Aggies Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 To me the biggest joke in MTB races is the neutral zone! Is the aim not to let the whole batch travel safely to a spot where the racing can start? I am not a racer and it does not affect me, but I must admit that I am more and more "surprised" at how the racing is done in the neutral zone at each and every race. In every single race I have done, the racers is long gone by the time the end of the neutral zone is reached. Saturday at the Crater Cruise, people were doing like 60km/h in the neutral zone! I would really love to see some organizers stepping in one day and DQ all those that do not respect the Neutral Zone. Bottom line: Avearge Race speed = 20km/h - Average speed in Neutral Zone = 40km/h (What a Joke )
dirtrider Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Neutral Zone is not about speed . You just need to stay behind the pace car/bike in that zone . It is also a good way to spread-out the field I think .
CAAD4 Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Mountain bikers wanting to be roadies..... You forget how many roadies do the Crater Cruise due to it's relatively flat profile... Last time I did it, we were entertained by someone who popped a wheelie and flipped on the tar..
NotSoBigBen Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Neutral Zone is not about speed . You just need to stay behind the pace car/bike in that zone . It is also a good way to spread-out the field I think . +1 - I understood as long as you stay behind the lead vehicle/bike/quad it's all good! Not that I would know I can't keep up ....
Aggies Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 Normally only the lead batch get a pace car/bike and I do think that they tend to respect the neutral zone. The pro's will normally spread in front of the race and control the pace of the batch to their "neutral" pace. It gets rediculous in the later batches where you find the wannebe racers! If I was the organizors, I would have put the start timing mat at the end of the neutral zone and not at the start of the race. If you race in the neutral zone, you don't get any benefit! You might recon it spread the field, but why have rules?
Andre 77 Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 To me the biggest joke in MTB races is the neutral zone! Is the aim not to let the whole batch travel safely to a spot where the racing can start? I am not a racer and it does not affect me, but I must admit that I am more and more "surprised" at how the racing is done in the neutral zone at each and every race. In every single race I have done, the racers is long gone by the time the end of the neutral zone is reached. Saturday at the Crater Cruise, people were doing like 60km/h in the neutral zone! I would really love to see some organizers stepping in one day and DQ all those that do not respect the Neutral Zone. Bottom line: Avearge Race speed = 20km/h - Average speed in Neutral Zone = 40km/h (What a Joke ) I can't agree more on this, someone is going to get hurt oneday.
I FLY Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 I did the Master Blaster race on Friday. By the end of the neutral zone I was about 1km behind the leaders and took about 11 minutes thereafter to catch the next rider. Speed in neutral zone was over 40km/hr. I also wonder at the purpose of the neutral zone.
Aggies Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 I can't agree more on this, someone is going to get hurt oneday. Not one day! At the Crater Cruise a friend of mine got wiped out in the Neutral Zone which ended his race totally! At least, the guilty person came of worst. Bottom line is you don't expect incidents like this in a neutral zone where you go so fast around a corner that you cannot even control your bike!
Tiny K Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 it's not only an MTB thing.... Last year in a road race, the neutral zone was a sprint to get the group stretched out as quick as possible, which is how the group behind us caught us in the first 30Km of the race
dirtrider Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 I can remember as far back as 1992 when I encoutered a neutral zone for the first time that you had to stick to the front if you wanted to have any say in the outcome of the race . Have never heard of an accident in the neutral zone . But I still don't see the problem , are you unhappy because you cannot stay with them in that zone ?
JGdp Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 I did both 106 and 56 craters this weekend, a few of us "raced' the neutral zone as well... the pace car was driving really fast so we assumed the race was on, only later i heard that the 1st 4km was neutral...so maybe if the pace-car slowed everyone down it would become neutral..i dont mind the fast pace from the start, you then quickly get settled with the riders of your capabilities and fitness levels...guess there are pro's and cons to the neutral zones...But yes, the rush to get in front at the start can be dangerous too
Pieterg Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Why is there a neutral zone .Racing is racing .I don't see the F1 cars start in a neutral zone Edited October 11, 2011 by Pieterg
AndreZA Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Why is there a neutral zone .Racing is racing .I don't see the F1 cars start in a neutral zone It's so that the start is controlled. There are the wannabe racers at the back that can't wait to start sprinting through the bunch just to get held up by a "rounder" man that can't get his tekkies in his toe clips.
rob7x Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 The neutral zone should be scrapped, racing should happen from the start line, this will help spread out the field quickly and separate the fast from the slow. I remember 2 years ago at crater cruise when there was still no batch start, it was so dangerous riding in the bunch in the neutral zone. Everyone is trying to get to the front and recklessly overtaking because now the pace is slow enough for guys to ride like/with the pro's. So many guys were slamming on brakes and locking out. I didnt feel safe at all, and we all said at the time that the slow pace car was causing the problem.
scotty Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Biggest joke for me is guys chasing position 999 screaming track at others to get out their way.
LeTurbo Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 The neutral zone is dof. It's the most obvious place to want to pass the slower riders who crowded at the start tape in front of you. As far as I'm concerned, the race begins the minute you're over the mats. Neutral zone, pshah!
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