Starting a new mtb club

[jrewing]

How hard is it?
In all seriousness Launceston needs a DH/proper gravity club. Got the trails but racing on Blue/green can FR-off.
Doesnt need to be sheep station racing but a small series to get DH back racing here.
Again not aiming to please masses, but the harder core riders. Newbs/squids…they can and would be welcome to start the deep end, and do the walk of NoShameInIt down hard lines.
Can 1 2 or 3 make a club like this happen?
edit-need 5 minimum correct? And the affiliation fee anyone know?

 

[binner]

How hard is it?
In all seriousness Launceston DH/proper gravity club. Got the trails but racing on Blue/green can FR-off.
Doesnt need to be sheep station racing but a small series to get DH back racing here.
Again not aiming to please masses, but the harder core riders. Newbs/squids…they can and would be welcome to start the deep end, and do the walk of NoShameInIt down hard lines.
Can 1 2 or 3 make a club like this happen?
edit-need 5 minimum correct? And the affiliation fee anyone know?

Sit down n have a chat and beers with Dozer, im sure he will give you lots of very valuable info.

 

[Cardy George]

@silentbutdeadly might have some tips too. I wasn't around when our club was formed, and I don't know if he actually helped establish it, but he was there in the earlier days.

And embrace your juniors. Almost more than your old hands. Because juniors are the riders who become your old guys and then bring their kids along. Then before your know it your little start up is ten years old and thriving. Up here the triathlon club has folded, and the road club is dying because they made no effort to look after the little ones.

 

[nathanm]

How hard is it?
In all seriousness Launceston needs a DH/proper gravity club. Got the trails but racing on Blue/green can FR-off.
Doesnt need to be sheep station racing but a small series to get DH back racing here.
Again not aiming to please masses, but the harder core riders. Newbs/squids…they can and would be welcome to start the deep end, and do the walk of NoShameInIt down hard lines.
Can 1 2 or 3 make a club like this happen?
edit-need 5 minimum correct? And the affiliation fee anyone know?

It's not only hard but time consuming as well. You don't need a lot of people to run the club itself day to day but the events do.
Realistically there's not much DH in Launceston itself and when I was helping with the state series a decade ago we used Wilmot and Paloona and those nw tracks.
I'd suggest you get involved with an existing club as a dh coordinator and start organising races under their banner.

 

[pink poodle]

Don't start a club, start a gang! Much less paperwork.

 

[jrewing]

Don't start a club, start a gang! Much less paperwork.

I’ve thought of the underground racing from years ago is partake in

 

[jrewing]

It's not only hard but time consuming as well. You don't need a lot of people to run the club itself day to day but the events do.
Realistically there's not much DH in Launceston itself and when I was helping with the state series a decade ago we used Wilmot and Paloona and those nw tracks.
I'd suggest you get involved with an existing club as a dh coordinator and start organising races under their banner.

There’s enough tracks now. Devils elbow Georgetown, ginger ridge Hollybank, and the easiest shuttle road in DH history Wyena.
Launny club aren’t much for DH. And I’d prefer to control the direction.
does the difficulty of tracks matter to auscycling? Geez Awaba in Nsw was pretty full on and the small band of peeps did that.

 

[moorey]

It's not only hard but time consuming as well. You don't need a lot of people to run the club itself day to day but the events do.
Realistically there's not much DH in Launceston itself and when I was helping with the state series a decade ago we used Wilmot and Paloona and those nw tracks.
I'd suggest you get involved with an existing club as a dh coordinator and start organising races under their banner.

This. My club is pretty small. Around 250 members and 6 of us on committee. Setting it up is a lot of work. Running it is a lot more. During non race season I spend maybe 8-10h per week. Leading up to race series, more like 15. Then add the man hours of running the events, meeting with council etc.
I’m not saying don’t do it, I’m just suggesting you don’t reinvent the wheel.
Also factor in, running these usually means you can’t race your own events.

 

[jrewing]

@silentbutdeadly might have some tips too. I wasn't around when our club was formed, and I don't know if he actually helped establish it, but he was there in the earlier days.

And embrace your juniors. Almost more than your old hands. Because juniors are the riders who become your old guys and then bring their kids along. Then before your know it your little start up is ten years old and thriving. Up here the triathlon club has folded, and the road club is dying because they made no effort to look after the little ones.

Totally. The strength of the juniors at the DownCountry racing here is what makes series. The turnout at Maydena this week for seniors isn’t big at all, juniors is huge.

 

[moorey]

Totally. The strength of the juniors at the DownCountry racing here is what makes series. The turnout at Maydena this week for seniors isn’t big at all, juniors is huge.

That’s another thing. Our members are now like 75% juniors.
They never help out with club stuff and can’t even marshals at events.
It’s fantastic the uptake of jr riders in the last 5 years, but presents whole new challenges in planning and running events. Parents just treat us as free babysitters.

