Park City Point 2 Point with Eric Porter
The Eric Porter smile was unfazed by the daunting Park City Point 2 Point course last year.
Editor’s Note: Eric Porter did the Park City Point 2 Point race last year and reflected on his preparation and race as it gets underway for the 2018 edition today. Words by Eric Porter (@portermtb). Photos by John Shafer (@photojohnphoto and photojohn.net).
“Why are you still smiling??” Everyone watching Park City Point 2 Point kept asking me this when I passed them with a big grin on my face. My answer? Why not! I get to ride my bike all day long on the best trails in Park City during this “race”! Sure it’s 76 miles of single track with 12,000+ feet of climbing, but it’s just riding! Wait wait wait… how long is it? How much climbing?
Why would a freerider and ex-Crankworx Slopestyle athlete be doing the Park City Point 2 Point? Well, after pushing myself with huge jumps and crazy tricks for so many years, it’s hard to just turn off the drive for progression in my brain, but since I don’t like being hurt as much as I used to, I channel that energy into mega trail rides! It’s also a return to my XC roots, having grown up in the cross country race scene in the Midwest. Everything else aside, if I could only do one thing on a bike, it would definitely be riding alpine single track, that’s the core of mountain biking to me.
The Park City Point 2 Point covers 75 miles and doles out 12,000 feet of climbing at elevation
So did I train for the Park City Point 2 Point? Well that depends on what you call training. I figured out years ago that if I actually try to “train” and have a set program, I burn out quickly. I need variety and fun, and training is just exercise. Without knowing it, I’ve basically been preparing for this race for years, although until recently I thought people racing it had some screws loose upstairs. I love huge alpine singletrack rides, bikepacking, and generally using my bike to get as far away from civilization as possible. The problem with rides like that, typically, is that they are hard!
So I started waking up early and climbing hills on my road bike, I started adding on miles and vert to my trail rides, I started eating better and drinking less. Over time, I gained the ability to ride trails all day long, day after day. I wasn’t training, I was just getting stronger and upping the endurance. Most importantly, I was having fun while I did it, which kept me coming back for more. The funny thing is, the fitter you get, the fitter you want to get, it’s a vicious cycle!
Eric Porter is seen performing a manual during last year’s Park City Point 2 Point.
So maybe it was training, but I sure as hell didn’t call it that, or let that get into my mind. Luckily the benefits outweighed the pain, and I started being able to do big routes that I used to have to shuttle, or do once a year. My riding crew changed a little, riding with faster and stronger guys, seeking out bigger rides, doing routes I never thought I’d do. In short, I was finally ready for something like the Park City Point 2 Point.
When I committed to the race, friends were asking what I was going to ride, since Diamondback doesn’t currently make a full suspension XC specific race bike. In my typical fashion, I wanted to do the race on a fun bike, not suffer through it on a race hardtail. I started with my Diamondback Catch, a 27.5+ tire 140mm front travel 130mm rear travel trail bike. I did need to shed some weight and make it more of an XC bike, so I went through and shed weight everywhere I could.
I started out with some Reynolds XC race wheels, 29” because they would fit in the frame, and some 2.2 Kenda XC race tires. Then I swapped my brakes for Magura MT8’s with 160mm SL rotors, and aluminum mounting hardware. Next, I threw on narrow carbon bars, you know 760’s from Deity, my kind of narrow! I finished out the setup with a Revelate Gas Tank bag, so I’d have easy access to food when I needed. Side note, I eat a LOT.
Porter’s key goal was keep that infectious smile ready for each descent. Here he is after the 2017 event.
How did I do at the Park City Point 2 Point? Well, I didn’t finish last, that’s for sure, but I was still a couple hours behind the leaders, Keegan Swenson and Todd Wells, my good friends that are way too fast! I cruised up the climbs, took time to high five friends at the aid stations, stopped at the Bacon Handoff for some wheelies and an extra slice of bacon, I manualed down trails, and I hit every jump I saw. I finished just outside of 8 hours, which is respectable, and I can’t wait to come back for another lap of the race next year!
My advice to anyone thinking about something like this? DO IT! It always feels good to push yourself, ride more than you ever have in a day, and see what you’ve got! If you aren’t going for the win, then make sure to have fun! Let people pass, take your passes when it’s good, cheer the others on, and thank the fans! This is one of the best events in the mountain bike world, and now I finally understand why big endurance events are doing so well around the country, they rule! Huge thanks to Jay, Shannon, and their crew for putting on such an awesome event. I’ll be back!
Park City Point 2 Point: It’s today, it’s today!
Park City Point 2 Point Course Beta
Total Miles: Little over 75 Miles with 90% aingletrack
Climbing: Around 12,000 feet
Average Finish Time: 8.5–9 hours (Fastest, sub 7 hours, slowest a little over 12 hours)
For more information on the Park City Point 2 Point race head to thepcpp.com. Follow Eric Porter’s adventure here on his instagram at @PorterMTB.
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