[Closed] fast riders racing in the 'fun' category

It's all relative... the ones who win the Gorrick 'FUN' races would be trounced in Elite Mens....

So yes... they do.. but it's not always a deliberate action just to get a race win.

IMO one you podium in Fun you should not be allowed to ride in that catagory again.

An old 'un, but a goodun!

http://bikemagic.com/mountain-bike-events/event-features/fun-class-racing-no-fun-anymore.html

[i]I reckon i'll do alright[/i]

If you only have fun you'll be doing alright in that category, surely?

In my opinion, it becomes an issue when people are put off entering the fun category for fear of coming dead last/making a fool of themselves.

On the flip side I love it when people on the start line are complaining along the lines of 'if such and such raced the category he should be in, I'd have got 10th'.....yeah, and if everyone else went up a category you'd win by default...

There is as always (usually) someone faster....

There will be some slow & tubby veteran (like me) who objects 🙂

If you're bothered by who beats you, where is the 'fun'?

The thing I love about racing is that whatever class you're in and whatever position in that class, you'll find a race within a race. It becomes about beating the people around you, up the front is a different race. I guarantee if you give it your all, even if you have to fight to not be in last position, you'll be beaming when you stop.
If you back off and mentally give up before the end you'll feel lousy so don't do this!

Once you nail a couple of top 10% finishes or just when you want to, then time to move up a cat and feel proud of yourself for making it.

IMO if your truely average fitness then race sport,

Did a fun class race many years back when I was fit(hectic time schedule meant I couldn't make the sport class), didn't feel good about it, but felt justified as I only raced for fun anyway. I started at the back,gave it everything I had, and finished with nobody in sight. Turns out I was third, and the first two were miles ahead of me, still wonder now if they were doing it for fun as well.

This is why points should be awarded and recorded on a license so cheats cant prosper

Have fun and go for it.

It's all relative. Long time ago I used to give my all in fun and come nowhere. Then got a coach, joined a well known team and first race out went into fun as last time I raced it was enough. Well found myself in all the sponsored team kit out front with one other. Red mist descended and we had a coming together with about half a mile to go which resulted in a bloody face for me and a broken wheel. Made me realise that it was time for a life of mediocrity in Masters :).

I doubt if my experience is unique. You don't really know where you stack up until you race.

That sounds Fun!

Fun isn't a BC sanctioned category anyway, and how many people are likely to give it a go if they need a licence?!

There may be some trophy hunters, but it's not like there's much bragging in doing 'fun', so unlikely to be many. Just do it and enjoy yourself.

Appreciate you shouldnt need a license for fun so maybe anyone getting top 5 say in fun automatically gets a license or at least has their results recorded to try and weed out the glory hunters?

average fitness then race sport

Not sure about that, I've been racing two seasons now and would classify myself as average fitness and pretty quick on a bike compared to your average rider (well those I see at trail centres...)

Racing open I tend to be mid third. On endurance events like Torq I do slightly better usually top half. Aim for 2014 is to be racing Sport. If I moved to Sport now I reckon I'd be lucky to not come dead last. Different league if you ask me.

So many sport riders should ride expert then ?

I think there are a lot of trophy hunters. First Open race I did, there was one keen looking young lad on the start line who openly admitted he was fed up of coming 3rd or 4th in sport so he entered open to win something. Hardly sporting.

There has been a huge creep in standards since I first raced in the early 90s. Sport is far faster than it used to be I reckon.

So many sport riders should ride expert then ?

Well given that sport seems to be rammed and Expert has hardly anyone in it, I'd say so.

To be honest, I'd rather be able to call myself an Expert rider than do well in Sport, but that's just me. It's not like the prizes are worth anything, it's all about kudos.

Appreciate you shouldnt need a license for fun so maybe anyone getting top 5 say in fun automatically gets a license or at least has their results recorded to try and weed out the glory hunters?

Is that the same licence that everyone else has to pay £70 for, or a different licence? Are you only allowed to do one fun race before stumping up £70? Etc etc. Who follows which cat riders enter? If you do a fun Southern race and win, are you then excluded from Gorrick and Midlands races? Impossible to police.

There has been a huge creep in standards since I first raced in the early 90s. Sport is far faster than it used to be I reckon.

Dunno about that far back, but I reckon it's been about the same the 12 years I've been racing. There's always a few 'ringers' in virtually any category!

