Reviewed by: leeann ,  Racer

Summary:
What is with the flies? My partner and I rode this trail Sept. 30. I think the climb up second divide would have been really nice if I could have breathed without inhaling a zillion flies. they were relentless! wrong time of year I guess. They were easily outrun on the downhill, so maybe no one goes uphill that time of year?

Reviewed by: True , from San Jose, CA

Summary:
I got to town 40 min late to meet someone for a ride. Sorry I missed you.
I decided to go anyway without your guidance and had a great time. I climbed Lavezzola Rd. in the afternoon sun up to second divide. Once on second the real work began. The technical bits of this trail are thankfully not in the biggest part of the climb. Just before and just after the minning cabin you will work the hardest. I decided to enjoy the trip and walked much of the last pitch. Make a right where the D-ville (Butcher-Packer) DH meets the trail, one short steep climb to go. Take a well deserved break at the peak. Munch a Cliff Bar, check your brakes, strap on your pads, and re-check your brakes.
Now the real fun begins, and since you climbed here, you earned it!! Down the Third Divide you will find some of the sweetest, fastest, most buttery smooth singletrack I can imagine. If this trail were three times longer it would still be too short. What a blast! Cross a bridge over a beautiful river (wish I had my trout rod) then hit Lavezzola Rd for about two miles of 30+mph fire road. Look for a concrete bridge and make a right into the primitive camp and the begining of upper first divide. Much rougher terrain here. Broken shale on the trail makes traction a bit dicey in places. Now is not the time to remember that you didn't pack an extra tube or patch kit. I brought one, and needed it. Still a great trail, just not as fast as third, perhaps a bit more technical. When the trail widens to a logging road check your speed and watch for the fence. Go around it and cross Lavezzola to the lower portion of first divide. Except for one or two spots, you can really fly on this part. Good traction and plenty of warning for the trouble spots. make the drop along the fence to the paved end of Lavezzola and return to town a much dirtier and better person than when you left.
This trail is not for someone afraid of seriously long hard climbs or high speeds. If your aren't comfortable with the idea of exceeding 30mph on a trail the width of your bars, along a cliff, 50' above a river I recommend you work up to this one because it is all of that.
All in all, a fabulous ride. I'll be back for more!!!

Recommended Route:
Up Lavezzola to second, climb second to third, down third then upper first followed by lower first then a frosty Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at the Pizza Joint next to the river.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
None yet, on my next trip Id like to do the entire D-ville DH and Bullards Bar rides.

Reviewed by: sarah , from nevadacity/d'ville

Summary:
Last week's snow brought 4 inches to Second Divide, turned around at the miner's cabin. 1st is as smooth as it's ever been, 2nd---Fast Watch for ticks!

Recommended Route:
good climb up Lavezzola Rd. to Second, turn around, take 1st to town

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Bullards Bar

Reviewed by: Ldog , from Arcata CA

Summary:
These are some of the best trails in the west. There is no way to describe it, you just gotta go. The Downievile Classic race in the second week of august is one of the gnarlyist races in the west, The toughest I've done and it includes these two trails as well as being point to point. Basically these trails are what mountain biking is all about.

Recommended Route:
Take a shuttle to the top and rip the trails downhill

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Too many, ask a local or get a map.

Reviewed by: mikeb , from sodom to the west and south

Summary:
we come to downieville every year to ride, camp and barbeque big ol steaks. sometimes we load up on LSD and ride the trails but most of the time we're just stoned. if you camp at any of the waaaaay unimproved campgrounds in the area, it is possible to ride from you campsite all the way to downieville. make sure that you've planned to have somebody pick you up in downieville unless you want to make this a huge hell ride back to your campsite. i came up on a bear here on the the less difficult of these two trails in 1998. scared the piss out of me. keep an eye out for the rattlesnakes, too. oh yeah, did i mention that ALL of these trails are THE BOMB?

Recommended Route:
get a shuttle up the hill or camp in the lakes basin area. get a map from yuba expidetions if you can.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
get a good map.