Downieville downhill... in the dark
In the Travel blog this morning, Times writer Hugo Martin offered a little preview of an insanely difficult mountain biking race taking place this Sunday northwest of Lake Tahoe, focusing on one of the more inspirational fellows planning to participate in its 5,333-foot descent:
Anyone who has ever tried mountain biking Downieville’s legendary downhill trails knows you need great skills, brawny legs and an excellent medical plan. I attempted the 17-mile, high-speed plunge last year for a Los Angeles Times Travel article and was lucky I survived with only a few bruises and cuts.
But Bobby McMullen, a mountain biker from Redding, California, must have nerves of steel. He is once again taking on the Downieville Classic Mountain Bike Race this weekend. Oh, yeah, and he’s legally blind. McMullen’s daredevil exploits have been documented in a film called “The Way Bobby Sees It,” by Poison Oak Productions.
Martin's not exaggerating. Check out the YouTube trailer from the film for confirmation.
Mandatory pre-registration for the race is now closed, by the way. But if you've got the means to get to Downieville this weekend, it should be quite a spectacle -- even for those who can't see it.
-- Liam Gowing
Photo: A Downieville bike racing contestant. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