I usually ride Elite (I am one of the 10 slowest Elite riders in the whole country)
However, I may try a coupe of fun or open races early next year because a) I am coming back from injury and they are shorter and b) I will be riding a rigid singlespeed which would result in good kicking in Elite/Expert races and be no fun.
I genuinely have no idea what my speed or stamina will be like in a few weeks when I can ride again and so will use it as a test event. I expect some (hopefully good-natured) abuse on the start line, and then to be really slow and fit in well when the race starts!
There are usually others there who really don't know if they will be fast (maybe really fit roadies or marathon runners who are just starting out in MTB and testing the water with a fun race)
.
Fast is relative anyway, if I can finish on the same lap as Oli or Liam I have had a very good race! I will probably go off to Masters next year, I am now old 🙁
.
Note that the winner of a fun category race will always be mocked, he should have done 'Sport'.

so cheats cant prosper

Who is cheating?

I'm no where near good enough to be promoted to expert (you need to be top 15 in sport in the country at the end of the season) yet I've won 'open' races where you didn't need a license. I didn't feel bad about it, I got to stand on the podium (after a really good battle with another lad) and get a prize. It made me want to improve and do well in the next category up. At the nationals I was a lowly 56th, regionals I'm top 20 so yes, I should (just about (lower end)) be racing in Sport. If you're pitching up for the fun category and rinsing everyone it can't be much 'fun' just riding round on your own - to me that wouldn't be much of a challenge and would soon become boring.

Njee (hope he doesn't mind me saying) races expert and there's a world apart between him and me - I certainly wouldn't want to be racing in the same bracket as him (well not until I lose three stone and develop some proper lungs). As much as its no fun riding round at the front on your own, its no fun being at the back either.

Forcing folk to move up a category will just stop them from racing with the knock on effect of fewer racers turning up, less money for the event and eventually less events. There's a chap on here (won't name names) who constantly whinges about people 'racing in classes they shouldn't be racing' and stating he'd have come top 20 if they'd have gone in another class. To me that's just throwing your toys out the pram, either get faster, stop moaning or give up.

Njee (hope he doesn't mind me saying) races expert and there's a world apart between him and me - I certainly wouldn't want to be racing in the same bracket as him (well not until I lose three stone and develop some proper lungs). As much as its no fun riding round at the front on your own, its no fun being at the back either.

Don't be too sure! A distinct lack of fitness means I'm firmly ensconced in the 'getting a kicking' bracket at the moment, but because I have an expert licence rather feel I ought to stay put (and frankly dropping down does seem like regression). It's a rather dull place to be though! Perhaps I ought to return to training, rather than just riding my bike a bit!

I class myself as 'fit'.... I am quick at trailcentres uphill..... However i struggled to get top 50% in 'fun' LOL.

Njee - Did you do the Brass Monkeys at the weekend? Brutal although I was racing with a hangover (which I'm using as an excuse). I do like racing with those in higher categories though, shows you how properly quick they are.

Dunno about that far back, but I reckon it's been about the same the 12 years I've been racing.

First time I raced sport, aged 19 or so, with no training other than a bit of riding, I was about top 1/3. 10 years later I'd done loads of proper training and was vastly fitter, I again came top 1/3 in sport.

The OP is worried about entering the Fun cat but is talking about training.

That sums up the problem

I've only ever raced in the Gorrick Vets and it was often the fastest class due to loads of super-fit ex-Roadies. My aim was not to be lapped and in the top half.

Seemed not right to enter the Fun category, as i didn't race for 'fun'!

I'm old, fat and unfit and to make the top half of fun would be an achievement for me. I've always believed in any sport that pride should have you playing at the best level you can just about survive in. You keep going up until you find that level, then you gradually work back down again clinging on as long as you can.

If you get pride simply out of beating biffers like me so you can stand on the podium in fun class you're made of something different to me.

Like i said, in the grand scheme I'm a distinctly ordinary cyclist but i was a decent cricketer so to put it in that context - I could have played for the local village and made thousands of runs a season but I moved up a few grades and played at a level where most weeks you'd play against first class overseas players, including occasionally players with Test match or ODI experience. I only made two league tons in my career, but I'm immensely proud of them, and i wouldn't swap either of them for 50 tons against Highmoor Village 2XI.

The OP is worried about entering the Fun cat but is talking about training.

There is a 'first timer' category that just didn't seem right. Then it goes 'fun', 'enthusiast' then 'pro/expert'.

