Pilgrimage to the Classic

I am currently traveling at 447 miles per hour at an elevation of 35,933 feet on my way to the Sea Otter Classic in California. I have literally been awaiting my return to this festival since the day I left it back in 2010. Last year’s Classic was literally the highlight of my mountain biking career up to that point, and I have high hopes that SOC 2011 can rival it!

Sea Otter is the perfect mountain bike vacation. The cares and responsibilities of work and school fade into the background and the perfection of two wheels and dirt are allowed to consume your thoughts, conversations, and activities for 3-4 days in a row.

During most other mountain bike trips, I’ve found that I can only ride for so much of the day. Maybe it’s 1/2 day of riding or even 2/3, but inevitably you have to find something else to fill the rest of your time with. At Sea Otter, that time is easily filled for you… and it is filled by biking! Once you’ve worked your legs to the bone, you’re free to roam the venue and ogle new components and rides and dream about a new carbon-fiber speed demon. There are races to watch, people to talk to, great food to eat, and more bikes to ride, if you still have it in you….

Possibly the only thing that I don’t enjoy is the jet lag. I don’t arrive in Monterey until about 9:30 PM Pacific time, which translates to 12:30 AM Eastern. Luckily, my sleep patterns at home have been pretty screwy, and I recently haven’t been able to get to sleep until midnight or later. Maybe things will be perfectly natural on California time? We’ll see…

Tomorrow can’t get here soon enough. I’m ready to ride some new bikes!