Too Many Races?

Okay, so this whole Cross thing has gotten outta hand. Really though, why in the hell would anyone want to race cross starting in September? I've yet to come across anyone that truely wants too... In fact most of the racers I come into contact with seem to bitch about it like I do and seem to want to race later, like in winter when the conditions are favorable for what is supposed to be cross racing. Not hot, dry, and boring. Make it wet, make it cold, and make the course real! Not some roadie straight, turn, straight, turn drag race.

Why do I bring up this? Because I just found out Manions cross is the same weekend as RIM. Which is also the same weekend as the Knob Noster MTB race. With cross racing starting in September, there will be even few racers at ALL races due to the fact that you'll have some mountain bikers who want to cross it up, and you'll have cross racers that still want to race mountain bikes. It makes for less attendance in both arenas, and an overall less fun race scene all around.

I want to race cross this year, but I sure as hell won't be racing in September. My mountain bike calendar goes right up to November, and mid to late November is when I'll start racing cross. I was hoping to race Manions as I've heard great things about it, but no way in September. Sorry dudes.

Of course I won't even go into the mountain bike scene. It's so great around here that we now have too many races. You heard that right, too many races, and not enough racers in my opinion. I think it's awesome that we have all of these race promoters who are willing to step up and give us something to do on a weekend, but when you have multiple overlapping weekends, along with races every single weekend, it gets a bit much. Take the Mid West SS Championships, which is the day after Spoke Poney race. And then RIM and Knob Noster on the same weekend. Both Knob and SS champs will suffer greatly due to their day after placement of such largely attended endurance races. Not many people will double up like I will, and most will be too spent from Saturday to even want to race on Sunday.

AND NOW CROSS! Common now, someone tell these diehards like Yielding and such to start racing later in the year. I know that they'll bitch about there being to many weekends taken, and they have to race earlier to get an open weekend, but really though. There are always open weekends January and February. If you start the season later, you'll have racers who race later. Now it seems like everyone is so gun ho at the beginning of season, and by late November everyone is burned out.

Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I just don't know how to build a successful race scene. Maybe you need too many races, overlapping weekends, and a 6 month long cross season.

I'd be interested to hear you all chime in... Public opinion is always welcome at the Riding Dirty household.

Rant over... Sorry.

G