[hecktone]

Hello,


Just a heads up to you all that the Central Coast's largest mountain bike festival the 7th Annual Firestone Walker MTB Classic is less than 4 months away.


We have already started trail work up there at the Chamberlin Cattle Ranch. Well, one diehard friend has started anyways. We’re going to need all your help again. The good news is that after 6 years the XC course is pretty well established, and the DH course has held up better than I though it would after only 2 years.


Our first trail day will be Sunday January 22nd and we will have almost one trail work day a week until the race weekend. So we will focus on the new XC decent from the top of the DH course by building the trail bench (Completely separate trail that follows a cow trail on an adjacent hillside) to start, and if we get some DH riders to show up on this first trail day we will dispatch them to the DH course to start brushing that trail. Please bring your own tools each time you make it out to do trail work.


I’m working on something really big concerning the trails that many of you have helped to build and maintain up there, so that in the long run there would be more of a reason to build trails on this piece of private property, besides just the events held there. I’ll be making the announcement as to just what I’m trying to do at the race this April 28-30.


So step up yet again and please help me provide this event, and the many more events (and just riding opportunities) to come out there on this property, in the years that lie ahead.


Our first trail day will be Sunday January 22nd. We will meet at Starbucks in the 5 points shopping center @ 7AM in Santa Barbara and at 8AM at the top of the DH course on Foxen Canyon Road, just north of Los Olivos.


Please bring water, lunch, and any trail building tools that you may have access to. Bring your bikes too!


As for event specifics most of those are already up on http://www.ridesb.com/firestone.htm and registration will be open in a few days. Potential sponsors are still encouraged to step up and sign up as well.


Thanks and Happy New Year!


Enjoy the ride,


Mike Hecker – Owner & Event Director

SG Production / www.ridesb.com

Organizer of fine cycling events on the Central Coast since 1998

 

[punkassean]

I'll be stoked to lend a hand this year since I'm back in the area. I will be out of town the 22nd weekend but after that I'm free most every saturday. The DH race is on my bday and I can't think of a better way to spend the day.

 

[PatBranch]

I've been waiting for this to come up. I'll be there.

 

[mbfanatic]

I can't wait to come out and lend a hand! I'm stoked to hear the courses are doing well. I'll try to make it on the 22nd! Peace.

 

[Zark]

Mike, you know I got your back. I'll be there on the 22nd. I think we spoke about the XC descent last year. I'll try to get some of the Platinum Performance guys of their road bikes for this too

 

[hecktone]

So today my tree care crew and I spent 2 hours up there digging the new XC bench and we accomplished quite a bit. It is supposed to rain a bit more early next week thus the soil will be great to have Nils hit it with the rototiller and then we can come in Sunday the 22nd and just scrape.

Thanks to the 3 of you who replyed, lets rally the troops!

Hecky

 

[konabiker]

I am definatly down to put in some work. If you would bump this thread up before trail work days are going to happen that would be cool because I would probably forget.

 

[PatBranch]

Put it in a calendar. I put it in my race calendar.

 

[SXtrailrider]

hey i will go. Could we get community service for it?

 

[konabiker]

hey i will go. Could we get community service for it?

Doubtful seeing as it's not exactly a non-profit organizaton.

 

[bomberboy11]

hey i will go. Could we get community service for it?

Dammit shut up...

 

[hecktone]

Well, if you're a high school student in Santa Barbara County and since the event will benefit a 501C3 non-profit organization, yes I can sign your community service letter or card or whatever.

MH

 

[bomberboy11]

Wow, that's pretty surprising. Didn't know there were any benefactors for the whole event ??

 

[hecktone]

1/18/06

Hello again mountain bike racers and fans!

The 7th Annual Firestone Walker Classic is just over 3 months away, our date this year is April 28-30th. And the entry form is already up on www.ridesb.com, so make sure to register early. This year we will be forgoing the printing of the standard entry form and the bulk mailing. We will be mailing reminder postcards to past racers and getting these to local shops as well.

The offical race entry form will be avalable in 2 places:

On www.ridesb.com
In the Team Big Bear newspaper.
Online reg will again be on www.active.com.
Please help me spread the word on this ok?

What I

 

[hecktone]

1/18/06

Hello again mountain bike racers and fans!

The 7th Annual Firestone Walker Classic is just over 3 months away, our date this year is April 28-30th. And the entry form is already up on www.ridesb.com, so make sure to register early. This year we will be forgoing the printing of the standard entry form and the bulk mailing. We will be mailing reminder postcards to past racers and getting these to local shops as well.

The offical race entry form will be avalable in 2 places:

On www.ridesb.com
In the Team Big Bear newspaper.
Online reg will again be on www.active.com.
Please help me spread the word on this ok?

What I’m really writing you about today is that we need help, as we always do with preping the trails for the race.

This year we will be building a brand new XC trail that continues from the top of the DH course over to another hilltop to the south and then down a fun route that will be completely separate from the DH race course and much safer for the XC racer. We are starting this Sunday the 22nd. (I will have a battery operated portable TV so that we don’t miss any of the Steelers kicking the tar out of the Broncos!) We will meet in SB at the Startbucks in the 5 Points shopping center at 7AM, and will then carpool to the top of the DH on Foxen Canyon Road just north of Los Olivos to meet up with workers form points north at 8AM. Please RSVP, but if you can’t RSVP, and Sunday comes around and you can just show up, please do that SHOW UP. Rain will cause us to postpone one week, that is if it rains on Sunday, if it rains Saturday and clears up Sunday we will be there.

Please bring your own trail building tools, water, lunch and anything else you need. We will focus on the new XC trail, however if DH riders show up we will let those workers start the rehab on the DH course as well.

Our next Trail Building day will be Saturday Feb. 4th.

