Its time to sign up. Registration for the Third Annual Big Sandy Point to Point Mountain Bike Race is now open.

Register online Now.  
We love online registration so much, we are paying the service fee. Register before March 1st when the price goes up $5.00.

Or visit the udated website  to download a registration form.

Our little race is starting to get recognized as a must do California Race. In order to maintain the level of quality the event is know for, we have decided to limit the field size to 300. Register early and secure your place in one of the best mountain bike events you will race this year.

We added a few new categories this year.

To celebrate CCORC's Twentieth Anniversary we created a vintage class. Race on a bike that is twenty years old or older.

And we broke out the Cat 2/Sport Long Course into 34 and Under and 35 +.

bigsandyrace.com

March 2010

A Case of The Keyeseville Crazies

Man time, mobile man cave, and mountain bikes. If needed, I would fight to defend these things with like sticks, shanks, brass knuckles, numchucks or the bow staff as needed.  The mobile man cave etc is also essential to my Keyesville Classic racing experience. Keyesville Classic race is one you should not miss.

Every year for the last seven years, I have escaped the prison of work and feminine dominance to live up my life to the Testemax.  It usually starts out Friday afternoon before the race.  My collar gets unbuttoned, and the tie is loosened; by the end of the weekend I have thrown off my chains and find myself covered in grease and walking around in my warrior gear aka nothing but a loincloth of uncooked bacon. Not to fear, the process is both miraculous and necessary to the Keyesville experience.

If by now you have decided that I am just some stupid chauvinistic guy charged up on Testemax, you are mostly correct.  It is part of my therapy for being raised in a family of five sisters and being married to a pussy whipper, a title my wife wears proudly.   Back to racing and bikes now.  What makes Keyesville so special is the camping experience, in which clans are formed and bonds are strengthened. I camp out every year with the same group of guys – we have been going to Keyesville for the last seven years.  Look for the 101^st Airborne and POW flags that will lead you to our site.  If the sun is down, follow the smell of bacon grease mixed in with some homegrown. 

Camping is an escape from work, stress, and cautions.  Throw your cautions to the wind as you happily sip on your first beer at 10 a.m. while watching the Downhill racers careen down the course.   You’ll be thoroughly inebriated by noon, making the trials event seem that much more dramatic.  Allow yourself some time for an afternoon siesta followed by a short-track race you can participate in, which will sober you up long enough to get ready for the poker ride at night.  Cap off your first day at Keyesville with a relaxed evening by the fire, more gluttonous eating, liberal doses of bacon grease, and of course, more barley based beverages.

Headlining the Keyesville race is a 22 mile cross country race through the beautiful Kern River Valley.  Absolutely no alcohol is tolerated in my preparation for this momentous event.  My breakfast consists of a strict regimen: pancakes, more bacon, half a dozen eggs, followed by (for medicinal purposes only) 2 Sierra Nevadas.  The race starts at a hectic pace, and never slows down.  You have everything in this course: long climbs, fast switchbacks, screaming descents, and an enthusiastic crowd cheering you on.  When you finish, treat yourself to a fresh frothy cold one, compliments of Kern Valley Brewing Company to every racer over 21.  Obviously, this race has no downsides.  OK, maybe one, you might have way too much fun and pay for it on Monday.

Enough of my crazed exaggerations and tall tells from Keyesville. The simple truth is the race weekend is filled with unique opportunities to enjoy life both on and off the bike. There is something for everyone and a strong likelihood that you will go home a Keyesville junkie.

Gary

March and some girl named Big Sandy

 Well after a great series of cyclocross racing last fall, it's now time for CCORC to shift gears into its spring event. The Big Sandy Point to Point Mountain Bike Race. This is a race that has grown leaps and bounds in only a few years of its own existence. Credit that to the hard work and constant planning CCORC members have done to ensure the race stays fun and challenging for all who participate. With only a few more weeks before SHE arrives, there is no better time to get out there and enjoy the amazing SJRT. With the weather we have had lately the riding conditions are ideal for just about everyone who rides.

 This years event is shaping up to be the best to date. The course itself will not let anyone down. There is so much to see that even when your gasping for air, (at least when I gasp for air) you can't help but notice how beautiful the scenery is in our own backyard. Rain has provided us with green landscapes and the blooming of  some great looking wild flowers.  With all of the snow we have had, there may be some river sightings flowing higher than you might expect as well.

 Along with all of the amazing local bike shops that help support this race, CCORC is proud to have New Belgium come aboard this year to help make this race an unforgettable event. Not to mention the beer will ROCK!!! Todd Dudley and the folks at New Belgium are true to their word and are in full support of CCORC and cycling here in the central valley. We thank them, and all our sponsors for making this event bigger and better each year.

 We are also thankful to MEMBER for volunteering to play at the race and bring some good music for everyone to enjoy. Where's my bandanas and parachute pants?

 With so much going, now is the best time to join CCORC and help support trail advocacy, riding, friendship, and, as Daniel said,  the appreciation of some good cold beer! This is a great way to meet other gear heads and share the love of the two wheeled beast we like to call a mountain bike. Hope to see you all at the race and thanks again to all who have helped plan, support, promote, and most imoprtant appreciate what this race means to us and the valley. We truely do have one of the best races in the state!

Until Soon....Mark

When choosing a ride, please do not attempt rides significantly beyond your level of experience. Your presence may hinder other riders and you may injure yourself trying to keep up. CCORC encourages advancement, but we don’t want you to become discouraged by biting off more than you can chew. If in doubt, err on the conservative side and call the ride leaders for their opinions of ride difficulty.