MTBO - Fitting in to a very full Calendar

[stodge]

Walton Chasers are about to hopefuly launch an MTBO series this year (probably 4 -5 events between now and Mayish + a 2007 Chase Challenge).

Fixtures conjestion is a problem - particularly if you take into account :

Adventure Races
Orienteering, local and national
Trailquests
Large MTB events
Mountain Marathons
etc etc.....

There will always be some clashing of dates, but a solution seems to be holding some or most events on Saturdays. Can we have peoples thoughts on this please, and if Saturdays are OK do people prefer morning, lunchtime or afternoon (daylight permitting)
edit - and is it a positive or a negative if there is a Trailquest or a Orienteering event in the same region on the Sunday

Stodge

[bendover]

stodge, i am thinking about doing some MTBO in the next 12 months, i'd love to do some on the chase, though it will depend on how i will get my bike up from london! anyway, that problem can be tackled later.

i think holding some of the races on a saturday is a great idea. it would fit into a good training week, doing a decent length MTBO on the saturday followed by long run or foot-O event on the sunday. I think my preference would be for (11-1pm starts?) the day, regardless of whether I was travelling a long way. i like to have breakfast before training. i also like to get up after 7.30 on a weekend!

also in the winter months, this should still allow for 3 hours racing before it gets dark. however, thinking about it, unless you're going to leave the controls out overnight, this wouldn't leave time for collecting them in before it gets dark..

[stodge]

There is a discussion starting on the TCA website about the sports development -

http://www.trailquest.co.uk/plugins/forum/forum.php

[Adventure Racer]

I'd say yes please to Saturday, and lunchtime - though of course you'll then end up clashing with MADO

I like Saturday racing in general, as if I'm not racing on the Sunday it means I can get some solid training in, whereas the other way round I'd feel obliged not to do too much on the Saturday. Of course it does also often mean there's a chance to get more than one race in in a weekend (or the classic round here of a Saturday lunchtime event, a night event followed by a Sunday morning event!)

[stodge]

We have a meeting to decide dates tonight - last chance to comment

[Copepod]

The calendar on http://www.sleepmonsters.co.uk has many AR / MTB dates. The forum is a good way to get opinions of adventure racers and is read by both competitors and race organisers.

[Mrs H.]

being as MADO has been brought into the mix - and as I've just had a very hard time sorting out my own dates - I've actually employed active clashing of some events knowing they won't attract the same people - saturday is good and conjoining with sunday O events is even better as it adds to the EVO and there is that very nice little camp site on the chase which seems to be open all year. (not that I intend to do any MTBO having just cracked a rib falling off my bike in a Swedish car park!)

MADO
Oct 14
NOV 11
Dec 9
Jan 27
March 17
May 12
June 16

[stodge]

shame it doesnt take tents
( if you mean tackeroooo )

[deebee]

Just to add our two penn'orth, at the last minute as usual. We have about a three hour drive to the Chase and I'd prefer arriving home in the dark to leaving in the dark so middle of the day start times would be best for us. Saturdays will obvoiusly clash less with Orienteering races. Are there really people hard enought to camp on the Chase through the winter, or are they not campers but caravanners?

[Adventure Racer]

The Hs have a (infamous) camper van.

Having camped above the snowline in Scotland, I can't believe the Chase is that harsh, though less than an hour to get home makes it less appealing!

[ifititches]

Stodge, the little cafe by the road to the west of Anson's bank is now offering camping for tents; explored it a few weeks ago...Not sure if it's seasonal though

[stodge]

I hope you wernt exploring Ansons Bank, It is the car park made famous by a certain footballer.....

Thanks for the info people, looks like we will plump for some Sats.

[ifititches]

Stodge, thanks for making me laugh ( and exposing my secret motive for going to Anson's Bank?!)

How will I ever explain that to the juniors?

But I was assured that a whole company of guides had camped there uneventfully....

Hope the MTBO plans go well

[stodge]

Got to get permissions and tca stuff sorted so not confirmed but if anybody wants to put in faint pencil Sat 6th Nov and Sat 16th Dec in their diarys there should be MTBO on offer on Cannock Chase.
An easy, medium and long course will be planned with the winning time on the long being approx 60 mins.

We will also have a series on MTBO starting in the spring

[bolder]

I make the Nov 6th a monday stodge.