Driftin sand, crash n' burn, to coastal forests

Picking up where I last left off leads us into the second round of the California Enduro Series in the hills of Salinas.  Toro Park has been home to the CCCX Cycling events for many years which has seen many current top Enduro and Downhill racers from Northern CA begin their careers at this venue.  What it may lack in overall technical features such as rocks or super steep sections, it highly makes up for in loose, high speed terrain and off camber sections that created some eventful crashes as over 400 racers tackled the four stages on Memorial Day weekend.  

Saturday morning brought the race day excitement after an hour drive from home and getting set up with the Scotts Valley Cyclesport crew, I was pretty stoked for this race as it's about finding the balance between how hard you can push while floating on the line between tucking the bike going down or just droppin a foot and drifting moto style.  I had my Stumpjumper 29 back on its Sea Otter set up with Specialized Purgatory/Fast Trak tires and tad higher pressures along with suspension to help with the high speeds and copious amounts of pedaling among each stage.  

After results were tallied and the day came to an end, I was pretty pumped to make it down each stage without any mistakes and fight the pain to power down on the pedals..this placed me in 6th overall among the Pro field.  With 3 weeks until the next round up north in Mendocino, I was planning on getting some big ride days in to prepare for what that race would consist of.

This is where my plans changed.. With Memorial Day and wanting to add to the weekend, I headed out to Hollister Hills for some Moto action.  To this day, I've ridden and raced dirtbikes wayyyyy longer than bicycles, and it's still going to take some years for them to equal out.  Hollister has been the local spot to ride since I was 5 years old and always made for nothing but good times, learning to find the line between speed and being smart to avoid wild crashes.  After a few hours of track and trail time on my KTM 250sx, I was ending the day on a main single track loop, having a blast and riding at a comfortable and pretty quick pace, but completely in my comfort zone.  Next thing I know, I'm waking up down a hillside with other riders and rangers around me without a clue of what happened.  I was knocked out with a pretty good concussion, but found out that I had been involved in a head-on collision by a group of riders coming at me around a blind corner on a one-way trail.  With no memory whatsoever of the incident and a very banged up face, I found myself in the hospital, but luckily all scans of my head came back safe and the worst would be a swollen face for a few days with broken bones near the sides of my nose.  After hearing about the accident and seeing the busted triple clamps and headset exploded on my bike, I realized how lucky I was to be walking out of the room...

After taking the rest of the week to rest and recover, I was getting nervous about if I would be able to race round 3 of CA Enduro in a little over a week.  As race weekend became present, I found myself behind the starting line of stage 1 ready to try my best to survive the 6 1/2 hour day covering 40 miles and 6 race stages.  The Mendocino forest right off the coastal ocean views of Highway 1 offered some of the most adrenaline rushed racing with traversing through very tight, wooded trails at mach speed.  I was fighting the nerves of not wanting to crash and hit my head again, keeping in mind the doctor thought I was still resting in bed.. but also having a total blast riding with everyone and the amazing trails.  Finishing the day, I found myself quite tired, super stoked on the riding, and happy I could complete the day after how crazy the past 2 weeks had been.  A 15th place finish was a bit off the pace but with how tight the times were among the 25 rider group, I was just glad to be in the mix.  

Now it's time for the technical bike park events starting with China Peak this weekend!

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Sponsors: 

Scotts Valley Cyclesport, Specialized Bicycles, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, Monster Army, Smith Optics, Krawl Loco Clothing, DNA Cycling, Hammer Nutrition, Stikrd, FOX.

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Instagram: @nickyd358

Twitter: @nickyd358

2017 Mammoth Bar Enduro

photo credit: Kasey Carames

5/6/17- The first round of the 2017 California Enduro Series found itself within the mountains just outside of old town Auburn this past weekend.  The sold out event saw 419 racers tackle a four stage course totalling just over 17 miles and 3,000 ft of elevation within the Auburn State Recreation Area; short physically demanding trails which consisted of loose, rocky terrain and punchy climbs created some tight racing among all classes. 

photo credit: Placer Foothills MTB club

For myself, Friday consisted of checking out the trails with the Scotts Valley Cyclesport team riders, working on the important factors of memorizing different features of each stage and practicing sections as close to race pace as possible in order to not have too many surprises come race day.  Saturday came bright and early, bringing some welcoming cooler tempuratures as well as pre-race nerves as we lined up for the first stage of Mossy Rock-Flood trail. 3 1/2 minutes of high speed fireroad into punchy single track climbs provided quite the wake up call for everyone's legs, I ended up with a smooth run but bit off the pace. After a quick 15 minute transfer over to Squirrel trail, some mental regrouping, and a blast of Hammer Nutrition goodies, it was go time. A steep, off camber descent to begin with raised the stoke level but the mix of flats into uphill sprints brought you deep into the pain cave.  I finally felt like I was in the groove, plus a 3rd place stage result was pretty sweet! The final two trails of Culvert and Confluence were the more technical ones of the day where loose corners and sharp rocks could make taking a dirt sample or mechanical easy to do.  Pedal, pedal, pedal was the name of the game and I was pleased to get down both without any mistakes.  

photo: Tom Schiller

Prior to the race weekend, what seemed like a pretty simple and easy race on paper, ended up being one of physically draining for both body and bike; but nonetheless good times and smiles were seen all around the pits.  Out of 27 riders in the Pro category, after times were tallied, I found myself in 9th place for the overall.  My goal for this season was to be competitive near the top 10, so I'm stoked to be starting off strong with much improvement over last year! Next up will be round 2 over Memorial Weekend in the rolling mountains of Toro Park...

