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Duthie Hill Summer Solstice Race Training Series!

Simon Lawton — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:40:35 +0000

Hello Trail Rippers! Thanks to Diamondback, we are putting on a grass roots ‘enduro style dh’ race series in Duthie Hill Park on Wednesday evenings starting Wednesday May 30 and going 5 consecutive weeks until June 27. This is all about training for you racers, and all about learning to race if you are just getting started. We’ll have 5 different tracks over the five week series, with each race run being 2-3 minutes long. The tracks will be pretty straight up, so that riders can roll all terrain. We’ll be using trails like Bootcamp, Step it up, Movin’ on, Deuces etc. You will see some interesting trail combinations. There will be awards for the top 3 men and women in the Open category, and Cash for the top three Pro/Cash riders. We’ll crown the king and queen of Duthie hill after adding times together for all five races. Come to one, or save some money and sign up for the series!

2012 Whistler Camp Dates/Instructors

Simon Lawton — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:02:18 +0000

Fluidride will once again be offering multi-day riding camps in Whistler in the summer months of 2012. This is your opportunity to take your riding up a few levels under the watchful eyes of some of the best instructors in the industry. Katrina Strand, Claire Buchar, and Chris Kovarik along with others professional rider/instructors will join Fluidride Owner Simon Lawton in teaching in the mountain biking capital of the world! All of our instructors are professional riders with advanced instructional certifications. Check out more here: WHISTLER 2012

Simon Lawton Signs with Diamondback

Simon Lawton — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:01:02 +0000

As of the beginning of June 2011, I officially became a Diamondback DF5 Team Rider. Check out the video below to hear a bit more and see my DH steed!

Fluidride / Diamondback from Jan Balster on Vimeo.

Whistler Camps!

Simon Lawton — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:28:30 +0000

Katrina Strand

2011 Camp Dates have been posted, and camps have been selling fast!

Fluidride Whistler Camps are a great way to transform your riding in just 3 days with Simon Lawton and guest instructors, including Whistler Legend Katrina Strand, who is confirmed for camps A, B, and C.

More info on the camps can be found here

Fluidride 3 Day Enduro Video Posted

Simon Lawton — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:53:45 +0000

Practice changes as of 9.20 – Fluidride Finals Sept 24-26 Registration available on site

Simon Lawton — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:19:52 +0000

The Final Round of the 2010 Fluidride Cup Technical Downhill Series at Mt Hood’s Ski Bowl is just around the corner. Come out and ride one of the last races of 2010! We’ve changed the practice times a bit since the mountain will be open just for us! Here’s the Scoop…

On Site Registration: Ski Bowl Ski School Registration office – Ski Bowl Parking Lot

FRIDAY: 10:30am-4pm

SATURDAY: 10am-5pm

SUNDAY: 8:30-9:30am

Practice:

FRIDAY: 11am-4pm. All Categories.

SATURDAY: CAT 2/3 11am-2pm CAT 1/PRO 2-5pm.

SUNDAY: 9-10:15am Pro and Cat 1 Junior Qualifier at 11am with all other racing to follow

PURSES: Pro Men paid 10 deep with $300 minimum 1st place purse. Women paid 3 deep (pro only) with $150 minimum first place purse.

LODGING SPECIAL

COLLIN’S LAKE RESORT: Collin’s Lake Resort has a great deal going on their very large Chalet style houses about a half a mile from Ski Bowl. The places are really nice and HUGE. They are 3 stories, with 2-3 bedrooms and two bathrooms, full kitchen and living room. They also have large garages, so you can park inside, and still have plenty of room for working on bikes. There is also a washer and dryer in each unit. Pricing is $310 for two nights. These units are just across from Ski Bowl, in Government Camp, centrally locating you for the event. Call 503 928-3498 to book your spot.

We couldn’t make this happen without our sponsors, so be sure to support these great companies: FAT TIRE FARM, BIG TREE BIKES, CLIF BAR, LOEKA, BRASHER’S AUTO AUCTION, DAKINE, ALPINESTARS, EVIL BIKES, ARROW RACING, PINKBIKE, MAXXIS and BETTER LIFE HEALTH AND FITNESS.

We’ll see you there!

Fluidride Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro Results/Race Wrap Up

Simon Lawton — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:12:16 +0000

A week’s worth of rain and clouds all parted on Friday September 10th, for Stage 1 of the Fluidride Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro, giving racers access to some of the best ground conditions I can remember. The dirt was perfect, and the stage was set for a showdown between some of the best endurance descenders in the business.

Stage 1, started from the top of Magic Mile Chair over 1,000 feet above the highest road on Mt Hood. Riding from the 7,000′ level, riders dropped from sunshine, through clouds, and back into sunshine again, ending 20 minutes later on 39 Road, at 3,000′. Adam Craig (Rabobank/Gaint Off Road Team) got off to a good lead in Stage 1, setting a course record of 17:14. Nathan Riddle (SRAM/Rock Shox/Fluidride) who had chosen a bigger bike was 35 seconds back in second place, still sitting in striking distance of Craig with two “more fall line intensive tracks” to come on day 2 and 3. Jared Hobbs, Joel Armstrong, and Matthew Slaven (who took a hard fall in the stage) rounded out the top 5 for the day. In the Women’s division, Jaime Rees (The Bike Hub) added to her string of wins with yet another top placing in stage 1.

