catered by the CIA, I filled up my plate with delicious goodies- salad, fruit, couscous, meat, while watching one of their talented chefs hack roasted pork off a pig carcass! I joined Mo at a picnic table and we shared a pint glass of cold Lost Coast beer and noshed on our lunch. At our table we were joined bv such mountain biking luminaries as Dave Weins- 6 time Leadville 100 winner, Austin McInerny- driving force behind high school mountain biking, and Yuri Hauswald- endurance mountain bike racer and newly appointed marketing director of Marin Bikes. I raked Yuri's brain for last minute advice for the Cascade Creampuff 100 mountain bike race that I'm doing in 2 weeks (!) and found out from Dave how they were able to get such amazing footage for Race Across the Sky (helicopters, foot crews, motorcycles, and lots of planning!). After lunch, Yuri introduced me to Azul, one of the great people at Camelbak and got me outfitted with an Octane XCT, a minimalist pack which has a supportive hip strap with pockets along it to access food or gear while riding. I test rode it on a very HOT ride at Tamaracho Camp on Sunday with Mo, Matt, and Ethan and it works great, very comfortable! Thanks to Yuri and Camelback, hopefully it will help me on upcoming epic adventure! I finished an awesome 2010 Ales and Trails with some more beer tasting, chatting with Nicole and Brian, and spending time with my wonderful team mates. Right before I finally loaded my bike into the car and drove back to mo's house for some much needed rest, I peeked at the beer voting sheet, and it looked like Lost Coast was pretty much winning the taster's choice award, but we'll wait for the official announcement before gloating too much ;)
-emma

Brian wins Skyline MTB race and the 2010 Nor Cal State Championships!

Congratulations to Brian Astell on killing it in Napa!! The Marin Bikes/Lost Coast Brewery rider beat the heat and a brutal race course at Skyline Park in Napa, California to take his second consecutive Northern California State XC Champion title this past Sunday.

On a day with temperatures in the mid nineties, energy conservation played a crucial role for riders looking to prevail over rivals and conditions. The Skyline Park course, home to UCI Mountain Bike World Cup rounds in the late 90’s, didn’t make things easy on riders with a combination of singletrack strewn with rock gardens and root sections while gaining 1300 feet of elevation per lap.

Astell’s Race Report:

So the race started at 10am it was a 200 rider field and a world class course to race. We got to the race with enough time to reg and do a short, 10 min warm up. I didn’t want to get too warm as it was going to be a super hot day.

Photo: Napa Valley Register

The gun went off and I sat back in about 3rd or 4th for a bit to see what people were going to do. We started up the fire road climb and people started making moves. i didn’t want to get to excited and waste energy so I continued to sit in until it looked like there would be a decent. I jumped in the lead and waited to see if anyone would jump across. As I pushed the tempo I kept telling myself to stay smooth. It’s going to be a long race-don’t waist energy!

Like last year I chose to compete on my hardtail. The carbon Marin CXR treated me well; I was able to take on the steep climbs on the hardtail while not loosing time on the rough rocky decents. Lap one felt great and by the third lap I was glad I had loaded up on tons of water the days prior and had managed to time my fuel intake properly. I was able to stay away off the front for the rest of the race and bring it in for the over all win!

A big thanks to all the volunteers and everyone who made it possible to race at Skyline again. This is a killer race and if you’ve never raced or ridden there I fully suggest you check it out!

-B

Return on the Jedi

This weekend Team Lost Coast Brewery will be sending Geoff Huber and Matt Wittler to Grants Pass Or. to compete in the Return on the Jedi xc, stxc, and Super-d races. Wish them luck! And look forward to race reports early next week. http://www.pistis.us/jedi.htm

Tour of the Unknown Coast

In the middle of a gorgeous May month, Maureen and I (emma) re-united in Humboldt for the Tour of the Unknown Coast century ride. Mo's partner Mark came along for the adventure this time, visiting all the way from Kentucky! Conditions were perfect for the 2010 TUC. We arrived to the fairgrounds early in the morning and gave each other excited hugs in the cool, morning fog. Mo was on her first ride on her new road bike after having her old beast stolen at a crit race a couple weeks prior and was still making adjustments when the ride officially started. Our trio rolled out a few minutes after the official start and we spent the first chunk to the Avenue of the Giants from Ferndale catching up with groups of riders. It's always really fun and inspiring to see the different types of people who do this epic rides- recumbent riders, tandems, teens on mountain bikes, men much older than my father on steel bikes from the 60s, and everyone else in between!
After a steady-paced ride down 101, we stopped at the first rest stop along the avenue of the giants to stare at the humongous redwood trees and grub on some snacks. After the rest stop we headed out towards the first big climb of the day- Panther Gap. with some steep sections and an endless grind up, Panther Gap is an ascent to be respected. I was feeling peppy, so I rode ahead a few times to get shots of Mark and Mo grinding their way up. We then descended the steep and sometimes scary drop into Petrolia and cruised the rollers to the lunch stop. The lunch stop was a welcome oasis with delicious sandwiches, cookies, and soft drinks. We ate our fill and enjoyed stretching on the unbelievably green and soft grass.
We reluctantly through our legs back over our bikes and headed away from the rest stop over the series of rollers to the coast. I always forget how painful the little hills to the ocean can feel
and my legs felt stiff as we continued to pedal . Before I knew it, I'd lost sight of mo and mark and continued on until I dropped down the last descent to the ocean. It was a beautiful, clear day at the coast and I stopped to get a few shots while waiting for Mark and Mo to regroup. We all cruised the flats along the water and filled our lungs with the fresh air. Before we knew it, we're face to face with the infamous "Wall" a nasty climb that shoots up from the ocean and the start of the endless climbs home. We refueled and began the killer grind. I happily shifted into my little ring and kept the wheels turning. Near the visible crest, I turned back for one las picture of Mo and Mark before breaking off the finish the ride home. I zoned out to my Ipod during the endless hills and chatted with a few friendly folks before rolling back in Ferndale after an awesome, hard 100 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing. Mo and Mark cruised in a while later all smiles and expressed their respect and admiration for such a challenging, and amazing century ride. Thanks to all of the volunteers for a great event, we will be back again!
-Emma

