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Long winded, but a good read about the state DH in the US

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
it's done for teams that travel moreso than privateers.

clarification: amateur privateers.
I'm well aware of this. And I agree with that logic and why they do it.

I understand the pro race budget/travel argument....

It's rough for an amateur though who doesn't live right next door to the mountain.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
I'm well aware of this. And I agree with that logic and why they do it.

I understand the pro race budget/travel argument....

It's rough for an amateur though who doesn't live right next door to the mountain.

racing in general is rough for amateurs/privateers. it's just the nature of the sport. even regional racing is tough. I'm in eastern Pennsylvania, and I only have 2 mountains that are less than 3 hours from me.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
bet the GES & ESC there's racing nearly every weekend in the greater new england region between may and september.
Yup, and thats a good problem to have.

The ESC was broken down into two divisions this year.

Twice in the Atlantic division there were back to back race weekends. The Platty mountain creek races in the beginning of the year (that were also Pro-GRT's) and the Finals at Platty with the following weekend the super championship at MC.

It also happened twice in the New England Cup.

It never happened in GES.

It happened twice in the Pro GRT (platty/MCBP, SS/Beech)

It makes it difficult for someone who wants to try to take a run at the points series in their respective division and series of their choice to make all the races, whether you live 2 hours away, or 10 hours away, racing 2 weekends in a row can be difficult to swing.

It may make sense for the pros, who's full time job is to travel to races.

I'm not complaining, I'm simply saying it's difficult if you are trying to make an entire series.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
It makes it difficult for someone who wants to try to take a run at the points series in their respective division and series of their choice to make all the races, whether you live 2 hours away, or 10 hours away, racing 2 weekends in a row can be difficult to swing.
there's a huge difference between 2 hours and 10 hours. when i was living in RI and NJ, i had no problems making 2 or more races a month, and frequently raced back to back when those situations occurred. most of the races i was doing were between 2 and 4 hours away. i would do up to 6 no problem. but once things got passed that (say, 7 or more hours), i would seriously reconsider because that generally involved having to take time off work.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
there's a huge difference between 2 hours and 10 hours. when i was living in RI and NJ, i had no problems making 2 or more races a month, and frequently raced back to back when those situations occurred.
2 hours is a warmup. 3.5 hours is an easy day trip. 6-8 hours is an easy weekend trip. Play like a champion no excuses.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
2 hours is a warmup. 3.5 hours is an easy day trip. 6-8 hours is an easy weekend trip. Play like a champion no excuses.
2 hours isn't even anything I think about. 4 hours is my day trip max. 6-8 hours is a short easy trip as you mentioned. 11-12 hours is my take friday off work to go race max. 14 hours is my Thursday and Friday off work to race max, and anything over that requires a full week.
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,740
470
Because we all know the speed at which a genre becomes popular determines how legitimate it is.

Enduro, I'm looking at you here...
 

cecil

Turbo Monkey
Jun 3, 2008
2,064
2,345
with the voices in my head
And there are lots of women involved too

I'm not a cross guy I can barely pedal across the bridge from the parking lot to the lift at mcbp but id rather be around fit women than sweaty men
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,648
3,089
laugh all you want, it's the fastest growing race discipline in the country. already many times larger than DH.
Because these events are like MTB events were back in the day. Everybody is there to have a good time, no wannabe pros in Sport class that complain about only getting 56 instead of 45 because the chose the wrong color TLD kit that day. Fairly lower costs of admission too (bike, kit, entry fees).