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This Saturday we will host a barbecue to toast the end of the 2 week open window of the 2021 East Bay Dirt Classic. We welcome all vaccinated competitors to join us. There will be burgers (meat and veggie), hot dogs, good beer and non-alcoholic beverages served. There is a pool as well so please bring a towel and swim suit if so inclined as the temperatures will be in the low 80s.

We will be presenting prizes from our sponsors to top finishers and raffle winners (raffle tickets are available to those who contributed money in addition to their registration fee). We will also be handing out the 2021 East Bay Dirt Classic t-shirts to those on site (for those unable to attend, we will send out a further message about where to pick them up).

All rides need to be completed by 1 pm on Saturday October 16th to be added to the leaderboard and considered for prizes.

Barbecue Details:

Address: 5656 Weaver Place, Oakland, CA, 94619 (This is close to the official start and end of the course). Please park along Skyline Blvd, NOT on Weaver Place.

Time: Doors open for barbecue at 12 PM. Food beginning between 12:30/1. Prize announcements at 2 pm. (For those riding the course this Saturday, there will be no one available at the barbecue site the morning of the event unlike in prior years with mass starts).

Enjoy the final days of riding! We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday.

With beautiful weather this past weekend there was little surprise that folks came out to test their mettle on the new course. For unknown reasons (everyone competing at Sea Otter or watching the Falcons top the Jets at Tottenham Hotspur?) no one logged a ride on Sunday October 10th. But on Friday the 8th, John G turned out a blistering time of 41:19 to take the top step from Kenny G by over a minute. On Saturday Tom Bliska turned out an impressive ride to notch into 3rd overall. There were a few more rides today including Ian Myjer’s which notched him into 6th overall. With less than one week to go, I predict a few Sea Otter competitors will be taking a swing in the next few days and some will be going for a second attempt having ridden the course once now.

On the QOM side, Bay Area favorite Clarice Sayle went for it on a single speed (whaaaaaaaat?)… For anyone who has ridden Snake’s Slither, they can attest to just how brutal that would be. But as those fortunate enough to know Clarence can tell you, there is no challenge too great for her. She held the sole (soul?) spot on the female podium until today when Maddy Gill blazed the course in 48:27 which placed her into 1st in the QOM hunt and 9th overall.

Check the standings here for KOM, QOM and most recent rides!

The junior podium is still wide open (or as far as I know it is) as none of the young guns have taken a whack at the course as of yet. Which means the custom Jakroo jerseys are still up for grabs. We may need to make the junior category “under 50” this year.

One final note, many have had trouble losing their way on the course which has been a perennial problem. Fortunately, as long as competitors can keep on course for the segments, their times should not be negatively effected. I would encourage all to preview the course on Strava closely and some successful riders have told me they downloaded the course and “starred” the segments and then used “Strava Live Segments” to help ensure they were on course. I hope that helps.

Good luck in the closing week and we hope to see as many of you as are able to make it at the post-event barbecue and award presentation this Saturday, October 16th.

Thank you all for working to support the Alameda County Community Food Bank!

The weather was sunny and maybe a little hot for some of the exposed segments on the course. We expected to see decreasing times through the weekend as competitors tried to best the times of their predecessors, but day one found Kenny Owen in the driver seat, throwing down the fastest time of the weekend. Kenny turned out a 42:32 on his full suspension rig. Sunday saw C510’s Jordan Gudebski notching into 2nd with a time of 44:11 and David Beaulieu slotting into 3rd with a composite time of 47:35 despite a missed turn and contending with some oppressive heat.

The thing about a virtual leaderboard is we all know there are some desperados out there biding their time and plotting to storm the course and claim the buckle. Looking forward to sitting back with a cold Almanac or East Brother’s beer and seeing how this all plays out. Speaking of which, both breweries are donating beer to competitors of the 2021 East Bay Dirt Classic, so some lucky participants will be in the same position as me in a couple of weeks. And thanks to Jakroo cycling apparel company, the top male and female juniors (18 and under) this year will receive custom East Bay Dirt Classic jerseys! Our sponsors have really gone all out this year in support of the event and ultimately the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

This week will bring cooler temperatures with some clouds and highs in the 60s with sun and low 70s on tap for the weekend. The women’s field is still wide open as we wait with anticipation to see if Kristen V and some of the other podium contenders return to the course.

Good luck out there and thank you!