Thanks for reading! 

- Nicky D

Sponsors: SV Cyclesport, Specialized Bicycles, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, Smith Optics, Hammer Nutrition, FOX, DNA cycling, Krawl Loco Clothing, Monster Army, Stikrd.com. 

Instagram: @nickyd358

Twitter: @nickyd358 

photo: Isaac Wallen

Ready to Rumble

As the Winter months come to an end, riders from across the globe begin counting down the seconds until the race clock starts ticking and their off season comes to a close.  For most, this transition takes place upon the kickoff of the Sea Otter Classic cycling festival just outside of Monterey, CA during mid April of each year.  For myself, these beginning months have brought forth exciting changes; adding a new bike to my quiver with Specialized's Stumpjumper FSR 29 has created new confidence in my riding and should make for the perfect enduro race weapon.  For this year, my primary goal was/is to focus on the small details which can either jump you forward in progress or hold you back.  Personally, this comes in the way of time management and making your efforts count. I struggled last year between schooling, riding, work, and social life which created times of giving up or "do it tomorrow" issues.. This is something that I have paid greater attention to this year and even after only a few months, I can see how it is benefiting every aspect and allowing much better improvement in my biking than ever before.  

Coming into my first event of the year at Sea Otter, which would be the Enduro race, I was pushing to be near the top 10 in the Pro field as the mix of top athletes and fairly short stages would keep times fast and close.  With racing comes a bit of the unknown, lining up behind the tape, no matter how prepared you may be, you can never be completely sure what lies ahead.  Just about a minute into the first stage, heavy breathing, burning legs and eyes glued in front trying to keep speed and control working together, a mechanical error between the chain and cassette left me relying on momentum to finish the stage and lose valuable time against the others.  But hey! That's part of the game and a quick fix at the bottom left everything running smooth for next 3 runs of the day.  In the end, my result would show up at 23rd place, on paper isn't the best but with the top 10 being only 30 seconds ahead, I'm pleased with my efforts and left wondering what could have been 😊

Next up was the famous Downhill event!  Known for being very short, high speed, and not very technical, the 0.9 mile course brings out the best in the world where 1st and 50th could be separated by as little as 5 or so seconds...but also can be a lifetime of distance out here. With the dry, hardpack conditions where thousandths of a second make a difference, bike set up is key.  I outfitted my Stumpy 29 with Specialized's Purgatory and Fast Trak tires front and rear respectively.  The Fast Trak is traditionally an XC tire but with the new 2.3 sizing option and updated Gripton compound, it screams speed on this terrain.  A 34t chainring up front with increased air pressure and compression in my FOX 36 fork made things ready to go!  The last sprint across the finish, 2 minutes and 13 seconds later left me satisfied with the run I had as well as the breakdown in my head of what could have made it better.  32nd out of 85 in this race was definitely something to be proud of, very short seconds away from the best of em. Next year, the goal is top 20!

BIKE CHECK: I couldn't be more stoked on how this thing came out, beyond thankful of Scotts Valley Cyclesport and Specialized Bicycles for making it possible! 

-Specialized: Stumpjumper 29 Large frame, Command dropper post, Power saddle and Butcher 2.3 Grid casing tires

-Praxis Works: C32 wheels, Cadet 170mm cranks, 32t chainring with 11-40t casette and PF bottom bracket.

-Gamut USA: Cillos TR 760mm bar with Cillos 50mm stem

-FOX: Float 36 150mm fork

-Stikrd: Custom fork/wheel decals 

-Other: Shimano XT derailleur, shifter, pedals. ODI eilte grips, KMC chain, SRAM Guide RS carbon brakes with 203mm/180mm rotors


Thanks for reading and catch ya on the trail!

-Nicky D

Instagram:@nickyd358
Twitter: @nickyd358

Sponsors: SV Cyclesport, Specialized, Praxis Works, Gamut USA, Smith Optics, Hammer Nutrition, Monster Army, Stikrd, FOX, KRAWL Clothing.

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
Twitter: @nickyd358
Facebook: Nick DiNapoli

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. 

 Instagram: @nickyd358

Twitter: @nickyd358

Facebook: Nick DiNapoli

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!