Off Season and Beyond

As Fall comes to an end, leading into the wet and cold of Winter, the off season from racing is fully present.  After taking some time off the bike to focus on school and activities outside of riding, I realized how much I missed it!  As unmotivated as I was to haul my out of shape self up hills with heavy breathing to shred the downhill, I learned yet again how much I enjoy being on two wheels.  Quickly, I was finding myself up early before class, with a front row seat to sunrises lighting up the trail, linking up various roads on my road bike from along the ocean to up high above the valley's, and the best of all which never gets old.. tacky dirt full of traction leading to the steep and steezy trails that never end in these Santa Cruz mtns.

After climbing up U-Con (the main trail that takes you back up towards the numerous decents) 120 times since tracking my rides beginning in 2015, it's views like this at 6:45am that keep things from getting old..

It felt right at home feeling drips of sweat down my face while legs burning with each pedal stroke, racing may not last forever but riding for fun will always be something to look forward to each and every day while taking a break from reality to find that rad trail in the woods or traversing road on those skinny tires that lay outside your normal day to day routes of driving.

New pumptrack at Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz has been a rad edition to the area!

Northstar Dirt Surfin Wrap Up

Rolled out Thursday evening for round 6 of the California Enduro Series held at Northstar Ski Resort outside Truckee, CA.  Two days of racing lied ahead with six stages totaling just over 40 minutes of timed stages.  The loose, rocky terrain and high speeds make riding at the park a bit more wild than the past venues the series has visited so far.  Friday consisted of many laps up the chair lift trying to get as comfortable as possible before day 1 of racing on Saturday, and being able to follow different lines with our crew from Scotts Valley Cyclesport as well as world class athlete Curtis Keene made for a solid day on the mountain.

Saturday brought the first 3 stages of the weekend on the less technical but more physical trails, each run was smooth and without any big mistakes leaving me in 24th overall for Pro once the times were tallied..I definitely felt like I had more to give which left me ready for Sunday's stages of more gnarly downhill runs where I felt more confident on. 

Coming into Sunday I was ready to go, feeling strong and not too fatigued after yesterday.  With more lift access and easier transfers to the race runs, it felt good to have more energy when it counted.  The 3 stages today were much more my style making the day fun and rowdy.  The final trail of the day was my strongest finish with a 19th and within close times of those ahead.  As the weekend came to an end, I am pleased with my 20th overall placing and being able to have yet another awesome weekend with fellow friends and racers! 

   It's been a great year traveling, training, and progressing more and more, meeting other riders and learning new things during every event is something I enjoy so much.  With school now starting, Northstar was my final big race of the season and now time to focus on class and enjoying some down time before preparing for next year!  Having such great support from Scotts Valley Cyclesport and Specialized has been a blessing and I couldn't be more excited to see what next season has to offer.  My bike has been dialed as ever with goodies from Praxis Works, Gamut USA, and FOX, making riding every week way too rad.  Day to day motivation from my parents and beautiful girlfriend always keeps me trying my best and also training with Ryan at SLV Fitness kicking my butt into shape earlier this year.  I'm ready for some fun throwing turn bars on home trails and winter time moto action! 

Instagram: @nickyd358
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photo credit from Called To Creation and Satchel Cronk

Sponsors:

Specialized Bicycles, SV Cyclesport, Monster Army, Gamut USA, Praxis Works, SPY Optics, Krawl Clothing, Stikrd, and FOX.

Ashland Mountain Challenge 2k16

Photo credit: Called To Creation

 After traveling on Interstate 5 in triple digit heat for more hours than I'd like to remember, the thought of doing any physical activity was the last thing on my mind...However; once crossing over the Oregon boarder and into the happinin' city of Ashland, the mood quickly switched as this would be the venue for round 5 of the California Enduro Series.  Mount Ashland may provide some pretty rad skiing in the Winter, but once the snow melts and summer arrives, the trails beneath the many trees lay home to some of the best terrain for mountain biking.  Not many places consist of tight single track over tree roots and rocks while also opening up enough to gain speeds near 30+ mph as you shred through the forest.  The crew over at Ashland Mountain Adventures have made this event one of the best of the year in my opinion and with the packed classes, I bet many others agree.  As it most certainly is a blast to ride out here, it's nonetheless very physical. Between practice and race day, riders covered about 60 miles, gained 8,000 ft with 16,000 ft of elevation loss and around 4 hours of ride time on race day with 4 timed stages.  

