Free Entry for MTBO

[stodge]

Some of you may have seen the BOF news page
http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/news/view_news.php?id=MTM1OA==&rtn=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5icml0aXNob3JpZW50ZWVyaW5nLm9yZy51ay8=

The TCA (Trail Cyclists Assoc) are offering free entries to orienteering club reps at several MTBOs this year

SPOOK have already signed up for a go this weekend, what about your club.
There is a sprint foot O in Lichfield in the evening so make a day of it.

To take advantage please email or phone 01943 876393 John Houlihan - TCA Chair or myself mark@stodgell.co.uk

For event details see the chasers site - http://www.walton-chasers.co.uk

For other bike events go to the Trailquest website http://www.trailquest.co.uk

[Spookster]

"SPOOK" now just needs to find a working mountain bike...

[Barny of Blandford]

WIM have a mountain bike orienteering event using Moors Valley and Ringwood Forest on Saturday 21st June. Not free I am afraid but all are more than welcome.
Visit WIM website for details
http://www.wimborne-orienteers.org.uk/wim/index.htm

Also next day there is a sprint orienteering event at Exeter University
http://www.devonorienteering.co.uk/

So plenty on in Dorset and area that weekend

Also plenty of relay events on-going each weekend as a league is run in this area at this time of the year.

[DJM]

Yes - I too read this, and with much enthusiasm too for one whose dodgy knee means that running's out for quite a while!

But then my heart sank when I looked at the TCA site to see that 95% of the events staged so far have been held in the North Midlands/North of England ... great for those who live in and around Yorkshire, but impractical for those of us who live further south!

Can anyone explain (to this potential MTBO-beginner) why the distribution of events across the UK is so uneven?

[Lard]

Yes, directly in reversal of foot orienteering.
All the major MTBO races up north.

including the British Champs weekend - 28 & 29 june which will be held in Dalbeattie and Mabie forests - Dumfrieshire.

You can only ride where there are volunteers to hold the events unfortunately.

[Stodgetta]

You'll find that Midlands Trailquests http://www.midlandtrailquests.co.uk put on trailquests in the southern part of England. They are a break-away group from the TCA with lots of politics involved, but if you're looking for activity closer to home, these are your guys.

[Adventure Racer]

If you're talking about trailquests rather than MTBO, there is also http://www.trailbreak.co.uk who hold events even further south than Midlands Trailquests. Certainly more MTBO down southish than there used to be with Stodge's events on the Chase and the around Aldershot annual event.