SoCalCycling.com

[wongwongway]

After an almost full season of cross in So Cal, please help us with your opinion:

What are your feelings about the present categories... what can we change in 2007?

[mfluss]

I thought the cats were pretty good. The only things I might change would be the addition of a Master's 3/4 race and doing something to include the 30+ riders within Masters.
M

[deeporbit]

I agree with mfluss - a cat for 35+ 3/4 would be great. There was a discussion earlier in Dec on another subjcet that touched on this. Mention was made that another class, m35+ 3/4, would increase costs to the promoters. There may not be enough racers to support a seperate race. I am no promoter and I surely have no idea about costs so I am going to take a stab here and say run the m35+ 3/4 with the m4 race and score them seperately. Perhaps turnout would be higher if racers knew they could battle it out with racers their own age.

On a side note. I challenge everyone to get someone new to the races. Even if they just spectate the first time you never know, they might want to join in. I managed to get a tri-guy into a race and he loved it. He said he would definitely come back for more next year.

[crosswired]

I think there should be a 40+ division

if you have 30 + 4/5

then have 40+ 1/2/3

and dont do a 35+ at all

please have a 40+ 1/2/3 division

and the races were all really good this year

[wongwongway]

Masters race categories are arguably the most debatable topic in cycling. Being the largest segment of competitors... and cyclocross still shaping categories based on the 2006 USA Cycling CX Category system... what masters and other cyclocross categories would make you and most of your masters friends happy here in So Cal? We want you to be heard. Now is your chance!

Give us your opinion what would you like to see in So Cal cyclocross racing scene based on the article below from cyclocrossworld.com:

BIG CHANGES FOR 2007 BikeReg.com MABRAcross SERIES New Elite and Master Class Structure
August 20, 2007

On the men's side, the competition for that prize money will be tougher than ever, thanks to the new "Double M" format. At the MABRA promoter's meeting in February, it was agreed to split the Masters class in two based on the new USAC license categories, with the elite-level 35+ racers competing head-to-head with the open-class elites in the Men's Feature race. "This change means that the Men's Feature race at every BikeReg.com MABRAcross event will be more competitive and deeper in talent than ever before," says series Media Director Ken Getchell. "Finally, all of the fastest racers will be on the track at the same time." Like the Under 23 Espoir riders in many UCI races, the Elite Masters will be racing as a subset of the Open Elite Feature race, not as a separate class, and will be competing against the Open Elite "young guns" for the same purse at every race -- as well as for special "preme" prizes offered just to the "old" guys. The top Elite 35+Masters, like "nearly undefeated" Richard Mihills and Kris Auer will also be trying to dethrone Sean Galegher as the overall Elite season points champion, as well as competing for their own age-graded season points championship.

Conversely, now that the elite racers (who often entered the Pro/1/2 race anyway) are racing in the Feature, the ordinary "working class Joe's" who make up the bulk of the Master's division (and for whom the division was originally created) will now have the class to themselves. Under the old system, a recently-retired World Champion, like Lance Armstrong or Marty Nothstein, could have come out of retirement and beat up on the weekend warriors in the Masters class instead of racing with other elite-level competition. "We've closed that loophole," says BikeReg.com MABRAcross Coordinator Chip Sovek. "Yes, the Cat 1,2,3 masters will have to race one or two additional laps, but for the Cat 3,4 masters this will open the competition up for them!"

[deeporbit]

That is GREAT news!!!
I 100% agree with the breaking up of the elite masters from the regular joes that get smoked in the masters category. Looking at the top masters riders in SoCal I don't think they'll have any problems competing with the elite level racers.

[off_the_back]

It would be good for development if there are mixed categories and they run at at different times, such as 5/4(C), 4/3(B), 3/2/1 (A) That way developing riders who are cat 4 and cat 3 can get two separate races in at any given venue.

[mfluss]

I don't think splitting off the "Elite Masters" from the rest of the 35+ filed is a good idea for a couple of reasons.

First, I would only consider 2 of the guys over 35+ crowd to be in the elite level (Prenzlow and Noble), and they already race 1-2-3 when they are local. I work full time, have a family so I thinks masters racing is for me.

Second, the 35+ field is not really that large to begin with. Most races last year had under 20 people. Will knocking off the top 5 or so racers who have a Cat. 3 or above license in cross encourage a larger field? I would think splitting the existing 3/4 field at 35 or 40 would be a better idea. It was usually the largest race of the day, and there were probably many 35+ guys in it avoiding the 35+ race. Hmm, now I'm begining to see the point of booting myself into the elite race.

