• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

From Moto to MTB: A Sierra Two-Wheeled Adventure

cal scott

cal scott

Wookie
Joined
Jan 21, 2018
Location
FOSTER CITY
Moto(s)
V-Strom DL650AL3
Name
Iain
September 10-13, 2026
Although this report starts and ends on a moto, much of the adventure involves mountain biking. But since both activities involve two wheels, I figured it was still fair game for BARF.

1789705845484.png


The Plan
Let me start by first setting the stage. I first learned of Mt. Hough (pronounced "Huff") during a trip to Downieville the previous year. Located just outside Quincy, CA, it’s a relatively new mountain bike destination being developed by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, the same organization behind the famous Downieville trails.

The trail network has been expanding rapidly over the past decade and now includes over 70 miles of purpose-built single track. With Quincy sitting at about 3,400' and the top of Mt. Hough reaching 7,231', there is more than 3,500' of continuous descent from top to bottom.

When I discovered that the Mountains to Meadows Endurofest was scheduled for September 10–13, it sounded like a pretty good way to close out the summer. The event is a combination of festival and mountain-bike racing, and Mt. Hough is the venue.

There was just one problem: I wasn't sure I could swing a four-day trip with work and family commitments.

Then I got a call from my boss. The company was going through a layoff and I was included.

Suddenly work wasn't going to be an issue. After getting the all-clear from my better half, I was registered for the event.

Since the luxury of time doesn't present itself very often, I decided not to simply drive to Quincy, race, and drive home. Instead, I expanded the plan: ride the motorcycle to Quincy, camp at the event, race all weekend, and ride the motorcycle home.

That would give me the opportunity to explore some Sierra backroads I'd never ridden, while also getting a taste of what Mt. Hough had to offer using two different modes of two wheeled transportation.

There was one other important piece to the puzzle.

Since I’d been working down in Scotts Valley and doing the 100 mile round-trip commute on my V-Strom, I’d previously purchased a bike rack from 2x2 Cycles so that I could get some biking in after work. Although I hadn’t bought it for a trip like this, it was now the key enabler.

The plan was to head out Thursday morning with camping gear, mtb gear, and the bike strapped to the back of the V-Strom. Then I’d race. Then I’d ride home. Simple enough.

A total of 500+ miles round trip.
 
Thursday - Getting There

It always takes a little longer than expected to pack but I was on the road by 11:30am.

1789706170093.png

The first part of the trip was unexciting so the goal was to get out of the Bay Area and make some time. But once I reached Yuba City and turn onto Marysville Road, the fun would begin. The roads narrowed, the traffic disappeared, and the scenery gradually changed from the nothingness of the Central Valley to the grandeur of the Sierra.

I make good time soon stopping in Davis for lunch. Central Park just off the Richards Blvd exit seemed like the perfect spot for a picnic. I chatted a little with the owner of the other Strom I had parked next too and then was back on the road.

1789706249010.png

The problem with leaving so late in the morning was this put me in the central valley at the heat of the day. By the time I reached Yuba City and gassed up, the temperature on my dash was reading 112F. Fortunately I had recharged my cooling vest before leaving Davis and, from here on out, I would be gaining elevation.

1789706285948.png


Marysville Rd is fairly open with many straights and sweeping corners. The perfect warm up for the tight and very twisty corners of Hwy 49. I was definitely paying attention to the posted speed limits as many corners were blind and it was difficult to discern how tight they were from the approach alone.

I hit my first roadworks of the trip, but not the last.

1789706319081.png

Reaching Downieville seemed like a good time to take a break and a dip in the swimming hole.

1789706349630.png

1789706368110.png

If you haven’t been to Downieville, I highly recommend it. I would argue that it is the best preserved gold mining town in the Sierra and is steeped in history. During its heyday back in the 1850’s, it even vied to become the state capital eventually losing out to Sacramento.

1789706399480.png

A visit to the restroom had me wondering what had happened in the past to warrant this sign.

