Brindabella Challenge

[jean5614]

Elite and A grade men will do a lap, then the other grades and age groups will be set off at 1-2 min intervals, cheers Jack

 

[BOE]

Also from CORC (when I emailed them to find out more - apparently this will go up on the CORC website tonight):

Elite and Expert Men will start at 9.30 am, do one lap then all other categories will start, that will be about 9.50 am.

 

[Bucket Master]

Wow Stu you know more about this than me...

should be a fun couple of weekends. I'm looking forward to the skills sessions and taking 50 odd new riders on a red lap

 

[sammydog]

I can see both sides on this one, but I'm choosing to explain more from the club/event side of things as that's the one needing some more filling out from what I can see.

Short version: It's difficult to convince people to pay $30-$50 to come 15th in Masters at their local track, when they can race a $10 club-race at the site almost whenever?

Long Version:
I know it's not a state round, but WSMTB ran the Nat Round #1 at Yarra last year, we saw exactly this scenario. We wanted our members to still come to make it a massive event, but we simply couldn't think of how we could charge people 3 or 4 times the fee of a club race simply because it was a national round. In the end, we offered our members free entry in the "Blackman Bicycles 4 Hour" in December if they raced the national round, effectively discounting the national round down to $15 for them.

I was up at HMBA for the state champs the weekend before last, and they pretty-much get more HMBA riders to a club round than they got for the state round. I was in Adelaide for Nat round #1, ditto. The fields in QLD for Nat round #2 seemed a little more healthy, but still, I've seen WSMTB club XC rounds that would rival it in numbers-terms. All of these races could have significantly benefited, IMHO, from some kind of significant "local rider subsidy" program.

When it comes to XC, people are used to paying $10 for a club race at their local venue, and yet for big XC events, we want all of the locals and all of the travelers, more people makes for better racing and more fun for all.

I realise this is just a "glass half full" way of thinking, but try and just think of it for what it is: it's not a penalty for non-local members, it's a discount for the local riders whose club has stumped up the time & effort to host the event, do the hard yards, etc etc.

Another way of thinking? Without the discount, it may be the case that the local riders completely skip this event (instead of 50? 100?), which would then potentially increase the price of admission for everyone.

Stu.

I tend to agree with what Stu has written here.

I can't really see an issue with charging less for the hosting club members as long as the entry fee for everyone else is no more than what has been charged at the other state rounds.

I guess its up to other hosting clubs to decide if they want to do a similar thing for their riders. It is something we contemplated, but for whatever reason didn't go with, but I can completely see where CORC are coming from on this one.

At the end of the day, if the club brings in a substantial increase of local riders that wouldn't have otherwise raced (because of the lower entry fee), this does equate to better racing (well bigger fields) and more funds for the prize pool.

 

[smytht1]

I see no issue, if you think it is a discrimination issue then it could be $30 across the board and no one would have any discounts. But then again how would that be fair on people who are members of CORC and have volunteered for other things before (such as the building of mount Stromlo!) People like Russ at CORC have done a lot to keep the cost of events low. The costs are not just equipment it is also forest use fees etc...

 

[Le Matelot]

Brindabella Challenge XCO Results

Results are available for downloading below, and some photos of the day are available here

 

[October26]

Worst race ever for me. Half way through me first lap my rebound adjuster blew off shooting oil all over me.

Long drive for 15m worth of riding

 

[gustfront]

Is there any information posted regarding the course for the 50km and 100km next Saturday? Is it technical or mostly roads? Long climbs, short climbs? A map? Cheers.

 

[72Fury]

The first 50km loop will apparently cover the same course used in the Brindabella Challenge 2 years ago. 100% fire trail with the exception of the first 1-2 km which is straight up Mt McDonald rd on the black top. Its pretty much a long climb up to Picadilly Circus followed by a long descent back to the Cotter reserve. Apparently the second loop will be harder and may head towards Bendora Dam and descend back down two sticks rd, a long and fun way back down. Nothing technical bar the possibility to over cook some corners.

 

[Romper]

Given that it is point to point & starting at Cotter Reserve, is it safe to assume that it finishes at Stromlo Park?

 

[...jim]

Given that it is point to point & starting at Cotter Reserve, is it safe to assume that it finishes at Stromlo Park?

No, "point-to-point" is a bit of a misnomer, given these events usually start and finish in the same place - saves grief over transport. What it really means is a non-lap race starting and finishing the Cotter.

Checked with the horse's mouth - it's all in the Brindabellas, there won't be any singletrack - because there's no singletrack in the Brindebellas - and it is the Brindabella Challenge (there maybe some overgown doubletrack depending on final course setting)

That doesn't mean it's not going to be a) challenging, b) spectatular, c) rewarding. Riding up there rocks - ST or no.