Chris Brandt

I think I've probably raced Bear Springs close to 10 times now. It is
my favorite course to race on because it is always testing you,
non-stop from beginning to end. It's not just about pedaling fitness
and technical skills go a long ways. Some of my best (and worst)
memories have taken place at this venue. You have to overcome an
amazing number of challenges just to finish. If you can come out w/o
any mechanical setbacks, or missed turns, you will have succeeded.
Your placing is pretty much irrelevant.

THIS particular year, I personally feel that the snow conditions
crossed the line. Sure, it was do-able (There is a race called the
Iditabike that makes this one look like a beach vacation.). The part
that was annoying was not having the information up front about what
we were getting ourselves into (a shit ton of snow). I believe that I
did more bike dismounts and mid-race running yesterday than I do in an
entire fall season of cyclocross! Was there not an alternative for
shortening the loop, doing multiple laps, or something? Would that
have required less snow shoveling?

Sure, there are some disgruntled folks. But, who is to say whether
someone can hold a race or not? Who determines whether a particular
course is acceptable? Is there some OBRA rule about this? Must a
course be at least 95% rideable? Is 75% acceptable? 51%? Even THAT is
equivalent to saying "the majority of the course is rideable".
Ultimately, the races continue to be held because the racers show up.
If you don't want to particpate any more in the future, you can vote
by NOT attending.

Who are these race promoters? What would we do without them? Why do
they continue to break their backs (with minimal financial return) for
us whiny bike racers, year after year? As cranky as I became
yesterday, it is hard to express feelings of anger or displeasure
after seeing all the hard work of the volunteers and promoters. The
amount of work that went into this year's race was so obvious to
anyone that raced. Maybe a little more of that energy should have gone
into communication and updates, but that is now in the past.

Personally, I cannot BELIEVE anyone would be willing to put THAT much
effort in just so that we had a chance to race our bikes!?! At what
point would anyone else just throw in the towel and admit defeat,
canceling the race or (ideally) postponing it? As frustrated as I was
during this year's episode of "Which-Wrong-Turn-Shall-I-Make-Next", I
couldn't help but feel amazed at how MUCH work went into opening it.
There must have been close to 75 large conifer trees that had to be
cut through. There must have been piles and piles of branches and
debris on the trail that had to be moved. How many snow drifts where
there? I surely lost count after 100. Regardless of the countless
numbers of un-rideable snow fields (some taking minutes to cross),
that was a truly remarkable feat. 3-4 hours of numb toes is nothing in
comparison.

My thanks again to Petr for the opportunity to race. I respectfully
ask that in the future, some more reasonable "alternative" options be
taken into consideration, and lets improve on the communication a bit.
We all like a good adventure, we just prefer to know what we're
getting ourselves into before-hand. There are so many other things
that can go wrong as it is, just riding out there.

---
Regarding the upcoming Mudslinger.... this is one of the longest
standing, most popular cross country events in OBRA history. Plus,
it's the State Championships! I personally have put a significant
amount of labor into the course, as has Mike Ripley and many other
volunteers from Team Dirt. This year - trust me - you will NOT want to
miss it. Yes, there have been some epic battles in the mud here in
recent editions. For 2009, it is looking very much like it will be one
of the fastest, driest editions ever. This course is so amazing when
it is dry! I have personally ridden it twice in the past couple weeks
and have never before seen it in such awesome shape.
---

Thanks,
Chris Brandt

=========================
Susan Sherman wrote:

Thank you, Evan! Yesterday I thought I was the only one who felt this
way. And yes, David, I covered all 30 miles of the Cat 1 course.
This was my fourth year at BS and I always encourage others to go
because it's such a great event and the course is my fave. Last year,
the upper reaches of the course had snow in places and was mildly
annoying. I found yesterday's conditions to be downright ridiculous.
I'm an adventure racer and am always up for a challenge. I rarely
whine about conditions. But yesterday's course was more suited to
snowshoes and gaitors than a mountain bike. Some of the best sections
of trail were obliterated by snow and that was quite disappointing and
detracted significantly from the fun of the event.
Given the posts during the past week, I was under the impression that
blowdown was the primary concern on the course, not snow. So I did
feel misled about the conditions. I don't want my money back--I'm
happy to see it benefit the future of mountain bike racing in Oregon.
I fully appreciate the effort Petr and others put into making the race
a reality and all the work that did go into clearing the course. But
seriously--this is mountain bike race--that implies to me that dirt is
the primary surface that my tires will contact. And this is April--on
Mt. Hood--is that an appropriate time to plan a mountain bike race?
When there's that much snow remaining, I think the choices are:
cancel, postpone, shorten the course, or give fair warning so racers
can arrive with suitable equipment and clothing.
I had the least fun I've ever had at a mountain bike race. I usually
enjoy myself whether I'm first or last, regardless of conditions. I
consider myself a good sport and like encouraging other racers as well
as promoters. But halfway through the course yesterday, I decided that
not only will I likely skip BS next year regardless of conditions, I
also do not want to race Mudslinger or any other upcoming event.
Perhaps I'm in the minority and I echo Evan's words to those who did
have fun at BS: "rock on!" That's fantastic. I hope most people did
have a great time. I'll spend next weekend on my bike, having fun, in
conditions of my choosing.