1789706461795.png


Refreshed, I was back on the road for the final stretch to Quincy. Although the section on Gold Lake Hwy had an annoyingly low speed limit, the scenery more than made up for it. I maybe saw a half dozen cars over the ~15 mile stretch so it felt very secluded. After a short stint on 89 through Graegle, I hit the final stretch on Hwy 70. Here they had a massive road project going essentially rebuilding the highway from the ground up. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures but there must have been 5 miles or more of dirt road that they hadn’t yet had the opportunity to repave.
 
Arrival - Quincy

Once spelled Quinsy, Quincy had its beginnings as a gold rush town. Unlike Downieville, however, there isn’t much evidence of that left. While there remains a downtown, the town has unfortunately succumbed to urban sprawl. Timber is now the dominant industry as evidenced by the enormous timber yard across the street from the fairgrounds.

I pulled into the Quincy Fairgrounds around 6pm, and established what would be home to the next three days.

1789706760939.png

A quick Google search for local restaurants put Quintopia Brewing Company at the top of the list and it didn’t disappoint.

1789706796512.png

1789706808768.png


Friday - Scoping Things Out

Friday was a relatively chill and a chance to check-in and scope out the expo booths.

1789706868676.png

The “shakedown” ride that afternoon was a good opportunity to wake up the legs, confirm bike set-up and check out the the trails. Besides, all participants would get free drink tickets!

1789707033992.png

That evening, food and drinks were consumed around some fire pits. And, if you were inclined, s’mores fixings were available.

1789706914744.png

1789706928249.png
 
Saturday - Grindurito
Grinduro is gravel grinder run in an enduro format. For those not familiar with enduro, it is defined by having timed segments interspersed with untimed transfer segments that can ridden at a relaxed pace. This makes for very social atmosphere. Since I would be racing on Sunday also, I option for the shorter version called the Grindurito. It was still 23 miles of mixed gravel road and single track with 3,500’ of climbing. 7:45am for the 8am start.

1789707207640.png

Because the transfer segments are not timed, the field spreads out quickly.

1789707235263.png

The climb up to the first timed segment was a bitch involving a series of steep sections that I pushed just that little too hard on. By the time I reached the first timed segment I was regretting my choices.

A big group recovering after completing the 1.6 mile “Huff ’n Puff” timed segment.

1789707280781.png

The ride was fully supported including well stocked aid stations.

1789707309352.png
1789707320756.png

The last timed stage, “Smokechaser”, was almost all downhill single track dropping 2,202’ over 5.6 miles of single track. What an amazing run. It was both fast with big berms and narrow.

1789707359839.png

The local high school bike team was offering bike washes as a fundraiser so I took advantage of it to get ready for the following day.

1789707392178.png

Next priority was to replace the day’s lost carbs.

1789707414967.png

The evening finished with some live music and fire dancing.

1789707442497.png

I was in bed by 10pm hoping to get some solid sleep before the mornings enduro race.
 
Sunday - The Mt Hough Enduro

The Sunday format was a traditional enduro. All timed segments would be downhill single track. Your ability to climb didn’t matter but your ability to descend, fast, that would be tested.

1789707540537.png

The competition was definitely lighter than the previous day. While the previous day was a mix of gravel and mtg riders, today was exclusively mtb.

1789707556487.png

Top of the first segment.

1789707581363.png

End of the second segment.

1789707603205.png

Reward for a great day on the mountain.

1789707641760.png

Most people left on the Sunday, presumably since they have jobs to get back to. Without that responsibility, I decided to chill that evening, get a good nights sleep and head home Monday morning.
 
Monday - The Ride Home

In contrast to the previous days, Monday morning suddenly felt like fall. The temperature was 35F when I emerged from the tent. I felt grateful to have packed my down jacket. Only breakfast remained followed by getting packed up, which was a bit of a puzzle as I had gained some stuff that I had to find a home for.

1789707688851.png

I thought this was cool as I hadn’t seen a multi-story camper before. I am not sure I would want to have to come down that ladder in the middle of the night.

1789707721107.png

The trip home was for the most part uneventful. Although it had slowly crept into the low 40sF, it would be a cold ride home with only summer gloves. I decided to wear my cooling vest (dry) over my T-shirt hoping it would provide sufficient insulation and pack my mid weight fleece; a decision I would regret but not enough to reverse.

