What makes a great MTB Race?
#1
Caustic Soccer Mom
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Millstone WV
Posts: 1,761
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
What makes a great MTB Race?
OK - Just finished helping out with the local MTB race, and next year will the 10th anniversary... What, in your opinion, ASIDE from the actual course (which is great), makes a MTB race great - something you would actually travel a ways to get to?
Anybody here who went to the Appalachian Classic - what would encourage more riders to show up for Saturday events? A "King of the Mountain" race UP the Power Sldye? MTB Polo Match?
Anybody here who went to the Appalachian Classic - what would encourage more riders to show up for Saturday events? A "King of the Mountain" race UP the Power Sldye? MTB Polo Match?

#2
Elite Rep
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Melbourne - Australia
Posts: 2,096
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Ok talking about an XC race, I love rocks! Not little annoying ones that stick out of the ground but big ones! A group of them, that you have to pick a way to get over them and a path to get down them. The best XC race would be one with a variety of trails, jumps, lots of corners, huge rocks, and lots of up hill
. Little rocks that stick up in trails (you find them on fire trails) are pathetically annoying!

#3
Gravity Is Yer Friend
Join Date: May 2002
Location: "Over the Hill" and going down fast in the 805.
Posts: 2,961
Bikes: Scott Gambler, Scott Ransom, Kona Bear, Bianchi 928 Carbon/Chorus, C'Dale Rize4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Something along the lines of SeaOtter minus the road races. Vender booths, clinics for the kids and adults, an area with some stunts people could ride and learn on, an area for toddlers to hang out (bounce house, slides, etc.).
Bbq and concert after the races and maybe a big screen to watch a mtb vid or two during the bbq/concert.
This will cost a bit but it gives a good idea on what to do. Make it more of a festival w/races.
If you want more racers on Saturday then run the main races on Saturday. Offer a good size cash purse. That is how they used to do it in the early '90s.
Slainte
Bbq and concert after the races and maybe a big screen to watch a mtb vid or two during the bbq/concert.
This will cost a bit but it gives a good idea on what to do. Make it more of a festival w/races.
If you want more racers on Saturday then run the main races on Saturday. Offer a good size cash purse. That is how they used to do it in the early '90s.
Slainte

#4
Wood Licker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Whistler,BC
Posts: 16,966
Bikes: Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5 +, 2002 Transition Dirtbag, Kona Roast 2002
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
You forgot beer and beautiful women
...
I would go with dirtbike. I like multi events. DS, DH and XC all in one big event. Crankworx is really successful and has almost everything (excluding xc) a downhiller/freerider could want. Industry tents, really fun and LONG dh, bikercross and a slopestyle area. Please the dj comps and street comps...its a fantastic event


I would go with dirtbike. I like multi events. DS, DH and XC all in one big event. Crankworx is really successful and has almost everything (excluding xc) a downhiller/freerider could want. Industry tents, really fun and LONG dh, bikercross and a slopestyle area. Please the dj comps and street comps...its a fantastic event

#5
Caustic Soccer Mom
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Millstone WV
Posts: 1,761
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Tried a DH last year - and, well, while a few folks had fun, the downhill we have just isn't big enough - the race is at a county park, not a ski resort! Was thinking about a race UP our downhill, though...
What about: bike polo? We have a pond jump on Saturday, but these last few years, turn-out has been low. (Pond Jump= start at the top of a hill on a bike with lots of foam padding - so it floats - and no brakes, go down the hill & off a ramp, eventually into the pond)
The race is a WV Mountain Bike Association sanctioned point sereis race, so we get between 100-140 racers for the XC, have a kid's race too.
What about: bike polo? We have a pond jump on Saturday, but these last few years, turn-out has been low. (Pond Jump= start at the top of a hill on a bike with lots of foam padding - so it floats - and no brakes, go down the hill & off a ramp, eventually into the pond)
The race is a WV Mountain Bike Association sanctioned point sereis race, so we get between 100-140 racers for the XC, have a kid's race too.
#6
Throw the stick!!!!
I don't really know what you could do to improve that race, everything was great this year. The prize table is the best of any race in the series, the food is great and everything seemed to go very smooth. I'll talk to some other riders / racers in the area and see if they have any opinions on it though.
Maybe get more salsa.
Maybe get more salsa.

__________________
I may be fat but I'm slow enough to make up for it.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Posts: 199
Bikes: 2004 Giant Iguana 2005 Specialized Enduro SX Trail
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
An XC race with lots of going downhill, I love downhill, I just can't afford to do downhill racing.
#9
Caustic Soccer Mom
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Millstone WV
Posts: 1,761
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
