USN Cup # 5 Stoke City

[RocknRolla]

you can always rather stay in bed.

[Enduro_Jakes]

you can always rather stay in bed.

 

If they stay in bed it makes it way easier to lap them!

[Enduro_Jakes]

http://www.saseeding.co.za/pre-race-batchings/?batching=100

 

Pre-Race batching is finally up

[Runbikeswim]

Nice and Flat.

Always the response…. That 50 is not flat.

[nonky]

^{was really looking forward to this but can't ride, as bike still being fixed.}     

[King Dean]

Always the response…. That 50 is not flat.

 

Elevation gain is very similar to that of the Northerns Quckie. 

To me that's flat.

Hardly a Van Gaalens ride, now is it?

[Runbikeswim]

Looking for a entry....

[CleatsnCleavage]

Why so quiet? Race reports! Thought the short routes mxing with the 50km so early in the race was absolute ****. Plus the route was 50% same as the USN Big Red Barn recently...go figure. Otherwise was pretty much a good race but I wish I could have done Die Burger instead...some real mountain biking not field biking 

 

[s14phoenix]

Why so quiet? Race reports! Thought the short routes mxing with the 50km so early in the race was absolute ****. Plus the route was 50% same as the USN Big Red Barn recently...go figure. Otherwise was pretty much a good race but I wish I could have done Die Burger instead...some real mountain biking not field biking 

 

Agreed. Route was pretty much the same. Not that it was a bad route as I enjoyed the BRB race also.

 

I also have to say that I think starting C and D together created issues in itself.

 

I have to agree about the mixing. I had huge delays catching clearly slower riders and then have to wait for them to attempt a obstacle... fail... fall... clear themselves from the track... and blame the queue of riders waiting patiently and quietly for rushing them.

 

I want to plead to all the new rider and riders not comfortable with the technical sections to not attempt an obstacle and then decide not to right in front of it. There was some horrific tumbles of these kinds... Commit and follow through or walk it for your own safety and the safety of those also around you.

 

If more advanced riders have to be vigilant and mindful of the newer less experienced and capable riders sharing the trails. I would expect that the same in return - especially once you have decided to enter a race. Learn proper trail etiquette.

 

We all share the trails and sometimes the riders on the trails can make or break an event...

[WrightJnr]

Nice enough route but was 70% RedBarn. We were on our best 50km time until we joined with the 30km riders so that ruined that. I actually had a really enjoyable ride so no complaints. Start/Finish area was nice and big as well. Im a huge fan of these 50km races. Long enough to feel like I've worked but not long enough to make me hate life like the 70km races.

[Enduro_Jakes]

Very much NOT impressed with this race. Whats the point of working your ass off to get a better batching and then all they do is combine the batches?!?!

There were about 5 bottle necks in the first 5km! And they weren't even for anything remotely technical! That was probably the easiest race so far! So my question is, if you cant ride technical, How did you get into A and B batches? I do agree with s14phoenix, be considerate to new inexperienced riders, but how the hell did they get into A batch?! Also, if you cant ride something, be considerate to those who can and move out of the way. Get your skills up before you try a MTB race.

 

Also, starting the race 10min earlier without notifying anyone? What was up with that? This was a terribly organised race. They already had such a pathetic turn out for this event, are they purposely trying to scare people away? And don't try ask USN on social media why it was such a stuff up, they ignore anything that is not a compliment.

 

Lets just pray they get their act together and give us a decent quality race for the final one and dont end the year on a sour note.

 

(Disclaimer: This is a combination of my views and pretty much everyone I spoke to after the race.)

 

Anyways, rant over... At least it wasnt as cold as we thought it would be!

[WhuYu]

Very much NOT impressed with this race. Whats the point of working your ass off to get a better batching and then all they do is combine the batches?!?!

There were about 5 bottle necks in the first 5km! And they weren't even for anything remotely technical! That was probably the easiest race so far! So my question is, if you cant ride technical, How did you get into A and B batches? I do agree with s14phoenix, be considerate to new inexperienced riders, but how the hell did they get into A batch?! Also, if you cant ride something, be considerate to those who can and move out of the way. Get your skills up before you try a MTB race.

 

Also, starting the race 10min earlier without notifying anyone? What was up with that? This was a terribly organised race. They already had such a pathetic turn out for this event, are they purposely trying to scare people away? And don't try ask USN on social media why it was such a stuff up, they ignore anything that is not a compliment.