For anyone that has been on the section of Hwy 70, it is a beautiful road that takes you through the rugged Feather River Canyon. Where Hwy 49 requires attention to the blind corners, 70 offers long sweeping corners along the edge of the gorge. Highly recommended.

Yet again, I did run into road work. The flaggers were alternating traffic in both directions. I must have just missed my direction as I was at the front of the line and had to wait 10’. Once waved through, there was no evidence of either lane actually being impassible or any work going on.

1789707752632.png

The Strom offers great range (over 240 miles on a full tank). I had left Quincy with 150 miles on the clock planning to gas up once I hit civilization on the other side. I perhaps cut it a little close given that I was at 241 miles when I found a gas station in Yuba City. Fully gassed, it was a matter of navigating commute traffic to get home.

All in all, it turned out to be a pretty damn good way to spend a weekend I hadn't expected to have. What started with a layoff ended up being an excuse to load the mountain bike onto the Strom, ride some of the best roads in the Sierra, race bikes on Mt. Hough, camp for four nights, and then ride 250 miles home. Not a bad consolation prize. I’d definitely do it again.
 
Last edited:
Rad! Love the mixed format ride report.
 
How much does the rack+bicycle affect cornering on the Strom?

49 near Downieville is a superb road, bit now I need to try 70 :)
 
89/70 Between Quincy and greagle is a construction nightmare this summer, stay away.
Avoid that and everything else is good to go
 
senpai71 said:
How much does the rack+bicycle affect cornering on the Strom?
Click to expand...
The bike + rack adds maybe 40 lbs to the back. Unless there is a cross wind, at speed it isn't a problem; in fact you forget it's there. But at lower speeds, the extra weight is definitely noticeable especially since it is up high.
 
cal scott said:
September 10-13, 2026
Although this report starts and ends on a moto, much of the adventure involves mountain biking. But since both activities involve two wheels, I figured it was still fair game for BARF.

View attachment 601878


The Plan
Let me start by first setting the stage. I first learned of Mt. Hough (pronounced "Huff") during a trip to Downieville the previous year. Located just outside Quincy, CA, it’s a relatively new mountain bike destination being developed by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, the same organization behind the famous Downieville trails.

The trail network has been expanding rapidly over the past decade and now includes over 70 miles of purpose-built single track. With Quincy sitting at about 3,400' and the top of Mt. Hough reaching 7,231', there is more than 3,500' of continuous descent from top to bottom.

When I discovered that the Mountains to Meadows Endurofest was scheduled for September 10–13, it sounded like a pretty good way to close out the summer. The event is a combination of festival and mountain-bike racing, and Mt. Hough is the venue.

There was just one problem: I wasn't sure I could swing a four-day trip with work and family commitments.

Then I got a call from my boss. The company was going through a layoff and I was included.

Suddenly work wasn't going to be an issue. After getting the all-clear from my better half, I was registered for the event.

Since the luxury of time doesn't present itself very often, I decided not to simply drive to Quincy, race, and drive home. Instead, I expanded the plan: ride the motorcycle to Quincy, camp at the event, race all weekend, and ride the motorcycle home.

That would give me the opportunity to explore some Sierra backroads I'd never ridden, while also getting a taste of what Mt. Hough had to offer using two different modes of two wheeled transportation.

There was one other important piece to the puzzle.

Since I’d been working down in Scotts Valley and doing the 100 mile round-trip commute on my V-Strom, I’d previously purchased a bike rack from 2x2 Cycles so that I could get some biking in after work. Although I hadn’t bought it for a trip like this, it was now the key enabler.

The plan was to head out Thursday morning with camping gear, mtb gear, and the bike strapped to the back of the V-Strom. Then I’d race. Then I’d ride home. Simple enough.

A total of 500+ miles round trip.
Click to expand...
It would even be better with some fly rods bungeed on them mtbs.
 
Amazing! Thanks for the photo write up! It looks like you had a great couple of days on two wheels!
 
They are repaving and widening large stretches of 70/89 between greagle and quincy
 
I was not sure where to link your report Iain.

Sport touring got the nod and it seems to be a double sport dealio.
Pretty cool :thumbup
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top