Horn Gap was one of the rad stages we raced over the weekend, here is a group of us Santa Cruz shredders ready for some practice runs.

Saturday was go time and I was looking forward to the days' racing and feeling pretty excited after a podium result last year in the Expert field.  The Pro class was stacked with many local fast boys who know these trails like the back of their hand, making times close if you could stay on pace but also create some big gaps if you weren't feeling your best.  Detailed race reports can be pretty boring but to get to the point, my day felt pretty solid with no crashes or big mistakes..But racing is tight and I wasn't able to battle up front landing me in 22nd place after approx. 30 minutes of timed race runs.  Each event this season has been an incredible learning experience for me, and with this being my first year racing Pro, I'm pleased with the progress I've been making...Plus currently sitting 11th in points isn't too bad!  The final 2 rounds of the CA Series will be held at Northstar Ski Resort and Mammoth Mountain, where the high paced technical terrain means it's time to get comfortable with Downhill laps!

Always a big thank you to those who support me- My parents first off, the Cavaletto's at Scotts Valley Cyclesport who provide the best of race support at each of these events, Specialized Bicycles, Praxis Works, FOX, Gamut USA, SPY Optics, ODI Grips, Monster Army, Stikrd, and Krawl Clothing. 

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Through the Tape of China Peak

In the moment of the final stage with a 13th on this run// photo credit: Satchel Cronk 

June 25.2016 //  Outside of Fresno, CA, within the Sierra National Forest, lies the China Peak Ski Resort which held round 4 of the California Enduro Series.  This venue separates itself from the rest on the 7 round circuit with its laid back atmosphere of camping and beautiful scenery where nearby Hunington Lake flows into a refreshing river running alongside the campgrounds.  However; the relaxing mood felt below quickly transitions once the deep powder and rocky terrain takes over beneath your knobbies.

photo credit: Jeff Vander Stucken

  

The high temperatures, high altitude of almost 9000 feet at the peak, and 4 timed stages over the technical terrain made China Peak one of the most physically demanding race yet in my opinion.  Coming off my 7th place result at the previous round left me pretty excited to try and finish within the top 10 again.  With almost 40 very talented riders in the Pro class, I knew times were going to be very close and competitive.  I found myself struggling throughout the day physically and hovering just outside of the top 20 during the days' stages, although nailed a few decent times with a 13th and 18th on two of my runs.  Finishing 20th overall left me right in the middle of the pack and itching to get back up to pace for the remaining 3 events.  

No rock is too big nor too difficult for the Specialized Enduro to handle//photo: Satchel Cronk

Scotts Valley Cyclesport has been such a huge part in making this season possible with race support in the form of traveling , a positive presence at each event and providing advice and encouragement to be the best possible on and off the track.  Do yourself a favor if ever in the Santa Cruz area and stop by SVCS to check out what this professional yet friendly shop has to offer!

Checking out the gnar of stage 3!

Well that's a wrap, Next up will be the loamy dirt under the trees of Ashland, OR in July!

   

  Always a big thank you to those who support me: Specialized Bicycles, SV Cyclesport, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, Krawl Clothing, FOX, Spy Optic, ODI Grips, Stikrd, and Monster Army!

Kickin It Into Gear!

                  

The 2016 Enduro Season is finally underway! After completing the first three rounds of the California Enduro Series, it's safe to say that the Pro class is no joke.  I came into the first round in Fontana, CA feeling pretty confident in my preparation but quickly learned that unless you're feeling 100%, it becomes quite difficult to throw down competitive times.  Landing a 22nd place result was a little disappointing but fueled the motivation to improve my weaknesses.

