Brownbacks

Musta been a few off here er, there. How did you do?

Beaten by you (again) in the Singlespeeds 🙂

Currently planning what frame I have to build Alison to go with the shiny new wheels….. Would Arch rims work with a fat-ish CX tyre?

Marshals were on top form today. How do we do a proper thank you to the organisers?

How do we do a proper thank you to the organisers?

entering these races we put on in the quarry is thanks enough mate!

thanks and a massive well done to everyone that entered, marshalled, all the mountain rescue guys, all of our sponsors and all the rest of the organising team for another great year of Brownbacks races.
and a huge well done to all those that won races, and the overall series in their categories.

4th in vets.

Another good event and great end to the series!

Thanks to all involved.

Bolt

Mick – I would have said sorry about that but I’ve got to be honest! 😀 It’s great that there are more SSers taking part.
How sketchy was that rock slab bit?? I rode it ok on the first lap. had a bit of a buttock clenching slip on second lap and ran it every lap after that. By the last lap that climb up to finish line was bloody killing me!

Some pictures from previous years races.

https://picasaweb.google.com/BIKEYPAUL/20100926BROWNBACKSSEPTEMBER262010#

https://picasaweb.google.com/BIKEYPAUL/20091018LEEQUARRYRACEOCTOBER2009#

https://picasaweb.google.com/BIKEYPAUL/LEEQUARRYBACUPBROWNBACKSRACESERIES30MAY2010#

https://picasaweb.google.com/BIKEYPAUL/20100704LEEQUARRY4JULY2010SINGLETRACKWEEKENDER#

Some great racing over big rocks,great weather, and some pouring down rain,but lots and lots of smiles off the rides and us non riders,so much work is put in by the organisors and marshals make it wortth attending next years series.

I got a bit cold, but enjoyed opening the gate for everyone to ride to the course 😀

I’d better do some training before next year.

I rode the slabs every lap – all down to the bike 🙂

Not riding the climb some laps was all down to the rider……

Alison slipped right off the edge of ramp into the slabs so ran it on subsequent laps (which isn’t like her). I think it was very tyre dependent (she ran a NN on the front pumped up maybe too hard to avoid punctures)

3rd in vets, sorry Bolt.. I just had enough legs for another lap after thinking we were on the last lap. Only done the last 2 but hoping to do more next yr as enjoyed. Good mix of rocks and hills. Slabs were fun when they got mud on but rideable with momentum, got a bit carried away a couple of times though !
Needs more support ie numbers but wether this is indicative of xc racing or the location, great location for racing though as they seem to be able to design any number of courses.
Thanks again to all the organisers and marshals, some of which were looking pretty cold.

Great course on Sunday. Up a hill, across a bit then down. Loved it. Pity about numbers but there were a few events that clashed and the crap weather forecasters predicted a wash out. Thank you to all who helped but on a great series and thank you to the generous sponsors (just love my new Hope R1 lights). Still can not get used to their horrible up hill start line. My chest is heaving by the time I reach the top :)wicked, cruel start line 🙂

Still can not get used to their horrible up hill start line. My chest is heaving by the time I reach the top :)wicked, cruel start line

Mate you should try it on SS!

after watching the SSers pant/ride/push up the hill, it’s put me off singlespeed for life!! 😀

Sunday’s race was our poorest attendance ever ❗

We obviously need to rethink what we are doing as we are going to end up in a situation where there are more volunteers than riders.

So 2014 is a big question mark ❓

We want to continue, there is nothing that lets you know that you must be doing something right as the people chatting to you desperate for dates for races in 2014 excited by the prospect of doing better and the the generous support of all the marshals and volunteers who make our little races what they are. Not forgetting the generous support and sponsorship from Hope, Leisure Lakes, TGStore.eu, Ride-On, Big Bear Bikes, p0cpac, Crud, Charlie The Bikemonger, Lusso, and Maxgear Racing.

But the numbers don’t lie so something needs to change……..

Thoughts to info@brownbacksracing.co.uk please, or on our facebook page

Hmm. My view is that Sunday’s poor attendance was due to a combination of a few things.
1. The weather was forecast to be a bit crap.
2. It clashed with several bike events (ie Mills Hills the day before, cx race at Clitheroe etc)
3. It was the last race of the series and maybe people thought that overall series positions were pretty much decided.

