Racing. Anyone still race?

I enjoy the Derby MTB Club "Funduro" rounds, thinking I might enter Tas Grav (tas enduro series) for this season coming too.

It's a bit of fun. Cost of Auscycling membership, entry, and travel/accom around the state makes it less enticing.
 
I stopped racing in 2017, for a few reasons that I don't need to go into here. In the period of having a break, then Covid shit, by the time I felt ready to get back into it, the arse had fallen out of the XC Endurance scene, so there was virtually nothing for me to get back into.
 
The older I get, the faster I was.

Fark haven’t done a national race in 15 years. Did a few club races whilst living in Nz, was bloody good fun on that level. Less bongs mid ride tho and it’s great to see the juniors riding so well now. Barrier to entry was low ($20-50 entry)so it was a good day out with a mix of people.


Regularly think about getting back into it, but I cbf with the whole endurbro scene and hanging out with guys that take riding bikes in the woods a little too seriously. It’s always good to see a 15 year old grom on a clapped out dh bike smoke half the field :cool:
 
The Duckmeister said:
I stopped racing in 2017, for a few reasons that I don't need to go into here. In the period of having a break, then Covid shit, by the time I felt ready to get back into it, the arse had fallen out of the XC Endurance scene, so there was virtually nothing for me to get back into.
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Melrose 18hr is the only one left, all the 24hr races have given way to XC Marathon ~ 100km. Which is shitty because I have unfinished business with a 24hr.

Little Sender and I race local XC once a month still.
 
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Last race I did was the Rock Wallaby 50Km at Appin in 2011; was in 4th in my age category at one point then snapped a chain with a few km to go - fixed it but no podium! Did lots of XC (mainly NSW and ACT with a couple of trips to Vic) and local crits in the 90s, then quite a few 24 hour races (in teams) as well as a few 4, 6 and 12 events. Was awesome, made lots of great friends and memories; at 55 I can't see it happening again though!
 
frenchman said:
The older I get, the faster I was.

Fark haven’t done a national race in 15 years. Did a few club races whilst living in Nz, was bloody good fun on that level. Less bongs mid ride tho and it’s great to see the juniors riding so well now. Barrier to entry was low ($20-50 entry)so it was a good day out with a mix of people.


Regularly think about getting back into it, but I cbf with the whole endurbro scene and hanging out with guys that take riding bikes in the woods a little too seriously. It’s always good to see a 15 year old grom on a clapped out dh bike smoke half the field :cool:
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Racing via private promoter that wants to make money model has pushed prices up. Racing shouldnt be serious, it definitely seems less laughs and more ego.
The Sprung Super D costs $60 with shuttles, and this year included a proper pulled pork or beef burger and drink included in that price. Shuttles included obviously. AUD cycling licence costs i believe have killed racing for people seeking light hearted fun racing.
The best gravity racing at moment is the jam events where your practices all account for laps with the best time being used. Though the Maydena event isnt a bargain by any stretch at 335 for 2 1/2 days, buts it’s a great event if the shuttles keep the lines short.
DH with 2 runs was also good in the day, rather than a flat ruining your weekend and wasting money.
 
ibc said:
I enjoy the Derby MTB Club "Funduro" rounds, thinking I might enter Tas Grav (tas enduro series) for this season coming too.

It's a bit of fun. Cost of Auscycling membership, entry, and travel/accom around the state makes it less enticing.
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I’ll be doing the derby fest… to just race on Air ya Garn. They should do a full kumatgutza-airyagarn race run. I like the longer race runs…sort of what I think enduro should be.
You should race the Sprung Super D at Hollybank in the 2nd week of Jan, if you haven’t already. 6ish min run time for mortals. Or 4:59.8 if you are Luke M-Smith!
 
jrewing said:
I’ll be doing the derby fest… to just race on Air ya Garn. They should do a full kumatgutza-airyagarn race run. I like the longer race runs…sort of what I think enduro should be.
You should race the Sprung Super D at Hollybank in the 2nd week of Jan, if you haven’t already. 6ish min run time for mortals. Or 4:59.8 if you are Luke M-Smith!
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Super D looks fun! Haven't ever ridden Ginger Ridge but looks pretty rowdy from vids I've seen

Not sure I'll race AYG (racing fast jump trails hasn't gone well for me before haha), but will be there for Derby fest
 
bit too expensive now.

but did do state rounds, state champs nationals and national champs.

was never good was mostly just for the fun and to challenge myself.

if i had my time again i think i'd save the money from racing and just ride internationally or something.

over the years i must have spent tens of thousands on travelling to races.

would be interesting o know for sure though.
 
