Posts Tagged ‘mountain bikers’

Southern Traverse is organising another extreme event in New Zealand – this one a mountain bike race which is set in the Wakatipu Basin that links the two rivers and two lakes using some of the new tracks developed by the Wakatipu Trails Trust.

The race will be 45kms long and has been organised in response to the ever increasing demand for biking events, both serious and recreational, in the region.

It is expected that there will be intense competition at the front of the field as athletes race to finish the event in a time of around 2.5 – 3hrs, while the recreational athletes will finish in about 5hrs.

Competitors will Start in the Millbrook area and will finish at Chard farm winery with barbeque and band. Please click on this map to see the full route.

There will be several divisions to choose from:

• Recreational: for racers who wish to have a good fun ride. 36kms total
• Sport: For racers who wish a longer challenge, and a decent ride. 45kms
• Elite & Pro Teams : for the fast and furious, 45kms total. For the Pro teams, 3 riders per team, all riders must enter and complete the individual section. All 3 riders times will be added to determine the winners of this category. Pro teams must ride the same colours

Age groups will be split up as follows:

• Junior 15 – 19yrs …………
• Open 20 – 39yrs …………
• Veteran 40 – 49yrs ……….
• Master 50 – 59yrs ………..
• Master + 60+yrs…………

And age refers to AGE ON RACE DAY !

ENTRY FEE:
$65 per person
$45 Junior (19 years and under)

For all entries $5 go to Cure Kids.

ENTRIES CLOSE
27th March 2009 or when full … SO HURRY.

For further information please Email: traverse@queenstown.co.nz

Yesterday we were talking about a downhill ski race scheduled for January 25th, 2010 at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia, but whilst investigating the area we came across all this great information on the mountain biking trails there and thought we should pass some of it on to you as, as you probably know, mountain biking fits happily into our catagory of ‘extreme sport’.

Kranjska Gora – scenic isn’t it…

We bring you a video from nosymetry which gives an idea of the superb site and scenery that can also be enjoyed, if you have time, whilst descending the hill at extreme speed…

There is a fun bike park at Kranjska Gora and the tracks will suit all kinds of bikers from experts, who are looking for the challenge of big height differences and difficult ascents and descents, to the bike lovers who want an enjoyable day out with time enough to drink in the stunning surroundings.

This year the existing track has been modified and updated and more than 40 artificially made obstacles have been added. Some of the old obstacles have been changed in order to ensure both a safer ride and a safer landing. Facilities have been put in place to allow the less experienced riders to learn the basic skills they will need to fully enjoy the freeride trails.

All obstacles have been made with different levels of difficulty, so that every biker has a choice. A new track will run through the woods on the “north shore” while the old track has been completed with some new elements. The freeride track should be enormously popular with all MTB riders.

The trails around the alpine village will also host the 2009 DH European Championships. The race will take place from the 12th – 14th June, 2009. Both the European Mountain Bike Downhill Championships for Junior and Expert catagories and the Masters Catagory Championships will be held.

The “Downhill Vitranc”, a title given to the men’s Alpine Ski World Cup race, is shared with the mountain bike downhill race. There will be two main catagories to the mountain bike race.

• The ‘Masters’ riders will race the bottom two thirds of the course which is about 2km with a 300m vertical drop. The racing time will take between 2.5 and 3 minutes.

• The Junior and Experts, on the other hand, will start at the new top part of the course which is steep and technical. It will be mostly in the woods which will offer many challenges – roots and rocks being just a few of them! The lower part, which is frequently used in national races, will be slightly changed for the Championships but will remain fast and flowing. Long stretches are on open ski slopes, shorter sections in the woods and a some of it on gravel jeep trails.

So, if you’re wondering where to go, perhaps somewhere a little unusual, this year for a wild and wonderful mountain biking experience, why don’t you think…. Slovenia? Maybe Hayes1955 can help you make up your mind:

Guys, take note, this is seriously NOT cool……

!!!!

Breaking news today on TheAge.com.au spells bad news for all audacious mountain bikers out there. As they see it “mountain biking could lose its reputation as an extreme sport on the back of new Australian statistics showing it is better described as extremely safe!

They continue, and I quote their entire article as follows:

A major analysis of injury rates in cross country endurance mountain biking has concluded that just a quarter of a per cent of those who do it are seriously hurt.

“It has a reputation as an extreme sport that is quite dangerous but we have shown that that’s really not the case,” said lead researcher Dr Nick Taylor, from the emergency department at Canberra Hospital.

“In fact, it’s much safer than it’s given credit for.”

The researchers analysed demographic and illness data recorded by paramedics attending the annual biking championships over the past eight years.

Of the 14,777 riders who took part over the years, just 673, or 4.5 per cent, required first aid treatment and just 37, or 0.25 per cent, were taken to hospital.

Female riders were more likely to be seriously injured than males, and a comparison with weather data showed accidents were more likely to happen in a hotter, drier climate.

“We are not sure exactly why this is but we believe that the dry heat dries out the tracks a lot, making it loose and sandy and harder for the tyres to grip,” Dr Taylor said.

“It is also likely that in endurance races like this the riders get sweaty, tired, fatigued and more accident-prone in the hotter weather.”

Accidents were also more likely on busier tracks for obvious reasons.

The study, to be presented at an emergency medicine conference in Newcastle on Thursday, is the largest to give a safety profile for the sport.

“Mountain biking is an increasingly popular sport in Australia,” Dr Taylor said.

“Yet there is a paucity of Australian information on injuries in this sport, and limited overseas literature.”

Well there you have it. What do you think? any mountain bikers out there just a little peeed-off about being demoted? or an attempted demotion anyway. What think you….?