 

[jrewing]

This. My club is pretty small. Around 250 members and 6 of us on committee. Setting it up is a lot of work. Running it is a lot more. During non race season I spend maybe 8-10h per week. Leading up to race series, more like 15. Then add the man hours of running the events, meeting with council etc.
I’m not saying don’t do it, I’m just suggesting you don’t reinvent the wheel.
Also factor in, running these usually means you can’t race your own events.

Your last line is the fear. But I like the sport and it’s dead in tassie somehow. Save for the 1 race in Maydena and a couple of not so much DH races in Sth.
I feel good challenging tracks are the key. I can get the support of a great shop here, but they don’t want to start the process. Hence me.

 

[jrewing]

That’s another thing. Our members are now like 75% juniors.
They never help out with club stuff and can’t even marshals at events.
It’s fantastic the uptake of jr riders in the last 5 years, but presents whole new challenges in planning and running events. Parents just treat us as free babysitters.

True that. It’s odd that they aren’t present for a dangerous sport but I see it. A few parents here actually are pretty active.
We have national, world class riders and bugger all racing.
DH died off here at the time enduro blossomed, but DH is on the ascendancy again. Might test the waters with an underground series through other channels and see what that brings.

 

[Plankosaurus]

Parents just treat us as free babysitters.

We learned that the hard way and luckily started making sure parents came on rides before we started getting broken bones 4km from the carpark.

Initially we'd get massive turn outs, but started realising that we were looking after 6-10yo kids that hadn't been sent out with water or sometimes functioning bikes or helmets. Had to create a lot of policy to change this because the strain on vols was ridiculous. At the same time having a wifey working in childcare meant I unfortunately learned a bunch about legal responsibilities and ratios and had to make policy for that too. Catch is that we lost a lot of numbers and therefore a lot of potential volunteers so it got harder and harder to run bigger events.

...I just wanted to get kids out and riding

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[Plankosaurus]

How hard is it?
In all seriousness Launceston needs a DH/proper gravity club. Got the trails but racing on Blue/green can FR-off.
Doesnt need to be sheep station racing but a small series to get DH back racing here.
Again not aiming to please masses, but the harder core riders. Newbs/squids…they can and would be welcome to start the deep end, and do the walk of NoShameInIt down hard lines.
Can 1 2 or 3 make a club like this happen?
edit-need 5 minimum correct? And the affiliation fee anyone know?

Is there an established club there that could form a sub-committee for gravity events? If you have a few dedicated and enthusiastic individuals you might find a predominantly xc focused club fairly receptive to this.

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[jrewing]

Is there an established club there that could form a sub-committee for gravity events? If you have a few dedicated and enthusiastic individuals you might find a predominantly xc focused club fairly receptive to this.

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No they don’t seem to be too receptive to it by accounts of people. Basically this is why I’ve asked to go this direction.
And that’s why I ask can a pure DH club work/survive? I’d need to know what numbers make it sustainable or achievable. Maybe there’s a nice number that’s actually easier to do??
We have a couple spots were council/ land managers would be Ok. And proper tracks. A shuttle company to run the service. Definitely people wanting to race.
It’s the other part….the guts and determination. And reliable timing. I feel I’ve got a good feel on what to do for low key events. Events that aren’t all day will totally win.
Seniors in MX are crying out for senior only events that are less classes so we can race and get home, while still having time to see the family or get shit done on a Saturday or Sunday.
Fast setups, a few practice runs and 2 race runs like old days. In and Out and results up quick with a social media post, get photos of people as stock for online podium shots and some photos by next day. Less classes too.
And I’ll only skim a small percentage from fees/membership!!!!!!JK…..Looking at a certain NSW MX club

 

[safreek]

And I’ll only skim a small percentage from fees/membership!!!!!!JK…..Looking at a certain NSW MX club

If you can't skim at least a few grand a year it's really not worth the goal time.
If you do get time for skimming do me a favor, shiv that Martin Bryant fuckhead for me

 

[pink poodle]

If you do get time for skimming do me a favor, shiv that Martin Bryant fuckhead for me

Easy! He is just a government stooge. Port Arthur was a wheel orchestrated government operation to take away our guns and reduce our freedoms.

 

[safreek]

Easy! He is just a government stooge. Port Arthur was a wheel orchestrated government operation to take away our guns and reduce our freedoms.

And that prick started COVID as well, just saying

 

[Sky_Collapsed]

pretty sure downhill is mostly dead.

Not much use for dh bikes/tracks these days when a good enduro bike will pretty much do it all.

 

[nathanm]

and a couple of not so much DH races in Sth.

Dude, seriously? Dirt Devils are running races at the Lea and Glenorchy later this year.
I understand your enthusiasm but I'd really encourage you to maybe come down and help run those events and then see if you still have an appetite to help out, let alone run your own club. I'll be putting in a bunch of volunteer time working on those tracks and it'll be a small amount of time compared to what the couple of club members actually do to make sure the events go ahead