Stage 2 descended from 6,000′ to 4,000′ – a 2,000′ drop in about 6 minutes. Knowing Nathan Riddle was going to charge on this stage to make up time, Adam Craig kept his pace high, eventually going off line, and flatting after hitting a rock. “I just made a mistake, and got off line, and bam, I had a flat” said Craig who was basically out of contention after the flat. Nathan put in a time good enough for second place on the stage, just 5 seconds behind stage winner Matthew Slaven (Kona/Easton/Dakine) which put him in a comfortable position going into stage 3.

Stage 3 at Ski Bowl, was the shortest, but arguably the most technically challenging track of the weekend. Dropping 1400′ in about 5 minutes, this track is always demanding on both riders and their equipment. Nathan Riddle set out to do a good, but safe run, and ended up posting the fastest time of the day, with a 4:42, followed closely by Jared Hobbs (River City/Viso/Fox/Arrow) and Joel Armstrong (River City/Viso/Fox/Santa Cruz). In the end, Nathan ended up winning the Pro Men’s event, and the series, after winning the Dog River Event in May. Jamie Rees took the Women’s crown for the weekend, and the series.

Eirik Schultz (River City/Specialized) took the win in a very competitive Cat 1 30-39 category with wins on Stage 1 and 3.

Chris Bentley (mtnsidebikes.com/Fox/FSA/Michelin) won the Cat 1 40-49 event over Mike Estes (Cove/Dakine) and Barry Stockton (Transition Bikes/Discover Bicyles). Todd Olson (Brashers Auto Auction) rounded out the top 4, with a nice win on Stage 3.

The Women’s Cat 1 Event was won by Jacki Thornton, followed by Cherry Thomas, and Jennifer Everhard.

Thanks to all the racers who came out to enjoy the scenery, racing, and epic terrain Mt Hood has to offer. Big thanks also go out to Petr Kakes, Greg Aldrich, and the rest of the Hurricane Crew – to the US National Forestry Service – and to Steve Kruse and the crew at Timberline for keeping things running harmoniously on their end. Props also go out to Momentum Bikes in Sandy for their generous raffle donation.

Of course none of this would have ever been possible without the help of our sponsors. Be sure to support the fine companies who support NW racing! Look for a post race video to be posted soon.

Fluidride Enduro 2

Fluidride Enduro Overalls

Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro September 9-12/FREE LIFTS/Lodging Deals/Register online or on site

Simon Lawton — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:03:36 +0000

Hello Racers. The first annual Mt Hood 3 Day Enduro Downhill is just around the corner. We’ve updated a few things, so be sure to read below about Free Lift rides and awesome lodging deals for the event. We know it’s tough to have racing on a Friday, so we’ll be sure to get you to the starting line as long as you are preregistered and on Timberline’s Magic Mile Chairlift by 5pm Friday. Preregistration ends at midnight on Wednesday September 8th, so be sure to register before then to save the $10 late fee. All riders will be required to bring their filled out Timberline waiver from Ski Bowl Registration in order to get their pass at Timberline. Preregistered riders names will be left with Timberline in the event you cannot make it to Ski Bowl by 2pm. Just check in at the Timberline Lift purchase area.

Thursday September 9:

The Glade Trail will be open for practice via self shuttle. Just drive to Timberline Lodge and park, then ride past the lodge toward the Magic Mile Chairlift. The track will be open from this point (6,000′) on Thursday. The trail will be marked for practice, but IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so keep an eye out for people on the trail.

Friday September 10:

Registration: 9am-2pm at Ski Bowl in Government Camp. Show up and you are in! Plenty of room left. Registration includes lift tickets for Timberline and Ski Bowl.

Practice 10am-1:30pm. Riders will catch the shuttle in the Ski Bowl Parking Lot to Timberline. From the lodge, riders can catch the Magic Mile Chairlift (FREE LIFTS AT TIMBERLINE COURTESY OF FLUIDRIDE) to the base of Palmer Glacier (all day ticket 10am-5pm) for the new top section of the track. This section is all warp speed lunar looking fire road, and adds about 4 minutes of high speed action to last years track. Racing starts at 3pm, with Pro’s riding first. This track starts at 7,000′ and descends to 3,000′ in less than 20 minutes! There is a some pedaling in the bottom section of the track, so be sure to save some energy.

Fluidride Enduro DH #2 | Stage 1 | September 10, 2010 | Mt. Hood Timberline, OR from Fluidride on Vimeo.

Saturday September 11:

On Saturday, we’ll be racing the middle section of Friday’s track, starting at Timberline Lodge, and ending in Government Camp (no chairlift needed). This run is about 2,300 vertical feet with no real need to pedal at all and is all about pure speed. Racing starts at 11am. Shuttles will run from Ski Bowl starting just before 10am. There is no formal practice this day, but riders are welcome to drive themselves up for a practice run in the morning, then can catch the shuttle to the top for their race. There will be shuttles provided for riders to get their cars from Timberline at the end of the day.

