FEATURE I TAKING ON THE SNOWSHOE GNCC
P86
(hopefully good ones and not
the deep ones) and cheering on
anyone that passes by. It's such
a cool atmosphere and forces a
smile in even the most demand-
ing sections. We lucked out with
the weather, too, as the rain held
off all weekend.
The Bike
The GasGas EX 350F was the
perfect bike for this race, too.
A 450 would have too much
power for the tight sections, and
a snappy 250 would not have the
bottom-end lug for the slow-going
stuff or the revs for the flat-out dirt
roads for my tastes. About halfway
through lap two, I found the sweet
spot in the power and began to
gel with the low-end grunt and
top-end carry-through. I began
riding a gear up and carried
momentum over what had nearly
killed me just a lap prior. The
GasGas's hydraulic clutch and
electric start also saved my bacon
multiple times. Jay Downhour of
JDP Suspension set us up in time
to go racing with sag and clicker
adjustments. I've become so used
to the overly stiff setups here on
the West Coast, but the exact
opposite is needed for the slower
speeds in the woods. I ran nearly
the suspension settings that Hawk
had suggested, only adjusting
the rear shock for my weight. The
softer, springier feeling made it
much more comfortable to ride
over the rocks and roots, almost
giving it a mountain-bike-style feel
on some of the steeper descents.
All Done
After getting mentally and physi-
cally abused that morning, I fin-
ished the race in one piece and
mustered up enough energy to
watch the big boys in the after-
noon. Talk about making it look
easy. These guys are athletes
by the truest definition, holding
a blistering pace for the entire
The Coastal
Racing Factory
GasGas Team had
great success at
the Snowshoe
GNCC this year.
