The Downieville Traditional passed off over the weekend, and Katerina Nash cemented her standing because the Best Of All Time in that race together with her seventh All-Mountain victory. To be truthful, she had already achieved GOAT standing when she surpassed Carl Decker’s file of 5 victories together with her sixth All-Mountain win in 2023. This newest victory, nonetheless, steps it up a notch and will likely be much more troublesome for anybody to ever prime.
When you occurred to see Geoff Kabush’s bike verify article from yesterday, then you definitely’ve in all probability acquired a good suggestion what the Downieville Traditional is all about (if you happen to didn’t know already). When you missed that, you must give it a glance, however right here’s a fast rundown of what this distinctive occasion entails. The Downieville Traditional is a novel bike race and competition placed on by the Sierra Buttes Path Stewardship that is among the group’s largest fundraisers of the 12 months. It began in 1995 and has run almost yearly since, deservedly incomes a popularity for being one of many hardest and most enjoyable races within the U.S.
The 2 days of racing starty with a 26.5 mile level to level cross nation race with roughly 4,500 toes of climbing. The XC is its personal race, however riders who join the All-Mountain class line as much as race once more the following day. Day two consists of a 15-mile “downhill” with 5,000 vertical toes of descent that’s run in a time-trial format. Utilizing a factors system, the mixed outcomes from each days decide the All-Mountain winners. The catch? All-Mountain racers should race the identical bike each days, and there’s a weigh-in every morning to verify.
Including to the problem is the truth that these trails are tremendous tough, rocky, and really quick, plus it’s normally tremendous sizzling and dusty. To carry out effectively each days, riders should select a setup that’s gentle sufficient to be quick for XC however sturdy sufficient to resist the punishment these tough descents dish out. Having raced the Downieville All-Mountain six instances myself, I can inform that it’s not as simple as you would possibly suppose.
Mountain bike and cyclocross legend Katerina Nash isn’t any stranger to the rostrum. She’s topped it 7 instances on this occasion alone, and I’m fairly positive she’s been on it in each different look. To not point out her lengthy and tremendous profitable racing profession main up so far. Katerina is a five-time Olympian, having raced in cross-country snowboarding in 1998 and 2002, and mountain biking in 1996, 2012, and 2016. Right here’s a wild statistic to contemplate: she completed nineteenth within the mountain bike XC within the 1996 Olympics, after which, 20 years later, completed fifth in 2016.
Exterior of her Olympic appearances, Katerina is a extremely adorned cross-country and cyclocross racer. She took residence quite a few Czech Republic Nationwide Championship titles and was a pressure to be reckoned with in World Cup occasions in each disciplines for a few years. She stood on many World Cup XC podiums through the years, together with 1st place at Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2013. Apparently, that victory got here per week after her second Downieville win, and he or she advised me, “I believe this race is an ideal occasion to arrange for World Cup racing, and it actually helped me to be a greater technical rider.”
At 47 years outdated, Katerina has moved on from World Cups, however is sustaining a wholesome race calendar. Just like Geoff Kabush, she’s nonetheless racing at a really excessive stage and doing effectively, however her focus has shifted to enjoyable occasions that catch her curiosity. For instance, she took 2nd on the BC Bike Race earlier this 12 months. A type of different occasions occurs to be the Downieville Traditional. I’ve been crossing paths with Katerina at this race and different close by gravel occasions since 2016, and I can let you know she’s simply as quick — and good — as ever.
Katerina Nash’s S-Works Epic 8
Bike racing requires a number of health and ability to achieve success, however the All-mountain at Downieville requires an ideal bike setup, too. Katerina has been racing the occasion on and off since 2009 (I believe), so she’s acquired expertise on her facet, too. For context, when she began racing this occasion, 26-inch wheels have been nonetheless the one recreation on the town. As an elite-level bike racer, she’s additionally aware of the variations that selecting the best elements for the job could make, and it doesn’t harm that bikes and tools have by no means been higher.
Let’s check out the construct she rode to the XC, DH, and her seventh All-Mountain victories final week.
Katerina is at present driving a Specialised S-Works Epic 8 in a dimension small. She calls it Epic Snowflake, a reputation given after a late spring snowstorm in her hometown of Truckee, CA, earlier this 12 months. She says, “The Epic 8 is the quickest bike I’ve ever ridden at Downieville, and it makes me marvel what time I might set on this bike throughout my fittest years.”
The Epic 8 will get 120 mm of journey, and Katerina makes use of a Fox Float SL Manufacturing facility shock. That’s paired with a Fox 34 SL Manufacturing facility fork at 130 mm of journey. The Epic 8 is meant to be used with 120 or 130 mm of fork journey, and 130 mm is the plain selection for the tough Downieville descents. Katerina says, “the brand new fork is the explanation all the things felt so plush this season.” She’s additionally utilizing a 3-position handlebar distant for the shock and fork, to make damping changes on the fly.
Like Geoff’s bike, Katerina is working a full Shimano XTR group. That features the newest XTR Di2 wi-fi drivetrain and all of the related elements. She runs 165 mm cranks and makes use of a 34-tooth ring up entrance, paired with a 10-51 cassette. For brakes, she’s utilizing the brand new XTR 2-piston XC brakes with the usual XTR levers.
Katerina is aware of in addition to anybody {that a} flat tire can spoil your race run immediately, and tire setup is among the hardest items of the Downieville setup puzzle. She stated, “I went with larger tires this 12 months. August trails have been fairly beat up, and I had a sense these circumstances wouldn’t be good for record-breaking, so I arrange on the safer facet.” For her, that meant Maxxis Recon Race 2.4” tires entrance and rear with CushCore XC inserts. “My XC stress was 17.5 PSI entrance and 18.3 PSI rear tire. For DH, I went with 18.5 entrance and 19.5 rear tire.”
Katerina was additionally working the brand new Shimano XTR wheels, which she acquired solely a few days earlier than the race, however she says they “carried out effectively for me.” Katerina breaks the XTR mildew together with her selection of Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals. “As a real cross racer, I like these pedals and I solely use the Eggbeater 11 for racing.”
Past that, Katerina runs a light-weight Race Face Subsequent SL handlebar with vibrant orange file tread grips that match the Fox fork. Behind the bike, the Fox Switch SL Manufacturing facility helps maintain the load low and the Specialised Energy Mimic saddle the place it must be. Within the SWAT field have been a light-weight tube and a little bit money from some post-race ice cream in Downieville. Race weight ended up at 24 kilos on the nostril.
“I had a extremely easy run each days, and my bike did nice. The suspension was very balanced, though the little XC shock was undoubtedly heating up and dealing laborious. The height energy in my legs is not there, however the advances in bike/tire know-how are serving to me keep quick and related. My higher physique felt robust, and I had no downside ripping trails. A summer season of racing and driving in BC helped me deal with tough terrain.”
Staying quick certainly. Congrats in your seventh Downieville All-Mountain victory (and eighth DH win), Katerina. Hope to see you on the market once more subsequent 12 months.