Nvdc! (napa Valley Dirt Classic!)

[breadly]

Anyone else headed to Angwin this weekend for this "Classic" race?

This was my first race ever last year and it's the one that really hooked me on nor-cal xc racing.

As a true "beginner" I logged a miserable time of almost 3 hours last year. After a year of racing and training i'm headed back for sport class and hope to trim about 45 minutes off of that time....

Looks like the weather will be nice and the trail should be dust free - I'm having a hard time controlling my excitement!

-B

[jdubsl2]

I'll be there!

[Brewtality]

Hell Ya!!
After a piss poor showing at Boggs, I'm ready to stomp on the competition at NVDC

Remember to bring some Technu and shower stuff. The trails in Angwin are solid PO right now. The showers at the college gym are open to the racers after the race which helps out with preventing massive PO breakouts.

[iRoNeTiK]

Hell Ya!!
After a piss poor showing at Boggs, I'm ready to stomp on the competition at NVDC

Remember to bring some Technu and shower stuff. The trails in Angwin are solid PO right now. The showers at the college gym are open to the racers after the race which helps out with preventing massive PO breakouts.

I will bring my Ivy Block and Technu and shower stuff, good to know, thanks!

The weather looks to be good for the rest of the week, give the ground a chance to dry up

I did it last year (1st time) and came in at 2 hours 15 minutes which placed me 14th out of 30th in Beginner. I'm doing sport this year 19-34, competition will be harder!

I bombed out on the last hill, I guess I didnt pace myself too well. Oh well, I'm going to attack it like I did last year and hope I'm in better shape so I can go up that damn hill or most of it at least

[Brewtality]

I did it last year (1st time) and came in at 2 hours 15 minutes which placed me 14th out of 30th in Beginner. I'm doing sport this year 19-34, competition will be harder!

A lot harder. NVDC is one of the few area races that is NORBA sanctioned. Not many of us carry annual licenses and NORBA does not allow one-day Expert licenses, so the CAT 2 Sport ranks are filled with CAT 1 Expert racers. Makes it real hard for those of us that are true CAT 2 Sport racers to reach the podium.

[jibmaster]

I'm frantically planting as much PO as possible. I've got a strain that cannot be stopped.
It will grow vines that will grab and latch on to your front wheel and cause massive endos.
























It's a joke! Relax!

[iheartbicycles]

A lot harder. NVDC is one of the few area races that is NORBA sanctioned. Not many of us carry annual licenses and NORBA does not allow one-day Expert licenses, so the CAT 2 Sport ranks are filled with CAT 1 Expert racers. Makes it real hard for those of us that are true CAT 2 Sport racers to reach the podium.

Thanks for the excuse!

[12to29]

Is it the EXACT same course every year???

[Brewtality]

Is it the EXACT same course every year???

I don't think its exactly the same, but the basics remain. Climb up to the airport, a couple of high speed straight aways, a bunch of sweet singletrack, a lot of climbing, a super steep, sandy drop down into Pope Valley, a super steep climb out of Pope Valley, the big whoops section, then a high speed decent back to the college

[mtnmark]

Anyone know the vertical feet for the race? Trying to mentally prepare....

[Wrong Tim]

Last year my computer clocked 3275 feet climbing. Alot of that comes in one chunk, unfortunately.

[iRoNeTiK]

Last year my computer clocked 3275 feet climbing. Alot of that comes in one chunk, unfortunately.

yah and near the end when I'm more tired put it in the middle!

[merlin]

I will be there with a bunch of my teamates, all racing Cat 1 .....First race on my new bike

[maleonardphi]

A lot harder. NVDC is one of the few area races that is NORBA sanctioned. Not many of us carry annual licenses and NORBA does not allow one-day Expert licenses, so the CAT 2 Sport ranks are filled with CAT 1 Expert racers. Makes it real hard for those of us that are true CAT 2 Sport racers to reach the podium.

Thats why I upgraded to Cat 1, to avoid the sandbaggers But what sucked about expert/cat1 last year was that they eliminated the semi pro category. So those guys had the option of a free upgrade to pro, or could drop back down to expert/cat1. So I think all around, having one less category makes every category tougher.

[NoBalance]

Definitely going to be there. However, I am not seeing the point in actually RIDING up the big long climb out of the valley. Its more relaxing to just walk up the hill with everyone else.

[sparkie]

I will be walking my SS out of the valley

[tamjam]

I will be walking my SS out of the valley

That makes two of us !

[iheartbicycles]

That makes two of us !

I haven't done this race since it was called the Napa Knobular (1997'ish) - so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

How far in is the big climb?

Anyone got GPS tracks?

[tamjam]

How far in is the big climb?

I haven't done the race since 2006, but as I recall, it's basically at the end. On SS it's unrideable, at least for me. So once you get to the point in the climb where you can actually start turning the cranks again, there is a short, sucky bit of climbing left, and then it's all downhill from there to the finish (basically re-tracing the starting climb up to the airport). If I am mis-remembering, someone please feel free to correct me.

[Jski1911]

Jibmaster,
How muddy will it be up there after a week of sunshine but relatively cool spring temps?

[NoBalance]

Here's my record of the race from last year ... beginner category with a 15 minute chain fix thrown in! Its pretty much the same course every year.

<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/19038293'></iframe>

[jibmaster]

Jibmaster,
How muddy will it be up there after a week of sunshine but relatively cool spring temps?

Conditions will be perfect.

[merlin]

Forecast is for rain Sunday

[iheartbicycles]

Forecast is for rain Sunday

good thing the race is on sunday!

[tgoff]

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/wxt...58&lon=-122.45

NOAA is forecasting 1.92" of rain for all of Sunday. I hope that is not correct otherwise it will be wet and wild.