MTB Start groups

[fandacious]

come race down here in the land of the flat mountain. all mtb races are now split into 2 groups. Seeded/PPA numbers, and non. make much more sense...

[bored girl]

come race down here in the land of the flat mountain. all mtb races are now split into 2 groups. Seeded/PPA numbers' date=' and non. make much more sense...[/quote']

 

seems gauteng is sleeping....

 

And I would gladly  would you fetch me?

[scotty]

I prefer to start more at the back, it takes a while for me to settle down. Starting at the front and having riders overtake me will only demotivate me, whereas starting near the back i can reel them in and pass them .

[fandacious]

 

 

seems gauteng is sleeping....

 

And I would gladly  would you fetch me?

 

and i thought we were the sleepy country village  sure... i'll come fetch you every weekend for the races

[Jules]

I agree, there needs to be seeding for these races. It's wonderful that mountainbiking has become so popular that seeding is now necessary.

 

 

 

To say get to the start earlier is silly and illogical, because if everybody gets there a bit earlier, then the same problem persists. Except it's resulted in everyone waking up earlier than they have to.

 

 

 

Warren Buffett likens this game-theory problem to a group of people standing round an attraction. If everybody stands on tiptoe to try and get a better view of what they are looking at, then the net result is more or less exactly the same as when they weren't standing on tiptoe, except the whole group is worse off, because everybody has sore calf muscles.

 

 

 

I can think of two races where seeding is not strictly necessary: Sabie and Babba's lodge. In both of these races a neutral zone is enforced, which is fast enough to drop the slower riders, but slow enough for the fast riders who started at the back to catch up to the leaders.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, yesterday's race needed seeding, thanks to a huge bottleneck at the starting mats, and also the single-track starting fairly soon into the race.

 

 

 

Also, to argue that mountainbiking is for having fun, well that's silly too. The fact that championchip was there and that there was prize money in the various categories places emphasis on going as fast as you can. If you want to ride round Northern Farms for fun, you can do it without paying for timers and the prizes of those who want to race.

 

 

 

 

[Odion]

Fully agree with Bored Girl. Surely you know if you are in contention for a top 10 -20 finish. If not why not let these riders go and fight it out up front, and fight your own battle perhaps a minute or two later.

 

Thug you mentioned a seeding system to be introduced. Any idea of how and when???

[_Daemon_]

 

If you want to race' date=' do road cycling, if you want to have fun do mtbing...

 

[/quote']

 

that's your point of view

me personally.... I preffer to rub shoulders with the rougher crowds at races....

and I don't remember you entering fun-races in the last few months.....have I missed something???

 

You keeping tabs on my races?

 

[bored girl]

If you want to race' date=' do road cycling, if you want to have fun do mtbing...

[/quote']

 

that's your point of view

me personally.... I preffer to rub shoulders with the rougher crowds at races....

and I don't remember you entering fun-races in the last few months.....have I missed something???

You keeping tabs on my races?

 

nope

[Thug]

 

Thug you mentioned a seeding system to be introduced. Any idea of how and when???

 

There was talk on the Spinman list a while ago. It involved Grevile Ruddock, past Commissioner of SA mountain biking.

 

How and when, can't help you but suffice to say when licencing is brought in from next year, it will make a seeding system a lot easier to manage.

 

 

 

 

 

[steve]

The start at the Spring Classic had each category starting separately .... worked well!

 

Also shortly after the start there was a nice long uphill farm road which sorted out the field.

 

I've got a friend (not really a friend but I've known him for about 15 yrs) who does lots of races without even bothering to enter. I keep telling him its wrong and he says he was out for a morning ride all these riders came rushing past so he joined in.

[IanJ]

The start at the Spring Classic had each category starting separately .... worked well!  

 

Separate category starts are the way to go especially if you are racing. At least then you know where you are amongst your competition. Also wouldn't need a seeding system.