The Cycling Life

There are many ideas about what the cycling life is, and should be.

Boiling it down, there is one thing that every cyclist shares. One reason that every single cyclist shares, and that is the reason we get on our bikes. As of late I have become aware that there are many reasons we ride our bikes, One reason why each cyclist mounts their bicycle and rides every chance they get. And that reason is to be stoked. Our reason to be stoked may be different, whether to finish our next xc race, boost phater than the rest of our group, simply to best ourselves, or to get out in nature. We all have our reason to get out and ride. It is not for financial gain, the best of us are at most very famous to a small group of individuals. We get out on our bikes to enjoy ourselves. I personally enjoy climbing up to the highest point possible to share in an amazing descent back to town with my friends. Racing is an amazing gift which i enjoy a great deal. I love to show up at a huge race with a group of the same thousand, ten thousand, or ten individuals that share the same passion that I am so lucky to enjoy; cycling. No matter what you ride, Marin, Jamis, Kona, what have you. I hope that everyone realizes that you are out there on your bikes for one reason. To be stoked. I can say to any individual who shares a passion for something in their life, that I am STOKED. STOKED to be in an industry job that I love, STOKED to be sharing something both healthy, and enjoyable, that brings me stoke every time I partake. Cycling to me is an amazing gift that I hope to share with everyone I come in contact with. Not because it makes someone money, but because it is an amazing aspect of my life which I hope to share with everyone I come in contact with.

To everyone out there, fat, skinny, fast, or slow. Share the STOKE. That is my challenge to you.

Mudslinger MTB Race

Howdy all...Geoff here. Wow! What a crazy Winter I have had! Many close to me know that I was in a serious crash at cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Or. The result was a broken sternum and compound fractured finger...among other bumps and bruises. I was in the hospital for a couple days following the "accident", then home for "two to three months of recovery and healing". Not a great way to end one of my best seasons to date. But! I am proud to say that I was able to get my head straight quickly...and was riding the trainer withing three weeks of the crash. I couldn't put my hands on the handlebar..but I would use a towel around my neck as my two handles...put on two pairs of riding shorts and just pedal sitting up for as long as I could stand it (usually about two hours or so.) I watched a lot of movies and just tried to enjoy the fact that I could get a little bit of a workout. Within six weeks I was riding easy outdoors...and within eight weeks...riding up to four hours at a time. I was happy for a quick recovery and was happy to find out that the "rest" and time off actually helped me and I feel like I will be able to build on last years success.

And success came early. Anna and I headed out to the 22nd running of the Mudslinger mtb race for my first start since my crash. I have done this race a bunch of times and it is always a popular event. I signed up for the single speed class and caught up with friends as I warmed up. The course was 22 miles with a little over 4000 ft of elevation...short..but hilly. We had about 15 guys in our group so there was some competition. A local strong dude..Luke DeMoe, started really hard but I was able to catch his wheel and we took turns turning the screw to string things out at the start. The starting climb was about 13 min long and I decided to go about 10 min in. I got a small gap and built on that down the backside of the first climb into the single track. I kept on the gas and was able to get out of sight early. My legs were good so I decided to go for it and see what happens. Since the Pro and Cat 1 fields started 6 and 4 mins ahead of me I was able to catch and use the draft of the geared riders on the flatter pedaling sections . This allowed me to rest and have the energy to jump from their wheel before the single track sections. I finished my second lap without ever seeing another single speed and finished in 1 hr 54 min. My fastest time to date and seven minutes over second place. I was stoked to have a good race to start the 2010 season. I look forward to our first team event in Oregon and wish all my teamates good luck. Emma and I are both signed up for the Creampuff 100 so stay tuned for more training and racing updates...Geoff

p.s.. sorry no photo's...next one for sure.