I ride on average once a week, and at 33 am no spring chicken. I am planning on using this race as a warm up for the midlands xc series which I'd like to have a go at.

Like many I'd like to be fitter, but always find excuses not to ride, I am hoping entering a race will give me the focus to get out more. As a reference for my fitness, on a good day I can do ftd at Cannock in about 40 minutes, surely that's not considered fast?

Its a catch 22 isn't it. Its a race, the aim is to win. But if you do win you should be in the category ahead

I did a series in the fun category one year. My mate did the same series. I think he was abou 20 th first race. But he piled on the fitness and one the last race, by mikes. I wasn't riding as I was ill so I could hear the mid filed moaning about trophy hunters in front of them

I was thinking you could thrashed by some one who has not touched a bike in 6 weeks, deal with it. His time would have put him fourth in the sport race...

Surely there will always be a winner though. Promoting the top 5 would just see someone else winning and then what would you? Promote them aswell? Making every one have a licence is a sure fire way of making racing even less attractive, especially to newbies.Surely if youre "racing" for fun, does it matter whet anyone else is doing. The clues in the name, its just for fun.If soneone is taking it really seriously, does it matter?

I usually ride Elite (I am one of the 10 slowest Elite riders in the whole country)
However, I may try a coupe of fun or open races early next year because a) I am coming back from injury and they are shorter and b) I will be riding a rigid singlespeed which would result in good kicking in Elite/Expert races and be no fun.

Does it work the same as the road system. have you retained enough points in the season to stay elite? If not do you go down to expert?

Personally think you should race in the category you have your licence in? Surely they'd know you are elite?

Does it work the same as the road system. have you retained enough points in the season to stay elite? If not do you go down to expert?

Yes although I can't remember how many. I think once you've got into expert you never drop down to sport though*

*I could have dreamt all of this

It's not just a cycling thing this, I used to do motorbike trackdays and always went in intermediate, it was where I should be tbh. Then one day, I realised it was full of bellend failed or wannabe racers, who were fast enough to be in the fast group but went in intermediate so that they could overtake lots of people and feel like superheroes.

So from that day on I went into the fast group, where most people were not bellends.

Just be assured that if there's anyone in fun class who shouldn't be, they're a dick. If they beat you, they will still be dicks.

I'd love to know what you would hope to learn racing a fun race if you are "elite?"

Fun races are very short so it's not about the distance and if you are elite you should be able to win a fun on any bike.

I race masters and do alright though I'm never going to win a national or anything but I'd never enter a fun race injured or not,

That's just not right

There is a 'first timer' category that just didn't seem right. Then it goes 'fun', 'enthusiast' then 'pro/expert'.

Sounds like a much clearer and more sensible choice of categories than the usual array of ability and age cats on offer.

Then one day, I realised it was full of bellend failed or wannabe racers, who were fast enough to be in the fast group but went in intermediate so that they could overtake lots of people and feel like superheroes.

Being a 'failed' racer doesn't make you a bad rider... i'd argue all the ex-racers i ride with are far more polite due to their time in racing circles and the ability to not panic helps greatly.

For myself i don't mind being overtaken, undertaken or even a brutal bit of cutting up done to me.

In inters though i don't do that much overtaking.

Out of interest, what constitutes a 'failed' racer ?

weeksy - Member

Being a 'failed' racer doesn't make you a bad rider...

Never said it does? Obviously not talking about all ex-racers here. But the ones that aren't bellends aren't in inters pretending it's a race.

my take on this, did one race last year, choice was fun. sport or masters. I commute 150miles a week on the road, so hardly fun category fitness... Masters, well, i do have an issue with an age cat that is more old experts than anything else.

I was always of the opinion, this is going back over the last 20+ years, fun, was fun no prizes, no kudos, first few races but then into sport where you start racing properly. If good go to expert than elite. If crap stay in sport.

I do think that having open fun sport etc doesn't really help. The road, 4,3,2,1 system,means you know what your getting.

I finished mid field which is fine, i got a good kicking, realised how unfit i was and gave me something to think about.

And for the OP, if you enter a few races over next year you'll either give up or want to do better. For my riding-buddy and me we took the second option, and went from last to mid-pack within the year.

It really helped my MTBing, and even though I've not raced for a few years now I'm still fit plus realise that been fit makes it so much more pleasurable.

I'd love to know what you would hope to learn racing a fun race if you are "elite?"