After descending into Government Camp, we’ll have an afternoon party at The Ratskeler. There will be food specials and $2 PBR’s for racers looking to unwind after the first two days of racing. There is no formal practice for Sunday until Sunday morning.

Sunday September 12:

Location: Ski Bowl. Sunday’s race will be the shortest stage, starting at the top of Ski Bowl and ending at the lodge. This run is about 5 minutes in length, and descends about 1400′. This will be the most technical portion of the race. All riders will descend the same run, which will include sections of various Ski Bowl trails. This run will be slightly different in layout than our normal DH races. A full DH bike will still be the fastest on this track, but it will be able to be ridden on a smaller bike too. Petr from Hurricane Racing is paying for the lifts at Ski Bowl, so be sure to thank him for your pass when you see him. Practice 9-11am with Racing at 12pm. Awards directly following event. There will be cold Pilsner Urquell served in the Beerstube for only $1 after the race for those 21 and over. We’ll also be having a raffle at the race courtesy of Momentum Bikes in Sandy Oregon, which will include a Mountain Cycles Battery Slopestyle full suspension frame for one lucky winner. Check the bike out here.

Rules: RIDERS MUST WEAR FULL FACED HELMETS FOR ALL STAGES. Riders must ride the same frame and fork for all three stages, but may switch any other parts in between stages. The winner of the event will be decided by the fastest combined times over the three stages. Series winners will be decided by the fastest combined times from Dog River and the Mt Hood 3 Day Race.

GREAT LODGING DEALS:

WINDELL’S: Windell’s Ski and Snowboard Camp, located about 25 miles from Ski Bowl is offering an amazing deal for our racers. Bed’s (very nice shared bed rooms with separate living rooms with Flat Screen tv’s etc) are $15/nt Thursday- Saturday night. All you can eat breakfast is an additional $5. For those who haven’t been there, this is perhaps the ultimate playground. Riders staying Windell’s will have access to the areas world class dirt jump and park style areas for unlimited shredding. Call Tim Windell at 503.539.4445 to book your spot! Check out the goods at http://windells.com/. We’ll have the place pretty much to ourselves since they are in between seasons right now.

COLLIN’S LAKE RESORT: Collin’s Lake Resort has a great deal going on their very large Chalet style houses. The places are really nice and HUGE. They are 3 stories, with 2 bedrooms and two bathrooms, full kitchen and living room. They also have large garages in most, so you can park inside, and still have plenty of room for working on bikes. There is also a washer and dryer in each unit. Pricing is $310 for two nights. These units are just across from Ski Bowl, in Government Camp, centrally locating you for the event. Call 503 928-3498 to book your spot.

8 year old Zachary McCracken shows how it’s done!

Simon Lawton — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:57:43 +0000

I had a chance to work with long time NW ripper Jim McCracken and his son recently. We worked on corning and footwork, and even talked about using foot work to pull the bike across the trail off a jump. We worked specifically on the jump shown at second 23 in this video. Jim sent this video to me a week after the session to show how much Zachary had improved. Watch how he uses his right foot to transfer him to the left side of the trail off the jump at second 23. Amazing footwork at the age of 8…the sky is the limit for Zachary!

Fluidride Cup #3 Race Report – Sylvestri sets a new course record!

Simon Lawton — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:42:42 +0000

Blue skies and a full tilt track greeted riders at round 3 of the Fluidride Cup Technical Downhill Series. The top half of the mountain was open for the first time this year, bringing a riders a truly challenging track for every category with over 1400 feet of descent per run.

Sunday mornings race started off with the Evil Bikes Men’s Pro Qualifier, where Mikey Sylvestri (Specialized/All Ride) showed riders how it’s done by posting the fastest time ever on the track with a blazing 3:48. In the final, Sylvestri was again the fastest, posting another great run to take the win with a 3:49. Charlie Sponsel (Evil Bikes) came back from a slow qualifier due to a mechanical and some rough falls in practice to claim a hard earned and well deserved second place. Kyle Thomas (Evil Bikes) took home the bronze in the 15 rider Pro field.

In the Loeka Pro Women’s division, Jamie Reese (Bike Hub) backed up her win from the last round, with Chelsea Stevens (Bike Hub) taking the runner up spot. The Cat 1 Junior Men’s race was closely contested and very fast, with Adam Ransavage (Evil Bikes) taking his first major win over Brian Mullen (DropnZone, Transition) and Cole Wetherell (Project 529/Santa Cruz).

Round 4 of the Fluidride Cup Technical DH Series is scheduled for August 20-22nd. There will be full practice offered on BOTH Friday and Saturday. Originally, we were scheduled to have a long break during Saturday’s practice for a wedding, but now have the schedule sorted to allow a full weekend of riding. For those who haven’t been to Schweitzer before, come ready to ride. This track is going to be big and long, with over 2,000 vertical feet of descent per run. We’ll hope to see you there!

Complete Round 3 results Here: Copy of Fluidride Cup 3 Skibowl

Here is the Maxxis Post Race Video, produced by Andy Tran – Enjoy!