Downieville Classic, live.

Sierra Crest to town in California's Lost Sierra

The Downieville Classic is a mountain bike race weekend and festival in Downieville, California, built around a point to point cross country race and a long downhill.

The 2027 edition runs from Saturday 31 July to Sunday 1 August. Proceeds go to the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, which uses them to build and maintain trails, and the race is one part of the Lost Sierra Triple Crown together with the Lost and Found and Grinduro.

The cross country race is 26.5 miles from Sierra City to Downieville, with about 4,500 ft of ascent and 5,700 ft of descent, and the organiser calls it one of the last remaining point to point bicycle races in the United States. It opens with an 8 mile, 3,000 ft climb up the face of the Sierra Buttes, with aid stations at the 4 and 8 mile markers, then follows the Sierra Crest before long descents on the Pauley Creek, Third Divide and First Divide trails into town. In hot weather the organiser may switch to the original route via Sunrise Trail.

The Downieville Downhill drops 5,000 vertical feet in 15 miles from Packer Saddle to Downieville, on the Sunrise, Butcher Ranch, Third Divide and First Divide trails. It is reserved for All Mountain racers, who must first finish the cross country race and ride both days on the same bike, with a weigh in to check it.

Downtown Downieville is where spectators gather, with the finish, a bike expo, live music, the River Jump and the log pull competition over the festival weekend.

On Livebib you can follow a rider who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.