To have categories or not to have categories ?

After the success of the opening round of 661 Mini DH Ladies class, with 27 ladies racing.  The question has been asked of whether there should be age categories in Women’s DH racing.

Sunday’s race was split into 2 categories, a Pro-Am and ‘Open’ class, unfortunately no guidance was given on what a Pro Am rider was so only 2 entered this category but hopefully more guidance will be given prior to next year’s round.  This category gave the everyday riders a fair chance against the highly skilled semi pros that come to enjoy the excellent atmosphere.   And the top 3 overall women were given the Pro Am honours with the next 3 highest placed females getting the Open prizes. 

However with our numbers on the increase and by way of encouraging more, is it time to have age categories in Women DH racing?

To some it may seem an easy yes / no answer, but it isn’t.  For example, if there had only been 1 entry in the Pro Am class there was nothing stopping me entering and even thought I came 2^nd to last overall in the ladies, I would have got podium!  In the horse world that I come from we’d refer to that as ‘pot collecting’ the strategic entry to gain a prize.

Then there’s the issue of age categories, if women are divided into age categories like the men from the last race the numbers would of been:

5 Vets, 9 Masters, 8 Seniors, 5 under 18’s.  Is a race with only 5 in a class as much competition as a race with 27 in a class?

I will admit to being totally torn on whether to split the ladies and if so how.  So I thought I’d blog to explore MY feelings on the subject.

Tainted Victory

So if we had age categories I’d have come 9^th out of 9, rather than 23^rd out of 24.  What is the better victory, a top 10 place or knowing I’d not been last? 

No-one wants to get a podium by default.   In DH podiums are hard fought in the men’s categories, with 10^th of seconds deciding who comes first or last.  Getting placed is about pushing yourself to the limits not simply turning up and clocking a time on the day.  If age categories were introduced to the women’s race without sufficient numbers this could happened.

If you hold a BC racing licence then your placing in a DH race accrues you points towards a national ranking.  The more points the higher your national ranked.  With smaller classes more women at these events would get the higher point’s associated/awarded to top 10 positions, giving them advantage over other less well attended races (if I’ve got the points system wrong please correct me, I don’t have a licence so not clear on this).

Competition to improve competition.

If there were smaller age categories then this could result in less competitive classes.  Rather than ladies fighting for every second it’s easy to sometimes put in only the effort needed to win.  If for example in the masters, only me and another much faster rider had entered, knowing I’m pretty slow is the other rider going to take the same risks as they would if there were other faster riders.  Also running in small classes at locals will not prepare people for riding in larger classes at Nationals and International events.    

Mental outlook and racing

As we get older our outlook changes, I for one know mine has.  I now have a job where I’m relied upon and part of my income comes from self employed work where if I’m ill I simply don’t get paid or could be sued for breach of contract! This is in my head and sometimes I find myself not taking the risks needed to decrease my times as I can’t afford what will happen if things go wrong.  When I was younger I was so much more carefree, if I didn’t get to work I was replaceable, and I didn’t have a mortgage.  If I couldn’t pay my bills I could try battering my eye lids at mum and Dad and hope they’d bail me out (not that I ever did that).  I simply didn’t have the responsibility which plays on my conscience now.

Physical difference.

As I’m getting older I’m noticing not only do I not bounce like I used to, but it’s harder to maintain fitness & strength and takes longer to recover.  Back in 2000 when I came 3^rd in a 50km MTB marathon, I’d worked until 2am the night before and still managed to put a great performance on the bike the next day.  Now, midnights about the latest I can manage whilst still resembling a human the next day.  OK so if I’m racing I’d not be looking at partying prior, but it shows the changes that happen as we mature.  This year when I damaged my shoulder in an ‘off’ in the 6 weeks recovery all the fitness I’d built up over the summer left, and I’m still trying to build it back up now in Nov.  I burn out quicker, when I used to get tired it would happen over a period of time, now it’s like a switch going from energy to no energy.  Documented differences in sport performance as we get older are well documentated so is it fair that I race against people at their physical peak age wise.

The same can be said for the younger girls, junior females race in the open ladies cat, if is fair that girls who’s bodies aren’t fully developed are pitched against mature adults.

