Race #4 of the 2013 SoCal High School Mountain Bike Racing Series was the "Cruise the Keys" held at Keyesville Special Recreation Management Area, Lake Isabella on April 14, 2013. For those who are not familiar with the area, the course is a rollercoaster style single track with fast fireroad climbs. Riders did multiple laps of the course and battled high winds and dry conditions on race day.
The Foothill High School Mountain Bike Team was out in full force with great efforts and strong finishes. Team members Ben Bennett, Chris Taylor, and Collin Timmermans were all top 10 finishers in their race classes. Gavin Bruddos was close with his best ever 11th place finish.
The Path Bike Shop is a proud sponsor of Foothill High School Mountain Bike Team, part of the SoCal High School Cycling League. They work to establish and maintain safe, quality high school mountain bike programs for student athletes (grades 9-12). Their first-class race series is an amazing opportunity for our local kids to get involved in the challenging and exciting world of competitive cycling.
Race #5 in the race series is the Cow Pie Classic, to be held on May 5, 2013 in Los Olivos, CA.
I've heard about Counting Coup and Vision Quest for a couple years now. It's the local ride (race) hosted by the Warrior's Society that starts way too early in the morning, and covers a majority of the Santa Ana Mountains I ride in isolated segments all year long. I tried to register for the 2012 race, but after logging on an hour after registration started, I was immediately denied. So for 2013, I was eager to register, not knowing what the ride demanded.
I rode the course once before the event, but nothing could have prepared me for the epic ride I experienced Saturday. Even now I see photos of the event, and it it's only a fragment of the memories I have.
Climbing up Blackstar with a 150+ commuter lights winding and chasing up the switchbacks, cresting the Divide at sunrise above the fog with only a view of the peak in the distance, and flying down HJ with green grasses as far as the eye can see. The surreal scene seemed to stay with me as I cruised along the route at a content rhythm — mostly alone.
I switched up my gearing for the ride to have fresh legs for the peak after making it up the pitches of the divide, and it paid off. I beat my previous course time by 30 minutes and still felt like I had more in me. I finished 11th overall and was the first SingleSpeeder to cross the finish.
And when the morning dawned wet, cloudy and warm, there was ample conjecture among UQers about what we faced in heights above. Speculation was as thick as the mud we'd be riding through as to how much frozen precipitation the mountains might hold. And with routinely minimal fanfare, DW lifted the flag and the pedaling began.
Sixty meters later, it ended.
Kudos to all The Path Bike Shop team and shop riders - (pictured, left to right) Jesse, Gerrin, Jake, Darin, Sanjay, and Josh - for their participation at the 2013 Ultra Quest this past weekend! They rode 38 miles, 12,000' elevation gain, 90% single track. Whew!
The conditions were amazing, the riders were stoked, the finishers were tired and a new course record was laid down.
The annual 12 Hours of Temecula Endurance Race Series had its first race of the season on January 19, 2013. The Foothill High School Mountain Bike team came out with a strong four-person team. They ended up landing a solid 3rd place finish in the 2-4 person Jr class, completing 12 laps in just 10 hours and 58 minutes.
Upcoming races for the team include 5 High School races, then State Championships in May 2013.
The Orange County Register did a feature on mountain biking in Orange County that included an interview with Ross Bennett, head coach of the Foothill High School team. This article also appeared in the print version of the OC Register with an additional interview from Tani Walling, owner of The Path Bike Shop.
We're really happy to sponsor and support such a great group of young local riders, and they're really proving what great accomplishments they are capable of.
For more information, race schedule, and to support the SoCal High School Cycling League, visit their website.
Top photo: Foothill High School team member McHenry Carlson prepared for his first lap with teammate Chris Taylor at the 12 hours of Temecula.
by Bryan, a.k.a., "The Lad"
It was a great turnout for the last race of the season at Casper Wilderness Park on November 3rd, 2012 for the Enduro Stuff OC Parks Tour Race series. We had perfect weather conditions, an exciting technical course, and lots of energy all around.
