Just wondering how different people view things..

Yesterday i rode the CRC marathon event at Marshbrook. Good little event that i did last year and really enjoyed.
Coming down the series of switchback descents just after the first break point at the glider station, on the last turn (wet, off camber, very muddy and slippy) and i had a chap in front of me.
I slowed down as i didn’t want to try passing him on that surface, when two chaps came past me on my left pretty fast and close enough for the 2nd rider to actually hit my left-hand bar and make me do an involuntary twitch-and-slide before i regained control.
The first lad was right on the edge of control as he then crashed at the bottom of the hill, fortunately not hurt as he got up right away and laughing.

To be honest it annoyed me a wee bit and i had a sharp comment at the lad who was waiting at the bottom. I’ve no problem with being passed but to come close enough to collide at circa 30mph on a slippy surface wasn’t on in my opinion.

Thoughts?

Someone rode into you doing something silly. Not much to think about.

Well, i was more interested in whether other people would be annoyed as i was, or just shrug it off as something that happens at such events 🙂

Probably on a strava segment…
If you leave a gap,you want to be overtaken.If you don’t leave a gap,you want to be overtaken but you just don’t realise it.

That’s the thing, there was plenty of room to my left as i’d swung wide on the turn (left hand turn) and the first lad went past with plenty of room to spare and with no hassle, second lad was close enough to hit me even though there was a good gap for him to get through.

Out of control is dangerous where ever it occurs

Out of control is dangerous

Oh thats my riding style 😳

Just give em some verbals as you pass them and then forget about it.

I would have been pissed off. Noone has the right to knock you off except in 4X.

I would have been a bit pissed off to but then again it sounds like you were mincing it a bit and getting some decent speed up downhill is the highlight of a marathon for some people so the last thing you want is nervous XC whippets tri-podding down something blocking the way, that said you still shouldn’t be out of control enough you could hit them.

Being hit by someone is unacceptable. I hope you buzzed their tyres all the way up the next climb!!

You should try doing the Mega! I didn’t qualify for the mass start race but still got taken out pretty harshly on the snow section. Bit annoying but seemed to be par for the course.

Hi Muddydwarf. Good to meet you at last.

Cracking event, we really enjoyed it. Hope they run another Marshbrook one next year – it’s a brilliant area to ride.

Cheers

Is it a race/challenge type thing?

If so I think its completely fair to put the person infront under a little pressure if they are mincing a bit. Its up to them if they crack under the pressure 😈

near the start of a big event someone does something stupid….shocker 🙂

The same sort of thing at about the same place last year, some one bins it (it happens) everyone slows up/stops. Some knobber has a moment of glory and over takes ten riders in one go. Then crashs out clatters in to some other riders.
“No mate we all stopped here to take in the views”
muppet.
Almost as funny as some “elite” riders trying to jump to que to the bogs.

It’s a race isn’t it? Bit of elbows out, “on your left” is par for the course ain’t it?

I normally let out a few explitives, especially if there is plenty of space to pass but you still get knocked. 50% of the time u get an apology…

Seen some stupid manoeuvres from people late to the start line, taking people out as they try to make up places.

Always make a call before passing, I have made what co from the person being passed be called questionable maneuvers to maximise my descending speed (never going to win going up) however they were always under control and successful. Never pass when there is no room – every chance of taking both out.

Also first rule is having overtaken don’t fall of or you look like a t***

“It’s a race isn’t it?” No

Basil – Member
Out of control is dangerous where ever it occurs

The fine line between in/out of control is what gives me the adrenaline rush 😈

This was the first MTB marathon mass-start type thing I’d done. Thought it was great. Especially the long descent at the end – Minton Batch? 😀 Woo-hoo!

Maybe I was lucky but I never encountered any hassle from other riders. I was half-expecting to be barged past by belligerent, Strava-toting A-holes but it never happened. Anyone wanting past gave us a timely shout and waited till the opportunity presented itself.

