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I'd agree that billing "races" on open RoW sends out the wrong message and could come back to bite organisers, but there's a huge difference between the way people ride an endurance event of 50 miles and an all-downhill event of 0.5 miles. It's totally disingenuous to pretend otherwise.
What about when they're pissed?
And it's not disingenuous - you have a different opinion.
I believe said event [i]finishes [/i]at the pub. Unless someone finishes the race, necks a few pints, then heads off for a 25-mile victory lap, how is the scenario you describe going to transpire?
Its for a month, people will ride as they allways do, but at the end of the month someone gets a box of tea. The bulldozers wont move in, and apart from those in the know nothing will have happened.
They won't though - some people will push that little bit harder, because they're competitive, it's natural. Perhaps they're 5 seconds off, so they go for another go. They hit a walker who gets hurt, friend comes along and says without thinking "I'm really sorry, we're doing a race". There's an excellent chance that it will pass completely unnoticed by those who care.
But there are massive ramifications if that doesn't happen!
My 2p worth… which has been stated previously in the thread.
The issue is that it has been promoted as a “Race”.
If there is an incident that results in an injury or a potential for legal action it will get back to the promoter and you will be in trouble. No permission, no insurance, no risk assessment, no marshals, no warning signs, no closure notices and no first aid provision. Trust me, as a race promoter myself there is an awful lot of ball ache that I could do without but it is necessary. We’ve seen disputes with other trail users and broken bones, dislocations, asthma attacks, bad gashes etc that have required mountain rescue call outs - with police in attendance (police get notified automatically of a MR call out). If they get a whiff that this is anyway organised they will want to see the paperwork. If it is in order and you haven’t been reckless you won’t hear any more. If it isn’t then I dread to think what would happen. My races have to have public liability insurance for £5,000,000 per incident. Have you got that much, in case you need it?
Keep it amongst yourselves and it is fine. Promote it and you have to play by the rules. If you promote it you have a duty of care to everybody that is involved.
It doesn’t matter if you think this is nanny state-ism, them’s the rules.
I believe said event finishes at the pub. Unless someone finishes the race, necks a few pints, then heads off for a 25-mile victory lap, how is the scenario you describe going to transpire?
Pretty sure I've seen numerous things about people getting pissed before/during SS events. In fact look here at what you said:
Thing it, if it's anything like previous SSUKs it'll be the least competitive "race" ever run. [b]People don't do beer stops in the middle of Strava runs do they?[/b]
And he also said there would be no marshalls, first aid etc
But hey it's ok because hey it's just some cool guys on niche bikes having fun, not these young punks with their Strava obsession. 🙄
I'm pretty sure that anyone who does drink at SSUK will be taking readings of their blood alcohol content and posting them online for everyone to see, along with a video of them shotgunning a six-pack.
I see you've discovered the web page, did you clock this bit?
It’s not a race, it’s an off road reliability trial.
Yes, and I also clocked the bit where he said on a public forum that actually it is a race.
there is a race, it is a race, we will be racing... But don't tell anyone with a clip board.
It also says there won't really be marshalls/medics, and it starts at a pub, goes to another pub before doing another lap.
I've already agreed the guys in the OP have been a bit daft/naive, but the bile and double standards here are ridiculous.
I'm pretty sure that anyone who does drink at SSUK will be taking readings of their blood alcohol content and posting them online for everyone to see, along with a video of them shotgunning a six-pack.
:swoon:
For the record... Racing and promoting racing on the BW network is illegal. As far as we are concerned at ST it's also irresponsible and puts shared trail users at an unacceptable risk that will potentially backfire on the whole MTB community.This is an accident waiting to happen and Singletrack does not endorse this event.
Take it off the BW network on to dedicated trails with permission, liability insurance etc and it's a different matter entirely.
are you certain about that?
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/video-this-is-sheffield-mass-start-dh/
I don't have a 6" travel all mountain steed, but I do have GPX editing software - can I race?
count me in 🙂
If the Workingmans Series had something as strongly-worded as this on their FB page I might not have been as critical.
