New: 2 Lap Intermediate Mountain Bike Class Begins July 19
How can a person learn to race mountain bikes?
We take FUN RACING seriously – OUR MISSION: Create a race for every level of mountain biker to experience the fun, competition and camaraderie of the OTH Family “Race” Experience. So…
…. introducing OTH Intermediate Class July 19
One of the biggest challenges in any sport is the entry. Surfing, skating, bike riding, snowboarding, skiing, lacrosse, and pole vaulting. We all watch, and most of us think it might be fun to play, too! Too many barriers to many peoples’ participation (lack of participation) are simply intimidating. It can be overwhelming to get your feet wet…that’s why we started Over the Hump – so everyone can race.
Problem: we’ve consistently heard “Over the Hump Beginners are not True Beginners” and from the people who choose to stay in the beginner classes, “the jump from Beginner’s 2 laps to Sport’s 3 laps is just too BIG for me”. Unfortunately the answer had alluded us till now.
Solution: We’ve created a class that is a BRIDGE between Beginner and Sport.
We’ve seen great increases in mountain bike riding, and industry growth in Southern California; we’ve even seen many interested and enthusiastic mountain bike “riders” try their hand at racing Over the Hump. However after a season, or even just a couple of races some become discouraged because they are either under-gunned or over-gunned for the men’s beginner class.
We are looking forward with enthusiasm and opportunity to bridge the gap and create a entry level opportunity and on-ramp for mountain bikers in California. The transition, as it’s been seen to be effective in any apprenticeship programs world-wide, is now complete and will be available to our riders. Participants progress from:
- Observers (Spectators) to
- Casually Interested (Beginners) to
- Experienced (*Intermediate) to
- Receiving Growth Opportunities to Become Proficient (Sport) to
- Mentors who Lead from their Passion and Experience (Super-Sport & Elite)
At Over the Hump we are excited to have seen a model of participation that works, within the Mountain Bike world….one that does not alienate the less experienced members of our family. We are excited to further the participation model with a full program that rounds out a clearer goal, fostering a Community where Passionate and Proficient members Enjoy Participating, while they Give Back to Enable the CYCLE to Refresh and Re-CYCLE.
Introduced in 2015, the Beginner Ride-A-Long was a great 1st step in understanding the journey of a Novice to Racer…the Intermediate Class is intended to more fully develop OTH’s offerings to people who might otherwise be left to wonder what awesome experience they are missing mid-week.
15 Comments
What you guys are doing by adding an intermediate class in addition to the beginner class is, well, AWESOME!
I have not raced yet this year because I really had no chance to get any where near the top 20 finishers in the beginner class. So the last few years I have been saying to myself well at least I can ride in a place where I normally am not aloud to ride. This year I was thinking “whats the point, I have rode there for 4 or 5 years now, I can ride for free at other places. But now you have got my attention again; by making the race look more desirable to me by actually making me feel like I might be able to compete. Thank you for making racing fun for ALL level riders.
You guys rock!
See you out there. We agree.
Sounds like a great idea.
When will the Registration page be updated to allow selection of this new class for the upcoming races?
We will update this next week.
Good idea for those wanting to progress but not yet ready for Sport. Couple of questions since I’m curious Are the courses slightly longer than Beginner, and will parts of the course shared with Sport? Will traffic be effectively managed? Thx
The courses are set to be the same as the Beginner courses, and we will manage traffic very well. The simple beginner course / sport Elite course breaks will allow us to keep set up and traffic flow manageable…and make officiating the race a more objective experience for us and racers.
So will you guys be promoting riders to the intermediate class based on the first half finishing positions and if so what constitutes a promotion? Or is this a volunteer bump by the rider themselves? If you are promoted to the intermediate class how will you be notified?
Hey Scott, good question….the option is always there to move, up from Beginner or down from Sport, and in the end the Race Director will make the call. We also will be notifying racers who we are “recommending” a move via email or phone, but make sure you check in physically (through Speed Check line) on your next race to verify you’re in the appropriate class. Speed relative to the class, and finishes in the top 5 will be moved to Intermediate, as well as some of the Sport slower performers moving down if they desire.
Thanks Matt.
A thought to pass along….Maybe consider changing the Intermediate class to 3 laps instead of 2 laps on the beginner course so not to be in the way of the faster Elite, Sport etc. My feeling has always been that the bigger problem with jumping to sport from beginner was the distance and adjustment to speed. I think the transition might be easier going three laps with guys who are your speed in intermediate then making the jump to sport. Just my thoughts
Just out of curiosity – why not make all podium finishers (1st – 3rd) at least move up to intermediate for the remainder of the season (the last half). If they elect to move back down after, that’s a judgement call. But in my polite opinion, making it an optional decision almost certainly guarantees people will opt to stay in the beginner class unless forced to move up. Keep up the great work.
Anyone who has scored 40 points or higher in any round should be bumped.
Will the Intermediate class be scored best of four like the Beginner classes?
Yes, the Intermediate Class will be scored best 4 of 6 races.
Hi Matt, I think the 3 laps around the Beginner course is a great idea Scott. it helps bridge the gap to the Sport division. I for one am one of those types of riders. I would move in a heartbeat if that were the case.
Matt,
The email you sent out stated that if you had finished in the top 30%, raced in 2014, 2015 that you will be moved to intermediate. Wanted to confirm that to be true?