I am one of the 10 slowest Elite riders in the whole country

That almost made me choke on my tea. 😀

Nice to know that even Elite riders suffer from feelings of inadequacy. Bet you're still faster than 99% of 'normal' riders though.

I've never raced - and doubt I ever will. But if I did, I'd likely try the Fun class first and see how I placed. If I did well, I'd move up to the next class. I'd then keep doing that until I found a level where I was consistently placing somewhere in the middle of the field. I'd then stay there and work towards trying to place higher in that class.

Comfortably winning a 'Fun' race as a really fit and competent racer must be a hollow victory, but if I was racing in that class and lost to such a person, I doubt it would bother me too much.

Nice to know that even Elite riders suffer from feelings of inadequacy. Bet you're still faster than 99% of 'normal' riders though.

Does it work the same as the road system. have you retained enough points in the season to stay elite? If not do you go down to expert?

Personally think you should race in the category you have your licence in? Surely they'd know you are elite

But I think that however quick you are you will always think of yourself as 'average.' I regulary get a kicking from the likes of Oli Beckinsale, to finish on the same lap is good for me, so I think of him as 'very fit'. But talk to him and he thinks of himself as 'fairly fit' and he sees the likes of Absolon as 'very fit'!

Yes, but I think that's kind of the point. You'll think of yourself as average so long as you are racing in the correct class. If you're regularly winning your class, you should probably be in the next class up, at which point you'd be average again. Unless you're regularly winning Elite races, of course, but I don't think too many of us will ever have to worry about that!

The only race I have ever done was the classic weekender this year, it was super fun. However on the Sunday I was nearly beaten by a tandem with a small girl on the back, but I did manage to beat one of my two mates (he had a mechanical!) and a random who I had my own mini battle with. The race was about me an the people around me, As it always is in my head when out with mates or just out dicking about on my bike. That's why it's FUN. My only training is running out for a fag during the adverts or for last orders. So the fact that I totally owned that tandem (which properly had a mechanical/stopped for a coffee), that started dead last. Made me quite pleased with myself, as i would never have pedalled as hard for so long with out them bearing down on me for the last lap. Next year am gona enter as a ten year old (im 38) because they only had to do 2 laps. Is that sporting?

FWIW, Im a vet and race in this catagory, the top ten times in our races are usually faster then the experts/or v similar. The winner is on parr with the elites FFS !!!!

I tried my first race in Fun as i had no idea what to expect. Have raced in Vets ever since. Next one is as Grand Vet though 🙁

Im a vet and race in this catagory, the top ten times in our races are usually faster then the experts/or v similar. The winner is on parr with the elites FFS !!!!

Yeh but being a veteran I seem to becoming more of a fast diesel engine now so can still sustain a really fast pace for a good few hrs after all the young "whippets" start to fade(although I have lost a few percent of mega top end).

Got 5th in the Elite/Expert catagory in the solo Wiggle Enduro six a few years ago.

I only entered as a elite/expert solo as they had no other spaces left! 😀

Just enjoy the race within a race that is the essential experience for almost everybody within our largely amateur sport. There's no point getting upset about varying abilities because the very nature of racing.

I remember doing my first race in Fun and genuinely having no idea what it would be like or how I would do. It can be pretty intimidating for first timers, but you quickly learn looks can be deceiving in terms of bikes, kit, physique, attitude, and even the courses.

I would suggest viewing the various cats as menu options because which cat you ride is more about what suits you rather than some objective measure of how fast you are. I've ridden in Sport for years. At one point I was a podium contender having progressed from Fun, Novice/Open, and the back of the Sport pack. By this point I was old enough to be riding Masters. More than anything though my choice was mainly driven by convenience. I didn't want to get up early for Masters, especially as I didn't have a car, and I didn't want to ride an extra lap because it knackered me enough as it was, especially as I still smoked. I'm now old enough to ride Vets, but I still ride Sport, and now I come mid pack.

You may be interested to know that Gorrick changed the name of Open from Novice after I got accused of pot hunting after coming back from a year of non cycling and injury. I campaigned on here amongst other places that Novice was used by people for a wide variety of reasons, but people were getting hung up on non Novice riders competing in Novice. As I hope is still the case, Open caters to all comers. It's an essential avenue for riders returning to racing or from injury, and some Juniors ride it as their 2nd race of the day to get a bit more value out of their day in regards to distance and experience in a bigger field.

