This past weekend was the busiest Downieville has been this season, with nearly every shuttle packed to capacity on both Saturday and Sunday. It was hard to find a parking space in town and all the restaurants were bustling. And when I say "all the restaurants", I mean all two - the pizza place and the Mexican joint.

Downieville has been on the mountain biker's map for a long time, but it seems that with each passing year, this tiny mountain town of only a couple hundred year round residents gets more and more popular. While the growing popularity of Downieville is terrific for a place that's been decimated by the disappearance of jobs in both the mining and logging industries, there are still a number of challenges that keep this historic mountain hamlet from returning to its former glory as an economically flourishing community.

The first challenge is that in the last 10 years, there's been an exodus of locals. It seems each year another house is sold to an out-of-towner who immediately puts it up for rent on VRBO or Airbnb, furthering the reduction of full-time Downieville residents. While this is great for accommodations, it's bad for the local economy. With every home sold to an out-of-towner, there's that many fewer people who can actually live in Downieville and operate a business. It also happens that Sierra County, of which Downieville is the county seat, is one of the few counties in California that actually has fewer residents today (3,250) than it did in 1860 (more than 11,000).

The local watering hole changed ownership this year, and the place is cleaner than ever.

The local watering hole changed ownership this year, and the place is cleaner than ever (click to enlarge).​

The new owner of St. Charles Place, Steve, recently moved up to the mountains from the East Bay to run the legendary bar, and the biggest challenge for him was finding a place to rent. Unless you have the money to actually buy a place, there's virtually nothing to rent anywhere near town. Rentals for folks who want to live in Downieville full time are few and far between.

Once a local favorite, the Grubstake has been closed for the past two seasons and is for sale.

Once a local favorite, the Grubstake has been closed for the past two seasons and is for sale (click to enlarge).​

This is part of the reason why if you've been to Downieville lately, you've probably noticed that food options are extremely limited. A long-time favorite, the Grubstake Saloon, has been closed for the past two summers, and the entire building is actually for sale right now. For someone who wants to move to a vibrant mountain town, own a colorful restaurant in a perfect location, and live upstairs, it's an amazing opportunity. But for whatever reason, nobody has been knocking on the door despite the property being reasonably priced.

The market and gas station are hollow shells of what they used to be.

The market and gas station are hollow shells of what they used to be (click to enlarge).​

The market and gas station are hollow shells of what they used to be, too. There was a time when the market had fresh produce and a well-stocked deli. Now it's barely comparable to a half-stocked 7-Eleven. The gas station used to have amazing breakfast burritos and fried chicken. Now the store is completely closed and the gas pumps are the only thing that work - occasionally. And forget about diesel fuel. Although the station used to sell it, for whatever reason, the current owners don't feel it worth the effort to offer diesel to customers. It should come as no surprise that both the gas station and market are owned by the same person - and that person doesn't live in Downieville.

There's currently no good place for breakfast in town. Not even a decent place for coffee. Thankfully the Coyoteville Cafe is only a half-mile down Highway 49 to the west. And for folks headed through Sierra City, I always recommend a breakfast burrito at the Red Moose Cafe on the way to Packer Saddle. The Red Moose opened last year after its owners moved to Sierra City full time from the Bay Area; one of the few new businesses in the region with full-time residents.

Although food choices are very limited, there's plenty of opportunity for alcohol in a place considered "a drinking town with a mountain biking problem." Aside from the St. Charles, Downieville locals Will and Jeanne of 49 Wines are always smiling and have a wide selection of beer and wine, along with a wealth of stories about the history of the region.

Continue to page 2 for more from the ASS Does Downieville »

Billy and his daughter Sean - both born and raised in Downieville.

Billy and his daughter Sean - both born and raised in Downieville (click to enlarge).​

Billy, who I talked about in a previous Downieville dispatch, was born and raised here. I asked him what he sees Downieville becoming in the next 10 to 20 years.

"I see it turning into one of those Colorado mountain towns that completely shuts down in the winter," he predicted. "Aside from a few crusty, stubborn old folks like me, nobody will live here full time anymore. That's the way I see this town going."

Downieville has a K-12 school, but with each year the graduating class numbers diminish. The entire school has barely a couple dozen students with an annual graduating class that can be counted on two hands. With fewer young families living in town, Billy isn't sure how much longer the school can last.

Just the other night my co-worker Mason was playing a game of pool at St. Charles Place with a couple of locals. One of the guys was rather well lubricated and knew that Mason worked at Yuba Expeditions, so he proclaimed to Mason's face that "Downieville was so much better before all you mountain bikers got here."

Mason, not being one to pick a fight, politely pointed out that without mountain biking and other outdoor recreation activities, Downieville would have virtually no local economy left. It's not the fault of mountain bikers that mining, logging, and dredging have been outlawed by the U.S. Forest Service - by far the most popular scapegoat of folks living in these mountains. For locals still trying to make a living here, providing services to mountain bikers is one of the only economically viable options left. Caltrans and Sierra County can't employ the entire town.


Thankfully this hate towards mountain bikers is no longer the prevailing attitude in Downieville. I asked Billy what the opinion is of most locals towards mountain bikers.

"Nowadays, I'd say about 70 percent of locals love mountain bikers," he replied. "But 25 years ago it was the opposite. There's been a huge shift over the years, and I think that shift will continue."

For Downieville veterans, it's a well-known fact that if you're going to be in town for more than a couple days, bringing in your own food is advisable. Feather and her crew at La Cocina de Oro make outstanding Mexican Cuisine, and it's really the only place I eat in town. Solomon busts his ass on the daily at Two Rivers Cafe, but honestly, the restaurant isn't what it used to be when it was locally owned. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the same out-of-towners who own the market and gas station also own the cafe, and without Solomon as cook, the place would be an utter disaster.

Downieville is a gem of a historic mountain town providing some of the greatest outdoor recreation opportunities in the American West. But without new young blood moving into town, Downieville may ultimately become an enclave of vacation homes with no services for visitors willing and eager to spend money. That would be a shame.

Editor's Note: The Angry Singlespeeder is a collection of mercurial musings from contributing editor Kurt Gensheimer. In no way do his maniacal diatribes about all things bike oriented represent the opinions of Mtbr, RoadBikeReview, or any of their employees, contractors, janitorial staff, family members, household pets, or any other creature, living or dead. You can submit questions or comments to Kurt at singlespeeder@consumerreview.com. And make sure to check out Kurt's previous columns.