XC Mountain Bike Schedule for 2023 (Schedule on 1st Post)
- Thread starter Jeremy
- Start date
The_Mountainside_Menace
Well-Known Member
Looked back on strava and realized that the reason I remembered multiple laps was because I did the endurance race. Similar loop to previous years?
Yes with a few modifications
Victor I
aka Ridgehog
Thank goodness. As it is, the trails never recovered after the 2019 race as that was during a rainstorm. Kudos to the promoter this year on their judgment call🤘
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Doesn't look great for Iron Furnace this weekend. Curious to see how that goes as well.
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
https://www.bikereg.com/rails-to-river-mountain-bike-race Here's a good one for anyone that wants to race the weekend of the 7th. DC area so a bit of a drive.
Eickelbt
Member
A thought, after a few races this spring, and reading this thread re: fair hill and Ringwood. I was at port jervis and jungle- the PJ race was by far the best for actually racing- a real start loop, solid spectator options, and a good mix of passing areas and a bit of tech. The jungle race was mostly decided after the 20sec hole shot, as passing was tough for the next 3 mi. As a former roadie( triathlete, really) who loves to race, I’m probably the demographic that H2H and NySTMb are trying to attract.
What I’m looking for in a race-
1) Loops that include several spots where a spectator can actually see racers
2) a mix of passing areas/gravel and tech. Spending 50 bucks to sit behind someone for 20 min sucks.
3) a safe race start loop that allows for some separation before singletrack.
4) ample parking and porta-toilets, with (hopefully) parking close to the race start for spectators and families.
5) the ability to ride most of the course. Rocks are great- but most people(based on reg numbers), myself included, don’t love racing on them.
I’ve raced Ringwood a few times, but won’t go back- aside from the parking and toilets, it doesn’t check many boxes. Terrible for my wife to come watch- one loop that starts 800-1200m in the woods isn’t great, and last year, cat 1 men caught the pro women 2:30 into the race- I got caught in a crash that could have been prevented with a start loop to spread things out.
These are just thoughts. I think there’s a big demand for some races like this, and also for 100k-100mi races in the northeast, but that’s a different conversation.
What I’m looking for in a race-
1) Loops that include several spots where a spectator can actually see racers
2) a mix of passing areas/gravel and tech. Spending 50 bucks to sit behind someone for 20 min sucks.
3) a safe race start loop that allows for some separation before singletrack.
4) ample parking and porta-toilets, with (hopefully) parking close to the race start for spectators and families.
5) the ability to ride most of the course. Rocks are great- but most people(based on reg numbers), myself included, don’t love racing on them.
I’ve raced Ringwood a few times, but won’t go back- aside from the parking and toilets, it doesn’t check many boxes. Terrible for my wife to come watch- one loop that starts 800-1200m in the woods isn’t great, and last year, cat 1 men caught the pro women 2:30 into the race- I got caught in a crash that could have been prevented with a start loop to spread things out.
These are just thoughts. I think there’s a big demand for some races like this, and also for 100k-100mi races in the northeast, but that’s a different conversation.
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
That last line! Yes please! Also, be careful what you complain about or the moderators will ridicule and shame you. One example was 2016 Lewis Morris. I was racing Cat 2 ss and for some reason on a course that starts on a hill they started all the age groups and the women in front of us. Nothing like putting out a huge effort to gap people only to be stuck in a congoline where you can't pass anyone and the gap you made instantly disappears. Similar thing happened at the Stewart 45. Great promoters, great race courses but imo not enough thought put into how they started people. Also, I remember in 2018a similar thing happened at Mayhem. I raced endurance and put a really hard effort in and Mancuso was thinly one to try and stay with me. 5 minutes in and we treat a stand still because somehow an entire high school cross country team is having practice ont he race course.
If you haven’t, try CX racing this fall. If you have, I got nothing.
Eickelbt
Member
Totally true. Just like singletrack more than grass, if that makes sense. I’ll probably dip my toe in this fall anyway, as long as they don’t mind flat bars.
