Memorial Weekend Race Results - Angel Fire & Sundance

[bagtagley]

I "think" it's a Felt Redemption.

My internet sleuthing tells me you're right...good eye.

Mani, I had a blast every time I rode Bountiful. That doesn't mean I didn't almost poop my pants a time or two.

[Buzzworthy]

Damn guys and gals, you simply ooze of awesomeness!!!

I am digging all the success you guys just started!!


Mr. AGadventures.com??

Company Slogan: Will train for PBR, it keeps us lubed.

Where do I sign up?

[Mani_UT]

That doesn't mean I didn't almost poop my pants a time or two.

You mean this is NOT normal??? I am lost

[Particle]

I think It'd be hard to be competitive in Bountiful if you never raced or/and are not on a DH bike but that doesn't mean the place is not fun. The first time I rode it was on a hardtail and had a super fun time (not racing though)!

That makes me feel a bit better about my mid-pack performance last year, which was also my first return to DH racing in 6+ years. Looking forward to it this spring!

[Lev]

Great thread guys. Thanks for the cool write ups. Any pics available?? I have a mental image from the excellent writing, but would love to see what the area looked like.

[Mani_UT]

That makes me feel a bit better about my mid-pack performance last year, which was also my first return to DH racing in 6+ years. Looking forward to it this spring!

Yeah for that reason alone, a trail bike class in places like the B makes senses so people don't feel "outgunned"

Should be fun.. I have 10 days to relearn biking.. LOL...

[altagirl]

Great thread guys. Thanks for the cool write ups. Any pics available?? I have a mental image from the excellent writing, but would love to see what the area looked like.

I don't have anything of us, but this is pretty cool video of the whole pro course, from Littermag: (watching how freaking long this course is makes my arms hurt again)

[ame="http://vimeo.com/4847416"]Angel Fire Pro Downhill Track Helmet Cam on Vimeo[/ame]

Littermag also has a lot of great pics of the neverending rock garden here:

http://www.littermag.com/2009/msc-an...ay-2-dh-rocks/

[beast]

Yep. It's a redemption. A bit steep for most dh, but the thing jumps like a charm.

[Particle]

That course looks ridiculously cool.

[altagirl]

That course looks ridiculously cool.

Yeah, I love it. It's the longest rock garden I've ever seen... it seems like it goes on forever, then you pop out into the clear for a second and go right back into more rocks. And once your arms are about to fall off from bouncing over all those rocks, you end up in the high speed section with jumps and ruts... My only "complaint" is that I'm too out of shape to enjoy the bottom half of the course by the time I get there. Though I don't think I heard anyone say they weren't having arm pump issues. It's a totally brutal and amazingly fun course.

I definitely wish it was closer - we'd be down there all the time.

[Arty50]

Simply amazing write ups everyone. This reminds me, if I ever do a race again it's going to be a gravity event. Then my beer muscles can do their thing...unlike XC races where they don't work so well.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I wish NorCal had some more SuperD races.

Great writeups everyone!

EDIT: Actually, it looks like Northstar has a few SuperD's this summer starting in July..hmmm....

[sweetchuck]

oh well,

I opted to pass on the Super D this weekend as the idea of participating in a 16 minute flat out sprint around Sundance for the 4th year in a row really didn't appeal to me this year. And because I've been slacking on any quality saddle time this year and would have probably had a heart attack.

The Trail Bike DH was one of the funner events I've been to in a while and I'm glad Ron decided to combine age groups to give everyone a bit of competition. Last years Super D I raced against myself-and won-barely. Same thing would have happened this year had I entered. Seems I need a few more Birthdays to move up into the 40+ class to get some people to race against.

Anyway, Scott and I rounded out the Cat 1's and I must say the Cat 2's and Cat 3's came out and showed us who was boss on that course. Granted, old Jay won't nut up and buy a Cat 1 license so you can't really count his sandbagger Cat 2 fastest time of the day. But since he's 52 and a good friend, I won't give him too much grief. Plus after missing his first run and only having one muddy practice run on Sunday, he pretty much killed it.

My first run was mediocre at best. I think I blew up up top and sprinted a bit too hard. Or tried to through all that thick mud. Seems Maxxis 2.5 dual ply tires don't like flat and uphills very much especially when coated with clay-like mud. But everyone was in the same boat. My cornering was sloppy at best and I don't know how many times down low I caught myself drifting way to the outside towards the tape into the loose stuff.

My second run I had it in my head what it was exactly I needed to do to get a leg up on Scott's time. Then when I realized he didn't make it up for his 2nd run my confidence grew. I took it a bit easier on the first corner and just let gravity pull my bike faster. Scott gave me a bit of insight into an inside and rough line on the sweeper right before the snow. I tried for it and ended up putting the bike into a drift heading straight for the left hand section of snow. Or as I came to find out-packed snow that resembled ice. That corner was really loose and I couldn't get the bike back over to the middle and down the channel. As I got closer to the snow going sideways I pulled the bike around straight, saw a tire track right across the top of the left hand patch and went for it. I think that I must have caught my rear tire on the edge while bunny hopping on top of it. Next thing I know I was on the right hand patch of snow sliding across the top of it and my ears were ringing pretty good. Due to the paint missing on the face piece of my full face (thank god I decided to wear one) I must have come down on my face. It was a good sprint back up that muddy channel to the other side to pick up my bike. Fortunately the only damage was a brake lever that had twisted up about an inch.

I vaguely remember the rest of the run, but my computer said at some point I went 32mph which was 2mph faster than run one and I averaged 2mph faster on the second run. Despite crashing and finishing up the run with my ears ringing and splitting headache I was only 9 seconds slower than my first, crashless run. I guess I managed to hit that wooden booter at the end as Jay's wife snapped a picture of me going off it. The next thing I remember I crossed the finish line with Jay (second rider down) coming across a few seconds later.

I'm still feeling it today and have a good bit of whiplash. After cleaning all the mud off, there was no damage to the bike but I ended up tearing one of the draw tabs off the waist of my Royal shorts and tearing my jersey up pretty good.

All in all, I would definitely do that race again. IMO that event represented what Super D should be.

Now I just have to shake all the cobwebs out for Bountiful....

[FrankZappa]

Seein's how I'm still riding a MTB where the only suspension is the inner tubes, that video was "full body" painful to watch. Very cool though. Thanks!

And I dig reading these writeups! Nice job all!