Race Recap: 2014 All Mountain Cyclery Mob n Mojave

Logan Binggeli off to a fast start at the Mob n Mojave

Bootleg Canyon bites. Not in the everyday sense, but—for example—in the senselessness of 5 flats in a field of 11 pro men taking seeding runs. In the blown tire, blown double valve core system, blown spokes, and cut rear brake line—on the same bike—from a Junior X race run about 1/3 of the way down the demanding course. He harsh terrain finds karmic balance, however, in the fantastic weather usually experienced this time of the year in the barrens of Southern Nevada. This race weekend only proved the rule, with temps in the mid 70s and a pleasant mix of a mostly sunny Friday, mostly cloudy Saturday, and pristine blue skies with just the right hint of breeze

Super D Saturday
With USA Cycling giving the mandate to Pro GRT promoters to drop the Super D discipline and replace it with “enduro” events, Downhill Mike has chosen to keep the older format alive. Mob’s Super D course pushed and punished everyone who showed up to race the Boy Scout-West Leg-Mother-P.O.W. track.

1st Cody Kelley: 15:12.44
2nd: Quinton Spaulding: 17:44.71

11nine Fat Bikes sponsored a fat bike category for the Super D race with free entry to all who dared. Large tires, low pressures, and titanium frames cast a unique light on the rocky, sandy, and generally rowdy trail conditions of Bootleg Canyon.

Riders and spectators all and alike got a kick out of this small category—so much so that rumors persist that the fat bike category may make another appearance at the series finale Reaper race in March.

Fatbike Mens Open
1st Lance Sisson: 24:49.50
2nd Eric Hunter: 26:59.16
3rd James Miranda: 31:52.38

Mens Open
1st Jeff Frampton: 16:58.63
2nd Simon Bosman: 17:58.68
3rd Lance Canfield: 18:26.59


DH Sunday
Always the draw at the Bootleg winter races—and at every gravity event across the country—is the downhill. Big bikes bring big airs, big speeds, and especially in Bootleg: big consequences.

The story of this Mob n Mojave DH event also begins with a story about big consequences—two words, one name: Logan. Binggeli. Who didn’t see—live or otherwise—that massive backflip off a tier of the Oakley Icon Sender at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage? That Binggeli stomped only to have the sketchily narrow landing bite his femur in two? Binggeli’s back, folks.


Still rehabbing that impressive fracture, Logan ran his first competitive event here at the Mob since being sidelined by the carnage at Rampage. He says the leg’s still down a little on power, but his goals for this season—and his results this weekend—might say otherwise as he gapped the men’s pro field by 9 seconds before climbing to the top step

The Pro Men’s Podium winner Logan Binggeli was the only rider to break the four-minute mark this weekend.

1st Logan Bingelli 3:53.25
2nd Parker Robinson: 4:02.59
3rd Cody Kelley: 4:02.89
4th Mike Day: 4:04.87
5th Waylon Smith: 4:10.14

Naysayers might point to mechanicals experienced by some of the field, but anyone who has raced or even ridden at Bootleg can tell you, you don’t win here because somebody else’s race fell apart. Bootleg demands and exacts maximum effort from every racer on every lap. The rocks don’t care if you are “just practicing” or if you are putting down the money run. Logan Binggeli put together a pristine run over the upper mountain tech-gnar and kept the pedals to the metal hard down the G-outs, hucks, ridge fingers, flat sweepers, and brake chatter of the lower course.

The Open Men’s DH Podium included a fast group of dudes as well.

1st Lance Canfield: 4:31.81
2nd Kris Burke: 4:42.41
3rd Sadhu Low: 4:42.75

Women's Pro
1st Laura Noonan 6:03.02


Racers had one more shot at the course and victory in the Chainless DH. “It was the biggest category of the day as well as arguably the most fun race of the event,” according to Lance Canfield, one of the competitors. “The course is difficult as a chainless because there are several uphill sections causing mandatory runs at some point for nearly every racer.”

Downhill Mike’s events never disappoint, and the Mob was no different. The finale of the event was the Chainless DH race, following the same course as the downhill earlier in the day.

Men’s Open Chainless
1st Cody Kelley: 4:18.06
2nd Graeme Pitts: 4:18.74
3rd Chase Nelson: 4:31,17
4th Chris Higgerson: 4:31.20
5th Tyler Heuertz: 4:44.24

For those of you wondering exactly where Downhill Mike sent riders for the Mob n Mojave Downhill events, here’s a run through of the course. For this race weekend, Downhill Mike opted to give the little people the opportunity to compare their times straight up to the big dogs with everyone running Snakeback to G-String. This course drops from 3600’ to about 2600’ over 1.3 miles. If you’ve never been properly introduced to Bootleg sharprock and techgnar, the mountain will get a very frank hello with a telltale pile of bladed rock about 40 feet off the start gate.

Parker Robinson was the second fastest Pro rider, charging at full speed right from the rocky start of the downhill course.

From there, Snakeback drops quickly over more rock and massive holes with plenty of off camber rock for entertainment value. As Armageddon has its “toilet bowl” signature feature, so Snakeback greets the rider with a solid 6-8’ waterfall right after the first switchback. Good times all around from lovers of the gnar. From Snakeback down through the remainder of G-string, a few nice tight squeezes with plenty more exposed rock and all of the above-noted ridge fingers, g-outs, gaps, sweepers, drops and sprints all come together for one helluva good ride.


Mark your calendars now, get the time off, call a babysitter—do whatever you need to do—to attend the Five Ten Reaper Madness on March 13-16. Racing or spectating, the
Reaper will give you your fill as it brings the First Annual Bootleg Canyon Winter Gravity Series to a proper close. The schedule boasts not only Super D and DH events, but also a Dual Slalom—always a favorite for head-to-head get-it-on style and speed.

Additional race photos, a complete listing of results and more weekend coverage can be found at www.MTBparks.com. Find, like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: our handle for all 3 is MTBparks.

For bonus Super D course data, check out www.strava.com/segments/6633977?filter=overall
For bonus data on the course, check out: www.strava.com/segments/6634798?
Report by Mike Powers & Michelle Good,MTBparks.com