Single Track Skills and Rider Etiquette

[GLuvsMtb]

These races should have a mid-level tech section of at least 2km at the start of the event, with berms, bridges, rock gardens, drop-offs and the odd jump or two, perhaps even a table top.

 

Riders must be routed over this section, and only those who manage to ride the whole section will be permitted to continue the ride. If you walk, you stay. If you end up in hospital...well, you stay either way...

This makes no commercial sense whatsoever.

Should they then also have a 25% incline for 1 km next to it and if you get off and walk, you're out as well?

 

As much as we like to rant about skills, the reality is that the likes of FNB wants to see "ordinary" guys and girls ride the events. Not just the technically minded riders. We as riders want the wow-factor of technical trails and the constant improvement to the trail network sees oversubscribed events year in and year out.

The problem with technical riding starts way before the event starts. If proper coaching and skills clinics are available you may see a general improvement in the skillset of the riders participating. While they are at it, they can also try to get some rider etiquette going as well. Some of the chat during dinner that I overheard was particularly concerning as many of the wannabee racers seems hell-bent on being class A chops when it comes to the ST sections.

 

As a side-note, having done some of these events at the sharper end and being towards the back end as well, it seems like there is not much difference in the skillset in F opposed to J batch. The nice thing about being in J is that the okes are more considerate and that the "gees" is way better. I am seriously considering sand-bagging the uphills from now on to allow me some open trails and considerate riders towards the back end.

[mtbride]

my gripe is the lack of etiquette, no one calls anymore. It is so frustrating. At the berg and bush I ended up shoving a fellow rider off the single track because he never called and attempted to overtake me in an inappropriate spot. I ended up turning directly into him because of the line I had chosen. He ended up having quite a big crash. I on the other hand was fine.  

 

He blamed me and had a few choice words. After ensuring that he was fine I rode on. He was apparently looking for me at the end to give me a piece of his mind. I am not a big guy and he wasn't small.

 

This never used to happen 8 or so years ago.

 

I am not slow in the tech stuff but yes people do catch me. I always wait for them to call and I hold my line. if I see a gap I call back and tell them I will slow down so as to allow the overtake.

 

I think that we all need to just breathe in for a second and remember why we love this sport.

 

If you are in H batch you are not going to win a trophy. you can wait for a few seconds until it is safe to overtake. Call before you do.

 

So whats the correct call or will a bell suffice? Should it be english or can it be afrikaans?

 

In any case j/k

 

2 of my friends who did B&B this year, actually stopped at the top of some place, let everyone pass so that they had a clean open descent of awesomeness ...

[KarlvN]

Ja see i am "ok" on down "hill" single track. But as soon as it turns upwards i am crawling (might have something todo with the 130kg my bike has to carry) but at Hemel en Aarde I let everyone and i mean everyone through on the uphill sections and when we got to the downhill the same people i let pass ignored me behind them.

 

I actually stopped to help a guy with his chain because i was stuck behind 3 girls who for the life of them can't ride single track and when i asked to pass they said there is not place so i have to stay. (which is fair also even though at some spots i would have let faster riders through)

 

 

Kudos for your great trail-side manners. I think I remember those 3 girls...I got caught behind them for a spell, but passed them when it was safe (for my bike)...

 

with regards to your climbing skills, I am 110kg on a good day, plus my 13kg bike. So when it comes to hills, I am not exactly "flying", but I CAN ride them.

 

At the Karoo to Coast, I was astounded by the amount of people walking up ou-wapad. It was just insane. Folks have ZERO skills on their bikes. I rode almost the entire hill, except for a 50m segment were I simply could not pass. I was pedaling at 3 - 4 kph at times, barely at walking speed, but I stayed on my bike. Folks ahead of me on the other hand....

 

Which reiterates the absolute REQUIREMENT for any MTB'er to ride single track at a rate of at least 60/40 where 60 it ST and 40 is road, in my very humble opinion.

 

If riding technical bits scares you, get a road bike.

[KarlvN]

This makes no commercial sense whatsoever.

Should they then also have a 25% incline for 1 km next to it and if you get off and walk, you're out as well?

 

As much as we like to rant about skills, the reality is that the likes of FNB wants to see "ordinary" guys and girls ride the events. Not just the technically minded riders. We as riders want the wow-factor of technical trails and the constant improvement to the trail network sees oversubscribed events year in and year out.

