Tim Schauer

Okay, As a Master B myself and a father of one of the youngest juniors
(Trevor Schauer, age 11) I have an interested opinion. Dan, I think your
post is well intended and I appreciate your concerns. Heck, I worry
myself I'll get photographed by Shane Young while I'm pushing my own kid
over on one of the run ups at one of the cross races using his
handlebars for added leverage to move up to 39th place in the results!!
Seriously though, I do enjoy getting to race with my kid at the same
time. I suppose mixing the juniors with Masters is the best mix, since
we are likely parents and thus more mindful of these younger racers. I
lap him a few times and cheer him up. He doesn't do it for the results
(he's not going to beat Jacob or Carson) he doesn't because it is fun.
He has told me a lot of people encourage him and a few others....(at the
PIR Short track too) yell four letter abuses at him to get out of the
way! But there will always be people in the world like that, bike racing
or otherwise. So bike racing is a lesson about life too.

There are really two classes of Juniors out there racing Cross. The fast
kids beating most of the masters, and the under 14 group, including my
kid. This under 14 group is racing for 45 MINUTES! Longer than the
Beginners. I would love to see a way to break up the two groups of
juniors. If there was a way to finish these younger juniors 10 or 15
minutes earlier, or have them finish 2 or three laps and pull them, that
might let them race, get the experience, but also not have them out
there any longer than 20 or 25 minutes, thus less conflict. I know the
schedule is tight and there is already a million things the officials
track as it is, and maybe it is just one more thing to add to the list
for our amazing cross race promoters, but as a father of a young junior
racer and a Master B racer myself, I'd be in favor of such a separation.
Hey, maybe we could send those fast juniors off separately ahead of the
Master B group, then the Masters B, then the under 14 juniors? It would
be easier (not easy) to keep track of them and score them.

-Tim Schauer, Columbia River Velo

-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of Dan Davis
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 8:56 AM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] young Jr & Maters B's

Hey Cross Crusaders
I hate to bring this up and I dont want to sound like Im complaining,
but this kind of scared in yesterdays Jr/Masters B race.
I twice in the back slippery section of the course came up on one of the
young juniors very fast, this was one of the kids that must be 10 or 12
years old, and I really want these kids to get out and race but I almost
took them out because there so small and the closing speed was so grate
and the racer in front of me had to move out of the way.
They just seem a little young to be put out with a rabid bunch of
Masters B racers.
Again I really want them to be out and have a chance to race, but I just
dont want to be the first person to take one of them out by accident.
It would be like stuffing my own kid in to the mud.
Sorry to complain but it really scared me.
Dan Davis

r-dawg

I would compare myself to those Juniors when the Masters +50 are running
with us Beginners. It's racing, from what I've read this is what CX is all
about; falling bikes and falling bodies. The Masters and Beginners seem to
get along just fine as long as your yelling 'On your left''On the inside''On
your right' communicate. The closing speeds aren't that fast and there was
plenty of room to pass outside of the single track and even there I saw a
few spots.

On 10/16/06, shane.young@comcast.net wrote:
>
> Yesterday, everybody was taking out everybody, it was a real free for
> all. I saw riders crashing and slowing down other riders to all out falling
> and landing on someone elses bike. I am actually surprised that there
> weren't a lot of bent wheels and broken body parts.
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: matthew.brownfield@comcast.net
> You wont be the first person to take on of those guys out. A masters
> rider did crash with a little junior yesterday. I think they are both ok
> because by the time I got to that part of the course they were no longer
> there. If the race times can be adjusted so that we're not on the course
> with the little guys, great. If not, then lets all just watch for them,
> give them plenty of room, and give them some encouragement as we pass.
>
> Matt B.
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: Dan Davis
>
> > Hey Cross Crusaders
> > I hate to bring this up and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining,
> but this
> > kind of scared in yesterdays Jr/Masters B race.
> > I twice in the back slippery section of the course came up on one of the
> young
> > juniors very fast, this was one of the kids that must be 10 or 12 years
> old, and
> > I really want these kids to get out and race but I almost took them out
> because
> > there so small and the closing speed was so grate and the racer in front
> of me
> > had to move out of the way.
> > They just seem a little young to be put out with a rabid bunch of
> Masters B
> > racers.
> > Again I really want them to be out and have a chance to race, but I just
> don't
> > want to be the first person to ta ke on e of them out by accident.
> > It would be like stuffing my own kid in to the mud.
> > Sorry to complain but it really scared me.
> > Dan Davis…
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>

