California Enduro Series: Round 1 Battle Born Enduro Recap

The Battle Born Enduro kicked off the 2014 California Enduro Series on Peavine Mountain, just outside the biggest little city on earth, Reno, Nevada. Conditions were typical of high desert riding, hot, with temps in the mid 90s, and loose, the dirt was popularly described as having the consistency of kitty litter.


Registration for the race was full-up, with 275 racers on course Saturday. Smiles for miles.

Ryan Gardner (Kona) was getting a feel for the loose dirt in practice on Friday. This was his first race coming off an ankle injury, that has left him a bit leery of dropping a foot and getting sideways in loose tight turns higher on the course. This didn't keep him from laying down some solid times. Gardner finished out the race in sixth place in the Pro class.

Reno local Teal Stetson-Lee (Luna) thumped the womens field, putting in a two minute lead over second place Amy Morrison (Mike’s Bikes). Her choice to run her short travel XC whip with a dropper post paid off on the first four pedally stages and didn’t seem to hold her back on chunder-riddled stage 5.

Amy Morrison (Mike's Bikes) raced to a second place finish in the Pro Women's field. While she couldn't close the gap on Stetson-Lee for the first four more physical stages, she was right there on the last technical stage, less than half a second back.

Battle Born was Brian Astell’s (Marin Factory) first Enduro competition. With a background in XC he was amped on the Enduro format and is looking forward to a full season of racing.

Doug Thayer (Cyclepaths, Rocky Mountain) made the trip from the other side of Lake Tahoe to take on a stacked pro mens field. He came out on top with just over a second on Gregg Stone of Truckee. Doug is stoked on his season opener.

Casey Coffman (Felt, SR Suntour) put down a fierce day of racing on his hometown trails. He came across the finish line with a quickness that certainly did not indicate the fact that he had just raced the majority of tech-gnar stage 5 with a rear flat and a properly bent front brake rotor, finishing less than three seconds off of Thayer's top stage time. Beast. He took third place for the day.

Ryan Thym (Black Rock Bicycles) is another fast Reno guy. He rode to a fifth place finish just behind Jason Moeschler (WTB) who came up the hill from Nevada City for the day.

Lauren Gregg (FOX) seat up, hammer down.

Don Morehouse (Kill Trail), a former Reno local yoke, showed up to practice Friday morning fired up. Palpably so. After crashing in the first two stages he reined 'er in a bit and finished out race day strong.


Nick Ducharme (Formula 4 Speed Suspension Personalization/G2 Bike) with the grimace.

Ariel Lindsley (FOX) laid down solid times for the day, and kept it gangsta, pinning with his locs on.

There were some quick kids out there. Teddy Hayden, who is accustomed to riding tacky Marin County dirt, took a bit to figure out the loose soil in Reno, but prevailed and came out with a second place finish in the Junior Boy's category.

Liam Ruff throwing down some steaze for the camera. This young blood is in it for the glamor and glitz.

Ryan Gibson (Giant, Bike and Bean) had a solid day on the hill. Gibson is the man behind the forthcoming Stafford Lake Bike Park in Novato. He put together a fundraiser to jointly benefit the Bike Park and Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz who are building a Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest (home of CES Finals). A new 2015 FOX 36 will be auctioned off at each event to benefit these two projects.

The Poedunks, the local Reno Bike Advocacy Group, who helped to put on the race made sure that racers were taken care of after the race.

Battle Born Enduro results
Series Standings

Round #2 of the California Enduro Series, the VP EnduroFest at China Peak, is coming up June 20-22.

Words: Matt De Young
Photos: Scott McClain, Called to Creation