I want to jump back in. I see stuff every now and again showing events here in Vic (shifty fifties, summer XCO stuff, some gravel things).

Similar story to a lot of others, raced a bunch up into covid, then the ass fell out, I stopped training as much etc. Just a perfect storm of extenuating circumstances and excuses.
 
ibc said:
Cost of Auscycling membership
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This is my problem. This country needs an insurance for everything and it's ruining good things. Not all racing scenes require anything relating to Auscycling and I praise them for that (Rock Trail for example). I have hated Auscycling, MTBA etc since my first races in the nineties. They take your money, they do not have a presence at an event and they sure as fuckery do not put anything back into the sport that is productive. However, if the track is worth it and the team running it aren't kooks then I'll jump in.

I plan to make a detailed post about this but the representation of Australian people at a World Cup level is about to cease entirely. Why? It's the lack of technical trail building being funded and the subsequent lack of necessity for a club / promoter to run events that cater to those wanting to ride & race hard trails. Have a look at your local club's trails; I'll bet 99% of them suit your Mum an took 23 years to get approval to build from fat people in a council building.
 
I have drifted away from racing over the last 10 years as family has taken over.
Even when I was still going fairly hard, it was pretty repetitive going to the same venues year on year for XC/Endurance XC racing.
Gravel has bought some new events and there are a few new venues around with the newer trail centres, although they will get old quick.

I'm not involved at a club level for similar reasons but I reckon a set of Freelaps poles and a few watches amongst mates is a great way to bring the fun back. It would be an expensive outlay initially but every ride can turn into a mini (or large) enduro race with a little bit of forward planning.
Once the horrific accuracy of Strava is taken out of the equation, I bet the results would surprise everyone!

Having said that, I don't think the competitive side of riding is where the joy comes from for most people.
A lot of my favourite group riding memories involve diabolical conditions, where actually riding a trail clean is the challenge, not the speed.
Which probably comes in line with Dozer's thoughts, we just don't have enough focus on technical trails.
 
Dozer said:
This is my problem. This country needs an insurance for everything and it's ruining good things. Not all racing scenes require anything relating to Auscycling and I praise them for that (Rock Trail for example). I have hated Auscycling, MTBA etc since my first races in the nineties. They take your money, they do not have a presence at an event and they sure as fuckery do not put anything back into the sport that is productive. However, if the track is worth it and the team running it aren't kooks then I'll jump in.

I plan to make a detailed post about this but the representation of Australian people at a World Cup level is about to cease entirely. Why? It's the lack of technical trail building being funded and the subsequent lack of necessity for a club / promoter to run events that cater to those wanting to ride & race hard trails. Have a look at your local club's trails; I'll bet 99% of them suit your Mum a took 23 years to get approval to build from fat people in a council building.
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Amen! Ive preached exactly this forever.
Maydena events don’t use Auscycling btw.
 
caad9 said:
A lot of my favourite group riding memories involve diabolical conditions, where actually riding a trail clean is the challenge, not the speed.
Which probably comes in line with Dozer's thoughts, we just don't have enough focus on technical trails.
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100% agree. My best memories and days of most fun are of riding and following/leading people down absurdly techy and steep trails, laughing and whooping down the whole way, and not taking things too seriously.

Even here in NW Tas there just isn't anything I would call close to proper tech (at least official trails), save for one very short double black at the top of the Wild Mersey Sheffield network.

Dozer said:
[...]
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Amen also.
 
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