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10/11/2008
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Day 2 and a Rainout on 3
The dry streak is over
Words and photos Cam McRae
Click images to enlarge
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I had hear tales of terrible Sea Otter weather but until this year I'd been
charmed. I've been here every second year since 2001 and this is the first
time I've had bad weather. I now believe the tales of horizontal rain
and chilling temps after experiencing them myself today. While I was huddled
behind a wall for shelter (since the rain was falling sideways a roof was no
help) I noticed a group of women racing around the Laguna Seca road circuit.
Buddy, who was also waiting out the worst of the storm said "and they've
got 17 laps go."
Dave from Race Face had to dig some irrigation ditches to dry
out their booth.
As I walked toward the event there was an exodus with the opposite intention.
Screaming kids, shirtless adults down to barefeet after being completely soaked
and a general sense of dismay because of Mother nature's untimely betrayal.
I soldiered on but after seeing several booths literally awash, bailing out
seemed like the best option.
Cam McCaul x-up off the drop-in while Lance McDermott checks
Cam's speed.
Fortunately Friday was bluebird and in the morning there was little wind to
hamper the dirt jumpers. If you remember my comment about dirt jumping
(Slopestyle's poor, boring cousin I called it I believe) I will eat my humble
pie and say that as dirt jumps go these ones are fricking cool. The take-offs
are all wood - eliminating the sculpting and guess work that is usually a prelude
to events like this - and the landings are massive, perfectly sculpted precision
wedges. Did I mention they are huge? The take off ramp to step-down is a first
as far as I know and in order to make the four pack you need to nail it.
John Cowan gets credit for putting together a set of dirt piles worthy of this
world-class field.
Lluis Lacondeguy turns one around on the last jump.
The first to get comfortable were the brothers Ladondeguy. Kyle Strait
- sporting 20 lbs of extra winter flesh - was taking his time, throwing slow,
smooth moto whips, while Andrew and Lluis were flipping, tail-whipping and spinning
from the get go.
Andreu Lacondeguy's Superman's are sublime.
In the afternoon the wind got cranking again and the jumping was done for the
day. On Saturday there was no jumping at all because of the nasty weather
so hopefully today (Sunday) things will get rolling once again and we'll see
some tricks worthy of the ample hangtime these jumps supply.
The Rock Shox Vivid rear shock.
Next on the agenda was lunch and a product presentation by SRAM. A chance
to see refinements of their growing product line as well as anything new that's
coming down the pipe. The most interesting product for those of us who aspire
to go fast down hill is a new coil spring rear shock. Priorities were
durability, serviceability, and the elimination of non-essential controls.
This leaves what Rock Shox calls Dual Flow Adjust rebound - independent adjustment
for beginning and ending stroke rebound and low speed compression. There
is also a user-changeable bottom out bumper system (Interchangeable Drop Stop)
and each shock will come with three bumpers with different hardnesses.
Steve Peat and Nathan Rennie have been running these for some time now and this
is actually the resurrection of a product that was in development several years
ago.
Avid's Code brakes shed 60 grams.
Avid's Code brakes have been very well received with one exception: they
were a little portly for the increasingly weight conscious DH set. By employing
a magnesium lever body and lighter hardward they claim to have shaved 60grams
per wheel. Avid brakes also now specify DOT 5.1 fluid because of its
higher boiling point (up to three times higher than DOT 4 in their tests).
There is also now a price point Code - the Code 5. A simplified lever without
pad contact adjustments shaves some dollars and they are about the same weight
as their big brother. The Juicy brakes also get some refinements aimed at
weight reduction.
The XO derailleur gets a combination aluminum/carbon cage and
20th anniversary markings
Steve Peat's V10 with a carbon link plate and custom paint.
All Rock Shox athletes get custom fork colours if they win a
major title. Cam Zink got a fancy painted Lyric after taking Crankworx
and Peaty got these one-off stickers for his World Cup overall title.
That'll have to do for the moment. I'm off to Laguna Seca to check out
the pro downhill and to see more people and product - and the weather looks
perfect. Hopefully we'll see some epic jumping as well. On Monday
and Tuesday I'll be hanging around Monterey and Santa Cruz with the folks from
Fox Shox, Giro and Santa Cruz bikes to do some riding , check out the facilities
and to give you the DL on their new stuff.
If you are looking for info and shots from the dual you are out of luck.
By the time I left the site, looking like a drowned rat, it didn't look like
it would go off. The weather dried out some, Mick Hannah beat Jared Graves
in the final and by all accounts the course was tacky and perfect.
Click here for more info on Sea
Otter at Laguna Seca -. Cam McRae
Comments about Sea Otter or my report?
Here's the place.
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