2008 Series Prizes

What would you rather win in a State series Race

  • Trophy or Medal

    Votes: 44 38.9%
  • MTB related Product

    Votes: 41 36.3%
  • I don't care. All I want is a good event, if I get anything else it's a bonus

    Votes: 28 24.8%

  • Total voters
    113

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Hey all.

The 2008 serieseses are in the final stages of being nutted out.

We have a few question for the riders to gauge on how to build and grow the disciplines, especially DH and XC.

1: Prizes or trophies?
Given that budgets are tight and sponsorship hard to come by would riders like to continue with the standard random product prizes or would they prefer a trophy or medal as a memento to keep.
I know there was a lot of discussion awhile ago about the Qld series and I think they decided on trophies as their preferred option but what about you lot?


2: DH Transport
This one is a bit too wide sweeping for a poll but with the wide range of Venues and transport issues what are riders thoughts on minimum standards for transport?

Obviously we all want to do as many runs as possible. Steve Humpheries has always had the goal of 1 transport seat per rider per hour.

Obviously with the numbers our state round are attracting this isn't always possible.

What do riders expect
MTBA standards for National rounds is 100 riders/hr minimum. Most of our rounds exceed that. Is that OK?

is 200 riders/hr needed?
Would people be happy paying higher fees to get extra buses?
Is split practice welcome if it means you have little to no transport lines in your allotted times?

All feed back will be taken on board and considered. NSWMTB is committed to
continued improvements and we want rider input.
 
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W.bat

Likes Dirt
Trophies. Prizes can be to erratic from event to event and division to division. I once got a bunch of good stuff for 2nd in Master and watched under 19 winner get a tube!
 

VTSS350

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Split practise sucks balls big time. Please dont go there.

I would be happy to pay a higher entry fee so that extra shuttles could be put on.

The shuttles lines at the canberra state round this year were far to long.

Coffs Harbour was awesome this year. The wait was acceptable.

Awaba was a bit slow. More buses were needed.

I think this sort of discussion is needed because we are going to start to loose people at races because of the long shuttle waiting times. Numbers at most state races this year were fantastic. We need to insure that people keep coming back.
 

|Matt|

Banned
I think prizes should be scrapped all together if it means more buses/vans meaning more runs for the riders. Perhaps a trophy of some flavour for the podium elites?

Prizes sort of make it seem better to win than to have a good time. Not really what we want portrayed for our growing sport.

Just my 2 cents.
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
I think prizes should be scrapped all together if it means more buses/vans meaning more runs for the riders.
It's not really related. There isn't much cash sponsorship given so extra buses will need to be priced into the entry fee.
 

dirtdemon

Likes Dirt
We have never used any of the MTB related products that were won including the hat at Thredbo, but also have never won at Lithgow who I believe always gives the most appropriate and useful prizes.

The problem with trophies is that they are great on the day but eventually become dust catchers that find their way to the back of the cupboard.

So if we could get appropriate MTB related products I think it is the way to go. Not clothes that always seem to be either small or big, or xc tubes for at a downhill race. I also realise this is harder than to achieve then it seems.
 

Ozza

Eats Squid
Trophy/Medal is no doubt the way to go. It gives you something to remember the time and be proud about! DH is an expensive sport, a tube or similair isnt really going to be a prize.
 
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October26

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Medals instead of trophies. They take up a lot less room and don't collect as much dust.

Prizes are a good idea at higher level but in some classes it can promote poor sportsmanship i.e. Pinners in sport class that always cop a bagging.

Entry to the races must be in a week in advance to give the organizers enough time to sort out exactly how many buses etc will make the day go smoothly.

Is there any way to suggest categories for peoples racing based on past results similar to what the roadies do?
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Is there any way to suggest categories for peoples racing based on past results similar to what the roadies do?
It has been discussed.

There are a couple of issues at admin level

1. It's a lot of extra work for the volunteers to sort out and police

2. MTB tracks vary a lot. Some people do a shit hot time on their home track but don't match the pace elsewhere.

One suggestion that has been tossed around is using regional, inter club races as qualifiers for the state series and grade people from them. Again that's a lot of work to police.

Personally I think there should be no prize at all and no series points offered for Sport, but that's just me.

Anyway something for us to think about.
 

sammydog

NSWMTB, Hunter MTB Association
Well, I never win anything, so the lot of you should just harden up and/or send your unwanted prizes my way.

