[punkassean]

RideSB and the Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers are putting on an MTB festival at Elings park in SB on June 11th. There will be:

Live Music! Great Food!
Beer Garden Featuring New Belguim Brewing Co. The Makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale!
Raffle and Prizes!
BMX Racing, Clinics, Dirt Demos and Open Riding
Cross Country & Downhill - Mountain Bike Racing
Kids Racing
Open Vendor Area - With Local Clubs, Shops and Manufacturers!
Bicycle Swap Meet Presented by Java Station

The course is really fun! The XC loop has a short but steep climb and lots of windy singletrack with a fun DH section. The DH is short but fun, kind of like Firestone but with more corners. Less travel is more on this course and hardtail riders can go as fast as DH sleds.

A lot of volunteers have put countless hours into this exciting new event so come out and show your support!

For more info check out santabarbarabikefest.com it should be a really good time!

 

[James]

You gonna be there man?
Shoot, I should take all my goodies up to the swap meet!
Sounds pretty damn cool...

JJames

 

[punkassean]

yup, I'm planning on coming down. The swap meet will be cool, there are lots of booths available. Unload all that stuff and make some $$$.

 

[sod8]

Wish I could make it, but I have some stupid meeting for my summer job in the morning, and graduation in the afternoon.

 

[punkassean]

That's a bummer Seamus but hey on the bright side you are graduating. Congrats!
(I assume you are graduating not just going to graduation?)

 

[Zark]

I guess its time for me to look at the 'course' and see if its worth it. Last year sounded like a HT fest.

 

[punkassean]

They are doing trail work this weekend so if you can go out you can probably help make sure that there are some cool features in the DH. Either way it will be fun.

 

[bikenweed]

Yeah, let us know how the courses are going to be. Is the cross country going to be rad? And is this really close to the BMX track? I can't be doing too much impact stuff, so I might just race BMX. Thanks dude.

 

[punkassean]

the XC is really fun read the first post. The BMX is at the same park and the course is nice.

 

[Zark]

They are doing trail work this weekend so if you can go out you can probably help make sure that there are some cool features in the DH. Either way it will be fun.

I'll try to make it out there but will probably be at work all weekend

 

[clysdale]

You guys should definalty swing by the Sinister Tent also!!! We'll have some demos of all the new models AND we will be raffling off a brand spankin shiny new DNA frame with all proceeds going to the Ellings park Bike Fund!!!!

 

[sod8]

That's a bummer Seamus but hey on the bright side you are graduating. Congrats!
(I assume you are graduating not just going to graduation?)

Yeah I am graduating. Thanks. I am only going to the ceremony for the family and my girlfriend. Spending the day at the bike festival sounds a lot more fun. I just want to go out to eat and hit the bars. Oh well, I hope it is a success and continues.

 

[merrrrjig]

Sounds great but it is a little far away!

 

[Carbon Fetish]

Sounds great but it is a little far away!

Hmm... I'm thinking road trip!

 

[blt2ride]

Don't forget to bring you hardtails and BMX bikes, there is a nice BMX track on the facility. I'm planning to go...

 

[punkassean]

You guys should definalty swing by the Sinister Tent also!!! We'll have some demos of all the new models AND we will be raffling off a brand spankin shiny new DNA frame with all proceeds going to the Ellings park Bike Fund!!!!

Nice Dave!

 

[Bacardi]

I rode the DH course this morning. It's better than I thought, but it is short like Firestone.

** Clicky to page 3 for pics **


Bike Recommendations
----------------------
Hardtail, slalom bike, or LOW BB DH bike.
Steeper HAs
Tires with solid knobbies


More updates to come next week...

 

[Spunger]

Do you park at the top to ride these trails??? I've parked on the cliff side of the hill (I guess it'd be the backside of the park) and didn't see any trails). Just wondering where you go to park if you're driving there and where the trail starts/ends etc.....

Where do you look for a trail sign or an opening at the top of the park to know you're on the right trail? Or is there only one trail?

 

[Bacardi]

you can park either cliff side or Los Positas side, then Hike up. Its really hard to tell now since it is really overgrown with grasses.

send me a PM if you want to go check it out next week...

 

[Bacardi]

Turns out I rode down the XC course!! I'll have to go check out the improved DH course after work today....It faces Cliff Drive / the ocean ...

 

[PatBranch]

I really want to go, but I am going up north. My RUmble I just got is at the shop getting parts transfered from my level betty. It will be back in a few days. It will be good for that course, damn. It will be fun riding oregon, washington, vancouver. Can I ride there after the race?

 

[punkassean]

Turns out I rode down the XC course!! I'll have to go check out the improved DH course after work today....It faces Cliff Drive / the ocean ...

HAHA Pete!

Dude the DH should be accessible from the top of Calle Canon or whatever that street that goes over the Mesa is called. Then take one of the side streets (north) to the dead end and go through the gate into the park. Or just park at the backside on Cliff Dr. (new entrance @ Jeff Elings Rd.) and hike up or ride up. the DH course winds down the backside face and comes out by the paved back lot.

 

[Bacardi]

Doh!

Well my first review still stands as well as bike setup; as it is still loose over hardpack with lots of turns.

I really like the course. There has to be like 15 bermed turns of 90+ degrees, some bumpy s-turns, a few small jumps placed well here and there (nothing over 2 feet), and the run should be around or under 2 minutes depending on your riding level.