Being a US Kenda Cup racer for the past 2 years, it was a pleasure to have participated in a local race series which utilizes the mountains I consider my backyard. I was thrilled to have placed 1st for the Single Speed category and placing podium for all 4 races which resulted 1st for the season.
I'm grateful to have support and motivation from my family and friends. It is of great honor and privilege to be riding with some of the best riders out there. A special thanks to Tani Walling, Neil Adams and my fellow teammates from the Path Bike Shop. It's been a great season, and I'm pumped up for what's to come for next year's series.
Really fun race on August 25th, 2012 out at O'Neill Regional Park as part of the Enduro Stuff OC Parks Tour Race series. The overcast conditions that have been hanging around the past couple days decided to stay around just long enough for the race to conclude. The weather made for comfortable riding on a fast and technical course. For me, it was awesome to reconnect with the local race community after participating in so many sanctioned races up in the mountains for US Cup and Rim Nordic.
I felt really sharp for being so late in the season. This race was one of my last for the year for XC MTB, so I was ready to go out on a high note alongside other Path riders and spectators. I continued to feel great during the fast 14.5 mile race with 2,200ft of climbing, finishing 1st in the Open Single Speed class.
I thought I'd share my experience racing downhill for the first time in the Pacific Northwest.
I've raced out at Fontana and at Woodward West in California. That's the extent of my downhill racing experience, which is not very extensive to say the least. It's been a couple of years since I've tried racing DH again. An opportunity came up to race at the NW Cup Race #5 which was held at Skibowl in Mt. Hood, Oregon. I thought I'd give it a shot.
Saturday's practice day was bright and sunny, a welcome sight around these parts. Dirt was in perfect shape since it had rained the night before. Skibowl has a chair lift, which was separated into two lifts in order to get all the way to the top.
Course Marshall report? What the heck? This is a slightly different perspective on an age old tradition of ride reports and race recaps, the "Course Marshall Report."
The Path Bike Shop was the featured bike shop at the June 19th Over the Hump Race: an hour long lactic acid sufferfest and all around good time!
Matt Wenger and crew put on a great race and encourage a strong family atmosphere with kids races, music, and good food: oh yeah, the adult races are well put together too! The Path Bike Shop had: 1) racers (shop regulars, employees, and race team members) in virtually all categories (Experts, Super Sports, and Sports), 2) a tent with fruit platters, special edition water bottles, and mechanics, and 3) a small army of volunteers to help with course marshaling the race.
So I got back from a week and a half shindig in Hawaii a couple days before the Idyllwild Spring Challenge May 5th. I new it was going to be a painful race after a week and a half of sun and gluttony so my plan was to ride my own race and not get caught up in the hype of a world cup start, blow my load, and try to recover over the rest of the 25 miles of dirt and pavement. I wore a Camelback filled with my delicious blueberry pomegranate sports drink, confident enough that I would stay hydrated and I wouldn't need a feed. I normally would bottle feed, but an unfortunate injury to my FEED thumb told me otherwise...by the end of the race I was shifting with my palm. I had my Gu's and my tools and even got in a decent warm up.
I was ready to race, but within about 40 minutes I would find out that I wasn't prepared.
Aliso Woods Wilderness Park has been one of the best places to ride your mountain bike in Orange County for a very long time. Park authorities have never allowed a mountain bike race in the park until this past Saturday!
Racers and Rangers were very excited to see how this first ever event would play out.
Weather was perfect and the race went off on schedule at 6:30 am.
Johnny O'Mara (Sho-Air) led the field most of the race on the very tough and technical Pro/Expert course. He took the overall with a slim 35 second lead over the second place overall racer Rob McGee, followed by third overall Jon McGee.
The fastest women of the day was Leslie Williams (The Path Bike Shop), racing in the sport category.