2017 Stewart 45 Registration

Ian F

Well-Known Member
I thought of another reason why attendance might have been down a bit - Dirt Fest WV - I know at least one of my team mates who has done this race in the past went there instead. Another Philly guy I know who has done this race is out at Snowshoe getting ready for the National Champs event (he's been concentrating on enduro this year, but still does the occasional XC race).
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I thought of another reason why attendance might have been down a bit - Dirt Fest WV - I know at least one of my team mates who has done this race in the past went there instead. Another Philly guy I know who has done this race is out at Snowshoe getting ready for the National Champs event (he's been concentrating on enduro this year, but still does the occasional XC race).

I think race attendance is just down by ~25% this year. I had the conversation with a few people yesterday and I think it may be a compound effect that has been building for a few years. About 2-3 years ago we hit the market saturation point where there are quite literally 2-5 races every weekend across all disciplines from March through December (assuming a willingness to drive to Boston or Baltimore, which many people are). For a while people were just gorging on races but I think as the years go on, your available time, cash supply, ability to endure, home capital - all start to erode. I mean at one point in my life I did ~30 races a year. This lasted maybe 2 seasons and then reality starts to dictate that something has to give. I wonder if that reality is settling in across all these disciplines (road, mtb, cross, enduro, DH, etc).

I also think that as people drive further, the amount of money to spend racing gets tighter. If I am going to Baltimore for a Charm City double, I am dropping $400 for this weekend with gas/hotel/food/reg/etc. That used to be what I would spend on an entire cross season in NJ. This is just an example, and this perspective is only ONE of the various reasons. I think a lot of things add up across the spectrum. But IDK what the sum-total answer is.
 
Totally. In 2013&2014 (with nats at bear creek) we were all in full swing. Since then there's been a decline. Truthfully, attendance is probably back to where it was 10y ago (when we only had a few races a month to choose from) but I have no hard evidence to back that up. Only what I see at the start line.
I think race attendance is just down by ~25% this year. I had the conversation with a few people yesterday and I think it may be a compound effect that has been building for a few years. About 2-3 years ago we hit the market saturation point where there are quite literally 2-5 races every weekend across all disciplines from March through December (assuming a willingness to drive to Boston or Baltimore, which many people are). For a while people were just gorging on races but I think as the years go on, your available time, cash supply, ability to endure, home capital - all start to erode. I mean at one point in my life I did ~30 races a year. This lasted maybe 2 seasons and then reality starts to dictate that something has to give. I wonder if that reality is settling in across all these disciplines (road, mtb, cross, enduro, DH, etc).

I also think that as people drive further, the amount of money to spend racing gets tighter. If I am going to Baltimore for a Charm City double, I am dropping $400 for this weekend with gas/hotel/food/reg/etc. That used to be what I would spend on an entire cross season in NJ. This is just an example, and this perspective is only ONE of the various reasons. I think a lot of things add up across the spectrum. But IDK what the sum-total answer is.[/QUOTE
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Input for future events. Open SS should always be started right behind Open class. No need to start behind 45+ and women. It makes a very boring first lap with no efforts rewarded as everyone bunches up on the women and 45+.

I went through 2/3 of the SS Class with no issues passing. I also went through most of the Sport, 45+, and entire Women's field with no issues. Buy a Plus bike, it opens up more passing opportunities. Ask @Po123 the line I took to get by a group of 8 in one shot ;)
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
You want to start first, line up with the big boys. I have heard sporadic complaints from SS and 45+ over the years about the start order. Not once in all my years of promoting has a woman complained to me about the start order. Yet every year I get crap from the various men's classes.

Sorry man but the days of keeping the women at home in the kitchen with the aprons on is over. You want to start ahead of them, line up next to Mr. Snyder and the other fast cats.

45+ is a judgement call but in reality that class is the biggest and basically supports what we are doing out here. No 45+ class, no race, no ice cream, no nothing. It's a discussion but that was my decision on the day. Maybe next time I reverse it.

