My Orimbah Sour Grapes

[sid_marx]

I wanted soo bad to enter my first race on the weekend that I packed me, my gf, 2 bikes, one tent, a solar shower plus all the rest of the shit you need to camp out for three days into the car & got out of Sydney before 8 on Saturday morning.
F*ck I froze my ar$e off on the drive up.
Is it possible to get hypothermia driving a small roofless car for an hour at 110km/h in a tee-shirt at first light on a June morning?
I think it might be.
Anyway, we rocked up at Ourimbah State Forest and I forked over 85 bucks for my very first bicycle numberplate – sport category of course… c’mon it was my first race!
Unfortunately disappointment didn’t take long to set in…
With a single run under my belt by noon on Saturday I found out the hard way that my Holzfeller pedals stopped me from loading onto all but one of the available shuttle trailers.
I was f*ckin’ rancid.
Luckily for me I have a sterling gf who rose to the occasion and gave me a few rides (in the car) to the top of the hill – Sorted!
I got a bit overexcited on my third run and hit a tree – disintegrating my ring –ouch!
I have no technical know-how and couldn’t change a sprocket if I my life depended on it. Slammed back to disappointing reality I knew the game was up – no race for me…
But I spoke to some dude in a demo tent and he sent me down the road to Cycolgy – they changed my ring - I was f*ckin’ overjoyed!!
I slept on the ground that night blissfully dreaming of the glory of race day.
So Sunday morning we’re back on the hill and I take out the well read race program I’d downloaded from the ccmtb website on Friday night.
Sport category men were due to race well down the ladder – right after the u17 men and just before the masters men.
That gave me time to get a few shots of the of the other riders, so I’d have something to remember the occasion by.
I got the photos and kept a close eye on the competitors… right after the U15 men swept through I made my way to the registration desk.
Me: Is the Sport Men’s category coming up soon?
Official: No they raced a while ago.
Me: But the program says they should be coming up after the U17 men.
Official: We had to change the order.
Me: So I don’t get to race?
Official: That’s right Motherf*cker! And we’re keeping your registration fee.
Me: Wicked, can I sign up to your club?

Anyway those may not have been the exact same words but that’s how it felt.

So I’m still looking forward to my first mountainbike race, but maybe I’ll just keep on freeriding instead…

P.S Anyone associated with ccmtb don’t take this the wrong way – it’s not a dig at the club, just a sh*t end to an excellent weekend.

By the way I went back up the hill on Monday and timed myself at 4:40 – It ain’t flash but at least I “raced”!

 

[Cronar]

Mate, its sucks that you didn't get to race, but you did learn a lesson on how MTB races are run. Never go by the program, and always keep your ear to the ground as things always change.
Don't give up on racing, go to a club round, less people and a more mellow vibe (cheaper too at $17.50 without a MTBA license) and things usually go to plan.

 

[FuTAnT]

Should have been at the top of the hill like the rest of us, just waiting around to ride. In about half an hour I think just about all the competitors were up the top of the hull sitting around bored.

Ah well, in future you will know that you need to get ready and be at the top of the hill a little earlier. I agree, it is a bummer that you didn't get to race. I set off the trip at the top of the course by accident and hence my times were stuffed up for some reason. Who knows how fast/slow I went, I have no idea and neither do they. Perhaps when they release the proper results it might have been fixed up.

 

[S.]

That really sucks, I'm seriously paranoid about that happening too. At the races down here, they always make announcements as to who's up next, so you can at least hear if you're up.

 

[sid_marx]

Yeah, that's right, Ya live 'n' ya learn.
I'm not bitter... just jaded.

 

[junior]

u just have to keep your self updated. i ask the person thats running it wats happening like every 30mins leading to my race and as funtant said never go by the program because they usually end up changing things

 

[toodles]

Sorry your first race experience turned out that way. Whoever recommended a club race was probbaly right though. Much more mellow and usually more flexible when mistakes occur. Start orders do tend to get shifted over the day and you need to be ready and at the top as early as you can. I've lost count of the number of times I've arrived at the start area with a minute to spare before my run. Keep at it though, it's worth it.

 

[Link]

You can actually fit those pedals into the transport trailers. I have them on my bike and i fitted them every time. You just have to line it up good and push down hard, you get a few scratches on your cranks but at least youn get runs.

 

[vulture]

its spelt nevada you idiot