shane.young@comcast.net

Yesterday, everybody was taking out everybody, it was a real free for all. I saw riders crashing and slowing down other riders to all out falling and landing on someone elses bike. I am actually surprised that there weren't a lot of bent wheels and broken body parts.

-------------- Original message --------------
From: matthew.brownfield@comcast.net

You wont be the first person to take on of those guys out. A masters rider did crash with a little junior yesterday. I think they are both ok because by the time I got to that part of the course they were no longer there. If the race times can be adjusted so that we're not on the course with the little guys, great. If not, then lets all just watch for them, give them plenty of room, and give them some encouragement as we pass.

Matt B.

-------------- Original message --------------
From: Dan Davis

> Hey Cross Crusaders
> I hate to bring this up and I don?t want to sound like I?m complaining, but this
> kind of scared in yesterdays Jr/Masters B race.
> I twice in the back slippery section of the course came up on one of the young
> juniors very fast, this was one of the kids that must be 10 or 12 years old, and
> I really want these kids to get out and race but I almost took them out because
> there so small and the closing speed was so grate and the racer in front of me
> had to move out of the way.
> They just seem a little young to be put out with a rabid bunch of Masters B
> racers.
> Again I really want them to be out and have a chance to race, but I just don?t
> want to be the first person to ta ke one of them out by accident.
> It would be like stuffing my own kid in to the mud.
> Sorry to complain but it really scared me.
> Dan Davis?

matthew.brownfield@comcast.net

You wont be the first person to take on of those guys out. A masters rider did crash with a little junior yesterday. I think they are both ok because by the time I got to that part of the course they were no longer there. If the race times can be adjusted so that we're not on the course with the little guys, great. If not, then lets all just watch for them, give them plenty of room, and give them some encouragement as we pass.

Matt B.

-------------- Original message --------------
From: Dan Davis

> Hey Cross Crusaders
> I hate to bring this up and I don?t want to sound like I?m complaining, but this
> kind of scared in yesterdays Jr/Masters B race.
> I twice in the back slippery section of the course came up on one of the young
> juniors very fast, this was one of the kids that must be 10 or 12 years old, and
> I really want these kids to get out and race but I almost took them out because
> there so small and the closing speed was so grate and the racer in front of me
> had to move out of the way.
> They just seem a little young to be put out with a rabid bunch of Masters B
> racers.
> Again I really want them to be out and have a chance to race, but I just don?t
> want to be the first person to take one of them out by accident.
> It would be like stuffing my own kid in to the mud.
> Sorry to complain but it really scared me.
> Dan Davis?

Dan Davis

Hey Cross Crusaders
I hate to bring this up and I don?t want to sound like I?m complaining, but this kind of scared in yesterdays Jr/Masters B race.
I twice in the back slippery section of the course came up on one of the young juniors very fast, this was one of the kids that must be 10 or 12 years old, and I really want these kids to get out and race but I almost took them out because there so small and the closing speed was so grate and the racer in front of me had to move out of the way.
They just seem a little young to be put out with a rabid bunch of Masters B racers.
Again I really want them to be out and have a chance to race, but I just don?t want to be the first person to take one of them out by accident.
It would be like stuffing my own kid in to the mud.
Sorry to complain but it really scared me.
Dan Davis?