Doooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at those names up there... Hyde, Powers, Driscoll, Summerhill, White, Lindine...... Tyler (not Taylor)
The Heckle Report
- Thread starter The Heckler
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Jealous. I can in no way make it make sense to go up to KMC for the weekend but I'm sure it would be a hell of a time. I'm sure it's Providence x2. The venue/area needs more stuff to convince Joy it's a worthwhile weekend however and I feel the need to support the NJ races. Between Hippo and Caffeinated I'm probably driving as much as I would for KMC.
Support NJ races? Yesteday's podcast confirmed NJ cross is dead!
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
Your like legit!! Good luck dude.
Took you long enough!
Delish
Well-Known Member
KMC 2/3 field is legit. After getting destroyed in the C1 there before I did the 2/3 last year and had more fun. Watch out for the children at the front. They are mad strong but add an element of mayhem to the field. I nearly squashed one who lost his handlebars after hitting a bump. I've got you finishing top-10 on Day 1.
The UCI call-up gods hate me. I've never had anything but last row.
EDIT: Going out on a limb here...7th place for you on Saturday
The UCI call-up gods hate me. I've never had anything but last row.
EDIT: Going out on a limb here...7th place for you on Saturday
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Because people like @Norm refuse to show up and support it with their team tent. You guys were complaining that there were no team tents at Nittany, maybe that would be different if there was a Kudo & MTBNJ set of tents there...
We were at every NJ event last year with the team tent and Nittany on Sunday with the team tent. Not sure what planet you're on, especially when you were at all those NJ events last year using that very same tent.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
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The Heckler
You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
Hope you're coming out tonight. 5:30 at Niles!
This has me stressing. I really need a top 20. I think I actually finished 19th in 2014. Top 10 is totally the goal, going to really need to make the best the start to make that a reality.
No truer words.
@Norm I've put more though into the dying scene question. Something I realized on my ride Sunday was what I've been saying for years "the best part of NJ is the location." From NJ we can get to so many different regions. If you draw a 210 mile driving circle from my driveway you can get to Baltimore, Noho (CSI) and now Thompson Motor Speedway. South Jersey / PA may be less inclined to travel so far north. CT/MA may be less inclined to travel south (esp New England). It seems like places where you have a larger inconvenience to travel lead to larger scenes.
It's the same shit with professional sports teams. NY has two per sport, then philly is right there. NJ is split down the middle being a suburb of NY and Philly, now we are talking about 3 teams per sport that any average bloke in New Brunswick may be rooting for. Again, those folks in RI, MA, VT, NH and ME die by the boston teams and only the boston teams.
Annnnnd that's all I got. If the Tap actually fell into the Hudson I bet the NJ scene would benefit. Unfortunately the new bridge is actually coming along.
Well that 1 crane fell down, has to count for something.
IDK man - Nittany always used to have a lot of juice/mojo. Last year it was obviously down. This year, just sad. But it makes no sense because the reg numbers are still through the roof.
My philosophy is that people are taking it more (too?) seriously. There are the same numbers if people. But now they show up, put the tent up 3 feet from the car, then sit on their trainers until race time. After the race there is no beer because that's not going to help with the next race.
Increased competition leads to less fun?
It's a theory. But we both noted how many tents were just put up in the lots as opposed to on the course.
IDK man - Nittany always used to have a lot of juice/mojo. Last year it was obviously down. This year, just sad. But it makes no sense because the reg numbers are still through the roof.
My philosophy is that people are taking it more (too?) seriously. There are the same numbers if people. But now they show up, put the tent up 3 feet from the car, then sit on their trainers until race time. After the race there is no beer because that's not going to help with the next race.
Increased competition leads to less fun?
It's a theory. But we both noted how many tents were just put up in the lots as opposed to on the course.
I meant THIS YEAR. You guys were talking about how Elite was only there on Saturday, I wasn't there either days this year. I'm mildly amused at last year you were "meh" with cross yet made it to so many races, even down in DE, this year you're actually backing down a bit. I'll bitch after this weekend when you guys aren't at Hippo or Caffeinated. 🙂
You guys know I appreciate the tent, it's always nice to see friendly people, it's really the whole point of racing isn't it? Joy especially likes stealing someone's else's camping chair for an entire day.
Actually, to add to the less people thing.