For the record I used to race SS in the non-SS classes back in the day. My only pro race I ever did, down at Fair Hill, I raced a SS. I got slaughtered but I still did it. You can too.
Maybe more than a minute gap should be given then. We were into the back of the group before us before we even hit a hill. like 1/2 mile in. Why not 5 -7 min between groups?
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
Monty didn't seem to have a problem...
My suggestion has nothing to do with how I did. I blew up and dehydrated all on my own. I'm saying. This is racing, you shouldn't have to back off for 10 minutes after racing for 2 because you are sitting in traffic. I made moves and passes but in reality it's too tight in there in the beginning to make courteous passes. Mike and I were talking to each other because it was social pace. That's not racing, racing is how long can you hold your HR in the right zone without going roo far...attacking the guy in front of you or fending off attacks. I don't have a problem if I lose, get last, dnf as long as I get race race for it when I can. I heard the people behind me passing the women and one went off course and crashed and the other got bumped off the trail. If this is ok then fine but as soon as someone makes an aggressive pass everyone calls them out on it. And for the record this is not just the MTBNJ races, it happ ens often...
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
My suggestion has nothing to do with how I did. I blew up and dehydrated all on my own. I'm saying. This is racing, you shouldn't have to back off for 10 minutes after racing for 2 because you are sitting in traffic. I made moves and passes but in reality it's too tight in there in the beginning to make courteous passes. Mike and I were talking to each other because it was social pace. That's not racing, racing is how long can you hold your HR in the right zone without going roo far...attacking the guy in front of you or fending off attacks. I don't have a problem if I lose, get last, dnf as long as I get race race for it when I can. I heard the people behind me passing the women and one went off course and crashed and the other got bumped off the trail. If this is ok then fine but as soon as someone makes an aggressive pass everyone calls them out on it. And for the record this is not just the MTBNJ races, it happ ens often...

You are saying what a lot of guys say when they cat up from 2 to 1. Then these same guys get experience and they learn how better to race, to pass, to deal with adversity. We have all been here and we have all suffered under the delusion that these "slower classes" should start behind us. Then we get more experience and we deal with whatever comes on race day.

Mike doesn't complain about this stuff because he is extremely experienced but he also knows that for every person he passes out there, it's 1 more obstacle that all the other guys behind him needs to deal with. You can consider the slower riders as strategy pieces if you like. They are pieces of the puzzle just like rocks & hills & whatever else you need to put into your race equation.

Or, again, sign up for open men. Problem solved.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
My suggestion has nothing to do with how I did. I blew up and dehydrated all on my own. I'm saying. This is racing, you shouldn't have to back off for 10 minutes after racing for 2 because you are sitting in traffic. I made moves and passes but in reality it's too tight in there in the beginning to make courteous passes. Mike and I were talking to each other because it was social pace. That's not racing, racing is how long can you hold your HR in the right zone without going roo far...attacking the guy in front of you or fending off attacks. I don't have a problem if I lose, get last, dnf as long as I get race race for it when I can. I heard the people behind me passing the women and one went off course and crashed and the other got bumped off the trail. If this is ok then fine but as soon as someone makes an aggressive pass everyone calls them out on it. And for the record this is not just the MTBNJ races, it happ ens often...

I think @jimvreeland meant Monte didn't have a problem passing.

Part of racing is strategy. Knowing when to make passes and not getting too anxious is part of it. It's a 45 mile/3+ hour race with TONs of places to pass.

If the group leader was in sight, stuck in traffic, and I could keep my eye on him while I catch my breath... Personally I'd take that for as long as I could.

If you don't want traffic, you should line up in the open group.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Mike and I were talking to each other because it was social pace. That's not racing, racing is how long can you hold your HR in the right zone without going roo far...
Dave, I'm sorry you where unable to hold your HR in the right zone...and thus not race properly.
While I'll admit as a SS racer I don't like getting stuck behind groups, I'll also agree with you in that no matter what group starts in front of you, it will not effect the outcome of your race. You finished 6th out of 22?, so even if you started behind pro men your result would have been the same.

