MTB-O

[mharky]

Why does this fall under the Trail Cyclists Association???

It comes under the IOF, not whatever the global cycling body is, so why not BOF?

[CHS]

It is affiliated to BOF and states this on its website. I guess its probably because it was not set up in the UK by people who were not primarily orienteers so they set up their own governing body.

You can see the website here

[Rookie]

The British Orienteering Federation is the national governing body for all four disciplines in the UK ...
... Mountain bike events are offered by some BOF clubs and by the Trail Cyclists Association, which is affiliated to BOF and has responsibility for the development of this aspect of the sport

The TCA are doing a decent job so BOF might as well leave them to it. However, I do think that full BOF members shouldn't have to join the TCA as asscociates to compete on a bike. The TCA seem to consider Juniors as under 16 - a big gap to our under 20

[Jon Brooke]

A guy called Colin Palmer started running Trailquest mountain biking events in the UK years and years ago. These were based on OS maps and came long before there was ever any MTB-O in the UK. At the time BOF had no interest whatsoever in people doing nav events on bikes (this probably had to do with boring old buffers not being able to see the wood for the trees and wanting to keep their running/navigation/racing sport pure and not letting anyone else into their club - see trail-O thread).

In the meantime Colin got together with a bunch of other people who were running similar events and formed the TCA. Until very recently BOF still had no interest in supporting MTB-O, but now that someone who works at BOF has taken part in the world champs and done OK they seem to be taking a bit more interest (which can only be a good thing).

Anyway, given that the TCA is almost entirely responsible for the development of MTB-O in the UK, maybe they deserve a bit of respect for what they have done so far, and maybe, at the moment, they know best when it comes to regulating MTB-O in the UK

[awk]

Until very recently BOF still had no interest in supporting MTB-O, but now that someone who works at BOF has taken part in the world champs and done OK they seem to be taking a bit more interest (which can only be a good thing).

Not quite "very recently". BOF has had an interest in supporting MTB-O for some time - certainly since well before Helen joined BOF. I was sat in meetings with John Houlihan et al 3-4 years ago where best ways of supporting MTB-O were discussed (and these were not the first), and where it was agreed that the TCA and fellow bikers were largely the best people to drive development forward, although BOF could help on technical issues, access to world champs, funding etc. I would like to have done more - but was already on the move careerwise. It was around then that the TCA affiliation to BOF came about.

Like much development work though, it really comes down to individuals on the ground, like Colin, or Steve Willis in North Yorkshire, who has helped make that part of the world a real centre of activity.

[FatBoy]

There's history that means the organisations are seperate, but I suspect if you dig a bit further it's the different insurance required that means the separation is still there.

[Adventure Racer]

At one point I could do trailquests without having to pay an associate TCA membership fee by showing my BOF card. This is no longer the case. What has changed, and why? Or is this the wrong forum to be asking questions like that?

[Liam]

If memory serves, the associate member thing is all down to the insurers I'm afraid

[Rookie]

I expect it is insurance but why doesn't BOF membership make you an automatic associate/affiliate of the TCA - it is still orienteering.

The TCA could use it's own membership system for the cheaper fees but the £1 a year associate membership shouldnt be neccessary for bof members