Finally, most racers have similar abilities and their training is a weekly ride or two, and perhaps cycling to work. Therefore the Open and Sport cats are the most popular. They're fun, challenging, the big field experience, just the right length for most, conveniently timed, and not too serious. I remember contemplating the moves up in category from Fun to Novice, and then from Novice to Sport. It was pretty intimidating because you saw the times and thought not only am I adding a lap, but I also need to ride each lap faster. It may not be a challenge that certain people wish to take up, just as I didn't fancy taking on Expert or turning up early to race in a Masters full of ex Experts and Elites. I reiterate, XC racing is an amateur sport which we all do just for fun.

only slightly OT Northwind talking about m/cycle trackdays

So from that day on I went into the fast group, where most people were not bellends.

the few I've done its intermediates that have all the crashes. A mixture of overenthusiastic fragile egos, heroes and wannabes. Fast group full of racers and slick, talented riders, slow/novice full of people who left their ego at the sign-in desk when they said novice, and those of us on road bikes who need to be able to ride home again without binning it or getting skittled.

Back on topic, there have always been and will always be sandbaggers, dont let it spoil it for you though. Unless you came 4th you havent been 'cheated' out of a podium and as others have said its the race-within-a-race that gets you motivated, not the guy thats half a lap ahead of you.

From what I have found in DH type events masters is more competitive than any other 🙂

Over here in Tas there are some Local XC 1hr races with A,B,C & D cats, no prizes for cats just an end of season most improved (and most whinging about being moved up a cat) In the end 1st race just go with it, if you win or beat most of the next cat move up. I only went to see how I was progressing really. Too damm hot & dusty with far too many people who couldn't ride down a hill in the last one so I bailed halfway for the BBQ & Beer that was on.

FWIW, Im a vet and race in this catagory, the top ten times in our races are usually faster then the experts/or v similar. The winner is on parr with the elites FFS !!!!

Not really sure that this is relevant as Veteran and Master etc are age related categories, not ability. There's nothing to stop people over 30 racing Elite (half the top end of the field probably are over 30) and nothing to stop the the top Vets racing elite (Nick Craig is 42 and still races Elite).

Some people like to win stuff, even if it means moving to a category that allows them to do it, some people like to test themselves by racing so race in the right cat for them, even if it gets them a royal kicking! I am an average Elite rider and 37 next year so getting towards being able to race Vet if I want (could race Master now if I chose to) but I'll continue to race Elite as long as I can, as I'd rather finish mid pack against the best riders, than potentially boss a lower cat for the glory.

I see this meet at Cannock is based at the tackeroo campsite, I take it it will be the tackeroo single track descent (although it's all pretty flat) and then back up the fireroad to the campsite, can anyone confirm?
I've never raced anything on my bike mainly because I'm tight with cash and don't have a lot, but also I don't see the point of paying to ride my bike somewhere when I can somewhere else for free. The cycling I do is mainly by myself or with one other mate, where we bimble out to some rural bits and stop for a smoke 😆 but we have cycled a lot and we can get some very decent speeds up between us. This looks interesting coz it's not very much money and it's local to me, so I'll see you on the starting lineup mattk

I see this meet at Cannock is based at the tackeroo campsite, I take it it will be the tackeroo single track descent (although it's all pretty flat) and then back up the fireroad to the campsite, can anyone confirm?

Anyone know how long the course is? It says '2 laps' (for the fun cat') which isn't particularly useful! Maybe I missed the detail on the website.

5km it says on there = 3.1 miles, so not the biggest lap in the world.

Website reckons about 5km and it'll take 30 minutes a lap for normal people.

FWIW Cannock XC last year was mostly singletrack and didn't borrow from FTD trail at all.

Cannock was not pan flat this year.

IMO if your truely average fitness then race sport,

Made me think what average realy is. Average for regular racers would be a solid sport rider for sure. But the same rider doing a large mtb marathon, with a proper spread of people who ride but don't race would be well into the top 20% of finishers. won't get into elite riders who think thier "average" 😯

Finally, most racers have similar abilities and their training is a weekly ride or two, and perhaps cycling to work.

No they don't, the whole point is that there is a colossal range of abilities, from fun riders who struggle to do 2 laps to elites, with absolutely everything in between. There are plenty of mediocre racers doing plenty of training, there are some very quick guys doing less.

