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  1. #1
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    gapers in downieville

    a jong + a bmx'er + a roadie = singletrack shitshow

    51% smartass, 49% dumbass

  2. #2
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    I've been meaning to get up there. You guys earn your turns or shuttle it?

  3. #3
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    Unless you're looking for a serious sufferfest, you shuttle.

    Downieville Outfitters and Yuba Expeditions are the outfits.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by LightRanger View Post
    Unless you're looking for a serious sufferfest, you shuttle.

    Downieville Outfitters and Yuba Expeditions are the outfits.
    yup. i've climbed forest service road 93 twice before but was so knackered at the top that the downhill portion was totally no fun. that road was used for the singlespeed world championships a few years back. the cross country race uses another road out of sierra city that is even tougher than fs93. i'm such a pussy.

    my shuttle preference is yuba, but d-ville outfitters is great as well.

    even with the shuttle, the guys i rode with were pretty whipped after only one run. still, superfun times.
    51% smartass, 49% dumbass

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by LightRanger View Post
    Unless you're looking for a serious sufferfest, you shuttle.

    Downieville Outfitters and Yuba Expeditions are the outfits.
    I've heard. I do 2000 - 2500 foot climbs once or twice a week from April - October, but 4k or so is definitely another level. I have friends who will crush that no problem but they're freaks I can barely keep up with. Just asking cause I'll probably end up doing the aforementioned suffer-fest with them at some point so curious how bad it is. Anyway, looks fun. Gotta watch out for those pebbles and twigs.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by parkmeister View Post
    even with the shuttle, the guys i rode with were pretty whipped after only one run. still, superfun times.
    Haven't been up this year due to family constraints, but we did two laps last year. First was the standard "Downhill" (Sunrise-->Butcher-->Third Divide-->First Divide). Second was Sunrise-->fire road-->Big Boulder-->Second Divide. I was bonking pretty hard by midway through Second Divide. Riding brakes through chunder for miles can take it out of you.

    J, be aware that you need to choose your uphill route carefully... both because of DH traffic on narrow trails and because dirt bikes blow the shit out of a lot of the switchbacks, particularly by late in the season, making riding them uphill nigh near impossible (and sometimes a bit tough to ride smoothly on the down too). Definitely want to find a fire road to go up.
    Last edited by LightRanger; 08-30-2014 at 12:53 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  7. #7
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    ^^ I will push for the shuttle. ;-)

  8. #8
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    Good choice.

    Fun clip, BTW, PM. Maybe needs a little image stabilization help, but that's kind of the nature of MTB footage.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  9. #9
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    where the rough and fluff live
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    4k climb too much? sheesh. there's always time to buy a moto.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by creaky fossil View Post
    4k climb too much? sheesh. there's always time to buy a moto.
    I've done 4k climbs... but it all depends on what you're climbing. Loose soil with lots of switchbacks is a lot different than a fireroad.

  11. #11
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    good thing there's only 2 kinds of 4k climbs, loose/switchbacky, or fire road.

    should I have said, "4k climb on singletrack too much?"

    maybe it's the ONE-BY that makes it so nauseating?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by creaky fossil View Post
    good thing there's only 2 kinds of 4k climbs, loose/switchbacky, or fire road.

    should I have said, "4k climb on singletrack too much?"

    maybe it's the ONE-BY that makes it so nauseating?
    Well, I've done ~4k climbs on mostly singletrack too, but I've done climbs half the vertical that are harder. In this case it sounds like there's not much of a loop option available so the downhill traffic is more of a deterrent (for me) than the energy needed for the climb.

