25 Years of the Downieville Classic | Greg Williams | E14
After a four year hiatus, the granddaddy of all mountain bike events, the Downieville Classic, returns in grand fashion on July 14-16, 2023, celebrating its 25th anniversary, and there’s no better person to interview than the man who started it all, Greg Williams. Not only is Greg the founder of the Downieville Classic, as well as the founder of Yuba Expeditions bike shop, but he’s also a co-founder and executive director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. In this episode all about Downieville and the history of the Classic, Greg shares his roots growing up as a kid spending summers along the North Yuba River, discovering old mining trails on his mountain bike that he showed friends, eventually turning into a guiding and shuttle business that shared the magic of Downieville with thousands of people around the world. Greg is full of wisdom and hilarious stories, but he’s also a heartfelt human who cares deeply about his friends, family and the event that’s transformed Downieville from a place that hated mountain bikes to a place would be nothing without them.
3:00 – Celebrating the Core Lords of our sport.
5:00 – CRUD – The ultimate party pool table game.
8:00 – The roots of the Downieville Classic.
11:00 – The true test of fitness, skill and luck – Kelli Emmett and Carl Decker are examples of having the Downieville Classic course down to a science.
13:00 – Gold Valley Rim trail is an added technical challenge in the race course.
14:00 – Pre-riding the race course to check snow conditions.
21:00 – Greg Williams living in Downieville full time in the 1990s when nobody like mountain bikers. Starting the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in 2003.
25:30 – Downieville can be the highest of highs or lowest of lows. Canyon fever is a thing.
26:40 – Being prepared, carrying multiple sandwiches, a first aid kit and supplies.
28:00 – The grueling climb from Sierra City up to the Sierra Buttes and Packer Saddle.
33:10 – The crazy 2011 edition of the Downieville Classic with tons of snow, spectating on Butcher Ranch trail and watching people attempt to ride the waterfall.
38:15 – A curmudgeon named Barney in Downieville who motivated Greg to make sure the 2011 race happened.
40:00 – The story of starting the Coyote Classic in 1995.
45:00 – How many people come to Downieville for the Classic?
48:00 – The negative economic impact of not having the race during COVID.
52:45 – The Connected Communities project and connecting 15 rural communities across 4 counties in Northern California.
58:00 – What was the first experience Greg ever had in Downieville?
1:00:00 – What was Big Boulder trail like in the early 1990s?
1:02:00 – Greg’s first guiding adventures in 1992, taking customers mountain biking in Downieville, then getting into mountain bike shuttles.
1:06:00 – The importance of the Downieville Classic in putting Downieville on the map as a mountain biking destination.
1:08:00 – Knowing where the sharpest rocks are on the race course and not flatting on them.
1:11:00 – Advice for the event weekend – thick tires, extra tubes, a good pump, hydrate well and smile. Wear goggles on the Cross Country day and glass on the Downhill day.
1:16:00 – The aid station party on Packer Saddle – Trail Whisperer will play drums.
1:17:30 – Trail Whisperer played drums at The Gorge on Butcher Ranch in 2017.
1:22:00 – Lantz Lazwell and the Vibe Tribe headlining band for the concert on Saturday in downtown Downieville.
1:24:00 – The legendary Yuba Invitational inner tube float down the North Yuba River that ended in multiple injuries.
1:26:00 – The legendary Bob Crabbe and his amazing illustrations and cartoons that celebrate the Coyote Classic and the Downieville Classic.
1:29:45 – Is this the last Downieville Classic?
1:32:45 – What makes the Downieville Classic so special?
1:33:45 – What did you learn from your time in Downieville and how you’ve carried it forward?
1:35:45 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:38:00 – Volunteering at the Downieville Classic
