PedalFest Racing in Castaic, CA

Most mountain bikers ride for the fun and the exercise but then you have those who want to take it to the next level and get into racing to satisfy their competitive urges. Maybe you are one of those people who want to take your Strava competition to the next level and try out some head to head racing. This way you can see how your speed skills compare to other riders besides your friends.

There are not too many places that you can go do mountain bike races in the Southern California area but if you want to give it a shot then you should check out the PedalFest race in Castaic, CA which is just a little north of Valencia. This location is pretty central to many areas such as Los Angeles and Ventura County so it's not too much of a drive to get there. Plus the races don't start super early so you don’t have to worry about losing too much sleep trying to get there on time.

The PedalFest series allows you to race for points and place in the series or just race for the fun of it and not have to race all the races. There is an entry fee of $30 per race and $5 for a number plate with the transponder built in which lets them know when you cross the finish line on each lap. You get to keep the number plate to use for your next race. If you register for the entire season it works out to be $25 per race but there is a limit of 150 people to get this discounted rate.

There are a wide variety of classes so you don't have to be worried about not having a chance to win the race, at least in your class. Some examples of the classes include men’s beginners, sport, supersport, expert and so on (broken down into age group) as well as women's beginner, sport and pro. There is even a kids class, over 60 class and single speed class. All the adult riders go at the same time but are released in groups starting with the fastest in about 30 second intervals. The kids race is separate and is one lap while the adults do 2-3 laps depending on the class.

The course is about 4 miles long and consists of up and down wide trails, sandy singletrack, some uphill climbing, downhill singletrack and a paved area through the park. There is nothing too strenuous about the course for an average rider. The main climb may give some riders trouble if they are not in shape but you will see people pushing their bikes up the hill if they can’t make it by pedaling. Since this is a race you will most likely find yourself riding at a faster pace than normal and getting tired faster than you normally would. You should try and pace yourself at least at the beginning so you can focus on gaining some time near the end.

At the event you will also find vendors selling their wares as well as some food trucks in case you get hungry. There will be a race representative on a PA system making announcements and giving you instructions when it's race time. There will also be registration tables in case you forgot to register online or fill out the waiver form. If you didn't get a number plate at a previous race then you will get one here when you arrive. The kids race starts around 9:30 with the main event starting around 10:00. This will vary depending on how well things are organized that day. If you show up early you can run the course for a warm up which allows you to see what you are going to be in for when the actual race happens. And also be prepared to pay around $11 for parking.

Overall it's a really fun, low key experience so if you are nervous about getting into racing then this event is for you. Its very family oriented and everyone is nice and helpful and you don’t have to worry about getting forced off the course by the expert riders. For more information check out the PedalFest website.

Posted by Mike Treiber