Biggest Joke in MTB races

[Robrider]

The speed is controlled by the lead vehicle. It travels at a pace that is safe for the riders to get through the traffic in town and I think that its up to the discretion of the race organisers and the lead vehicle.

 

Its not about making sure riders don't crash into each other. That guy is a tosser, don't blame the neutral zone.

 

I think as long as you don't pass the lead vehicle, its fine. And if you can't keep up with it, train harder.

[LeTurbo]

Biggest joke for me is guys chasing position 999 screaming track at others to get out their way.

 

Not if you're in position 998.

[scotty]

Not if you're in position 998.

Mmm this is true

[The expat cyclist]

Neutral zone. Hmpf. It is joke really. I have NO idea what the use is of the neutral zone. About two weeks ago I did a race were the neutral zone was controlled BUT that was necesarry as the race started in a parking lot of a shopping centre and we had to go down a public road for about 2-3km.

 

This past weekend at Vori Berg the lead out vehicle was not excatly going slow BUT I don't see the use of a neutral zone at this race.

[rob7x]

Biggest joke for me is guys chasing position 999 screaming track at others to get out their way.

Lots of guys are slow on the flats and uphill’s, but very fast on the technical stuff. Nothing wrong with him wanting to pass (politely asking track). You can make up time on the climbs, he can make up time on the downhill’s. Each person rides to their strength and might want to better his time regardless of what position he is in.

[pezulu]

The neutral zone is SUPPOSED to spread th field out so that by the time the race starts riders are not in any danger of wiping out.

In the neutral zone the lead vehicle is SUPPOSED to keep an even pace, fast enough that the field can spread out, but slow enough to ensure safety.

Then again, ostriches and penguins are birds, so are SUPPOSED to be able to fly...

[Weight Weenie]

Lots of guys are slow on the flats and uphill’s, but very fast on the technical stuff. Nothing wrong with him wanting to pass (politely asking track). You can make up time on the climbs, he can make up time on the downhill’s. Each person rides to their strength and might want to better his time regardless of what position he is in.

 

Time aside, let someone pass who can ride a section faster than you, so we can all enjoy the majority of the course as intended.

That said their is no reason for the passer/passee (is there such a word ?) to be a boks about the situation, some people can get really worked up and do some dangerous overtaking sometimes.

Think I might just get a bell

[Wyatt Earp]

Man alive, but you okes can moan, just ride the damn bike, unless of course according to some esteemed hubber you only ride singlespeeds to not be average.

Other than that, just trap the bloomin pedals and enjoy the race.

[Lucky Luke.]

On Sunday we had the opposite problem - no respect for the racing zone. Sometimes I wish I could ride with a cattle prod for the ******* that mistake a bike race for a scenic tour of the boland all the way to the final 200m of the route.

[Frosty]

In the case of the Crater Cruise, you are starting on the one end of town, riding through the town and continuing on the other side.

In order to keep traffic disruption to a minimum, the neutral zone is there to keep the bunches together until they are safely over the bridge on the Vaal river.

However, every Dumb, Dick and Hurry thinks if they attack from the gun they'll get into the single track before anyone else - pity that only happens much later into the race.

So this means instead of having big groups of riders crossing over the only "main" road in Parys, you have this steady stream of riders, some of whom moan at the marshals when they are asked to stop to let the traffic through. Traffic that has been standing still for a long time.

 

It's actually a road race thing designed as a "parade" through town at the start of a race/stage race, giving the convoy time to get organised behind the peloton before racing starts. But in life (some) people (sometimes) do things, aka tradition, without actually knowing why they are doing it or what it actually means.

[TNT1]

The biggest joke in any kind of racing is getting dropped in the neutral zone. True story. A team mate of mine was once dropped in the neutral zone at the Jock.

[fandacious]

The biggest joke in any kind of racing is getting dropped in the neutral zone. True story. A team mate of mine was once dropped in the neutral zone at the Jock.

 

"a friend"? riiight

[TNT1]

"a friend"? riiight

 

Wasn't me. That race I only got dropped after I attacked going up Boulders...

[Carmichael]

At the Rhino on day 2 the lead vehicle took the wrong turn,( i was somewhere in the middle of the bunch), so he turned around and took another turn and suddenly i was infront, was awesome to be in front with camera's taking pictures from the car... hahaha, didn't last very long though....

[Agter os]

What I do not understand is - IF this is then a neautral zone, that is great, but why are the timing mats then placed at the START of the race and not at the END of the neutral zone? This is the reason why riders absolutely SEND it from the start. I also did the races at Master Blaster and Crater, and I agree - the speeds are very high, and riders will get hurt.

[Guest agteros]

What I do not understand is - IF this is then a neautral zone, that is great, but why are the timing mats then placed at the START of the race and not at the END of the neutral zone? This is the reason why riders absolutely SEND it from the start. I also did the races at Master Blaster and Crater, and I agree - the speeds are very high, and riders will get hurt.

 

Maar jy is dan heel agter, why worry?