The upcoming Otter

[MountainandRoad]

I've never ridden this course, but would like to do the race this April coming up, and was wondering if the route is open and accessible for riding outside of the scheduled event, and do any of you go to Monterey to pre-ride the course and months prior to the race, as a training aid?

[Irulan]

http://www.seaotterclassic.com/

[Adventure Girl]

I'm assuming you're referring to the Sea Otter Classic cross country mountain bike race. The past 7 or 8 years or so have used basically the same course with a few changes here or there. About 95% of the course was open to the public (mostly on BLM land).

But for 2006 they have announced that it will be a brand new course, but the map has not yet been made available. Even once the map is released, beware! The maps in the past have been very poor! If you followed the old maps, you would most likely get lost! They showed trails connecting that didn't intersect in real life!

Keep watching at the link that Irulan posted. More information should be posted there "soon".

[Deanna]

I'm not sure where the course takes you, but Fort Ord around Laguna Seca is largely public land now. I believe most of it is open for riding except for any part of the raceway and areas that are closed due to the possibility of "unexploded ordinance" (those are marked).

[MountainandRoad]

Wow Penny, you've got quite a life! I checked out your page, pretty kewl (and inspiring) life you've got... and I do a bit of repair business myself. check out my site, you may know someone who needs my service...its expresswetsuit.com (not sure I can say this on here, but I couldn't figure out where or how to put a profile on this site... The thing I really need to learn before the Otter, is how to ride with cleats, not to mention better hill climbing technique, since I hear there are a lot of LONG hills in the course. I'd be doing the single loop XC course, in the women's 50+ category. I'll be 54 one month after the race this april...I've tried the cleat thing exactly one time, and it was a disaster. I spent about an hour and a half just falling down, couldn't get my feet out! I've since been told to cut out some of the rubber on the bottom of my shoes so the cleats release more easily, but this rubber is more like krptonite, and nothing seems to cut through it. I got Sidi dominator mtb shoes, but I use some funky other ones now that are just low top hiking shoes, until I can figure out how to modify the shoes so the cleat clears more easily when I twist my foot to get out.

[Lise]

Wow Penny, you've got quite a life! I checked out your page, pretty kewl (and inspiring) life you've got...

Penny, I agree! What a fascinating and fulfilling life. Really inspiring. I love knowing that there are women out there doing these vibrant, full-life adventures. And sewing, at that! How wonderful. I'm glad to know that you're raising two young men to love life and the Earth, not to mention to respect women as they do their mom.

I must tell you, though, that the best part of your web page was the little penny spinning at the bottom. Isaac, my orange tabby cat, always sits right next to the computer when I'm working. Sometimes he sits on the mouse, which can be a bit of a technical difficulty... This morning he is next to the keyboard, parallel to the screen. He saw the penny, and twisted his head around to watch it, looked around the back of the computer to try to see it from a different angle, patted the screen a couple of times to try to catch it. I kept the page up after I was done reading, until he was done playing with the penny. Thanks!

[Adventure Girl]

I'd be doing the single loop XC course, in the women's 50+ category.

That's a tough class! There are some really fast 50+ women out there! And the over-50's are all in one class (beginner, sport and expert).

I hear there are a lot of LONG hills in the course.

On the old course there was really only one long climb. There was a 3 mile fire road climb at the end of the course. The old course was about 18 to 20 miles with about 2,500 feet of climbing.

I've tried the cleat thing exactly one time, and it was a disaster. I spent about an hour and a half just falling down, couldn't get my feet out!

I assume you're talking about clipless pedals. Try a search on this forum for "clipless". This has been discussed many times. There are lots of tips posted about types of clips and how to adjust them.

[SadieKate]

I've since been told to cut out some of the rubber on the bottom of my shoes so the cleats release more easily, but this rubber is more like krptonite, and nothing seems to cut through it.

You know someone with a Dremel tool? Cuts/grinds shoe soles like butter.

[Trekhawk]

Wow Penny, you've got quite a life! I checked out your page, pretty kewl (and inspiring) life you've got... and I do a bit of repair business myself. check out my site, you may know someone who needs my service...its expresswetsuit.com (not sure I can say this on here, but I couldn't figure out where or how to put a profile on this site... The thing I really need to learn before the Otter, is how to ride with cleats, not to mention better hill climbing technique, since I hear there are a lot of LONG hills in the course. I'd be doing the single loop XC course, in the women's 50+ category. I'll be 54 one month after the race this april...I've tried the cleat thing exactly one time, and it was a disaster. I spent about an hour and a half just falling down, couldn't get my feet out! I've since been told to cut out some of the rubber on the bottom of my shoes so the cleats release more easily, but this rubber is more like krptonite, and nothing seems to cut through it. I got Sidi dominator mtb shoes, but I use some funky other ones now that are just low top hiking shoes, until I can figure out how to modify the shoes so the cleat clears more easily when I twist my foot to get out.

What sort of pedals are you using?

The reason I ask is because I have Sidi Dominators with egg beater pedals and they are the easiest thing around to get in and out of. I have not had to modify my shoes at all. I would say from my little experience with pedals (newbie roadie here and super newbie to MTB) they are the easiest to use yet.

[SadieKate]

Trek, I agree that Eggbeaters are super easy but I had to modify my Dominators. It may be a factor of my petite tootsie size (euro 38) .

[Trekhawk]

Trek, I agree that Eggbeaters are super easy but I had to modify my Dominators. It may be a factor of my petite tootsie size (euro 38) .

Oooh that is small mine are 41. Never thought about shoe size having an effect - see you learn something new everyday.

Trek - glad she didnt have to carve up her oh so pretty Dominators - Hawk.

PS when I got my new MTB hubby said cant you just use your Sidi Road shoes for a while (eggbeaters will actually clip into my Quattro cleats)? Yehh right like thats going to happen - WHAT was he thinking??? Girl - new bike - must have new Sidi shoes to match.