Why Building XC Race Courses Isn't for the Faint of Heart
Under the umbrella of trail building, there are a wide variety of trails that get built. Most often, when we hear or think of the words “trail building,” our minds are flooded with images ranging from a UCI DH course to the recent Redbull Hardline in Tasmania or even the Redbull Rampage in Utah. We think of massive berms, tabletops, enormous jumps, and lots of flow. But have you ever thought about what it takes to build and maintain an XC race course?
Again, you say the words “XC race course,” and all kinds of images come to mind. What kind of XC race is it? I recently saw a video pop up in my Instagram feed of an XC race in California with a decent-sized jump thrown in. So even “XC” has a lot of wiggle room for a clear understanding of what it is.
I spend a lot of weekends with trail-building crews. It seems that most trails being built are either black or “spicy” blue. Besides, those are the fun trails to work on, right? Who wants to build a green line that meanders?
This all sets the background of attending another year of the Echo Red 2 Red XC mountain bike race in the small town of Echo, Oregon. I was last there two years ago and wrote about it then (“Trail Building and XC Racing in Eastern Oregon”). XC races fascinate me because I live in a world of enduro trails and long-travel bikes. While I used to ride a single-speed XC bike back in the day, since moving to the PNW, I swapped bikes with something bigger, beefier, and heavier.
Another reason why races interest me is related to the broader conversation of the economic impact of trails on a community. Regarding this topic, I’m personally not interested in the Bentonvilles of the world (or Sedona, Moab, Whistler, etc.). Instead, small towns like Echo interest me. Races like the Echo Red 2 Red make a noticeable and tangible impact. This weekend, I’ll be attending another XC race, but this time, it is the Verde Valley Rally in Arizona to take photos, make connections, and work on content for this magazine. But let’s get back to the topic that relates to the title of this article …
I spent most of the Echo Red 2 Red XC race on the course at a point in the trail system where multiple trails merge and intersect. There, I was camped out with my cameras standing, sitting, and sometimes lying down to capture photos. I had an upfront and intimate perspective of the trail. I would sit and look at the trails between packs of racers. I thought about all it took to maintain these trails from year to year. While this trail system doesn’t have features we’ve come to associate with gravity-fed trails, there is still an art and science to it all. How do you build a trail that is challenging and interesting? Not to mention factoring in water run-off and more.
The goal of this article isn’t to get into the specifics of trail building and the difference between DH, enduro, and XC trails. Instead, I want to throw some love to the XC world. More than that, there’s the admission that regardless of what the trail is designated for or even the level at which it is rated, it does take planning, intentionality, and, of course, maintenance to ensure the trail is suited for the proper use. That would seem like the greatest challenge, and that’s why I mentioned it’s not for the faint of heart. Sure, some may contend that there’s not much that goes into XC trails, but that’s simply not true.
How do you ensure you’re building a trail for the intended users? I think that’s why, locally, I see most trails being built as either blacks or “spicy” blues because, ultimately, that’s what builders want. They’ll also be riding those same trails with their friends, rightly so. However, to grow our sport, we must continue to be mindful of building a variety of trails for different riding styles. Yes, let’s continue to build gnarly trails that only a select few are skilled enough to ride, and at the same time, let’s continue to build trails that those who like to pedal a lot will enjoy. By the way, these are also great trails to introduce new riders to.
I’ve been at fault for taking newer riders down spicy blue trails only to see them flip over their handlebars. There’s an art to building XC trails that are fast, fun, and interesting. I’m grateful for the work of Brian Cimmiyotti of Scott’s Cycle and Sports (and race organizer of the Echo Red 2 Red) and his crew of volunteers who put on a great event and keep those trails up. May we continue to build more XC trails …
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
