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masters racing
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
does anyone have any information on whether there are any masters races or masters games that involve cross country mountain racing , apart from the general races , also any confirmation of dates or venues or even if there is going to be a n.s.w state series this year ?
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i'm actually putting a stop to entering 'open only' category races as i find it unfair that i put a hell of a lot of training in (i'm 40 ) and find i'm not suprisingly getting smashed by 20 year old elite racers.
i came 14th out of 107 solo riders at western sydney last week and, correct me if i'm wrong but i think that might have been a first place in the masters. like i say, i've been training very hard lately and wouldn't mind a little recognition for my efforts once in a while!
i was going to race the four hour race at the jet black 24hr but once again, i'm not paying 60 bucks to get flogged by someone half my age!
Getting 14th ain't being flogged - that's an effort I'd be over the moon about - but I know what you mean. A level(er)playing field would be nice.
Yes it's hard wanting to compete as we pass through and beyond the traditional age categories of the 20s and early thirties.
Having the 40+ categories gives me hope and a reason to put in the extra training in preparation for races.
The recent masters games had only road races. It would be good to get an off road category included for the future!
On a practical note, these events cost real money to enter, quite apart from the additional expenses for road tolls, petrol, bike prep etc. The event organisers are missing out on extra entries for guys like Gazza and myself, as there is reduced incentive.
How do we fix it? Well, I guess well timed & numerous emails to the event organisers. Apart from the traditional sell-out events, (Mont, scott, dirtworks, fling et al) the smaller events really need the numbers to make a profit, and could do with our support.
It can't be that hard, the lap scoring is all software driven, and the level of prizes aren't going to break the bank (not that it's even important).
Another important point is the demographic of the 40+ racers - they generally have more disposable income than 20 something uni students, and it's good for the bike industry to support this age group and have incentive to race. That could be an angle to approach CBD/Cranks/KoM/etc and see if they want to sponsor the category in a few of the races - all it would take is a token prize giving or tax-deductible contribution to event organisers.
But seldom enter races that don't have an over 40's cat. I've found that I can do twice the training of a young guy, push myself harder in a race and finish behind the ones with a bit of talent.
We also make up a large percentage of the people at races so I don't understand the organisers that really do discourage us from entering.
John.
make up some of the greater numbers at races and like Ste says, i think we spend more on our bikes than the younger guys. i hope some of the organisers get wind of this post (Martin, take heed!
) maybe someone could start a post about it on Farkin/Rotorburn too?
below is a posting on rotorburn re masters races, no real discussion yet just dates for the state races
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?1...
Yeah last year I went along to a masters event in Ourimbah, there were very few of us, Steve01 was there I think. We all did well so well we got medals. There really where very few of us
I'm really hoping that this year there will be more riders, it was great fun.
Personally I found the 2009 Masters races great fun, but to be honest once you get serious about your training, diet and bike set up. It's easy to place, our at least score good points, at most events. (State rounds etc).
In the end you basically end up racing the same three or four people. There might be 15 riders in the field, but it's only the same four people who are in with a real chance. In some cases you get a specific track specialist, e.g. someone's home track and they're great at that track. but otherwise I found it to be rewarding at the early part of the season and it all felt a little hollow towards the end.
As a result I plan to race expert this year - the lower average age of the racers combined with the longer races will definetly create a bigger challenge. I don't expect to be able place in this catagory though.
In some rounds last year, masters was just 2 laps..(Ourimbah) that is less than an hour racing. There were a few of us who felt like it just wasn't enough.
It's worth remembering once you start a state series in a particular catagory (Masters, Expert etc) any points you win can not be transfered to a new catagory if you change.
See you out there..
The way I see it, these guys are loser's.
Use the Dirt Works Race for example, they take 4-6 hours to complete these events and I get to ride for 9 hours!
Talk about wasting their $120, I at least get value for money
Who's the fool 
(Train less, ride longer!)
I do agree with your issue though, if event organisers want attendance then keep age categories!
Pikey