Let's not forget that it was a promoter, not a complaining racer, who
started this thread by stating his reasons for cancelling a race. Randy
put the question to all of us when he said he can't put on a late season
race and that his numbers are down.
The comments and responses to Randy's post are from customers. Those of
us who care about mountain bike racing are offering our opinions on what
it would take for us to come out in greater numbers. Isn't that what
the promoters want? We, the customers, are telling the marketers
(promoters) what they need to change in order for us to show up in
greater numbers and bring new people to the sport. If the promoters are
so convinced they're doing it right, they won't change anything. If
they're smart, they consider this free market research and try to
respond to what the market wants. Kris Schampf saw a market for short
track in the summer, and part of the reason for that is that mountain
bikers are not tired of racing our bikes once the rains stop, we're just
out of races.
Mudslinger gets good turnout not BECAUSE it's muddy, but in spite of the
mud, because it's the first big race of the season. Cherry Pie has huge
turnout too, not because it's some epic course, but because it's first.
Put the first race in January or June, turnout is good.
If I could race my mountain bike every Sunday from March through
September, I would. But if there are fewer than ten actual cross country
races on the calendar, I don't understand why they all have to be run in
'cross conditions. I love 'cross and never miss a race, but that's
'cross and this is supposed to be XC mountain biking. The aren't
supposed to be the same thing. And it does immense damage to the trail
system, a point most racers seem to miss.
One final note. Mountain bike races are not competing with 'cross,
they're competing with road racing. Just because road racing starts in
early spring doesn't mean mountain biking has to. If the first MTB race
was in mid-May, I'd bet that quite a few racers would choose a mountain
bike over a road race, just for something different; they'd already have
three or four wet road races under their belts and would be ready for a
break. As it stands now, when they're ready for that break, there are no
more mountain bike races.
Craig Austin
-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of D Luoma
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 10:56 AM
To: david baker; obralist
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] cancelled xc races
David,
Well said. Some people will complain about anything. In my opinion it is
unfair to blame the promoters for any decline in the numbers of mtn bike
racers. They are struggling to keep the sport alive. Erik Tonkin (Bear
Springs), Petr (love the Pilsner) Kakas (Hurricane Racing Ski Bowl
races), Kevin Gorman (Chainbreaker) and all the other promoters have
always put on amazing races that are well organized and lots of fun to
compete in and reasonably priced. Unfortunately or fortunately they can
not take place within a few miles of home. One of the reasons mountain
bike racing is called mountain bike racing is because it happens to take
place in the mountains.
So, if you do not want to drive for at least an hour one way to race on
pristine singletrack, get muddy, enjoy an ice cold Pilsner Urqel, then
maybe you should stay home, take your crazy pills and dream about your
"dry, short and fun" mountain bike race in downtown Portland. You could
always go ride circles around PIR, just don't trash the promoters.
David Luoma
----- Original Message -----
From: "david baker"
To: "dacrizzow" ;
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] cancelled xc races
> If that scenario sucks then what is up with the mudslinger, it is a
huge
> success.
> I try not too comment on the particulars of road racing because I do
not
> like it personally.
> I am getting tired of roadies, crossers, etc complaining about the
form of
> racing that I and others enjoy very much, we want mud, we want dust,
we
> want
> to go for hours, we want epic dangerous scary events that take all day
if
> you bonk.
> It mimics the type of riding we do for fun.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "dacrizzow"
> To:
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 10:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] cancelled xc races
>
>
>> driving from portland for 3 hours to race for 3-4 hours on what is
>> basically a crowded trail while some sandbagger is yelling to keep
the
>> pace up sucks. add to that that if it's before mid july there's a
good
>> chance it could be a total mudfest and you lose potential new riders
and
>> lose guys who are tired of rebuilding their $2000 xc bike. dry,short
and
>> fun or long marathon courses that offer something new may bring back
the
>> newbies and weekend warriors. something a little closer to town where
>> people don't have to sacrifice their whole weekend to ride a bike and
it
>> may pick up again. there's a reason the crusade and PIR series are so
>> popular. or you could take away all xc races and post canyon, forest
>> park,
>> mt. hood, etc. will still be full of riders every weekend. oh yeah,
$200
>> to race the creampuff, yeah right! i raced 12 hrs of willammette pass
4
>> years for around $60 and had a great experience every year. get a
clue
>> promoters.
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>
>
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