david baker

Seems to me pretty much anything seasonal (except cross) is busy in the early season (even with sub-par conditions) and then participation gradually decreases as the season moves on(with better conditions).
The freshness and excitement of the new season just wears off and attendance goes down. It's just human nature.

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Murray
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] summer mtn bike races

I have to point out that it is not really all that much different for track races either. Last night we had only 21 riders at the Thursday evening event when in May we were having 60+. Other summer activities and the plethora of bike races available during the summer decreases the draw for individual bike races. Add in other extra costs (long drive, high entry fee, etc.) and it is easy to see why midsummer events don’t do as well.

Mike Murray

From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On Behalf Of gschreckchat@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 9:36 AM
To: Randy Dreiling
Cc: obra@list.obra.org; Spencer Bushnell
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] summer mtn bike races

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.

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