The problem with technical riding starts way before the event starts. If proper coaching and skills clinics are available you may see a general improvement in the skillset of the riders participating. While they are at it, they can also try to get some rider etiquette going as well. Some of the chat during dinner that I overheard was particularly concerning as many of the wannabee racers seems hell-bent on being class A chops when it comes to the ST sections.

 

As a side-note, having done some of these events at the sharper end and being towards the back end as well, it seems like there is not much difference in the skillset in F opposed to J batch. The nice thing about being in J is that the okes are more considerate and that the "gees" is way better. I am seriously considering sand-bagging the uphills from now on to allow me some open trails and considerate riders towards the back end.

 

My comment was made tongue in cheek...

[nigelhicks]

good track manners right here ....   

 

http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Spandex-Fight-XC-Racers-Lose-It-Mid-Race,16153/bturman,109

[rudi-h]

i still maintain that stage races (even the epic) offer too much of the same (every day is basically a marathon race in itself) which means that a an average skilled fit rider can win each and every stage, and also means that practicing fitness only is likely your best weapon for beating your mates.

 

if MTB stage races were more like e.g. the tour de france in terms of variety, meaning that different stages favour different rider types e.g. climbers, xc specialists, enduro / DH junkies, all-rounders etc. I think it would be way awesome!

 

Imagine a stage race where stages are a bit more tuned towards a specific type of riding, say the first day / prologue being an XC course type of vibe and maybe have another day as a timed DH / Enduro course, both individual starts to prevent congestion? Perhaps also throw in a TT or a mountain TT in there somehow and get different winning jerseys for different stages.

 

I reckon it would change the sport significantly if you can win a jersey for fastest descender, best climber etc. Maybe even have a little contest one afternoon in the race village where they throw in a bonus second or 2 for every millimetre that you can bunny hop or every metre that you can pop a wheelie etc. I can imagine it being a lot of fun to add that aspect to stage racing whilst promoting better skills big time! 

 

edit:  spelling and stuff and stuff

[mtbride]

i still maintain that stage races (even the epic) offer too much of the same (every day is basically a marathon race in itself) which means that a an average skilled fit rider can win each and every stage, and also means that practicing fitness only is likely your best weapon for beating your mates.

 

if MTB stage races were more like e.g. the tour de france in terms of variety, meaning that different stages favour different rider types e.g. climbers, xc specialists, enduro / DH junkies, all-rounders etc. I think it would be way awesome!

 

Imagine a stage race where stages are a bit more tuned towards a specific type of riding, say the first day / prologue being an XC course type of vibe and maybe have another day as a timed DH / Enduro course, both individual starts to prevent congestion? Perhaps also throw in a TT or a mountain TT in there somehow and get different winning jerseys for different stages.

 

I reckon it would change the sport significantly if you can win a jersey for fastest descender, best climber etc. Maybe even throw in a bonus 30 seconds off your time if you can bunnyhop a 300mm broomstick in the race village or pop a 20m wheelie. I can imagine it being a lot of fun to add that aspect to stage racing!

 

Nino will still beat em all ...

 

That is an awesome idea you have there, not sure why it has never been done. This 2 person rule is a load of bull in all these races as well.

[Patchelicious]

I think too much emphasis is being put on making riders go faster on technical stuff. How about we just put more emphasis on being more patient and accommodating of each other?

[rudi-h]

Nino will still beat em all ...

 

That is an awesome idea you have there, not sure why it has never been done. This 2 person rule is a load of bull in all these races as well.

 

exactly, this could give someone like Nino (probably the most complete MTB rider out there) a fair chance to win the epic instead of just favoring the guys like Sauser that train for 100+km marathon stages all year round.

 

(not taking away credit from Sauser, but he has been training specifically for epic for the last 4 years where e.g. Nino and Hermida continue to work on the XCO skills)

[rudi-h]

I think too much emphasis is being put on making riders go faster on technical stuff. How about we just put more emphasis to be more patient and accommodating of each other?

 

it's not about being impatient, its about slow riding on awesome terrain takes away the fun for those who enjoy going faster.  like it or not, but speed is the business and it is universally loved by all of us in one shape or another.  F1, drag racing, Usain Bolt, Fighter jets, skiing, motorboats, M3's all that stuff are popular for a reason!