Seriously though, keep the comments coming so we can make next year the race season (XC and DH) that everyone wants.
 

Maximus182

Likes Dirt
Mckinney may pull through for a podium...

not wierd trophies.. some type of survivor like emunity idol! haha
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Don't issue material prizes at all. Issue a form of voucher or something similar for a free entry to the next race or a discount on your race entry, something like that.
Arrange a specific photographer to catch everyone on their race run and issue the winners with a photo of them (when it is printed of course) winning or placing in the category.
Trophies are good but an incentive to go to the next race or make an effort to travel around might be a good choice of direction.
 

wsmtbdhvp

NSWMTB, Western Sydney MTB
Another thought, the trophies could be or include ribbons. A NSW or a club one for the club or promoter running the event.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Ribbons are for the under 7's at the school swimming carnival. Make it something relative to the sport and something that will encourage current members to keep coming back and get new people interested.
A magazine subscription offer would be another good prize and the magazine involved could utilise this idea via cheap sponsorship with something to offer to the riders.
 

Incontinent

Crusty Juggler
Ribbons are ok at club level.
I think that state level competition deserves something a little "more gooder"
Then again I haven't seen too many great looking MTB trophies.
The medals seem to be ok, don't s'pose we could get a design of "our own" and have it specially cast, or would that be cost prohibitive?
Nothing over the top elaborate but something the reflects MTB-NSW.
Of course product sponsorship is also more than welcome where it can be sourced. Don't see a problem with podiums getting a medal and a bit of product.

The new MTBA medals for Nationals seem to go over ok with the riders.
Even had them engraved this year - things are looking up.

I still like the idea of custom made trophies from old bike bits a overall series or champs trophies. Think it's a bit too much work to have them for each series race though.

Magazine subscriptions as prizes aren't too bad an idea as well.
We actually won a subscription as a prize at an XC race and have since renewed it. Even manage to read the mag and not just look at all the pretty pictures.

Not fussed on the store voucher idea, ok if you win a voucher from a near by shop but makes it a bit difficult when a Coffs kid wins a voucher from an ACT shop don't you think.

Like the idea of race pics for the winners but what if his/her pic is a dud?
 

drewandmel

Bling Industries
custom built trophy's out of bike parts are a good idea for the winner of the series.
The main thing we need to try and contain is the cost for the clubs and the riders, attracting new riders to our sport is getting harder as the prices of races rise (like everything in life) I think the pricing last season was fair for what was offered at the rounds i entered.( I only did Coff's, Awaba and pacific park so can't comment on the others)
I 've just looked at the national's site.....to my Horror they have nearly doubled the entry fee from last year!!! and the schedule is not looking good!! I'm sure they have some good things planned but I would imagine i'm not the only one shaking my head.
Pre entry is a very good idea and trying to get everyone on a full licence would be helpful too( maybe this needs to be pushed at the start of the season or before)
May be capping the numbers is needed at particular rounds where the organiser's know they can only provide respectable turn around times for set numbers.
 

bitterbro

Likes Dirt
MTB related stuff in my opinion is much better if you win a lesser event, such as interschools, or a series of araces such as (for example) the KHS working week series. I belive a medal is a more formal thing to win, and at a high level such as state, a medal is appropriate because it comes with some sort of prestige. If you win MTB goods after state, you don't really have something to show the kids or freinds that you won state.
 

daanhilla

Likes Dirt
Split practise should depend on the venue. Split practise at Thredbo, where riders can do 6-7 runs in 3hrs, is acceptable. Split practise at Illinbah, where you were lucky to get 3 runs in, is not. I realise not having split practise means more riders in line for shuttles and slower turnaround times aswell. This is where shuttle organisation could make a big difference. There were a number of times where shuttle buses had to pull over and wait for other buses to pass, wasting valuable practise time. If the shuttles were set to leave at specific intervals, where stop time was minimised, shuttle time could be improved. If bus drivers communicated with each other as to when they were leaving and where they could pass it might make that difference needed.

But, when an A group rider constantly gets held up on the track by a slower rider/s, it also reduces the quality of runs. So which is better, Quality or Quantity? More runs, or cleaner runs?

I'd be prepared to pay a little extra for more transport, although I think it's the organisation of the shuttles that will make the difference.
 
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