Monday, January 25, 2010

Thinking out loud; Outlaw Bike race?

I was thinking...what if we had an unsanctioned, unlicensed, unmarked, unsupported, underground bike race?
It would be a very limited entry; let's say 20-25 people max. Everyone would put in $20 or $25. A portion of that could go to food and drink, and the rest would go as price money. If it was totally byo food and drink there would be more cash for the winner / top finishers. Money for the top 5; let's say 40% for the winner, 25% for 2nd, 15% for 3rd, 10% for 4th, and 5% for 5th? Or just top 3 splitting it 50/30/20?
I was thinking it could start and end at Pennwood. There are restrooms there, running water, and a covered pavilion (I guess being a pavilion it wold have to be covered). Head North to Tariffville, then South to the W. Htfd Res.
Being an unmarked course here's how to keep people honest. I'll pre-ride it and create a GPS map. Along the course I'll place different colored tokens of some sort at marked spots along the map that you need to bring back to the finish. You can head in any direction you want. First one back to Pennwood with all their tokens wins.
Everyone is responsible for themselves.
There would be a time limit too; say the race if from 8:00 or 9:00 AM to 12:00 or 1:00 PM. That way everyone is back and enjoying cookout at about the same time.
Thoughts?

8 comments:

Hill Junkie said...

Do it yourself endurance racing in the southwest is really catching on. There usually is no prize money, and sometimes cost of entry is a donation to local trails organization. Timing is honor system, sometimes a GPS track file is required for validation of completing whole route. Some links are NMES, AZT300 and AES. I'd be interested in a local "grassroots" race, although not a 300 or 750 miler.

TJ said...

Count me in. Sort of like an adventure race minus the running, kayak, etc. Cool idea.

Black Night MTB said...

THE BLACKNIGHT IS IN.

Fort James said...

I think the biggest problem is liability here. When people get hurt, really hurt or worse, dead, families scramble for money for medical bills and lost wages. I suspect a waiver is a requirement and insurance of some sort is a good idea, which takes a large part of the race entries.

I think it is a good idea. I would love to have a small track race series here based on the same concept, but afraid of getting sued.

sbc said...

I would leave the money out, I think it could make things a little weird. I am in, and I am sure I could get a bunch of guys to join in.
Single Speed only?
Out and Back?
Long or Short?
Winner buys the beers for the post "race" party!!

Brendan said...

I put one together along the CT River. It worked out pretty well. Although, we only went about 20 miles. I assume extending the distance is tough unless you have an obvious way to show the route. Although, WH res North & South and Penwood create a pretty obvious closed loop.

Georges Rouan said...

I am going to do an underground race this Spring/early summer- No money, homemade hand painted number plates, 30 people (tough to paint the number plates so that keeps the numbers low), bottle of wine for the winner, fastest person down the mountain and then back up enduro style going at 1 minute intervals....
It is a timed gentlemans race that I hope to replicate again (number plates are laminated) in the late summer then the fall.
Look for a post on my blog at the end of the month March as I should have a handle on the logistics...

when is it going to stop snowing?

CB2 said...

Fat Chance,
I just got back from upstate NY (Fishkill, Wappinger's Falls), and was amazed at how much more snow they got then we have in CT. It's almost uncanny; even in Danbury there is hardly any snow, but as soon as you cross the border, sham-wow!