Archive for December 8th, 2006
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Steven Gray, regarding my comment about the MCF’s efforts at attracting new bike racers:
If it shouldn’t be the MCF’s job, and promoters don’t want to bother, then who’s going to do it and what’s going to prevent the sport from dying?
Skibby points out that a local club can not only bother with it, but be profitable in doing so. I really think this kind of thing should by done by clubs rather than the MCF. But, since it is in the MCF mission I guess it’s going to continue regardless of what I think.
While encouraging novice riders to take up racing is a noble task, this is not going to be what prevents the sport from dying. More and better bike races is what is going to keep the sport alive. You could have thousands of people ready and willing to start racing but if there is an insufficient amount of races, and poor quality races at that, those people will soon look for something else to do with their time.
This is not to say that we have poor quality races here in Minnesota, far from it. I think we have one of the best racing calendars in the country. But, if the focus of the MCF continues to further support racers at the cost of supporting races, I think our high quality racing calendar could indeed be put in jeopardy.
Posted by Smithers at 5:43 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 66 Comments »
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Blogger problems today…sometimes life just sucks ass.
Posted by Smithers at 5:30 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Steven Gray, regarding my comment about the MCF’s efforts at attracting new bike racers:
If it shouldn’t be the MCF’s job, and promoters don’t want to bother, then who’s going to do it and what’s going to prevent the sport from dying?
Skibby points out that a local club can not only bother with it, but be profitable in doing so. I really think this kind of thing should by done by clubs rather than the MCF. But, since it is in the MCF mission I guess it’s going to continue regardless of what I think.
While encouraging novice riders to take up racing is a noble task, this is not going to be what prevents the sport from dying. More and better bike races is what is going to keep the sport alive. You could have thousands of people ready and willing to start racing but if there is an insufficient amount of races, and poor quality races at that, those people will soon look for something else to do with their time.
This is not to say that we have poor quality races here in Minnesota, far from it. I think we have one of the best racing calendars in the country. But, if the focus of the MCF continues to further support racers at the cost of supporting races, I think our high quality racing calendar could indeed be put in jeopardy.
Posted by Smithers at 11:43 am in Local Cycling | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Blogger problems today…sometimes life just sucks ass.
Posted by Smithers at 11:30 am in Miscellaneous | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, December 8th, 2006
Sheesh, I almost let this day go by without comment on the importance of this date.
For someone who really prides himself on his extensive study and knowledge of history I would have really been remiss if I let this day slip by without acknowledging it somehow.
Let us not forget the significance of this day.
Most of you need no reminder. But for the rest, on this day, 100 years ago, the Germans invaded Pearl Harbor.
Posted by Smithers at 3:15 am in Uncategorized | Permalink | 15 Comments »
Friday, December 8th, 2006
December MCF meeting minutes have been published by Skibby. My comments:
• MCF banquet will be held at QBP on 1/27/07. No guest speaker has been found yet. I nominate Hollywood Henderson.
• Tour of 10K Lakes looks to be back on the schedule for 2007. That’s awesome news. Same format as 2005, criterium, 2 road races and a final TT.
• Super Rookie proposed a grant/loan program to help with the promotion of races. $500–1000 will be available to clubs in 2007 as a loan for race promotion. This loan has to be paid back to the MCF within 10 following the event. I would like to see this loan turn into a grant someday but it is a great idea and is exactly the kind of thing the MCF should be doing.
• An USA Cycling official is coming to conduct a moto-ref clinic. So now we will have a bunch of moto-refs, which is fine. So long as these refs do not become an added expense for amateur race promoters I see no problem. I just hope that because a resource will now be available it will not become an additional critical requirement for road race promotion.
• The State Crit will be at the Capitol instead of Northfield for 2007.
• Kenwood’s bid to host the official USA Cycling Minnesota State Cyclocross Championships was spiked because Kenwood is not an MCF club. I don’t have a problem with that. The rules are now set and everyone knows them. Kenwood can still host their race at Bassett Creek, it just won’t be the state champs unless they play by MCF rules.
• The MCF is going to loan the velodrome money to buy another storage container for racers to store they bikes in. This loan will be paid back within two years by income raised in renting out storage spots. After that the income is all surplus for the track. This is another great idea.
• StartBikeRacing.com/Beginners Racing Clinics/Youth Recruitment – I still debate whether this should be an objective of the MCF but I have covered that in previous posts.
• It’s not on the minutes but the Excelsior Crit is coming back for 2007. You can thank Excel Cycle for that one! 5/13/07
• The Birchwoods are promoting a new road race on 8/11/07. No word if this is on the old State Championship road course or a new course.
• State Road race is on 8/25/07 on the Avon MN course.
• LGR is promoting a cross race in Blaine on 11/4/07
I am going to wait and see how the rest of the racing calendar fills out before I announce the 2007 RADIUS track racing series.
Posted by Smithers at 12:01 am in Uncategorized | Permalink | 54 Comments »