It's pretty rare for an XC course to use an existing trail 100%, if nothing else what's fun to ride and what works well for a race are not the same thing. That said, courses are rarely "mostly fireroad" unless they're crap.

Most and similar doesn't mean the same, think bell curve, so of course there's variation and extremes.

LOL Yeh, i have the same abilities as you Njee 🙂

oh sorry, we're similar, we both own bicycles and can both pedal.

Most and similar doesn't mean the same, think bell curve, so of course there's variation and extremes.

Not even sure I agree with that, it's fairly linear. You don't get 20 minute gaps, then 50 riders in 2 minutes. It's generally pretty even all through all categories.

A standard bell curve describes normal distribution. But anyway this is probably the least important point of what I said, it really doesn't matter.

What does matter is encouraging people to come racing and continuing to do so by adding some perspective.

[i]Nick Craig is 42[/i]

How many years now? 🙂

A standard bell curve describes normal distribution.

Yes, thanks, that isn't really what you get in a race. I disagreed, not said I didn't know what you were talking about.

What does matter is encouraging people to come racing and continuing to do so by adding some perspective.

Aye, it's lucky Gorrick renamed their categories because of you eh, revolutionised XC racing!

Eh?, actually he's 43 now....

just entered in enthusiast category. i'm new to xc racing. will the competion be pretty keen in this category?

5km it says on there = 3.1 miles, so not the biggest lap in the world.

Website reckons about 5km and it'll take 30 minutes a lap for normal people.

Well, I understand field sizes grew in the years afterwards, so maybe it might have contributed just a little bit.

I'd rather participate positively so I'll leave it at that.

The last run and ride at Cannock put some guidlines which category you should enter. It stated that if you finshed in the to 10 in your category in either a regional or national level you should be in the 'Racer' category. I usually just place about 30th in category, so entered the lower 'enthusiast' category.

Start line of the 'enthusiast' race was full of top 10 finishers from all categories. So, to answer the thread, "fast riders race in every category" they don't have any morals, a win is a win (even if you cheat to get it).

Well, I understand field sizes grew in the years afterwards, so maybe it might have contributed just a little bit.

Meh, it changed in about 2005, there's not really been much of a change since. My comment was a little tongue in cheek, but it didn't change because of one rider. For a start people still complain about 'ringers' - there was uproar when Rob Lee raced Open (and Master and Elite in the same day), even though he surrendered any prizes.

It stated that if you finshed in the to 10 in your category in either a regional or national level you should be in the 'Racer' category

But if you're top 10 in fun where does that leave you? Take the last Southern XC race...
- 10th in fun (out of 23) did 2 laps at an average of 27 mins/lap
- 10th in Master (out of 26) did 4 laps at an average of 22 mins/lap
- 10th in Elite (out of 23) did 5 laps at an average of 20 mins/lap

Massive range of abilities, similar size fields, all top 10 finishers.

It's impossible to police, some people will always want to be a little fish in a big pond, whilst others will be content with being the other way around.

If someone is properly clearing up then perhaps a word with the organiser who may suggest people move up, but there are plenty of cases where people can legitimately be in a category and winning. Someone has to after all!

there was uproar when Rob Lee raced Open (and Master and Elite in the same day), even though he surrendered any prizes

He raced in 3 classes ? How did he get on ?

Just looked at the websit mentioned earlier

The course will be around 5km in length and take an average of 20mins (Top riders) 30mins (first timers) to complete

I can't remember the last time I did an xc race, so my memory is problaby wrong, but those times sound surprising slow to me, more like more what you'd expect from a run than a ride. Has the course got some fairly massive obstacles?

njee20 - Member

Massive range of abilities, similar size fields, all top 10 finishers.

In the last 2 races I did, I beat all the wimmin but did I get a prize? 😉 Where is the girly man class?

I beat all the women in the national champs whilst only managing 2nd in Sport a few years back, hence why combining genders really doesn't work!

He raced in 3 classes ? How did he get on ?

Won all of them IIRC, it was years ago though, my memory could be failing me!

I can't remember the last time I did an xc race, so my memory is problaby wrong, but those times sound surprising slow to me

Agreed, <10mph for the slow riders is rather slow.

Agreed, <10mph for the slow riders is rather slow.

I'll try harder next time 🙁

I would be pretty disappointed if I ran that slow in an off road race.

That clearly should have said "<10mph for the [b]fast [/b]riders is rather slow"!

That clearly should have said "<10mph for the fast riders is rather slow"!