Bear Creek Nationals Pre-reg !!

I'm in...I qualified and I want to say I lined up. Will leave it all out there even if I get smoked and come in DFL...

Brian
 
This course is no joke. There will be lots of carnage (riders & bikes) which means lots of DNF's. I'll be watching from the sidelines.
 
looking down the 'registrants' list it's cool to see how far people are traveling...and not just the pros. i'd like to see more local folks registered but there is still a good amount. i'm VERY curious to see how the non-east coasters like it. even when it's a MASS race a lot of people seem to skip it. DNF city!!
 
I found this on the website

pro vs am

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=http...rcreek/bc-2013-nationals-pro-vs-amateur-3.kml

From what I saw out there...the pro course is more straight up the steep fire road climbs, way less technical on the descents. Basically, everything fun is gone.

They are taking their cue from the UCI World cup XCO courses. Much shorter course....lap times of 12-15 mins tops. This is to make the event more spectator friendly...which it is. It's tougher for local fast guys that want to jump in and tangle with the likes of Wells and Bishop though, as they'll get to do fewer laps before getting pulled.
I will be there to watch the elite race on my way down to Michaux.
 
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Again, if I can get my bike in time...I'll race. Chances are, I wont sooo, I probably wont be racing.😡
 
You need more jungle type terrain.
why is kirt saying its not easy if they took all the fun out of it?

The amateur downhill section of the XC is a bit like Jungle. I am hoping it is still in come race day, as it is really fun, and showcases the local style of riding. The pro course bypasses those sections, which is too bad for them.

I am hoping to have some fun racing 🙂. Lewis Morris and Kittatinny make me want to go to sleep. These days, I think I need a higher fun to pain ratio 😱 to light that spark. I am hoping to see plenty of smiling out there!
 
I'm going to check it out (it's only about 45 minutes from my house) but I'm not racing.

Bear Creek is a super fun place to ride and a great example of east coast tech. One thing I've always liked about it is that there's a steep price to pay for lack of technical skill or poor strategy. I remember getting dropped on the climb by guys going full gas and then seeing some of those same guys bleeding on the rocks on the way down -- they ran themselves so far into the red getting over the top that they didn't consider that at a place like that, you can't recover on the way down. They tried to recover on sections that demand full attention and paid the price. And the rocks there aren't smooth -- you don't just get bruised there, you get f*cked up. They're liked little fields of monster teeth waiting to take a bite out you. You are always battling your opponents and the course at the same time. Great stuff! :popcorn:
 
pre-rode the amateur course last night. really fun stuff and how i remembered it from last year's MASS race. 3 laps at race pace will be pretty brutal.

next week i'll definitely be combing the web for race reports from riders that traveled here from other parts of the US. very curious to hear how they like it..
 
Great technical course did some laps last night. If it rains it will make this years Jungle rain race look like a walk in the park.
 
I did 2 laps yesterday and this is what I call riding! The technical was enough entertainment to keep me engaged. They added some new stuff from last time I rode there, and took out a short section of technical climbing. I felt fairly comfortable on the course but noticed quite a few little kids walking sections while I was out there.

Here are some comments from out of towners I heard yesterday:

"They call this racing?"

"This is torture" ...6 yr old that only made it up 1/2 the climb.

"I hope it rains"

"seems a bit long for 3 laps"

Anyway, good luck to those racing! 🙂
 
Lewis Morris and Kittatinny make me want to go to sleep. These days, I think I need a higher fun to pain ratio 😱 to light that spark. I am hoping to see plenty of smiling out there!

and that's why I love you. Hope we can ride together soon. My knee is 100%; my fitness not so much, but I still have the technical chops.
 
National were super hot. I decided to fall down in one of rock gardens - not enough speed and now my arm is swollen with some deep scratches.
I finished in top ten without pre-ride... btw. I did it on hardtail.
 
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