If you want to do it next year, add a reminder to your calendar. You’ll be smart to be online waiting to register at the very moment registration opens. It fills up really quickly.
The organizer announced that next year’s entrance fee will go up yet again… basic economics.
I hate to be party pooper, and although I enjoyed most of the 16+ miles that I rode, I’m 90% sure I won’t be doing it next year. Here’s why…
It’s early in the season, and I’m generally not in shape enough to muni the 25 miles. Maybe next year will be different?
It’s a single loop, and I ended up being the guy furthest back. The sweeper guy rode a lot of it with me. Knowing this guy was in agony riding slowly and waiting for me was not fun. Hearing his comments along the way to me and others about how easy the trails were was irritating.
I DNF’ed and was hanging out at the finish line for Claude, I could see the timing crew getting impatient that there were a few people out (a few mtbers and Claude). Had I been capable of finishing, at the speed I was moving it would have been significantly later than Claude and the timers would have wanted to kill me. Maybe that’s their problem, but as a sort of guest to a mtb race, I wouldn’t want a muni rider to be that guy. I prefer courses with different lengths for different skill levels. Then I can choose beginner or sport and hopefully finish before a good chunk of experts.
It’s great to meet up with fellow muni riders, but in a race you don’t tend to ride together. You just see each other at the start and finish. It ends up feeling like I’m just on some new trail riding by myself, and that’s pretty much true.
Significant traveling for races is not appealing. It’s not worth the cost (event fee, possible hotel, gas) or drive time for me. I’d rather travel for something like a munifest.
Am I a party pooper? :o 