That’s my view anyway. I am not aware of any negativity towards the racing at Brownbacks. Everyone I speak to is very ‘pro’.

Sunday’s race was our poorest attendance ever

🙁 Now I feel bad. I made the first three this year, but family commitments kept me from racing yesterday, it wasn’t the weather honest! (I raced in plenty of crap weather last year.)

I’m a very mediocre racer (9th in WW is my best ever result), but I love the Brownbacks races, the courses are brilliant fun, the organisation is smashing, and the atmosphere is ace. I even managed to bring a few mates along this year too, and they enjoyed themselves. I don’t get to do much racing, and if there’s no Hope XC series next year I doubt I’ll enter anything much to be honest. There’s nothing else nearby that I’ve found that appeals, and I can’t be travelling for hours just to secure a crap position in sports or whatever. 😉

I appreciate how hard it must be to organise these things, but please don’t think it’s not appreciated! I spent most of last winter hoping that you’d put the races on again and I was dead pleased when I found that you were. Imagine how chuffed the guys who actually place well must feel! Keep on keeping on!

I think they need to be closer together and try & avoid October. i.e. One a month without the break in the middle of the series.

As said, it clashed with a couple of other events too and the weather was rubbish.

It’d be a shame if it wasn’t to run next year. I won’t be the only one to say how good the brownbacks series is! It’s really well organised, every course is a massive challenge and the prizes are awesome! And it’s on my doorstep – bonus!

Really hope it keeps going!

Can it be called something other than cross country ? Enduro with a bit of climbing… I have raced on an off for quite a while now, decades might be involved ! Cross Country seems to infer Lycra clad roadie types, does that put off your average rider that wants a laugh and maybe race mates ?
Lee quarry seems an ideal location for the more technical side of riding and that bottom section of singletrack is a laugh and fast on any bike be it xc race or trail bike.
Can’t fault the two events that we’ve done and would be more than happy to pre enter for the series, as long as didn’t clash with the one other series that we do. Presume the break was for summer holidays ? If so seems that other series do this.
But keep the big hill, sad that I am I like it. If happens next year may even use the singlespeed.
Would be a great pity if this didn’t go ahead in some form or another.

Any pictures from yesterday by any chance??? 😀

Could the numbers issue be due to the fact that XC racing is, well, quite hard? It is basically just 1.5 hours of battering yourself to bits. Like a long ITT or something, but with pointy rocks and mud and loads of corners.

The main problem I’ve had persuading people to come along is that they think they’ll not be able to do it – yes I’ve mentioned the easier Have-A-Go category, no dice. The friends of mine who have raced are fell-runners, and as we all know fell-runners are complete **** nutcases who love misery and suffering.

Maybe you could play up the tough-guy angle, instead of trying to make it easy? Pitch it to all the mid-life crisis hard-cases as the next big challenge? Make the races longer and harder! Put one on at night! In winter! Throw stuff at the riders! Set the back-markers on fire! Ok maybe not the last two…

I travel up from north wales myself because it’s got the right atmosphere for me, i will never win, but i find that everyone is friendly and the marshalls are second to none….plus winning a prize just for having purple brake calipers (and forgetting my gloves!) means that even a 2hr each way trip and physical exhaustion paid off!

Loved it but couldn’t do the last one due to three peaks sustained floaty collarbone in shoulder. Boo. I was second in points until then as well. Next year. 😀

we’re well aware of how much appreciation there is from entrants for what we’ve done with these races.
the trouble is, with falling numbers it can prove hard to retain sponsors for subsequent series’, and without their very generous involvement we have no racing. it’s that simple. none of us do this for anything other than the satisfaction of doing it, we’re all volunteers and gain nothing financially from Brownbacks racing. This is fine, but having said that we can’t afford to cover the withdrawal of any of our sponsors, which is why we’re going to have to work hard over the winter break to see if we’re able to continue doing our series next year.

and yeah, the summer “break” is down to a couple of things- the race calendar is VERY busy these days so it’s hard to try to fit in a race series without clashing with other events, and we tend to have to try to find the dates that have the least impact on attendances at both our events plus anything else that might be taking place the same day.
also, people go on holiday in the summer. i know, the weirdos! but this has an effect on numbers too, so we need to try to avoid that if possible.

anyway, thank you again for all the kind words, we do try our best to give you the very best racing that we can, and to anyone whose mates are worried it’s too tough, my girlfriend raced the have-a-go heroines cat at the 3rd event of the year having only started riding a mountain bike at the beginning of the year and she got on the podium so if she can do it then your weekend warrior mates can too!