Flat bars are fine usually, bar ends are where they draw the line. Some courses are grass crits, and some are more, um, fun. Check out Caffeinated Cross and Bubble Cross. Both are a mountain bikers CX course. But yeah, they have what you’re looking for. Passing, eleventy bazillion percent better spectating, and a party vibe. Oh, also Hippo CX.
As for the MTB races, the promoters are handcuffed by the available terrain, the park people, and other logistics when designing courses. None of think “let’s put together a shitty race because we’re trust here for the money”.
Make sure you race the other one at Port Jervis, Box Baum Bash, in August. That was an awesome course last year.
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
True to an extent but not. I've seen some promoters do an excellent Job at a venue and others just had no clue...literally the same trails.We did Lu Lanka Tyco Hundo this weekend and despite it being fun, in a great town and with a great vibe...man, the course gps file sucked and so did the marking. Who puts a turning grass single track around bend on a 50mph road decent with no arrows?
Jungle -
Can't pass on the otter slide climb before rhino.
Can't pass on the hippo descent in the crud
sure it is single track, but plenty of room to ask someone to allow a pass in most places.
Do people at the pointy end actually block?
Or is asking to pass not a thing anymore?
-signed, DFL, l' lantern rouge.
Can't pass on the otter slide climb before rhino.
Can't pass on the hippo descent in the crud
sure it is single track, but plenty of room to ask someone to allow a pass in most places.
Do people at the pointy end actually block?
Or is asking to pass not a thing anymore?
-signed, DFL, l' lantern rouge.
The_Mountainside_Menace
Well-Known Member
What Cat are you racing? Number 1 should not happen if the rider in front has any racing etiquette whatsoever. I remember at Mayhem and Stewart, I would always be the jerk yelling... If you can only hammer on straights and cant handle in the singletrack... get out of the way and let us pass! It is inevitable when they don't stagger things properly and all different categories and skill levels are on the course at the same time. I honestly felt like the Jungle course from last year had many opportunities to pass on the uphill rocks and in the singletrack if you could handle a bike.
Passing isnt an issue in an XC race, even in the tightest single track...unless you have no ability to speak (nicely)....then maybe. And you can always get the holeshot if you want.
Eickelbt
Member
yeah, I get this. It’s a perspective shift for me, as I ran xc growing up. if you asked me to pass in an Xc running Race on tight trails after the field start I would have told you to f*ck your self- I did grow up in northern Nj after all. On the MTB, I feel bad asking to pass, as I feel like I’m always an inconvenience for being behind- just gotta change that thinking.
And for whomever asked above, I race Cat 1 normally, occasionally pro if I think the course suits me (climbs, turns, and some tech) or if it’s really hot (6’1” 165, I cool off well)
Believe me, you're probably giving the rider in front of you anxiety and making them ride worse by not just passing them.
It's win/win... Just pick a spot and ask to pass. It's nbd, I promise.
Jungle isn’t great for passing. That first bit of singletrack especially. I was sitting around 5th and had to wait till the bottom of otter slide to make a few passes. I never saw first place again.
I probably could have been more aggressive but I was complacent and trying to recover from the sprint in.
It helps to know the trails, and where the passable sections are.
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
At Rattling I politely tried to call out passes in single track. There were two in front of me and they were riding much slower than I was and it wasn't tech. It was twists. The guy finally pulled over after mouthing off crap for 5 minutes and said " there you go,I'll just pass you back in 5 minutes". I replied with, "That wasn't very hard, it took 5 seconds of your life". and beat him by over 20 minutes. I'm not perfect but almost always pull overdo let someone by. I can tell if they are a little faster or a lot faster usually and that dictates how quickly I let them by. If they took 20 minutes to get on my wheel from 20 feet back they are probably not going to pass me and walk away so I will try and put in a bigger effort and gas them a bit then offer the pass.