It’s no ride in the park. In fact, only the hardest of the hard core, true lunatics to outsiders, will even attempt what must be among the most grueling challenges on two wheels out there. And it’s this weekend in Trinity County.
Held previously in Italy, Australia and Scotland, the World Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike Championships get underway at noon Saturday in downtown Weaverville. And about 150 of the world’s toughest hammerheads are descending on the region.
Vic Armijo is organizing the overnight event for the Australia-based World Endurance Mountain Bike Organisation.
“We have former Olympians, we have former national champions coming,” he says.
Riders will set off on a rugged 13-mile loop and then keep going and going and going.
“They pretty much don’t stop,” Armijo says. “Most of the top, top contenders will have two bikes and they have a crew worker back in their pit. When they come in from a lap, they just jump from one bike to the other. The one that they’re jumping onto has their water, their food, everything on it, and they eat as they’re riding.”
The energy and input is covered, what about the output? Twenty-four hours is a long time in the saddle.
“Well, we do have porta-potties in the main venue,” Armijo says. Most elite riders switch to a liquid diet to avoid any time-consuming call of nature.
Armijo said the event next year moves to New Zealand. The location of the 2017 championship will be announced Sunday.