Anyone ever been to SeaOtter Classic? What was your experience?
I have raced at the Sea Otter Classic for the last two years. Being able to race at Laguna Seca is unreal. It is a great kick off to the road and mountain bike season. Lars from Softride left yesterday for the venue and is racing pro mountain cross, dual slalom, and downhill.
- Adam
Which race were you in?
What did you think of the vendors?
I ahve done it the last few years. I think I have race reports on my website about it.
Hardest RR I have done. I usually make it more than 4mi into the race before being shot out the back 
Very competitive down there, but a great weekend.
Racing on the track is sweet if you have ever driven on it or just watched a race on there. Advice for the circiut race, take the outside up the hill, it is not as steep and save engery.
I’ve raced there the last 4 years. It awesome and has alot of fenders with alot of great stuuf. I race the road race and circuit race on the track, and also do the MTB cross country on sunday. There’s alot of people and it can get crouded out there on the sunday MTB race. But overall just awesome.
Did it for four or five years. Did XC, XC Short course, and road race. It’s a circus. Worth going to a few times with friends for a party. the vendors things are kinda neat but after the internets one can see more without spending the time to go down there. The XC is not worth doing unless you’re in the top ten, there’s usually 150+ competitors in each men’s field and here’s a hole shot on top of the first hill after the start with a single track descent so you get to walk a lot in back even if you make the hole shot ( cause people wreck in the previous field or the few people in front of you wreck and there’s no where to go). Sandbaggers galore since winning times for each group is almost exactly the same.
Races very expensive compared to other events, race results snafus abound since they depend on timing chips, a couple of years in a row ended up waiting 45 minutes in line to pick up number when I preregistered so stopped going. Closed course on road race is nice. Road race course challenging - climbers only need apply. Circuit race non climbers can contend but still hard.
I have raced and worked sea otter a few times. I raced the road races and have worked tech support for Mavic(riding on the back of the lead-motor doing wheel changes for the pro-men and pro-women.).
Coming through the cork-screw on a road bike is incredible!!! We would go from about 20 to 50+ mph in a few seconds… what a feeling(just gotta be careful of the oil slicks that the race cars leave behind)…
Its a great event to check out. There are some good vantage points to catch the pros in action… (I always like to watch the pros do the shortrack-xc)
On a somewhat off-topic experience there… In 98’, the race car driving school was offering “Hot Laps” with the driving instructors!!! I had a chance to do about 6 laps with a professional race car driver at the helm… it was incredible to be strapped in with full leathers and helmet… while taking the hairpins at 100 mph and getting alittle airborne going through the cork-screw!!! Man o man, those guys are incredible!!!
All in all though, it is a cool event to be able to check out vendors, pro/am racing, etc… (just attend when it is not raining!!!)
Like every year, I am at the Sea Otter race to work for our company. We have our dreambiketour truck here and let people demo our bikes. We have lots of road bikes, including a few womens specific ones here at Sea otter plus a nice selection of mountain bikes, but unfortunately though we only a 3 tri bikes to play with here.
Usually it is great here with lots of vendors, actually unlike IM North America they have 140 vendors, 50 team support vehicles and a slew of sponsor setups. It is like a mini trade show.
It is usually cold here so bring some warm clothes.
Herbert
Litespeed/QR/Merlin