What should I expect?

[ruthlessgirl]

Hey all,

Well come fall er spring for you all, I'm thinking about heading into your fine country early and trying to hit up some of your national races. I live in Canada... The only course I ever rode over there was Thredbo, and I'm kinda just wondering what to expect! I spent last summer in thredbo and had a blast, but didn't get to see many other courses, and I KNOW you have them. So yeah give a girl some help and let me know what to expect at Nats. :D

Thanks, Gillian

[S.]

You can expect some kick arse courses, kick arse people, and insane displays of binge drinking afterwards :)

[CHEWY]

depends where the scar is...

[ruthlessgirl]

hey how cna i get it NOT to say huffy owner... huffy is like crap here, besides I dont' own one...!!!

[S.]

huffy owner just means that you have less than 100 posts, don't worry.

[Ty]

it just means that you new, it changes the more you post, but don't try posting just to get your count up.

back on topic i think you'll find mountain biking in australia is alot about the people who ride, not what there is to ride, sure we have some great trails but i believe it's the people you get to meet at the races that really make it fun.

[ruthlessgirl]

Yeah that what i had found lots actually, I mean even after the fires there were still a good number of people 'round thredbo last summer. And the friends I made there are great!

They haven' posted the Nats. DH race sked yet...

[Tom]

back on topic i think you'll find mountain biking in australia is alot about the people who ride, not what there is to ride, sure we have some great trails but i believe it's the people you get to meet at the races that really make it fun.

True that :D

[SpectRe]

Hey Gillian
You know you want one of those sick huffys... :P
Welll....National DH Championships are November 1-2, Mt.Beauty, Victoria....awesome course, awesome racers, and o the fun at the go-kart track in the afternoon :lol: Lookin forward to that one!

Strange about the nats calendar not being posted yet - but most other tracks are more technical, though less physically demanding and a lot shorter in relation to Thredbo.
Dunno how i'll handle it though...i was startin to get used to riding DH on completely farkt up forks... :D

(btw - this is Ray - aka. Wheelie Boy)

[wombat]

Hey Gillian! Glad to see you found the site! Hope these guys are more use than I was.... :oops: :)

[ruthlessgirl]

Dude not to knock the huffy's bad but why would i want one of them, you've seen my bike she's super sick!!!! Did you hear about all my "replacements" since I got home? She's like brand new! New everything from forks to cranks to freakin' tires! I actually had 2 forks on her since... but the way she is now is hopefully the way she will travel back there... barring any unforseen super sales or breakage! ha ha ha[/img]

[mtbdh_girl]

last count the national series has not been finalised...

[SpectRe]

Heheh sounds good :) ....care to give a rough specs list of 'Da sick Ruthless'?? :D

My bike's undergone a few changes as well!
Existing 00 Giant DHTeam frameset and XT/XTR drivetrain
XT DH 8" disc brakes
03 Dorado DH
Mavic 321 rims laced to Aireal Industries DH hubs

But guess we'll have to wait it out until the National rounds calendar is finalised....

[Az]

Hey Gillian
You know you want one of those sick huffys... :P
Welll....National DH Championships are November 1-2, Mt.Beauty, Victoria....awesome course, awesome racers, and o the fun at the go-kart track in the afternoon :lol: Lookin forward to that one!


Sorry dudes, the Go Karts in beauty are closed due to insurance premiums!!!! Its pretty sad really and the worst thing is that Im out of a job!!! So you can wipe that off your list. Rode the nats course last week it hasnt changed much, there is a new gully section new the bottom and the new 4x track is huge and farkin hard to ride. Dont know how much is going to get changed but the course is real rutted out and not as much to ride as it used to be. :roll:

[SpectRe]

NNNOOOOOOO not the Go-Karts!!!! :cry: :cry:

[ruthlessgirl]

Okay well here we go for the spec.!!!

Forks: Dorados when I first got home, but now Boxxer WC
Cranks: Blackspire Badger DH 175mm
Rims: D321 laced to XT (R) Formula 20mm(F)
Derail.: XT
Pedals: DMR V12
Tires: Maxxis Holy Roller 2.5 (sticky for races)
Brakes: Hayes Mag 8"
R. Susp: Fox Vanilla RC
Chainguide: MRP WC (with handy inner guard built for me!)
Frame: Ruthless DH (got a new beafier Swingarm that's been heatreated)

http://www.farkin.net/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=251

What else? Well she's pretty now eh? I killed everything else! ha ha ha! Did you get my email, I can send you a pic I'm so proud. It's my sick baby! And she's nto too heavy, which is good for lightweight like me!

[Az]

NNNOOOOOOO not the Go-Karts!!!! :cry: :cry:

Yep :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Now I gotta get my self a real job!!! and pay to go karting somewhere else!! with no wet track sessions.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[SpectRe]

Hey Gillian, here's some info on tha national series posted on the MTBA site yesterday.


2003/2004 DH National Series

DH #1,
October 25 - 26
Fox Creek, SA
Wendy MacFadden
InsideLine
downhill@insidelinemtb.com
www.insidelinemtb.com

DH #2,
December 6 - 7
Thredbo, NSW
Colin Battersby
Raw NRG
colin@rawnrg.com.au
www.rawnrg.com.au

DH #3,
January 10 - 11
TBA

DH #4,
February 7 - 8
Fellcrag, Qld
Bill van Haren
Two Wheel Promotions
tgracing@bigpond.com
www.users.bigpond.com/tgracing/index.htm

DH #5 (Finals)
March 20 - 21
NSW, TBA

####

2004 National MTB Championships
February 25 - 29
Eildon, Vic
Fat Tyre Flyers
info@ftf.com.au
www.ftf.com.au

The venue for the XC and DH fifth and final rounds is still being negotiated as is the location for DH #3. These details will be included in the calendar as soon as they are available.