Matt is a perfect poster child for what's wrong. Used to show up with buddies and drink and heckle and donut handups. Now it's all brand ambassador, trainer ride warmup and smoothly shaved faces.
HE DOESN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO CROSS PRACTICE BECAUSE HE'S TOO BUSY TRAINING.
(although I expect him tonight...)
Matt is a perfect poster child for what's wrong. Used to show up with buddies and drink and heckle and donut handups. Now it's all brand ambassador, trainer ride warmup and smoothly shaved faces.
HE DOESN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO CROSS PRACTICE BECAUSE HE'S TOO BUSY TRAINING.
(although I expect him tonight...)
This may have sumpin to do with it. I don't know how the demographics have changed over the past several years, but I'd guess it's a bit cyclical. My guess would be the ones that hang out for the day fall into one of two groups.
1) Younger, no kids.
B) A bit more, um, mature. Have kids, but they're older to not GAF if moms or pops is around on the weekend.
There's also a possible third group.
III) The family that rides together, parties under a tent with an elaborate food and beverage setup together.
I fall into B. I'd love to get halfway to III.
Sometimes (a lot) the B's have a shit ton of stuff they're neglecting at home so they can ride their bikes in a convoluted circle for 40 minutes.
How do we make Cross great again??
Donuts and cowbell are a good start.
Oh no, too late. You're not allowed in anymore.
Truth be told we do a ton of things, and last year cross was just in the critical path. We're still doing a lot of things, but like this coming weekend, cross may not fit in to many of them. Also, the f'ed up NJ women's classes means that we really won't be at any NJ races this year.
Confession: As a promoter, I would expect a modicum of respect from the NJ Cup committee. I have asked in for years and have been ignored. Another NJ promoter and I asked in again last year, we were brushed off. This makes it damn near impossible to give a shit about this series.
What did they screw up in the woman's classes? They put them 30 seconds after the 8-14 juniors like I would assume? Or after the 75+men?
I am not even really sure there is much that can be done to save the races, if they even need to be saved. It may just be an oddball downturn and eventually there will be an upturn. Nittany is the same every year and I'm sure it's just luck and minor demographic changes in the biking world that make it popular/unpopular.
Hippocross looks like it would be a great event this year. Last year they did a good job with the whole beer tent (although away from team tent area), this year with Helicopter rides, 5k, etc it could be a great event. But Pre-reg is so empty I wouldn't be surprised if it's a ghost town. It's also impossible to know how many people don't show up due to KMC or some other biking event going on the same day. You mention them screwing up the woman's classes, which means you are definitely signing up, which may sway some other MTBNJ people, next thing you know it's an entire group of people not out there hanging out. Hard to pinpoint those small butterfly events that turn the place into a ghosttown.
I am not even really sure there is much that can be done to save the races, if they even need to be saved. It may just be an oddball downturn and eventually there will be an upturn. Nittany is the same every year and I'm sure it's just luck and minor demographic changes in the biking world that make it popular/unpopular.
Hippocross looks like it would be a great event this year. Last year they did a good job with the whole beer tent (although away from team tent area), this year with Helicopter rides, 5k, etc it could be a great event. But Pre-reg is so empty I wouldn't be surprised if it's a ghost town. It's also impossible to know how many people don't show up due to KMC or some other biking event going on the same day. You mention them screwing up the woman's classes, which means you are definitely signing up, which may sway some other MTBNJ people, next thing you know it's an entire group of people not out there hanging out. Hard to pinpoint those small butterfly events that turn the place into a ghosttown.
The Heckler
You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH
Time out.
I didn't razor shave.
I haven't warmed up on the trainer once this year.
Also have 1000 hand ups to pass time before my races at KMC this year.
But yes, heckling is down and looking at beer gets me drunk.
I did also pack the (mini)megaphone. I feel like I've cut back on heckling because it's actually pretty tiring. Racing 30 minutes left tons of energy to yell at people all day.
If my complaining, however baseless as it was gets you to heckle a tiny bit more, it was worth it.
Have fun at KMC! Don't stare at the lights!
Magic
Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
New Jersey just needs more, new 'The Hecklers'. Back to back weekend races also ruin 'the scene' because they further increase the fact that people won't drink and party and heckle after their Saturday race with the probability of racing like shit on Sunday. It's just too competitive where cross for me is for the lulz.