Why Split?

With the normal women’s category at races, many entrants are chasing shadows.  On my 2^nd ever DH races I competed against Tracey Mosley, now she’s a lovely person and is friendly and supportive.  But she’s also amazing on a bike and at a skill level I could only dream of obtaining.  I doubt that some of the guys would have wanted to be racing against her.  But I did! It was however a pretty much given that Tracey would win, and with the performance she put in she deserved it, riding a trail bike with back pack J.  But is it fair that I compete against such talented and experienced riders, Tracey was a guy she would of been put in the Elite / pro category, but as us women race in 1 class we don’t have that advantage, categories would give women the same level playing field as the guys. 

How to split?
Why split on age? And why do we need to have a podium if we do?

Could we not celebrate our differences without diluting the race, we do change as we get older it’s a fact, but then those racing want to race others and win fairly.

So here are a few options that might work 

Option 1

Run races categories on experience and performance, for example

Novice = Riders who have never been top 3 at any DH race

Open = Riders who have been podium more than once at a local level (National B) event.

Intermediate = Riders who hold a BC license with more than 200 points, race at National Level.

Pro – Am = Riders who have raced at national Level and achieve podium place.  Riders who race at international Level.  Any rider who feels their experience or achievements places them in this category.   

Of course these cats would need more details this is just a guideline, sponsorship would not dictate what category a rider was placed in to promote investment in the sport.

Option 2

Keep the official class as it currently is, with the ProAm and ‘Open’ category and award BC points in line with this, but give out awards to the best placed in each separate age category, this doesn’t involve a podium, not 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd with a cup.  Just a pair of socks or a beanie to each best in their age group.

Option 3

A handicap system similar to the horse racing world.  Rather than using weights add or subtract seconds based on age.  So race us in 1 category but equal the field through time difference.  With smaller classes this could even be used to incorporate the pro-ams!

This is just my ranting on the subject, but with more women racing and over a broad age/ability range I can see the question being raised more over the coming years.   

Manning up and moving on

661 Ladies Category

Last year I didn't enter the first round of the 661 Mini DH at the Forest of Dean, partly because I never intended to race in the winter (wet slippy tracks, slippy roots, risk of getting snowed in at home) I had a whole list of excuses.  But my main one was because I'd been warned that the race was on Ski Run.

It's not that the track is mega hard, I just had a hang up with it. I'd tried to ride it and couldn't, after that I'd simply avoided the track.  It needs some level of commitment to get down and that's something I really lack on a bike.

Roll forward to this year and it was time I manned up and I had another go down the track and to my surprise found it to be OK,  so there was no excuse for me not to enter the winter 661 Mini Series this year.

My relationship with Ski run is rather hit and miss, I either get down fine and love it, or hold on for grim death, off balance and petrified.  In direct correlation to this are my feelings of racing on it, part of me wanted to as it represented an  improvement in my riding, the other part was petrified as Ski Run with added race nerves could be a match made in hell. 

So I had mixed feelings when the track was announced as Ski Run, as the race chatter built up during the week I was carried away by everyone's excitement just that one nagging fear of my hit & miss reputation on Ski Run. 

Saturday practice started with a track walk with Katy Curd, looking at lines with her laid back and confident nature is a real cure for pre race nerves.  Then it was time to get on the bikes, Ski run track was already busy so I headed off to another track to warm my muscles and get focus, before heading over to Ski Run.  I have to say how happy I was with practice, having now done a few Forest of Dean Races people have got to know me and give me some time to ride down rather than setting off after me (very grateful for this guys).  My first runs were terrible, nerves taking over and flow totally lacking, but the more I rode the more relaxed I got.  I had no massive hang ups by the end of the day other than not knowing what lines would be open race day (track wasn't fully taped on Saturday).

After a fun night in at a local pub, and breakfast cooked by Lindsey Hanley, we all rolled out to FOD for race day.  I was feeling a lot more relaxed than normal, I think the bacon butty had helped.  However when I started heading up the hill nerves hit, I simply didn't want to ride. I thought about going to warm up on another track but as I neared the top I wondered if that was a good idea, I was avoiding the problem not tackling it and with some lines taped in that I'd not really ridden I did need to practice. 

