Mountain bike competitor dies at Sea Otter Classic

Update: April 21, 2008 — Monterey County's deputy coroner says Mark Reynolds died of head and neck injuries suffered when he missed a bridge and slammed into an embankment. The coroner's autopsy could find no medical condition that could have caused him to lose control. — San Francisco Chronicle

Tragedy struck the Sea Otter Classic when an experienced mountain biker and component designer crashed and died during a downhill run on Saturday.

The man was identified by authorities as Mark Reynolds, 48, of San Jose. He was owner and product developer for Wicked Racin, a company that makes bike components for downhill, black diamond and free ride specialists.

According to reports, Reynolds failed to negotiate a narrow wooden bridge and struck a dirt embankment shortly after noon on Saturday. It was reported that he suffered head and neck injuries and was airlifted to Natividad Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

A medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death this week. Family members and witnesses said he appeared to go limp before missing the bridge, raising the possibility he may have suffered a medical condition before crashing. (An autopsy on Monday discounted any medical conditions.)

Wicked Racin

Mark Reynolds was owner and product developer for Wicked Racin in San Jose. He was a contributor to mountain bike forums; friends are sharing stories about him on a thread at MTBR.com.

Reynolds was credited with many innovations, such as the “dualrailleur“, which is a chain guide that enables shifting between two front chain rings on downhill bikes. It was written up in the October issue of Mountain Bike Action magazine.

A true downhill enthusiast, Reynolds posted videos of mountain bike action at Wicked Racin on YouTube.

Sea Otter Classic officials said no one had ever died at a bike event at the Laguna Seca Raceway. This is the 18th year for the classic, which features mountain bike, BMX and road bike races and demonstrations, as well as a huge market area.

In searching the WWW, you might come across a Mark J. Reynolds Memorial Bike Fund. That charity memorializes a different, similarly named, 36-year-old mountain biker who died in a mountain lion attack near his home in 2004. More about that attack.