 

Lets just pray they get their act together and give us a decent quality race for the final one and dont end the year on a sour note.

 

(Disclaimer: This is a combination of my views and pretty much everyone I spoke to after the race.)

 

Anyways, rant over... At least it wasnt as cold as we thought it would be!

Simple really...as I have learnt.....................vote with your feet, in this case, your bike...stay away.

Some of these organisers are there ONLY for the moola...........how many times must an organiser say :We learn lessons, thank you for the feed back crap? There are many successful and well organised event, so why not take lessons from these? 

[ahp005]

Very much NOT impressed with this race. Whats the point of working your ass off to get a better batching and then all they do is combine the batches?!?!

There were about 5 bottle necks in the first 5km! And they weren't even for anything remotely technical! That was probably the easiest race so far! So my question is, if you cant ride technical, How did you get into A and B batches? I do agree with s14phoenix, be considerate to new inexperienced riders, but how the hell did they get into A batch?! Also, if you cant ride something, be considerate to those who can and move out of the way. Get your skills up before you try a MTB race.

 

Also, starting the race 10min earlier without notifying anyone? What was up with that? This was a terribly organised race. They already had such a pathetic turn out for this event, are they purposely trying to scare people away? And don't try ask USN on social media why it was such a stuff up, they ignore anything that is not a compliment.

 

Lets just pray they get their act together and give us a decent quality race for the final one and dont end the year on a sour note.

 

(Disclaimer: This is a combination of my views and pretty much everyone I spoke to after the race.)

 

Anyways, rant over... At least it wasnt as cold as we thought it would be!

I agree fully.

[CleatsnCleavage]

The A batch of the 50km started on the dot at 8am?

 

That last wooden pallet thing just before the finish, as i crossed the top of it i got chain suck and had to pull over to the side...not bloody ideal timing!

 

Warrior I agree fully with what you say about USN on social media, I complained a few months ago about how their products clump when you mix it and they ignored me til I asked them again! They asked me to email them and then replied without providing any suggestion on how better to mix them, or even a name of a person on the email, which to me in the communications industry is a total fail.

[the_roadie]

Very much NOT impressed with this race. Whats the point of working your ass off to get a better batching and then all they do is combine the batches?!?!

There were about 5 bottle necks in the first 5km! And they weren't even for anything remotely technical! That was probably the easiest race so far! So my question is, if you cant ride technical, How did you get into A and B batches? I do agree with s14phoenix, be considerate to new inexperienced riders, but how the hell did they get into A batch?! Also, if you cant ride something, be considerate to those who can and move out of the way. Get your skills up before you try a MTB race.

 

Also, starting the race 10min earlier without notifying anyone? What was up with that? This was a terribly organised race. They already had such a pathetic turn out for this event, are they purposely trying to scare people away? And don't try ask USN on social media why it was such a stuff up, they ignore anything that is not a compliment.

 

Lets just pray they get their act together and give us a decent quality race for the final one and dont end the year on a sour note.

 

(Disclaimer: This is a combination of my views and pretty much everyone I spoke to after the race.)

 

Anyways, rant over... At least it wasnt as cold as we thought it would be!

 

Are you talking about the 30km or the 50km? Because the A batch for 50km started about 1 minute late and the B batch pretty much exactly 5 min after that.

 

Definitely agree that the race was not very well thought out. Combining the 50km and 30km route that early was not very clever.

[Belgarath]

I have a few kids (teacher) that were in the leading group of the 30km, and they got lost. I was in B batch, and at some point some guy jumped in front of us saying we needed to go down to the river along the fence line (which they said at the start, but there wasn't adequate markings). The one kid only added 2km to his race, but coming in 11th after he was looking to win it wasn't good. The other ended up doing 47km.

 

What peeves me is when you approach a bottle neck, and some people that were behind you get off the marked trail and go push in some place further up the line. Also, at the big drop off at the quarry I lost a little personality with one oke. I was approaching a little slower to give the guy in front of me time to get down (don't want to barrell into him doing 40km/h if he crashed somewhere going down or at the bottom), and this oke pushed in just before I was dipping over. Screwed my line, did some sphincter saddle munching. But that's not route related, just ahole rider. Caught him on the climb anyway, didn't see him again.

 

I wasn't happy with the freshly cut grass "trail" in some places, it makes for very rough riding. I broke a spoke, and couldn't feel my hands after about 10km, but whatever. Using parts of the Barn is okay with me, I love riding there, but maybe just use different parts?