I found this site by tracking back from all the hits on my own.  Mike did a fine job of describing Repack, and I wish I had known he was in the area so I could have gone along.

Just a few weeks ago an English rider that I met online came over on holiday (hilliday?), and because I was out of town, I set him up with one of my friends as a guide and let him use my own bike for a run down Repack.

One thing Mike didn't mention is that it is a pretty good ride just to GET to Repack.  Its remoteness was advantageous to keeping the event underground; you have to climb about 400 meters out of Fairfax, and depending on which route you take, it is close to an hour of riding.

Mike mentioned that the road surface has been improved from BITD.  During its heyday, Repack was covered with ruts and craters, and all the expert riders knew which side of the ditches to be on and where the crossing points were.  Nowadays it is as smooth as a baby's bum, and the erosion has been controlled by the addition of the big "water bars" that provided so much air time to Mike and his friends.

Unlike the newer DH race courses, which require expertise just to negotiate, anyone could ride Repack and get from top to bottom.  The trick is riding it at maximum velocity, because it has surprises for the unwary, off-camber turns with a loose surface that appear just as you get maximum air off the water bar.  Repack is steep enough (about 13%) that you can go as fast as you want, and the only question is, how fast is that?

Took a ride up there just the other day, and as we swooped through the turns, I could only marvel at how blessed we were years ago to have this site for our destruction testing of bikes.  If Repack hadn't existed, and if it hadn't been so perfectly positioned for our childish pursuits, my life would certanly have taken another direction.

If you have Google Earth, you can locate Repack easily.  The starting line is at 37 degrees 59' N,  122 degrees 38' 48"W, and the Repack goes east from there.  (Unfortunately, the lower part is hidden in the trees.)

There are very few places in the World that I feel I must ride, but this is one of them.

I will make the pilgrimage someday.....

I bought that book you wrote with Nick Crane when I was getting into mountain biking and wanted to find out how to fix stuff. Nick Crane's bits inspired me to do the sort of stuff I do now.

Hi

Just came across the artical on riding "Repack" in Marin area, just like to say in 2003 i took my 1st ever plane journey  to SAN FRANCISCO  with my girl at the time to ride up Mount Tam and around Eldridge grade and other trails Fairfax etc, loved the cold cola machine at the top of Tam and the various  drinks water fountains in some areas. We went on to ride in Yosimite. BEST TIME OF MY LIFE. It felt like a pilgrimage and i've never been on a plane since

Gives me a warm glow inside to this day. 

 Nige Tillett

Mid-Wales U.K. 

Nige,

I think it's amusing that you can spend about 1 1/2 hours riding up dirt trails to the top of Mt. Tam, then stop at the concession stand for a cold drink or some ice cream, before resuming your ride back down on brutal, rocky trails! 

Hi,

It amused me to, at the top of our mountains your lucky if you can find a stream that hasn't got a de-composing sheep in it. No i shouldn't complain really, all you have to do round here is open up your water bottle and hold it to the sky. (it rains alot) 

Yesterday was the big ride of the year, and the weather was perfect. About a thousand of my closest friends joined me for the 32nd Annual Appetite Seminar.

Let's see if I can post some photos. Here's Gary Fisher, celebrating with a brew at the top of Pine Mountain.