All National Series events and the National Championships will be conducted under the auspices of MTBA.

MTBA will accept all Cycling Australia licenses under the same terms and conditions used in the 2002/2003 National MTB Series, ie CA members will be able to contest the complete series, by simply presenting a valid and current CA membership card at registration. Members of CA will be asked to sign a day permit at no cost. Participants that are not current members of either CA or MTBA will sign and pay for a day permit issued by MTBA.

The 2004 National Championships will be conducted in Eildon, Victoria, the location of the very successful Oceania Championships in February 2003.

Note that the cut-off date for an age class change is the 31st December 2004. The appropriate racing class for a prospective participant is their age as at 31st December 2004 for ALL events on the 2003/2004 Season Calendar.

An EXPERT MEN class will once again be offered in all XC and DH events as a stepping stone for male SPORT athletes to take the plunge towards the ELITE MEN category.

Due to the size of the ELITE WOMEN'S field no EXPERT WOMEN class is offered this year.

The 2004 National Mountain Bike Championships will not form part of the events that comprise the 2003/2004 National Mountain Bike Series in Cross Country and Downhill.

Rider's final National series ranking will be determined by results achieved at four (4) out of the five (5) events in XC and DH. All the events will have an equal rating for the accumulation of points.

[ruthlessgirl]

Sweet Thanks!

I was having a look at them, and I saw too that Oceana is in Rotura (NZ) in Jan, then the weekend after it's NZ champs in Wellington. That would be kool to go to too (little b-day trip for myself!), but ah the $$$!!!

Well now i can start plannign my trips! :) yay! I want to get to as many races as I can, I have fun at them, and I always need practise... I haven't been doing this very long! Thanks for all the help everyone! Hey maybe I'll see you at races, I'm sure you'll be able to pick me out if you've seen the bike, or hear the accent!

:) Gillian

PS: Anyone know abotu international licenses. I know I have to get it in Canada, but I wouldn't have to get a 1 day at every race still would I? Here you can't get multiple one days, you have to buy a real license if you want to do multiples.

[dazonic]

Man, those Ruthless bikes are unreal.. They're hardtail's gotta be the nicest hardtail ever i reckon, and they make some weird trials bike too.
That would be one of the first Ruthless's (??) in our country, yeah?

[perfor8r]

Hey Gillian!
From one Canuck to another all I can say is...getbackdownherethisplacerules!

As far as licenses, I think if you have a competitive ICU license then you may be covered for the majoirty of races but check with each race promoter.
One day licenses are only around5-10 bucks anywyas.

[ruthlessgirl]

Dude I rode the HT yesterday soooooo nice!

Oh and I'm not knocking Canada, but I live in Ontario - the land of no real mountains, and well I'd love to go out West and race, but it costs me the same as a plane ticket to Aus as it does to go out west for a month to race... so 6 months in Aus vs. 1 month out west... dunno just seems like a good idea! :) Besides I was just making fun of the fires. I was part of the whole evacuate thredbo thing back in Jan... I was there for 3 days and left... only to return a month later.

[perfor8r]

Oh and I'm not knocking Canada, but I live in Ontario - the land of no real mountains, and well I'd love to go out West and race, but it costs me the same as a plane ticket to Aus as it does to go out west for a month to race... so 6 months in Aus vs. 1 month out west...

plus, not as many riders on the trails...goto the North Shore on any given weekend and it's pretty crazy how many riders are in there.

[Kram]

Hey ruthlessgirl. I starting MTBing in Ontario when I lived there about 10 years ago. Where do you ride? I used to hit up Gatineau Park mostly. It still has one of my favourite trails of all time, though I haven't been there in 5 years, so I might have a different opinion now. I actually just got back from B.C. and miss it terribly.

As for what to expect... being from Ontario you'll probably be pretty happy with what's over here. I'd imagine that most BCers would be a bit dissapointed though.

If you make it to Brisbane, look me up.

[ruthlessgirl]

I'm north of Toronto - so liek Ravenshoe (obstacles), Bayview places like that... if I can get a ride then I go up near Collingwood, kolapore (rocks), blue mountains).

[mtbdh_girl]

As far as licenses, I think if you have a competitive ICU license then you may be covered for the majoirty of races but check with each race promoter.
One day licenses are only around5-10 bucks anywyas.

I'm pretty sure (90%...) a UCI licence is fine to race here with, but because it is an mtba series not CA, you still have to sign a day licence. However you don't have to pay for it.

[kiwi]

Sweet Thanks!

I was having a look at them, and I saw too that Oceana is in Rotura (NZ) in Jan, then the weekend after it's NZ champs in Wellington. That would be kool to go to too (little b-day trip for myself!), but ah the $$$!!!
.
well i can tell you personally that both of those races are going to go off!!!! The rotorua course is soo much fun and is getting some new sections and bigger jumps!!!!! wellington's course was originally made by NORBA champ John Kirkcaldie and the course is fast, also if you come to wellington it has soo much riding.

it will be worth the money

[ruthlessgirl]

my birthday is actually the day before rotura, so I'm hoping to get a little cash then and maybe use it for that! :) I'd like to visit NZ seeing as I'm so close when I'm in Aus.!!! It's almost like being in Canada and never going to the US!

[::RideSiK::]

i hope to have a downhill bike for the national champs next year that would be cool... ill mish it across the nullabore in the trusty suby wagon :D

so theres good riding in newzealand ey... interesting...
you see i was supposed to go to nezealand a few weeks abck to go snowboaridng in queenstown but the week before hand i came down with pneumonia and had to cancel now i have an all expences paid trip to newzealand sitting in my hand courtesy of travel insurance... i was actually going to go to canada with it next summer (their summer) but i spose i should look around the southern hemisphwere first ey...