Thanks for all the positive stuff above 😀

There will be something in 2014, but it’s very unlikely to look like what we have been doing for the last 5 years

My current thoughts are to do 2 big days where we move the event village up into the quarry, provide some shelter (we can’t trust the weather) and food etc up there and run the traditional XCO format race then kids racing and some “fun” stuff, free coaching etc and finally run a proper XC Eliminator race in the quarry bowl in the late afternoon and evening.

Lots of challenges with this idea (other quarry users, access issues, costs, can we get the marshals, will the sponsors go for it, will anyone enter etc etc)

Enduro is being done by another organiser and there will be a Lee quarry event next year (think of it as one of our XC races without being timed on the climbs 😉 )

But there are 8 or so in the group that make these things happen so there may be more (better) ideas

love some of the idea’s

Maybe you could play up the tough-guy angle, instead of trying to make it easy? Pitch it to all the mid-life crisis hard-cases as the next big challenge? Make the races longer and harder!

“Tough mudder” on bikes?

Put one on at night!

Too much chance of a “touching the void” moment 😯

In winter!

spikes required, ice axes and crampons for the marshals as well as those braziers you see on picket lines 😉

Throw stuff at the riders! Set the back-markers on fire! Ok maybe not the last two…

phew

….plus winning a prize just for having purple brake calipers (and forgetting my gloves!) means that even a 2hr each way trip and physical exhaustion paid off!

spot prizes are great aren’t they!!

had a bit of a buttock clenching slip on second lap and ran it every lap after that

does that explain the brown staining on the orange pants? 😉

There will be something in 2014

Hooray!

but it’s very unlikely to look like what we have been doing for the last 5 years

Well, I’m sure it’ll still be grand, so I’ll do my damndest to turn up and drag as many of my mates along as I can. The ‘Big Day’ idea sounds fun, and the possibility of an enduro type thing is intriguing too. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do, anyway!

Sorry I would have loved to ride but its well into cross season clashing with a nwcca event and for me thats the priority at this time of year. Personally I like the format as it is, turn up, race get home in time for other commitments. I know its traditionally Lee Quarry but how about using Clayton Vale as well or is there some unwritten rule it has to be at Lee?

2 big days where we move the event village up into the quarry, provide some shelter (we can’t trust the weather) and food etc up there and run the traditional XCO format race then kids racing and some “fun” stuff, free coaching etc and finally run a proper XC Eliminator race in the quarry bowl in the late afternoon and evening.

Like the sound of this and the enduro race.

And no up hill starts please! 🙂

flatland start = carnage at singletrack, not good for all the lycra boys with SPD’s!

I understand the hill start is to spread the field but some flat then up would be nice, starting just up from the gate is brutal.

Why does everything have to be “Enduro” nowadays with a total aversion to climbing?

Enduro does have climbing in Steve, albeit inbetween stages.

It is also timed so you still have to get to the next stage before your time is up.

I know it has “timed” sections, but every aspect of the sport seems to be driven / heading that way with Enduro specific this, Enduro specific that.

I don’t mind it in the slightest, but don’t let it take over

Yes, the marketing men have latched onto the Enduro thing.
But Enduro racing is a great format and reflects the kind riding many people do – ride up a hill at a leisurely pace and ride back down a fast as you possibly can – it’s also suited to the 5″/6″ bikes many of us are riding anyway.

Boo! The only thing I can do is ride uphill!

whilst it’s definitely the kind of riding/racing that i feel suits me best, we (Brownbacks) are unlikely to drop our “XC” bias in our events. someone else is looking at running the enduro event we spoke of earlier.