Well i’m no racer, and i was only riding the middle distance route on a 33lb 140mm full susser so not going uphill particularly quickly, but i never saw those two lads again.
Mind you, just before and after the last feed station i was passed by a few of the full-distance racing snakes who all chirped up behind me and said stuff along the lines off “excuse me, may i come past please?” to which i obviously got out of the way as quick as i could to thanks from the faster fellas.

It was a bit odd, because i’ve done about ten of these events now and not come across that sort of behaviour before, most are like me and just enjoying the ride out with lots of other people.

I was under the impression that these things aren’t races in any real way.

There are always a few people barging past at events… Usually the ones who have just stepped off the golf course and are competing for 57th place… Don’t let it put you off.

GB

“It’s a race isn’t it?” No

What’s the point of it then? and why do hundreds of people pay to enter this type of “event”? 😕

What’s the point of it then? and why do hundreds of people pay to enter this type of “event”?

Because they don’t want the added stress of racing? Why would you pay to race, it’s just 2 hours of stress before it being confirmed that you are destined for mid-pack anonymity* in the sport class in a race series no one has heard of.

Some people just like a fast paced non competitive ride.

*unless you do really really good and then you might get on the podium in sport class in a race series no one has heard of, but your LBS will give you free inner tubes.

Sorry, I honestly don’t understand.

Do you get a finish time/placing at these things? (if you do, I can’t see how it’s non competitive)

Wouldn’t a fast paced non competitive ride be a little easier to do (less stressful if you like) with a small bunch of mates or even on your own than with hundreds of randoms getting in your way?

For us it’s the whole event, we can get away with the families for a camping weekend and relax in a nice place with the added bonus of a good bike ride on some challenging terrain. MsD can pootle about the 25K course and i can choose one of the other options.

I guess you can be as competitive as you like at these things. Some people will get a warm glow from barging past/overtaking other people, whether the the other people are pootling or racing as well. I suppose the racing snakes will have sussed each other out and can compete against each other in real time, regardless of whether or not they get an official finishing time.

As it was, the busy-ness of it was a bit of a pain in the erchie at times, at the occasional bottleneck from doubletrack to singletrack, or in damp/muddy patches, but the cheap overnight accommodation, bit of a pre-event buzz on the Saturday night, well thought-out route, good waymarking that removed the headache of navigation in an unfamiliar part of the country, all combined to make it a worthwhile exercise in my book and one that I’d be happy to try again.

Cheers MD – your reply makes far more sense than TINAS’ (plenty folk do proper races for the same reasons)

do you get an official finish placing/time for each option or not tho? (would explain the midpack redmist)

I do the one in Selkirk and people* are racing even though it isn’t a race.

Still normally people are polite and if they are good enough to ride fast then they are good enough to call out and get past.

As it isn’t officially a race and no one cares if you come in 45th or 46th people should generally relax a little bit. Especially as over that kind of distance a few seconds don’t matter to most.

In any section of society there will be idiots… they might not have realised what they were doing but they should of apologised. Personally though I’d ignore it, life is too short.

*Those around me in the 4h30 time range, can’t speak for those further back and if those in front weren’t racing then I’m very jealous. Made a bit different this year by having a genuine race catoagory for the nationals as well .

You are told your finishing time and place you came home for that distance, but it’s pretty meaningless because you don’t know how many entries there were for that distance!
For example, i came in 215th place for the 45K course, there were some 900 riders overall we were told at the start line. If there were 220 riders on the 45k course i was terrible, if there were 600 i wasn’t too bad!
Unless you are in the top 10 i suppose its not worth worrying about..

EDIT: You buy your entries in a category, mine was veteran male, or ‘old blokes who don’t know any better’ but you didn’t get told were you placed in that category.

In 2010 you did though, and i came 9th in the veteran male cat.

Jonba, my mates aren’t as practised at riding as i am, so i tend to ride alone at these events and meet up with them afterwards. I hold my own little ‘comp’ by starting near the back and seeing how many i can pass before i find my ‘level’ as it were.
I’m not fast by any means but i’m not deathly slow either.

there there
never mind
it’ll all be better in the morning princess 😉

I’d have left them feet up in a ditch.

I’m not allowed to carry my axe… 😉