                           

Being comfortable and confident is key..Luckily with some great support from Specialized this year, I never have to second guess my equipment and apparel.  As seen on the left, Specialized's Ambush helmet, 2FO ClipLite shoes and Enduro jersey/short offer maximum protection and comfort, not to forget style as well!

Next up was round 2 in the mountains of Reno, NV.  The Peavine Mountain range provided a mix of both technical and flat out pedal stages where fitness and few mistakes would be important.  After 6 race stages and 30 miles, I landed a 23rd with crashes on 2 of my runs.  Learning to balance speed and pushing the limits while avoiding mistakes is something that the experienced riders have mastered..Each time lining up against the clock has provided constant opportunities to learn these skills and I know before long I will be battling among the top guys. 

This past weekend hosted round 3 in the hills of Salinas, CA.  Toro Park and the local CCCX races is where I first began racing mountain bikes, so I was pretty excited to compete on familiar trails.  Coming into this race, I was hoping to break past my struggles and become competitive within the top 20.  After 4 stages I ended up 7th place in the Pro class which was a pretty surreal feeling, while also getting a 5th on the final stage!  Clocking times within a few seconds of the leaders showed that the preparation during the week is finally paying off.  After my last two mediocre results and trying to fit in quality training in between work and school, 7th felt great and left me more stoked than ever for the upcoming races and working to stay up in the mix! 

My S-Works 650B Enduro has blown me away with its capabilities, mashing downhill like a DH bike while still being able to push it up climbs.  Beyond thankful to have such great support from Scotts Valley Cyclesport and their help in making this bike possible.  Since riding Specialized bikes since the beginning, it was the obvious choice choosing the Enduro as my race weapon and continue having such a quality bike beneath me.  New product from Praxis Works with their carbon C32 wheels and Lyft cranks have been a great addition to keeping my custom build of only high end components.  Gamut's trail guide, bars, and stem linked up to ODI's Elite grips keep things comfortable up front while the FOX 36 fork and Float X2 rear shock make every section of terrain smooth and stable.  Shred Ready!

Thanks for reading! -Nicky D

instagram: @nickyd358

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facebook: Nick DiNapoli

Sponsors: Scotts Valley CycleSport, Specialized Bicycles, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, Stikrd, Monster Army, Krawl Loco Clothing, SPY Optics, FOX, ODI Grips. 

Photos courtesy of: Called To Creation, Satchel Cronk, and Mary DiNapoli

Calm before the storm..

XC Grinding at Fort Ord

As these winter months sneak on by and the upcoming season of enduro racing grows nearer, the thoughts of battling against the clock again raises that excitement to keep hammering down in preparation.  Switching things up a bit this year to help improve, I've been spending the past few months in the gym with Ryan over at SLV fitness.  With years of downhill racing under his belt and a wealth of knowledge for proper workouts to benefit specific athletes such as bikers, my body has been feeling healthier and stronger than ever which was an area I previously skipped over for the most part.  

Pre race chattin with good friend  Dillon Santos

What better way to test your fitness than to enter the deep pain cave of cross country racing!  Always a good time out at the CCCX races with the quick group of lycra warriors and being put in the hurt locker for 25 miles.. 

Trying to pound out the seat time with this being the final month before the California Enduro Series starts April 1st down south in Fontana... which will be my first Pro race! Looking forward to competing against fellow riding buddies as well as those professionals I've looked up to.  

New S-Works 650b Enduro for 2016!

Beyond stoked on how my new bike turned out, feeling right at home on it which hopefully will turn into quick times down the trail! Factree looking build thanks to SV Cyclesport, Specialized, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, FOX, and ODI grips. 

  

Best way to take a break from daily riding, enjoying the beautiful views with my even more beautiful girlfriend :)

Well until next time, catch ya on the trail and say hi at any races! 

-Nicky D

instagram: @nickyd358 

twitter: @nickyd358