Subject: MTB Season Meeting From: Mark Abramson Sent: Apr 24, 2006 11:41 PDT ECCC - A huge thanks to Joe Kopena for pouring some gas on the Mountain Bike Season Bonfire! The season is really shaping up to be an exceptional fall intercollegiate bike-racing scene complete with high-quality, safe and *FUN* events for your teams. Did we mention fun? A few notes: 1. Road teams! GET OFF YOUR PROVERBIAL CHAMOIS and get it going for the MTB season! The events are incredibly fun, very enjoyable to every skill level (total newbies to very fast A's), AND ARE SIMPLY THE BEST WAY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN RIDERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR!!! Most times, these new MTB riders want to continue the good times and find a road bike for the spring and try it out. Take a page from the UVM playbook and spend some quality time getting your MTB team going -- MTB season is their "secret" for bringing 50+ racers to road events. 2. Road teams! Why are you still reading this email and not recruiting, organizing and planning for mountain bike season?! I'm talking to you Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, Yale, and others! You are missing out on tons of potential recruits and converts for road season. 3. The season is going to be *great*. We have some talented, experienced promoters and solid teams to back them up. Plus, we're working with Kelli Lusk, USA Cycling's ace MTB director for the whole eastern half of the country. Each weekend will feature something for cross-country riders and gravity fiends alike with consistent, standard events all season long (XC, STXC, DH, DS): XC - CROSS COUNTRY ------------------ This event is for everyone on your team. Races from intro to expert, it features a great loop with fire road, double track and fun single-track. Usually a perfect mix of technical riding, wide-open hammering, climbing and descending. Anyone with a mountain bike can take part, ask your campus police to loan you one of their MTBs and come on out! STXC - SHORT TRACK CROSS COUNTRY -------------------------------- The criterium of the MTB world, this is a short, wide-open loop that is a ton of fun. Fast-paced action that your whole team can enjoy from the sidelines while each and every category races around in circles. DH - DOWNHILL ------------- Top to bottom individual time trial. Usually two courses are run, one for downhill specialists with the equipment, another for anyone who wants to give it a try, even with that hardtail mountain bike. Feel free to have that 2nd cheeseburger before the start, but it often requires fast-pacing sprinting on the open sections and technical skills for the single-track. DS - DUAL - "The Dual Duel" --------------------------- One of the best spectator events MTB racing has seen, this event is a double elimination "slalom" on a grassy slope. Sometimes there are jumps, berms and other obstacles, but multiple riders zip down the 60-90 second course trying to advance to the next round. Sometimes run 4-up, 2-up, sometimes with slalom poles, sometimes without. But ALWAYS a great time and fun to watch! ENDURO - 8 Hour Event (at UConn) -------------------------------- This is a team or solo event that runs concurrently with a 24-hour race in CT. Teams can be made up of women, men or coed. If you consider that you'll have four people on your team, that's only a few 30-40 minute laps per rider, the rest of the time you are hanging out with other teams, barbequing, swimming or having a great time at the venue. Or be tough and go solo for 8 hours! BANQUET, DINNER AND DANCING --------------------------- Our two premier events, University of Vermont (Sept. 23-34) and University of Massachusetts' Eastern Championships (Oct. 14-15) will feature some mix of banquet, barbeque, dinner and dancing. How could you possible miss a chance to socialize with your conference compatriots in a fun, friendly atmosphere? 4. I can't believe you're still reading this email and not busy getting pumped for the 2006 ECCC MTB Season!!! It kicks off September 9-10 and runs through Sept. and October, so what are you waiting for, exactly? Thanks, Mark : -----Original Message----- : From: tjko-@cs.drexel.edu [mailto:tjko-@cs.drexel.edu] : Subject: [ECCC]: MTB Season Meeting : : Everybody, : : [bad-ass email detailing the 2006 ECCC MTB Season suppressed]