You’re Strava time is not the most important thing, the use, acceptance and permanence of the trail are. If there are others on the trial, give way to them, give them a smile, you can always have another go. DONT **** IT UP FOR EVERYONE ELSE.All we ask is that you ride responsibly. Be respectful to other trail users, the trail itself and yourself. Don’t piss anyone off, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Simple. There’s not prizes, only bragging rights. You race completely at your own risk. We take absolutely no responsibility for your actions or any injuries sustained to you or anyone else.
Instead they put shite like this:
Only 9 Days left for YOU to take the KOM & QOM on this months segment. Have you seen what you can win? The coveted WMRS February Segment trophy!
In fact has anyone else looked at their page recently? It's removed all mention of "racing" or even riding bikes. Shame that's not the way the Internet works eh...
The Whinlatter Challenge must be a race the Endurance Series news story on here describes it as such.
Anyone got a GPX of the course, I want to ask BC how the rest of the mtb xc world can use the lessons learnt from Whinlatter to get new and better courses.
it looks like the OP is changing stuff on the FB page (e.g. next months 'segment' looks like more of a loop in a forest that may not be BWs, and there is mention of a 'revised mission statement'), which I think sounds good and they should get some applause for that
If the Workingmans Series had something as strongly-worded as this on their FB page I might not have been as critical.
Of course you could have just suggested something like that rather than ranting on about how everyone that uses Strava is a bellend.
In fact has anyone else looked at their page recently? It's removed all mention of "racing" or even riding bikes. Shame that's not the way the Internet works eh...
So basically they've listened to people's concerns and you're still slating them?
lol they removed the 'r' from the logo
Even the Strava segement has been renamed...
Blimey.
I have been making this up as I go along. Busking my pants off, and now everything important is in place.
What has been said earlier, may not be the case on the weekend. Many details have changed: the date, there is a fee, the Dorset rough riders MTB club are marshalling the iffy road crossing, the bit where it's easy to get lost, and anywhere that the risk assessment rides showed as iffy. We are an actual affiliated proper club.
It's not a race,It's a reliability trial, at 25 miles per lap and the keen guys going for 2 laps, it won't be flat out. There may well be a tattooist at the finish. There might be racing, but that is something else, not the main event, and it may involve a wall of death pursuit race or beach racing (not all details are nailed down) .
It's on my local trails, all bridle paths and this is a small community, and people know who i am and where to find me, I don't want to fight off angry farmers throwing dead burning sheep through my door., so everyone will be told not to be a dick, slow for walkers, don't skid, be nice, only crash into yourself, stay classy. Break any one of those rules and I will wee in your helmet, break more than one rule and it will be whilst you are still wearing your helmet.
The format is no different to the 1000 people wiggle sportive, or the Sunday morning dual carriageway TT. On a local level our 150 ish riders is a drop in the pond. The sandbanks ferry will be conveying 50 cyclists, three times an hour, all day, everyday... out of Poole and into the neighbourhood.
I attended wiggles impressively organised event, and the 1000 people were so spread out it was barely noticeable. Just like any other Sunday really. I think they missed some excellent trails (shame) and went down a very fast wide descent (not challenging but risky), but we will be pushing our bikes up that one. Our route takes in the best bits, but where it can get busy, we are climbing, or avoiding in favour of the legal singletrack nearby.
What may appear as a cheeky thrown together drunken shambles is in fact a well planned cheeky thrown together drunken shambles (refering to the whole weekend). I've done the whole lot by myself, a team of one, testing a theory that we can have an event without debt and hassles, and the hurdles that have stopped events previously. What started out as an informal gathering has evolved into a cycling club doing an off road sportive( with a roasted pig ) . The money is all spent now, but I hope there is a legacy for 2014. Someone can pick up this model and do the same next year, and the year after. If we go back to full on closed circuit XC racing, that is ace, but we also have this option, so never again will the proud and honourable one speed gentlemen of Great Britain have to go without a good knees up.