  13. #13
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    for sure, I don't think I'd want to ride up the trails people make pilgrimages to

    I'm just busting on the idea generally, 4k climb shouldn't be hard for anyone who is half-fit and knows how to ride a bike, but it does separate the Online Honch from the actual rider pretty quickly. if I can do 4k climbs at my methuselah age, there's hope for everyone. except stuckie.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by TahoeJ View Post
    ^^ I will push for the shuttle. ;-)
    agreed. not sure why anyone would do that shitty climb when you can take a shuttle to top and get in 3 laps in a day.

    plenty of other stuff to climb where there are no shuttles.
    "A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles."
    — Edward Abbey (Desert Solitaire)

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
    agreed. not sure why anyone would do that shitty climb when you can take a shuttle to top and get in 3 laps in a day.

    plenty of other stuff to climb where there are no shuttles.
    ^^^^ this! for years I climbed up myself, much more fun to do 3 shuttles or 2, 1 bomber and one extended ride. Since I only get there a couple times a year, I want the most bang for the buck.

    Shot this little vid earlier this year when there was still snow up top, it had rained for 3 days straight and Gregg with Downieville Outfitters had just finished raking out the trails, buff! In fact it started raining like hell when I switched off the camera at the end of this video, and we then got caught in a blizzard on our second lap down.


  16. #16
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    me and a buddy went last fall the weekend after an early snow (first Sunday the time had changed), parked at the top with expectations of shuttle back up. sunrise was pretty fun with a little snow on it, really just wet, the new single track had about 2" of really crusty snow that was fun to fly across (that's going to be another fun section when it beds in). Butcher was a shit show - one trench of ice surrounded by snow, was very happy to start the climb up polly to big boulder with nerves and skin intact. The real fun started after we had taken friends up on refreshments then realized there was no room in the final shuttle of the day which left ~ 3. Cold darkness is a great motivator to move your arse up road 93. all things considered it's not that bad a climb, just bring ample food and water
    Like I told my last wife, I never drive faster than I can see, besides it's all in the reflexes.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Burton View Post
    me and a buddy went last fall the weekend after an early snow (first Sunday the time had changed), parked at the top with expectations of shuttle back up.
    Why? That makes no sense to do it that way...


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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by TahoeBC View Post
    Shot this little vid earlier this year when there was still snow up top, it had rained for 3 days straight and Gregg with Downieville Outfitters had just finished raking out the trails, buff! In fact it started raining like hell when I switched off the camera at the end of this video, and we then got caught in a blizzard on our second lap down.
    Apart from the rain-wet & puddles, looked even a little sponge-soil in places, speed vampire sponge.

    Is that trail open to motos? one of those lines on the uphill/inside looked pretty trenched for a MTB track.

  19. #19
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    I like climbing Downivieville as a loop using FS 93 about once a year or so......all other times, I'm a shuttle monkey all the way. The climbing up via FS93 fireroad isn't all that bad...it just takes time.

    Here's a ride I did last year with climbing to the top....It's a good solid ride (3.5 hr ride time, 4 hr total time in this particular ride), but it's not like it's an epic all day thing or anything.
    http://www.strava.com/activities/66873915


    my decision to pedal to the top vs. shuttle is also a function of what particular bike I feel like riding at the time.
    Waste your time, read my crap, at:
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  20. #20
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    "It's not that bad," says the guy with the KOM on the climb. Haha. :-)

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by TahoeJ View Post
    "It's not that bad," says the guy with the KOM on the climb. Haha. :-)
    ha...touche.....although that KOM was from last year, I have since lost it I think.
    Waste your time, read my crap, at:
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  22. #22
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    I hate when someone overtakes one of your KOM's and Strava sends a special message to notify you about it. Thanks Strava!

  23. #23
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    Why? That makes no sense to do it that way...

    Drive in from Truckee/Reno. Park at top > ride > shuttle back up to car
    Like I told my last wife, I never drive faster than I can see, besides it's all in the reflexes.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Burton View Post
    Why? That makes no sense to do it that way...

    Drive in from Truckee/Reno. Park at top > ride > shuttle back up to car
    Coming from your direction that makes perfect sense. That sounds kinda nice actually
    Waste your time, read my crap, at:
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  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by TahoeJ View Post
    I hate when someone overtakes one of your KOM's and Strava sends a special message to notify you about it. Thanks Strava!
    You can turn those notifications off at least
    Waste your time, read my crap, at:
    One Gear, Two Planks

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