MBA WINS BIG BEARS EPICSEPT 11
MBA WINS BIG BEARS EPICSEPT 11
Tinker was not in our class but he was the first rider finish the race and was awarded the Overall State Endurance Championship. MBAs Eddie Arnet and Tinker were able to win the State Endurance 40-50 Championship title. The EPIC winners jersey is ours with little bears on it to prove it!
FREAKY BIG BEATER
In the weeks before the race, stormy weather had brought snow to Snow Summit. A forest fire started to ravage the hills that lead to Rim Nordic, and on to Big Bear. It will only burn after rain in So Cal. Hgwy was closed because of it. The main front access to Snow Summit is 330. To get to the Epic Start, you had to either take the side route from Redlands or the back through Lucerne Valley. Big Bear was a magical place for those who took the back road.
MARATHON FACTS
The course was completed to World Championship Marathon standards. The course covered 75 miles, exceeding the UCI’s distance limits. We started at the Whalers Pointe Lakeside Restaurant, just like last year. The pack rode west on Big Bear Blvd. and took a tour of the lakeside residential area before heading straight to the summit. We rode the sections of the Fall Classic as well as most of Am Cup 1 through the Snow Summit Resort. The Am Cup 10 cms Clarks Grade was next. This is a frighteningly fast 914.4 m thrill-ride down into Santa Ana River Valley. We then turned around and climbed Radford Truck Trail 914.4m back up to Snow Summit. The racers began climbing up the ridgeline about an hour later. We then headed west around the mountain to return to the resort for another loop on the Am Cup 1 course. Racers connected back to the AM 4 course by going in the opposite direction. They then dropped into Big Bear City at the top, finishing at Whalers Pointe. It took 4,114.8m of climbing, and 75 miles of some of the most beautiful, damp dirt.
WHY CAN’T YOU QUIT
Ed climbed Radford, but he kept going. MBA won the State Endurance Championship in class for his determination. This taught us an important lesson: No matter how difficult, steep, or long the climb, you can never give up! The Big Bear Epic was our dream come true.
EPIC EPILOGUE
The Epic was won by full suspension bikes. To win, we used a Specialized Epic. It was modified using Bebop pedals and Stans 1318g wheelset. It weighs in at 108kg. Tinker rode Scalpel Team equipped with Look pedals, Stans sealant, and aluminum rotors.
WEEKEND UPDATE
Rim Nordic XC Series Finale was cancelled due to the fire. It was rescheduled for October 5. Highway 330 should reopen for this weekend, as the fire has been put out. Sunday will be Am Cup 4. We’ll be racing the Epic 28-mile course. It’s a challenge for the Pros and Experts who have just completed the Epic Marathon. They will be racing the 28-mile Epic course down Clarks, and then attempting the Radford climb once more in a week. High 80 degree temperatures are predicted. This is the best forecast.
Contact Team Big Bear at 866-4565 or www.teambigbear.com. Rim Nordic can be reached at 867-2600 or www.rimnordic.com We hope to see you there
TEN FASTEST EPIC75 RIDERS
Tinker Juarez40-49Siemans-Cannondale Matt Freeman30-39Canyon Velo Cliff Clermont30-39Trek SD Tony ManzellaSng SpdHelens Darby Fultz30-39Mission Cycle John Cline30-39Ape Racing Greg Norman30-39SuperGo Jeff Sullivan30-39Trek SD John Meissner30-39Unicell Greg Alexander30-39Bike Jammer Other State Epic Champion winners:
19-29 Aaron GibbsBike Jammer40-49 Eddie ArnetMBA 60+ Cal Burgart 50-60: Richard BunckThe Outer Women 30-39 Mindi Hoffmaster Women40-49 Suzanne DavisThe Outside1