This course will force you to hone those cornering skills...

 

[Bacardi]

Here is my map I made for you folks. I recommend parking off of AndaLucia Street (there is a park entrance there) for practice and/or the weekend as you only have to Hike 'over' to where you need to be versus up the darn hill. Or in the park parking lots near the softball/soccer fields as they have upper parking above them (look for the P)

Also I put a rough guess of the course in blue. See you all out there....Pete

 

[wydopen]

enduro sx with st larsen tt...braaaapppp!!!!...see u there sean...my g/f is in town and is happy to shuttle us before and after give me a call 8958077 my cortina isnt ready yet so we can ride san ysidro on the enduros

 

[punkassean]

Andrew-

I'll be down probably thursday with my first load of crap to move, I want to check out the course on friday, race saturday, shuttle sunday. I have to get back to SC on mon but I'll be back for summer (and who knows how long after that) in SB on the 14th or 15th.

 

[Spunger]

So you can park in the smaller lot (jeff elings ward) or whatever and hike up the dirt road correct? It'll take you to the same place?

Now where does the trails end at? Is it down on the los positas side of Elings park? Like near the entrance? If so that's a little ride to get back to your car if you parked at the lot on the cliff side. Just curious where things start/end. I might go this weekend to check it out

 

[punkassean]

Chris-

There is a full loop (XC race course) that starts and finishes at the new (Jeff Elings) parking lot. You can ride the fire road towards Hope Ranch and then up the face of the hill (steep but short) then at the top follow the singletrack around the top of the bluff towards the Mesa neighborhood. Eventually you will find the top of the DH course (also part of the XC course in years past). Alternatively you could park and hike up the DH course or even straight up where the hang gliders launch from. It's only like a 200' vertical gain so it's not hard to get a good couple runs in. I used to live near there and I'd bust out 5 or 6 laps in ~2 hours at a medium pace. See that shampoo bottle over there?...

 

[Spunger]

I gotcha, so really the XC and DH courses sorta intersect with eachother? I guess that makes it hard to get lost in any sense. I dunno if I could do 5 or 6 laps but hey, a few is worth a shot right?

From reading these posts I'm guessing my M1 is a little bit too much for the DH parts? Santa Barbara can be a funny place, some trails labled DH really require the DH bike and other's just require a more "freeride" trailbike. I'll use the Cortina and see how it goes, I'm guessing though that should be enough.

Thanks for the info Sean

 

[sod8]

The trail was fun when I went up there a while ago. I thought it had a lot of potential. Haven't been back in a while, hell I haven't even thrown a leg over the mountain bike in months. I just hiked straight up the trail after riding it a bunch of times, good little work out.

pic:

 

[PatBranch]

Can it be ridden after the race?

 

[punkassean]

You can ride there anytime but nobody really rides DH there because there are better trails in SB for that. Some people do ride XC there though. I also don't know if they will leave the course the same after the race or "tone it down" even more than it already is.

It was sweet a few years ago when there was a short slalom track at Elings. I only rode it like twice but it was super fun. It was right below the BMX track.

 

[Bullit21]

Chris-

There is a full loop (XC race course) that starts and finishes at the new (Jeff Elings) parking lot. You can ride the fire road towards Hope Ranch and then up the face of the hill (steep but short) then at the top follow the singletrack around the top of the bluff towards the Mesa neighborhood. Eventually you will find the top of the DH course (also part of the XC course in years past). Alternatively you could park and hike up the DH course or even straight up where the hang gliders launch from. It's only like a 200' vertical gain so it's not hard to get a good couple runs in. I used to live near there and I'd bust out 5 or 6 laps in ~2 hours at a medium pace. See that shampoo bottle over there?...

" Call me an ugly woman, and take my picture to show all the people you work with."

 

[clysdale]

Hey guys....if you are planning on hitting the course on saturday go early am or wait till sunday. They are watering the hole course and making the final tune ups all day saturday so it will be ready on the 11th.

 

[punkassean]

I thought the race was on Saturday the 11th?

Also there is a pre-race party here's the info:

"Come join racers, staff, volunteers, sponsors and fans at Bogart’s Café
for a pre-race party.
Dinner, drink specials and live music!

Friday, June 10th
Dinner: 6-10pm
All night Drink Specials
Families welcome

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ellings Park."

Address: Bogarts Bar & Grill 1114 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

 

[marlopez]

anyone post pics of the course yet?
also how far is the venue from the bmx track? is it possible to race bmx and dh on the same day?
i wanan make use of the beer garden too. is all this possible?

 

[punkassean]

The BMX track is on the other side of a small hill from the DH/XC course. It's not a huge park (long walk, short ride).

GOOGLE satellite map here You can see the BMX track to the left of the three baseball diamonds and the big fireroad loop is the XC. The faint single track that zig-zags down the right side is the DH. There is now a paved road and paved lot that is not pictured in this photo on the opposite side from the BMX track.

 

[wydopen]

I didnt know you were moving back soo soon sean..anyways give me a call when you get down here so i have someone to practice sense cmoney will be gone as usual...

 

[Bacardi]

anyone post pics of the course yet?

I got pics this morning.....reformatting them now ...

 

[Spunger]

woohoo