[stew]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out with some info on the Sea Otter Downhill course. I have heard it is tame compared to other DH courses. I have never raced DH before so I figure it would be a nice start. I have raced XC many times and would like to try a DH race. I race sport XC and would race beginner DH. I have a Titus Quasi Moto with 6" in rear and a Pike in front. Will this bike work? I have decent DH technical ability. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[sriracha]

I have a Titus Quasi Moto with 6" in rear and a Pike in front. Will this bike work?

yes.
the trails in fort ord / laguna seca are pretty tame. not steep.
any technical difficulties would be man made.

 

[stew]

Any course info would be cool too. I saw that the beginners and sport were around 3 minutes. I realize that they may change the course yearly. I have raced XC there 3 times and have never made it over to check out the DH course. Sad.

 

[Scarpa]

I am thinking of racing in the beg. hardtail class next year myself. Never raced a bike before.. ever. I just like to go fast and like competition.

Course description says there are jumps, I'm assuming for beginner class at least they are all rollable?

 

[RockgardnTom]

Yes, the Sea Otter is a good first DH race. The course is tame and has some pedal sections in it (one of which is slightly uphill). I dont know about your bike but Im sure you could pull it off. Last years course had some drops in it (ladder style) but the word is they are removing them because of complaints (figures). A bunch of the pros used light bikes and did well. Also, all of the man made stunts have "go-arounds" so you can skip them all together if you want.

All of the jumps were table top style and rollable. Only one of the jumps towards the end was a gap jump/hip style jump...im pretty sure you could go around that as well.

I know that i have seen a full video of the course via some dudes helmet cam...im sure if you dig a bit you can find it somewhere.

With XC experience you should actually be good because of the pedal time involved.

-Tom

 

[coma13]

I think I might race that. I'll probably be up there for Rogue promotional purposes but I'd like to race 4X and DH (as beginner as possible of course) cuz I've never raced a mountain bike before. I used to race bmx recreationally from about 10-12 years old, and by recreationally I mean that I got last every time. hahaha.

 

[dogonfr]

No prob your Titus is well suited for the Otter. As pointed out most of the Pros race their 6-7 inch travel bikes with single crown fork. Since you have XC experiance you'll have a blast !

 

[MorphineAddict]

It's a really easy course. There's a lot of sandy areas, a few off camber parts, and nothing very steep. At the top, there's 3 good sized doubles, and a man made ladder drop. also, there's a really fun step up to a sharp left burm. There's on "G out" in the middle of the course, and (last year) there was another ladder drop towards the bottm.

It's a really fun course, but nothing too crazy. Hope that helped.

 

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

bring a very light dh bike.....almost very solid XC bike

 

[stew]

Thanks for the help. I'm ready to giver a go.

 

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

Thanks for the help. I'm ready to giver a go.

you will have a blast...rent your room now...usually gets sold out

 

[VA2SLOride]

I'm going to be doing that as well....beg. DH, that is. I've only raced once before, and it was XC...but I'm up for the challenge. From what I've seen and as everyone else here has said, it's pretty tame. Should be a good time.....got my camping spot early.

 

[X-Vert]

Raced the past 4 years.

Last year's course was the best course so far. Best flow and most fun. Too bad they're lossing the ladders. But don't quote them yet. Maybe last year's course builder dhTahoe(sp) will lend his creativity again.

I agree with everyone, it is pretty easy and only gets harder the faster you want to go. Get lots of practice time and relax you'll have a great time!

Think I'll just spectate this year. I want to race @ CMC!!!

 

[Raptordude]

I raced the Sea Otter the past 2 years and loved each one. The 2005 Course was a blast and a lot of fun. I actually did pretty well in my class and got a good time. My race was pretty good too.

As for the course it can be hit on a wide variety of bikes. My bike is the PERFECT Sea Otter bike in my opinion. The course does involve a lot of pedaling and the lower section may catch you off guard. About 99% of the jumps are rollable...last years Ski Jump was debatable if you could "roll it" the first day of practice. (The side eventually turned into a wall ride).

It seems we get more and more racers each year for the Sea Otter DH. I hope this years will be better than ever! Its a great place to ride, have fun, and make new friends.

 

[Tracerboy]

i was also thinking of racing DH. its going to be a very different type of course then my local trails. my m1 is a beast so the real lighter bikes will most likely be more fit for the course