 

compare it to a rollercoaster or theme park if you'd like.  Nobody would go to gold reef city if you could outrun to the golden loop and sun city would have been an epic fail if the supertubes only got you sliding at walking pace...  it's kinda the same thing with riding single track.

[RockCoach]

I touched on this in the W2W thread, and then saw this topic (recurring, but relevant none the less).

 

I believe that event organisers and bicycle agents also need to take some responsibility in promoting (and perhaps even subsidising) skills clinics for all riders. It makes things safer (its far more dangerous to walk an A-frame than to ride it, if you know how to ride it), less congested and everyone has a better time. Instead of showing us footage of each stage they could also change the focus on how to / not to ride certain obstacles.

 

Riders unfortunately also need to put up their hands and pursue technical training clinics. If you can spend money on a personal trainer, cadence, tech support at the race, massages etc. you can spend a few saturdays before the event getting some much-needed technical coaching. Key here is having the time to practice what you have learnt.

I offer free skills course to everyone who buys a bicycle from me. Get about 10% take up on it.

[mtbride]

I offer free skills course to everyone who buys a bicycle from me. Get about 10% take up on it.

 

Because 90% of the people "think" they are technically superior to everyone else, or they think technical riding is riding on a gravel road with some sand. And surely my 29er wheels can ride through/over anything, no skills required ...

[Headshot]

i still maintain that stage races (even the epic) offer too much of the same (every day is basically a marathon race in itself) which means that a an average skilled fit rider can win each and every stage, and also means that practicing fitness only is likely your best weapon for beating your mates.

 

if MTB stage races were more like e.g. the tour de france in terms of variety, meaning that different stages favour different rider types e.g. climbers, xc specialists, enduro / DH junkies, all-rounders etc. I think it would be way awesome!

 

Imagine a stage race where stages are a bit more tuned towards a specific type of riding, say the first day / prologue being an XC course type of vibe and maybe have another day as a timed DH / Enduro course, both individual starts to prevent congestion? Perhaps also throw in a TT or a mountain TT in there somehow and get different winning jerseys for different stages.

 

I reckon it would change the sport significantly if you can win a jersey for fastest descender, best climber etc. Maybe even have a little contest one afternoon in the race village where they throw in a bonus second or 2 for every millimetre that you can bunny hop or every metre that you can pop a wheelie etc. I can imagine it being a lot of fun to add that aspect to stage racing whilst promoting better skills big time! 

 

edit:  spelling and stuff and stuff

It has been done before and still is. Google the BC Bike Race in Canada. Its a marathon type race although to your average SA rider the trails would be way too hard, and see how they have added enduro timed downhill stages into every days racing.

 

Perhaps if there was an enduro race in every marathon, people would get out of the way on the downs, although you'd think that ruining someone elses fun would be a big enough incentive....

[Headshot]

I offer free skills course to everyone who buys a bicycle from me. Get about 10% take up on it.

Thats sad - I mean people don't buy ballet shoes and refuse the skills training do they? (this isn't aimed at roadies BTW)

[Patchelicious]

it's not about being impatient, its about slow riding on awesome terrain takes away the fun for those who enjoy going faster.  like it or not, but speed is the business and it is universally loved by all of us in one shape or another.  F1, drag racing, Usain Bolt, Fighter jets, skiing, motorboats, M3's all that stuff are popular for a reason!

 

compare it to a rollercoaster or theme park if you'd like.  Nobody would go to gold reef city if you could outrun to the golden loop and sun city would have been an epic fail if the supertubes only got you sliding at walking pace...  it's kinda the same thing with riding single track.

Everybody goes as fast as they can.

 

The people who are slower than you have just as much right to have fun at a level that they are comfortable at than what you do.

 

You can start a thread called "Slower riders up hills and Rider Etiquette"nand the EXACT same argument could be used.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Everybody goes as fast as they can.

 

The people who are slower than you have just as much right to have fun at a level that they are comfortable at than what you do.

 

You can start a thread called "Slower riders up hills and Rider Etiquette"nand the EXACT same argument could be used.

 

Hi guys,

Except not, because we move out the way of the faster rider when we can....