If money is not issue why would you not do a MTB race

[T-Bob]

Truthfully, for me mtb is closer to BMXing with gears than road racing with knobbles. I just can't get excited about miles of hard packed vineyards roads and farmers tracks, it's got to be something that I can't do on a CX bike!

[Markdeep]

- Main races are all oversubscribed

- Which causes bottlenecks because dirt road riders cannot ride over a root apparently

- Seeding stuff ups (Cradle mountain trophy etc) "You all just start together in a rolling start", well that systems works great doesn't it, see how people waited 1 hour at the river

- Route marking failures (USN several times) as a result riders cheating and taking short cuts.

 

I've seen more and more people doing less races because of these reasons, I mean why would I pay to ride Van Gaalens single track with 4000 other riders when I can go there any weekend with my mates and literally have the farm to myself?

 

Doing 1 main stage race a year and maybe 1 other is enough to maintain your seeding so why bother with this other crap...

[Markdeep]

This is a weird human psychology, I see it all the time in running. I read a friend's status on Facebook where he said he was entering a 10km race and wanted to break 1 hour. Another friend of his told him to get to the race early so he could start at the front. No, dude, if you can only run 10km in an hour then you're a slow moving obstacle for most of the pack. Same at Parkrun, old lady walkers that push to the front and have to be overtaken by everybody in the first 50 metres.

 

 

Do you think people would subscribe to an honesty system for the unseeded riders? In other words, have a marked grid near the start gate categorised by the time a rider would expect to complete the race?

 

They tried this at cradle mountain trophy, Human honesty test failed completely...

[TALUS]

I still cannot believe that "race" walkers are allowed in front of the start at road running events. WTF

[ChUkKy]

Like the Cradle Mountain Challenge........ (which also had serious bottlenecks)...

 

Ill never do that again, waited 30 minutes to get over that first water crossing.

[ChUkKy]

so i guess that answers a loooong overdue question,,,,,,clearly we need to look for another member of our trans baviaans team

 

***.

Doing it with mates keeps it interesting

[Wyatt Earp]

A lot of tough and real hardcore technical geniuses on this thread as per usual.

[DIPSLICK]

A lot of tough and real hardcore technical geniuses on this thread as per usual.

thats why they call him SKILLZZZ

[Wyatt Earp]

thats why they call him SKILLZZZ

 

I said " a lot " not referring to any one hero in particular.

[deanbean]

This is a weird human psychology, I see it all the time in running. I read a friend's status on Facebook where he said he was entering a 10km race and wanted to break 1 hour. Another friend of his told him to get to the race early so he could start at the front. No, dude, if you can only run 10km in an hour then you're a slow moving obstacle for most of the pack. Same at Parkrun, old lady walkers that push to the front and have to be overtaken by everybody in the first 50 metres.

 

 

Do you think people would subscribe to an honesty system for the unseeded riders? In other words, have a marked grid near the start gate categorised by the time a rider would expect to complete the race?

They tried that at 2Oceans years ago, with boards down the street with projected finishing times, it seemed to work well then, but now people have just become too selfish, or maybe people have just lost their intellect

 

I'd love to do a few more races but the crowds get to me, and the bottle-necks at even mildly tech sections.

 

and yes it's easy to say train harder, then you'll not be held up, but that's not the point, the point is decency. If some one is faster than you uphill, make an effort to move over for them, I do, and the same on downhills.

 

And Sheriff, I'm no technical genius, but I'm sure better than the run of the mill rider nowadays.

[scotty]

Have you tried chess as an alternative...?

[D Vader]

I dislike the noise level at big events.

The rest has been stated by everybody above.

[beanz]

There is a dimension to racing that is a lot of fun. It also keeps you sharp. As most have said the races close to the main urban centers are often way oversubscribed and congested with all sorts of route chaos and bottlenecks.

My ideal race is:

< 40% dirt roads / jeep track (most of which is towards the beginning to allow the field to spread)

> 60% singletrack (preferably with lots of fun sections)

< 100/150 participants on the route

Ideally in a beautiful unspoilt natural environment in the mountains somewhere.

Unfortunately none of the trailseekers tick these boxes.

Races that do in my book are:

Royal drakensberg MTB challenge

Marico MTB challenge

I'm sure quite a few of the races in Mpumalanga do too. Maybe Mankele or Induna or one of those, though I haven't done them.

You generally have to travel out of town and make a weekend of it, which is a nice thing to do anyway.

Though you can just go to those places and ride any other weekend and have the trail to yourself as I did in Karkloof this last weekend, rather than jostle with 1000 other riders next weekend at the classic.

The more popular stage races are just about out for me, too many people, too congested, too pricey (though this thread is excluding the cost). Also I'm not really so big on the whole partner thing. I have entered for the Mankele 3 towers though. There may be some others worth doing, but if they are good, they quickly become popular, so you have to take your chances and do them before they get known.

As for enduro, thats a fun event that adds a competitive edge to ripping a trail. The premise behind it is appealing - just bring your bike, ride it up the hill at leisure as you chat to your mates and we'll time you as you rip it on the way down. I've only done one. I did notice a lot of people take it awfully seriously, and in the process stop having as much fun as they should. It's supposedly the new cool, and it's only a matter of time before people figure that out in numbers. The format cannot handle large numbers though, max 100 before waits at the special stages will start to get too long. Also there's a far greater risk of damaging yourself if you push the limits, as we tend to do when competitive egos are at stake.

The sweet spot for me going ahead is to do the odd race and pick judiciously. Maybe the odd stage race as well , and the odd enduro. Try not to take any of it too seriously, and the rest of the time ride just for fun or commuting or both.

[DIPSLICK]

I said " a lot " not referring to any one hero in particular.

MY HUMBLE APOLOGIES SIR

[Rata Del Spruit]

it seemed to work well then, but now people have just become too selfish

 

Sums up a lot of the problems with the world at the moment.

[Wyatt Earp]

 

And Sheriff, I'm no technical genius, but I'm sure better than the run of the mill rider nowadays.

 

I hear you, but ultimately what is comes down to, these guys sit here claiming they want 80 odd k's of real heavy technical riding.

Two issues at hand here.

Where are they gonna string 80 k's together anywhere in this country, also doing so without bottlenecks and congestion.

Secondly, they don't realise how utterly f'ed they will be if they had to ride 80 k's of heavy technical stuff.