Chris Brandt

I look forward to hopefully seeing Oakridge Fat Tire Festival back on the schedule in the future. A good race and one that I miss doing.

I know this all has been discussed before. Maybe the conversation can be revisited again at this time, prior to next season's calender scheduling and there can be an experiment done for 2009. Instead of complaining next March/April when folks realize yet again what they're in for, the same ol' same ol' -- cold nastiness!

How long is the average person willing to tolerate that? How many weeks does it take a person to crack? Let's see... training in the dark, cold nastiness, racing in it, cleaning up after it, repeat... hmm. Who in their right mind would find that fun in the long run?

I've been racing Oregon XC MTB events for quite a while, not as long as some, but since 1993. I'm no expert on it all, nor do I claim to know everything. But I have some thoughts that I am certain are not unique.

My un-solicited opinion is that if the earlier events didn't happen so early, and the bulk of the racing was shifted later in the season (after May 1st), it would benefit those summer promoters and get more turnout. More folks getting introduced to racing when the weather is at its finest. That is the time of the year that I personally discovered MTB racing, and I look back at those years fondly.

Without having the ability to look at statistics of summer race turnout w/o the early season nasty ones first, it is difficult to determine whether it is the timing, or a reaction to burnout from the early season events. How can you be certain of the conclusion you come to, as to why nobody comes after June?

In my opinion, it is so very much MORE fun to race a dry, technical course where you don't have to destroy your bike and bundle up in winter clothing, only to go home and have to completely overhaul everything as well as clean up the nasty laundry mess. I believe THAT leads to more burnout in summer than any other factor. If you LIKE that kind of thing, you have plenty of opportunity to do so... during cyclocross season! Isn't it way more fun to take your bike home after a race, and be able to ride it again early/mid-week simply by putting a little chain lube on, not a complete overhaul?

Do people really like riding in the rainy muck more than nice, tacky dirt in the cool summer forest? "Shorts and a jersey" weather?

I will keep showing up, and am still feeling the JOY of racing off road in Oregon, even though there is a bit of a reduction in turnout. I hope other folks are willing to give it a try and see how much fun it really is when the weather is good! Aren't you getting bored riding on asphalt by now?

Please, come out to the next few races, and bring some friends. It's a blast!