Also we’re on the look out for local no-profit groups, in addition to the two we already help, that may want to be involved with the events food service in return for a small donation so if you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know.

And I hope to see you all out there sometime between now and race time helping me be of service to my sport, the wonderful sport of mountain biking!

Enjoy the ride,



Mike Hecker – Owner & Event Director

SG Production / www.ridesb.com

Organizer of fine cycling events on the Central Coast since 1998



PS: If you have not signed the online petition to build a Velodrome here in the SB area get with it and click here http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?CCVM1. As of today there are 1275 signatures and we’ve pledged over $40,000 towards this goal, we need $400,000, we’re more than 10% there!

 

[Gambo]

We (The Bike Barn) will be there!!

 

[W4S]

I've never been there, what's the DH course like? About how long, etc.

thanks

 

[Gambo]

Mike there is a question on the MTBR forum for you.

 

[hecktone]

I've never been there, what's the DH course like? About how long, etc.

thanks

Short but way fun! This year we'll add something t it for sure to kick it up a bit, but it has big drops, sweeping off camber turns, a rockgardn and big berms already ...

Hecky

 

[hecktone]

Wow, that's pretty surprising. Didn't know there were any benefactors for the whole event ??

The event has always made a donation to the SBMTV or helped them acquire tools via IMBA race grants, we've donated to the LAF, the Echelon Junior Program, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Club and the Central Coast Velodrome Movement as well.

Most monies collected though do go to cover the event budget, since it is very difficult to raise enough cash contributions to off set the cost of the event, but we are greatful for the financial support we have received in the past and will get this year from our fine sponsors.

mh

 

[W4S]

Short but way fun! This year we'll add something t it for sure to kick it up a bit, but it has big drops, sweeping off camber turns, a rockgardn and big berms already ...

Hecky

Sounds great, I can't wait. If we come up to do trail work, is there any chance of getting to take a couple runs?

 

[hecktone]

Sure, put in some time on trail rehab, and you can do "a few" drops down the DH. But, there are no trucks or cars allowed on the ranch, so that means you need to push to the top or ride up the XC climb to the top of the DH.

mh

 

[PatBranch]

I was there with the bikebarn guys and the guy with the red tundra. We dug the first half of the XC part from the top. We built a really nice big berm on the first real downhill part as well as two rollers.

I rode the lower part of the dh course. It was really sandy/soft, but I was able to get speed for the jumps and stepdown. The basic shape is still there. We just need to make it smoother and fix the jumps.

 

[zmtber]

is there still time to hep out? im interested can someone post summarized info id like to help

 

[PatBranch]

There will probably be another dig next Sunday. You meet at 7:00 in SB somewhere and drive up together and arrive at firestone when they people from the valley get there at around 8:00.

 

[hecktone]

Thanks for the hard work today everyone!

Our next trail work day is Saturday the 4th of Feb.

MH

 

[PatBranch]

It was fun.

 

[PatBranch]

I think there should be a hardtail class with at least age groups, and maybe begginer, sport...I think a lot of people would come do it. Could you set it up so people could race the regular class with their full suspensions and then still do the hardtail class.

 

[PatBranch]

I think there should be a hardtail DH class with at least age groups, and maybe begginer, sport...I think a lot of people would come do it. Could you set it up so people could race the regular class with their full suspensions and then still do the hardtail class.

 

[hecktone]

Pat,

I'd love to add another class ... hardtail would be cool. That poses a time issue though. I'm not sure there is enough time in the day to pull it off, but I'll ask my timers.

MH

 

[hecktone]

So thanks to Tony, Matty, Jason, Pat, Gambo and Nils for coming out and helping on the first day of trail rehab at the Firestone Walker Classic race course yesterday! They accomplished quite a bit on the new XC descent.

So we're doing it again this Sunday, and the same outline applies, if you come out and work from 8-12 you can ride a bit on the course. For you XC riders you can do a lap of the cattle ranch course and for the DH riders you can do as many drops of the DH as you can between 12-2 but you need to push back to the top.

7AM at Starbucks in SB or 7:45 at the top of the DH course.

Thanks for the help!

Hecky

 

[PatBranch]

I will be there, unless we are going somewhere.

 

[Gambo]

Here are some pics of the new XC down hill.

 

[MerrrrrJIG]

hey that trail going to have some sort of airborne section ???it looks fast with that turn

 

[PatBranch]

It is fast. On the other side of the hill there are some rollers, maybe we can put some on the berm side.

 

[hecktone]

OK guys look I'm all for adding some technical to the otherwise nontechnical XC course on this new trail, but please bear in mind that this is a cross country route that is being added because 19 XC racers crashed on the DH course during the XC last year, 16 of them broke something.

Largely Spaced Rollers and little 8 inch drops off off a telephone pole are fine, but not double jumps, the berms are great, but always remember that this is a XC trail first.

See you all Sunday.

MH

 

[foesjunky]

Am I reading the entry form right its $75 ($30 shuttle $45 to race) to practice on friday and race DH on saturday?

 

[Spunger]

Am I reading the entry form right its $75 ($30 shuttle $45 to race) to practice on friday and race DH on saturday?

I just read what was posted on the site about the fees and such......looks right.......$45 to race and $30 for Friday shuttle.

I've never raced before but typically what do MTB races cost?

 

[PatBranch]

Im bringing a friend Sunday. Hopefully he won't flake out this time. He said he could go riding in town, then he ended up going to a SB with a girl.

 

[foesjunky]

I just read what was posted on the site about the fees and such......looks right.......$45 to race and $30 for Friday shuttle.

I've never raced before but typically what do MTB races cost?

I know @ Southridge its $35 to race and $5 for the shuttle on saturday. $30 just seems high for the shuttle.
Most of the Nationals are $50 per event and practice depends on the location (But never $30 to practice)