The bottom line is no matter where you start, deal with it and don't be an asshole, everyone in your class is subject to the same start. Real winners rise above and make passes as courteous as possible.
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
I think @jimvreeland meant Monte didn't have a problem passing.

Part of racing is strategy. Knowing when to make passes and not getting too anxious is part of it. It's a 45 mile/3+ hour race with TONs of places to pass.

If the group leader was in sight, stuck in traffic, and I could keep my eye on him while I catch my breath... Personally I'd take that for as long as I could.

If you don't want traffic, you should line up in the open group.
I was in SS "OPEN". 45+ was not listed as open. Sorry. And this was constructive criticism. I accepted how I raced in my first reply so please stop bringing that up @pooriggy . I was not a podium guy yesterday. I just simply suggested that maybe having an "open" class start in front of classes with cat 2 and 3 riders which both classes in front of us had. Way too defensive guys.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I think @jimvreeland meant Monte didn't have a problem passing.

Part of racing is strategy. Knowing when to make passes and not getting too anxious is part of it. It's a 45 mile/3+ hour race with TONs of places to pass.

If the group leader was in sight, stuck in traffic, and I could keep my eye on him while I catch my breath... Personally I'd take that for as long as I could.

That's what I meant. When you come up on a group, use it to recover for a minute or so, and then use that energy to pass the whole group when the time comes. You're never stuck in traffic for very long, it just feels that way when you're having a bad day...
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
That's what I meant. When you come up on a group, use it to recover for a minute or so, and then use that energy to pass the whole group when the time comes. You're never stuck in traffic for very long, it just feels that way when you're having a bad day...
I agree and we did just that. I raced the race I was in yesterday. Somehow my comments that were intended for future events are being made out that I couldn't t race yesterday's race because I don't manage races well. I raced the best I couls yesterday. I am happy with how I raced. Unfortunately I had a long month with my father having surgery, mother in hospital and doing a lot of side work in a very hot garage. I made my own race a failure a week before it happened. I'm one of the people that will rell you when I suck and I sucked yesterday. We can be open minded and perhaps improve things.
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
I'm on mobile so sorry I can't do the research, but is 45+ podium typically faster than the SS podium? 45+ would be considered an open category too...
 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I agree and we did just that. I raced the race I was in yesterday. Somehow my comments that were intended for future events are being made out that I couldn't t race yesterday's race because I don't manage races well. I raced the best I couls yesterday. I am happy with how I raced. Unfortunately I had a long month with my father having surgery, mother in hospital and doing a lot of side work in a very hot garage. I made my own race a failure a week before it happened. I'm one of the people that will rell you when I suck and I sucked yesterday. We can be open minded and perhaps improve things.
Ha don't take it too seriously Dave... This is a topic @Norm has been literally hammered with since 2011... So this is why the reaction is probably harsher than normal. No matter how's its done, nobody outside of the opens classes are completely happy. Much like the team classes and laps, it's not an easy problem to fix
 

V-Dub

Well-Known Member
Ha don't take it too seriously Dave... This is a topic @Norm has been literally hammered with since 2011... So this is why the reaction is probably harsher than normal. No matter how's its done, nobody outside of the opens classes are completely happy. Much like the team classes and laps, it's not an easy problem to fix
It really isn't a problem you start where you start and its the same for everyone in your class. I never had a problem starting in the back and passing people it's a good way to say hi and make new friends.
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
It really isn't a problem you start where you start and its the same for everyone in your class. I never had a problem starting in the back and passing people it's a good way to say hi and make new friends.
I'm ok with passing people. It does suck passing people that don't know how to be passed though. I just feel your class should be the only people you race, not other classes? In all honesty strategy is part of every racing but passing cat 2/3 riders(which I was only months ago) is like being tdkin out of the TDf because you hit a camera man on a motorcycle...sure, it's part of it but if people opened up to change it doesn't have to happen.
 
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