[Event] Mahala Magic MTB Race - SA's First FREE Mountain Bike Race

[Mike Bike]

That was fantastic...great route. Enjoyed the abundance of single track. Enjoyed those beers too

[brumby]

Well done to the organizers - great event and venue -and nogal for mahala  

[Ozzie NL]

Baaie f&kken lekker. Well done to organisers

[Grease_Monkey]

Great race! Well done to the organizers!!

[Nakoota]

my

legs

are

Sore!

 

Great event and thanks for organising.

[WrightJnr]

Brilliant race. Well done to the organizers.

[trekpostal]

very nice race and hats off to the organisers - beer afterwards was awesome.   if there is a repeat next year will do it again.

 

I really do not know that area at all but my suggestion for organisers to consider, if at all possible, is separate routes for 40 and 60 with no joining at all - many 60's held up badly by 40's going too slow the last 10 kms

[Vetplant]

Well done to organisers, great race.

 

Probably 4 years since my last MTB race, been on the road bike allot the past year. This race was brilliant in showing me how much fun these events are.

 

Unrealistic suggestion: force all roadies to do two MTB races a year.

 

This will achieve three things:

1.They/we will learn patience. There's no use in getting impatient on single track behind a slower rider. Be patient and you'll find a place to pass. Many roadies can get so impatient on road races that they will do manoeuvres that endanger themselves and everyone around them.

2. They/we will develop our bike handling skills. Nearly LOST IT at least 4 times today on the soft stuff, managed to ride them out each time and got better as time progressed.

 

3. They/we might just enjoy the Mtb Race

[Jurgens Smit]

Well done to organisers, great race.

 

Probably 4 years since my last MTB race, been on the road bike allot the past year. This race was brilliant in showing me how much fun these events are.

 

Unrealistic suggestion: force all roadies to do two MTB races a year.

 

This will achieve three things:

1.They/we will learn patience. There's no use in getting impatient on single track behind a slower rider. Be patient and you'll find a place to pass. Many roadies can get so impatient on road races that they will do manoeuvres that endanger themselves and everyone around them.

2. They/we will develop our bike handling skills. Nearly LOST IT at least 4 times today on the soft stuff, managed to ride them out each time and got better as time progressed.

 

3. They/we might just enjoy the Mtb Race

 

 

Not to say your suggestion is bad, but it's not very good. I think they should rather use a base model seeding, therefore if you ride say A batch road races you should be seeded in an equivalent batch on the mtb races. People will be sorted in batches of equal fitness level. Most of the xc mtb races here are anyway fairly non technical.

 

I had a slight mechanical issue at the race start, forcing me to be the very last 60km rider to go. My avg speed was around 24kmph when we hit the singletrack with the lynnwood cyclery boards. From there due to slow riders and people who brake for no reason it started dropping, by the time we hit the final 10km i had dropped 3kmph on average speed.

 

So us being impatient is understandable IF the organisers put (i'm guessing) 500 people on a course with 90% singletrack AND as you said with the 40km and 60km ending together. 

 

Also I think they should let the 40k racing snakes go before the 60k batch with a gap of about 5min, we'll never catch them and then we won't have some little twit just come flying past on the dodgiest of dodgy places.

[Dexter-morgan]

I really enjoyed it, receving an sms literaly seconds after my plate was scaned, either the 60 was tough or I am just plain unfit.

[BDF]

Took a look at the results on Bouttime's website.

 

Some hack analysis shows:

Entries limited to 1500

Finishers with a time 1039

Difference 461

 

Could there have been attrition of close to 30% in this race? I don't think so.

 

I (and I would assume all entrants) received an email a few weeks before the race asking if I REALLY was going to ride. If not, please let the organisers know by clicking on something etc. etc. Seemed like a simple and thoughtful request given that the entries were over-subscribed and the race entry fee was ZILCH, ZERO, NIL.

 

Surely the average, intelligent, non-selfish entry pool would have given up their entries if they did not intend riding?

 

Would be interesting to see the DNF and DNS statistics. that reconcile the number back to 1500.

[Vetplant]

The issue with FREE races is the price. When people don't invest something into an event they feel less obliged to take part. Take the Vitality FREE GYM benefit as it was structured originally, I for one was not motivated to go to gym. Seeing the money go off my account each month would have probably made me go more...

 

I think the real solution is to make the event VERY Cheap compared to other events.

 

Road Races can cost R300-R500 per entry.

 

Make the entry for a race between R50 and R100 and I think you will see a fuller contingent than at a Free Race and you wont get those that complain about the price.

 

I have not been involved in organising an event like this, don't know if sub-R100 is viable at all...

 

EDIT: Words

Edited October 10, 2016 by Rookie85

[BDF]

The issue with FREE races is the price. When people don't invest something into an event they feel less obliged to take part. Take the Vitality FREE GYM benefit as it was structured originally, I for one was not motivated to go to gym. Seeing the money go off my account each month would have probably made me go more...

 

I think the real solution is to make the event VERY Cheap compared to other events.

 

Road Races can cost R300-R500 per entry.

 

Make the entry for a race between R50 and R100 and I think you will see a fuller contingent than at a Free Race and you wont get those that complain about the price.

 

I have not been involved in organising an event like this, don't know if sub-R100 is viable at all...

 

EDIT: Words

#wheresthehonour

[FHB]

Awesome race.

 

Did the 60km, loved the lots of singletrack. Although my legs started cramping at 30, I pushed through.

 

Nice waterpoints, boerewors and beer and coffee etc! Well done to a great race and the organizers.

[janneman72]

I was a bit late & missed by 60km A batch. When I got to registration there were in the excess of 300-400 race boards still left with most batches gone. Loads of riders pitched on the day and begged for an entry because they didn't make the cut-off so Bouttime just assigned the non-pitchers' raceboards to them(name, surname, cell, id boom!) in order to share in the fun. The trail was one of the best, better than trail seeker, Rosemary stop with brownies WOW, well stocked waterpoints, beer points & coffee points. Instant sms timing with position, time & category which connects to their live website and TV's just behind the arch with live results for each distance.

I think they have spent all that money catering for 1500 riders & only ~1100 pitched due to it being free. Sad but what a great race. My registration email says its an SASeeding event.

[Eveza]

Yes, we had a fully subscribed race at 1500 riders and another 450 on the waiting list. We asked through numerous platforms for people to let us know if they wont be attending anymore so that we could pass it on to very eager people on the waiting list. On the morning, almost 400 people did not pitch. For us as the organizer, that was certainly a disappointment and it caused quite a bit of unnecessary wastage of water table products, medals, etc. I suppose that is what will happen if something is for free but sadly it took away the opportunity for someone else to be part of this.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Eveza