you know, that stuff you gotta do at fontanamtnbrider said:Pedaling....What is that?
I had heard that rumor about you going around, but I didn't want to say anything...mtnbrider said:I don't know...I like 7" at most.
For real. Took forever to get a run last year. Nobody checks to make sure people are in the class scheduled to practice, took forever to get medical staff to clear the track, all kinds of asshats cutting the line, practice was shut down for huge periods of time, etc. Difficulty getting a practice run is pretty much the reason I'm not racing this year. I wasted most of a whole day for two runs on a really short course, and felt stupid to have paid for the privilege.dan-o said:A more important decision is which riding shoes are more comfortable for standing in line.
Oh man, that's so true. I can't tell you how many guys I had to explain to that the end of the line was "back there." It's high time the organizers police the start gate and keep those off the course and in their respective practice times. And really, what was the deal with the EMT's taking 1/2 an hour to get somebody of the course that had a broken ankle? Bottom line is if you want more than two runs per practice session, run your own shuttle.OGRipper said:For real. Took forever to get a run last year. Nobody checks to make sure people are in the class scheduled to practice, took forever to get medical staff to clear the track, all kinds of asshats cutting the line, practice was shut down for huge periods of time, etc. Difficulty getting a practice run is pretty much the reason I'm not racing this year. I wasted most of a whole day for two runs on a really short course, and felt stupid to have paid for the privilege.
Yeah maybe. As I recall last year there were more people protecting the course before and after practice than they had during practice keeping things together. We went up there later in the day and it was a no go. It was just a clusterfvck and pretty disappointing. I shuttled with friends most of the time, the long waits were at the top.pbr said:The way to do it is to wait until after practice is over and shuttle yourself. (although that may or may not be against the rules)
The lines were indeed, stupid long.
Yeah, as soon as some people lost practice time due to medical delays it became a free-for-all. They need to keep the course open and then be strict about who is riding when. Easy to say, harder to do, sure, but still. Also, I heard that a couple of the delays were about bad communication, as in the folks at the top not getting word that the course was clear.surfinguru said:Oh man, that's so true. I can't tell you how many guys I had to explain to that the end of the line was "back there." It's high time the organizers police the start gate and keep those off the course and in their respective practice times. And really, what was the deal with the EMT's taking 1/2 an hour to get somebody of the course that had a broken ankle? Bottom line is if you want more than two runs per practice session, run your own shuttle.
I'm racing again this year but only because I want to qualify for Nationals. Oh well, put in some road miles to build up the cardio for the mandatory pedal fest and you'll do good.
ah, ha,ha,ha. (you're right.)lovebunny said:you know, that stuff you gotta do at fontana
Yeah, I'll agree with that one. Nationals was pretty tight about that what with the different colored stickers on your number plate and all. I don't want this to turn into a bitch fest, but damn it's irritating. For me, more than anything, the most frustration thing has been the delay in getting results published. Nothing like hanging around until 3hrs after your run to find out if you made the podium.OGRipper said:Yeah, as soon as some people lost practice time due to medical delays it became a free-for-all. They need to keep the course open and then be strict about who is riding when. Easy to say, harder to do, sure, but still.
In the expert class the lines are way shorter, especially if you're there Thursday or Friday. There's a super short line at the top and a long one at the bottom but if you get a shuttle truck you're set. Me and my friends did around 10 runs on Friday with a shuttle driver, it was awesome. Even on the weekend the lines aren't so bad during expert practice.OGRipper said:For real. Took forever to get a run last year. Nobody checks to make sure people are in the class scheduled to practice, took forever to get medical staff to clear the track, all kinds of asshats cutting the line, practice was shut down for huge periods of time, etc. Difficulty getting a practice run is pretty much the reason I'm not racing this year. I wasted most of a whole day for two runs on a really short course, and felt stupid to have paid for the privilege.
Maybe it comes down to bang for your buck per run? It is kinda sucks if you can only get 2 practice runs on a short/tame course and 1 race run. $50 for 3 runs is not exactly a good deal.bikenweed said:Why do you guys want to do a ton of runs?
For sure. I'm paying $50 to race and ride the course a bunch. It's always a plus if you can get a bunch of runs in and race too.PoserNewbie said:Maybe it comes down to bang for your buck per run? It is kinda sucks if you can only get 2 practice runs on a short/tame course and 1 race run. $50 for 3 runs is not exactly a good deal.
black noise said:In the expert class the lines are way shorter, especially if you're there Thursday or Friday. There's a super short line at the top and a long one at the bottom but if you get a shuttle truck you're set. Me and my friends did around 10 runs on Friday with a shuttle driver, it was awesome. Even on the weekend the lines aren't so bad during expert practice.
Why? Because of the 30,000 people that's why! The course will change so much between that first practice run on Thursday and when I get to take my shot at it on Saturday. I want to stay on top of where the best line is. If I can find another second or two, then it may mean the difference between a podium finish or ending up out the back somewhere.bikenweed said:Why do you guys want to do a ton of runs?
The course is pretty tame and easy to memorize. I think I did five, maybe six runs total last year, including the race run. I had every corner and jump memorized, mostly because there are what, ten corners and six jumps? Maybe not even that many.
Yeah, it's Sea Otter. What do you expect with 30,000 people riding in the sand?
Have fun and good luck!!Total Heckler said:I am stoked to race it for the first time this year. Racing Sport.
It's been pretty much in the same place for the last few years but the course changes from year to year. There are not many natural features, not a lot of elevation, and the dirt is really sandy and loose. Last year they got creative and added some ladder-type features that were fun but some people thought they didn't belong on a DH course. I haven't heard much about what's happening this year.jus said:This will be first time making the long haul down/over to Sea Otter.... not sure what to expect with all this talk of huge line ups and a peadly coarse.... but should be good fun none the less! Do they use the same coarse every year? And if not, does anyone have any pic's of the new coarse?
I think that's largely because no one can get into see the course yet. When I was there two years back they were still building it when I got there Wednesday morning.merrrrjig said:Last year around this time, I remember people talking about all the new features on the course and stuff, Nothing this year though.