Well, whatever happens, I'll be out racing whatever category I get put in. (40+?)
See you in 5 weeks and 1 day!
MF

[mike mcmahon]

I agree with Fluss.
I don't think any of us in the 35+ field don't work full time jobs and have family responsibilities. Except maybe that good looking model guy.
The Elite guys may work full-time as well but their level of commitment and training time difinately exceeds us 'old guys'.
Not that I need to win races to be happy and have a good time but the Elite guys were/are definately a step and a half ahead of us.

We had a very competitive 35+ field last season...amongst the top 5-6 guys...we traded placings every race. Behind our group however it was thin and very spread out. I believe removing us from the group is going to do nothing more than weaken that category.

As with Fluss, regardless of the category, I'll be there.
At this point, in a lot worse condition than last year.

[mike]

Just a few thoughts:

The bigger the fields the better the racing. Adding another category will only diminish the already small fields. If you want to get the top 35+ guys or the fastest guys in every age group for that mater, to move to the elite field make the prize money pay out 8 to 10 places or more. Not that we race for the money but that would motivate faster guys to move up.

I'm not sure what the draw is to race people your own age, I'd rather race people my own ability. If that means I'm racing 12 year old girls and 60 year old dudes and we're battling till the end, then it's a good race....although explaining to my buddies I got beat I a 12 year old girl may be a little tough to swallow.

Cross is growing but in my opinion it's not yet big enough in Socal to add another age category.

People need to find the category that gives them the best racing experience. I bounce between the elite, 35+ and cat 3's depending on my fitness and who shows up the race. I don't pick a category I think I can win I pick a category I think I can have a good competitive race. If your skill level is cat 4 but you're 45, race the 4's. If you're 35 and you're winning every race, move to the elite category. If you're a 12 year old girl and you kick my a** I may yell at you to "go home and play with your Easy Bake Oven!" but I don't really mean it.

[mavic]

There has been an offline debate for almost six weeks about how to split up the categories. The Masters (those 30+) are the largest single group of racers by far in SoCal and thus have a lot of opinions on where they should race.
In my opinion if we combine the Elite 1,2,3 and Master 35+ 1,2,3 fields into one category it will can only guarantee bigger fields and more competitive fields. As Mike M stated 35+ category last year was the most competitive and exciting with the championship not being decided until the last race of the year and one could not predict who would win at a race.

Myself and Bruce (pretty boy model) are going to do the elite races this year. I encourage the rest of the 35+ category to join us and try to increase the field sizes. If we are able to increase the prize list to go 10 deep it hopefully will encourage more participants.

Addressing the 'begineer' Masters make it either a 30+3,4 (including 40+) or just run them together and score seperate with 40+.

My two cents...

matias

[deeporbit]

I agree with Mavic on the splitting of the Masters beginners (30+ 3 and 4) from the M35-123 field. Even combiming the 30+ and 40+ 3 and 4 would be better than the current set up.

[mike]

Maybe I'm missing something. Doesn't everybody have at least 3 choices of categories to race in as it is? I can race my age group, my category or the elite field. there's also single speed.

How many more choices do we need?

Is it still called racing if you're riding around in circles by yourself in the 30+ Libra 5' 8" tall 159 pound blond hair category?

[mavic]

To clarify my earlier point.
We need to simplify things.
Less categories= bigger fields=more fun.

As Mike pointed out there is a category for everyone right now.
You can 'double' up on racing if you wish and this certainly helps the promoters. But if you still have enough energy to enter a 'second' race then maybe you should be competing in a different category.

Regardless of how the categories are decided we need to stop what might 'suit' us personally and look at the big picture, which is growing the sport.
Cyclocross is supposed to be fun and challenging. Focus your energy on getting better and having a blast and spend less time worrying about which category gives you the best chance of winning that socalcross magnet!!

[mfluss]

So I'm bored at work and I followed a link to the Prestige Series online registration. You can't sign up yet, but race #1 has the times and categories listed. Not much has changed, but it looks like the 35+ men have been split into a 1-2-3 and a 3-4 race. I know it is not official until the flyer is printed, but at least I know what I will most likely be racing in a few weeks.
On a field size note, I hope the 35+ 1-2-3 race does not shrink too much. I assume people will not be doubling up with the elite race. Maybe some of the 45+ and older 3's will stick around from the morning session.

Mark