I simply rolled down on my first run, missing all my lines and not making a turn. I was livid with myself, I'd was confident and happy the day before so why the shaking wimp riding today.  After a stern talk to myself I pushed up and this time rolled down slower but focusing on what I was doing not what I was feeling... it worked I hit the lines I wanted and made the turn.  My next few runs were aimed at increasing the speed and still hitting the lines, until I decided to do a run on to the forest road, I washed out on some roots, the back end totally slipping out, as I dropped down the chute slightly sideways. I was too scared to scream or swear.  Walking back up to look at what happened, the roots were now looking nice and polished, as several bikes went over I witnessed wheels sliding and some recovered some didn't.  At my slower speeds I didn't have a hope, the lack of forward momentum meant that my bike didn't straighten before the steep drop onto the forestry.  This is were DH comes into it's owe, you see next to the roots was an older established line, of a couple of roots then a rock step, riding up to it, it looked less inviting than the smooth level roots to the side, but for me it could work.  I watched, studied and worked out what I'd need to aim for to make the line and pushed up.  My first run was entertaining, I looked for the features that would line me up and aimed for them, I felt the suspension move as my front wheel pumped over the roots, then it dropped away to make the step, the rear naturally followed and before I knew it I was heading down the chute to the road, with a small collective of expletive's and a cheer from below.  The line worked, no slipping, it was grippy the whole way through and felt more natural for me to hit than the roots.

Now I'd got my main lines sorted it was race time...

I'd not got time to do a complete ride to the bottom but knew that part of the track pretty well (I thought) so was happy.  My target time was 2mins 22 seconds, the time Hannah had done at her first race on Ski run (and her first ever DH race)

My first race run was pretty uneventful, I was short on a couple of my lines meaning I had to brake excessively to make corners.  I had a lovely skid on the forestry road as I was going faster than my practice runs (according to my Hubby it looked impressive). The step down areas felt pretty OK and the run down felt pretty confident and good.  As I crossed the finish line I listened for my time 2:19. I was dead chuffed 3 seconds below my target.  My challenge was set for run 2 as 2:15.

So after cheering on friends, a can of coke and enjoying the atmosphere, I was back up the top and looking forward to run 2. 





As per normal I elected to go last, and as our numbers dwindled at the start I felt more focused than previously.  As the beeps dropped I was off, this time I pretty much hit all my lines up top, but elected to miss one as I could see the ground had changed and didn't trust it, this meant over braking to make a turn (seconds lost, but not as many as if I'd come off) I hit my line to the right of the roots perfectly and therefore had plenty of time to modulate my speed for the drop onto the forestry, impressed with myself for not swearing this time, however I over braked on the forestry road to make the line as I dropped down the track (mistake 2, again lost seconds) as I cycled down I hit a new line that had appeared during the race, but looked at the surface and over brake as I came onto it rather than trusting the bike to grip (yep more lost seconds), as I cleared this section I knew I'd lost time so pedalled as I crossed the timing split.  Then dropping down to some roots I hated but did my best to look forward and not brake, clearing the roots, I over braked for a berm (even more lost seconds) and tried to pedal, that when I realised my total lack of fitness had kicked in, as I pedalled for the first jump my legs felt like lead, I rolled the first jump, dropping a gear as I went to ease the tiredness, lifting off ground of the last tabletop, and pushing into the berms I found my thigh muscles on fire as I pretty much limped over the finish spent of all energy.. My time however made me shriek in joy 2:12 Yes! 3 seconds below my target.

I am annoyed with myself, I know I could of gone faster.  Firstly if I'd walked the track race morning I'd have seen the new line that developed and practiced it.   My fitness let me down, but most of all my confidence.  I can ride the tracks, I didn't even have a 'oh crap' moment, in my first race run I got down without any issues, so why the hell can't I let go of the brakes a bit more.  So for my next race prep it's fitness training, and working on my speed. 

If your interested in having a go at Down Hill racing, I'd highly recommend the 661 Mini DH, for more information visit their website here

For information on coaching with Katy Curd, who kindly shared her expertise with us on Saturday Click Here