gschreckchat@comcast.net
It is not that different for road racing. One of the reasons why we have a ridiculously front loaded road race season is becasue the numbers drop precipitiously in the summer. Promoters who used to have their road races in the summer, had small turnouts, and they moved them to early in the year when the weather was less than optimal, and found the number of participants much higher. It has led to one or two road races just about every weekend from February until May, then nothing other than a few stage races and crits.
I think events like PIR in both raod racing and track hamper the development of summer races becuase people can "sort of" race on weeknights and avoid driving longer distances and having to train more to be competitive for harder, more demanding races where getting dropped is a high possibility. The fact is a short training race seems to be sufficient for most people to feel they are racing.
Given the many other commitments people have, it probably is all that reasonably can be expected from most people. The fact is that racing competitively in longer harder races involves a time commitment many people cannot make given their schedules and commitments. Also, summer vacations take a toll with those who have children.
Cyclocross easily fits within this approach as well, as they are one hour races, getting dropped is not an issue and they are realtively close to metropolitan areas..
As long as people have local weeknight options that satisfy their needs, summer weekend racing will suffer to some extent. On the other hand, multiple options is one of the benefits of OBRA.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Randy Dreiling"
To: "Spencer Bushnell" , "Like toPedal" , obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 4:36:29 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] summer mtn bike races
100% correct
That is why many people like me that spent years building up great XC events have said forget it...it is not worth our time to put on XC races when most people appear to want to do races in Portland on Monday at PIR
But just for you that were not around the old XC race days were really cool. You saw all of Oregon. You made a weekend out of it and you left with a smile. Of and you actually raced when it was nice, warm and dry.
Between the short track, Cycle Cross and humping owls what can we do?
RIP summer racing
Randy Dreiling
----- Original Message ----
From: "Bushnell, Spencer"
To: Like toPedal ; obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 3:37:44 PM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] summer mtn bike races
the reason people show at the STXC is its proximity to people and the fact that it doesnt burn a whole day or weekend to do it. just roll out after work, race, and roll home.
spencer
________________________________
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org on behalf of Like toPedal
Sent: Tue 7/21/2009 3:23 PM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] summer mtn bike races
i see the short track had 331 racers.
any weekend mountain bike races have that many racers?
i see the short track had 19 boys under 14!!
no weekend mountain bike race had that many under 14 boys.
maybe the guys throwing that short track stuff should move it to the weekends....
i think Oregon Mountain bike racers are screaming their support for summer mountain biking. let's move them to the weekends and get even more people there.
DISCLAIMER:
This message is intended for the sole use of the addressee, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete this message.
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org