So what has changed? Well from the Winter Classic...Nothing really. The format works with First Timers having their own category helping the new guys and girls get a feel of what racing is about. The Fun class is the next category up for those who may of raced before but want to just enjoy it and not really worry about how quick they are. Enthusiast and Racing Snake is for the guys who race a fair bit, spend allot of time training and generally rip round. Worth a mention are the U10's and U13's races which prove to be a massive success at every race we do. If you have children who fit into this age group and enjoy riding their bike then we highly recommend you enter them.

We want to encourage more women to give racing a chance. Therefore we've dropped the prices of all the women's categories to just £2.50 (First Time, Fun, Juvenile, Youth, Junior) and £10 for Enthusiast and Racing Snake. We'll also be holding a Women only course pre lap to give new comers an idea of what to expect. 

The categories are:

• U10's Boy & Girls (10 Minutes)
• U13's Boy & Girls (15 Minutes)
• Juvenile Male & Female (M - 2 laps / F - 1 lap)
• Youth Male & Female (M - 2 laps / F - 2 laps)
• Junior Male & Female (M - 3 laps  / F - 2 laps)
• First Timers Male & Female (M - 2 laps / F - 1 laps)
• Fun Male & Female (M - 3 laps / F - 2 laps)
• Enthusiast Male & Female (M - 4 laps / F - 3 laps)
• Pro & Racing Snakes Male & Female (M - 5 laps / F - 4 laps)

Another question that kept coming up was are we going to offer National Ranking Points. We understand that for hardcore racers offering points was an attraction but goes away from what we want to achieve by putting on these races, ie affordable racing suitable for fun and newcomers. We still offer categories for those hardcore racers and the prizes are still great but it's just not what the events are about.

Anther change for 2013 will be the timing. Last year it was a test for us and to a point it worked but for our own personal standards it just wasn't good enough. We want to be able to provide a professional service which includes making results available for everybody quickly after the event. 

As for the course, expect a real mountain bike course. What do we mean by that? Well plenty of nice techy, but fast flowing single track. and some lung busting climbs mixed up with a few fire road sections. As with all our events we try to create a few new sections with the backing from the Forestry Commission ready for the event. If you are a newcomer don't be put off by the "real mountain bike" talk. Our course are 100% ride able by all levels and we don't put anything too dangerous in the course, plus anywhere that has a difficult section in will have a 'chicken route' alternative. The course will be around 5km in length and take an average of 20mins (Top riders) 30mins (first timers) to complete. The course will be similar to one used for the Winter classic but small changes to make it different and interesting

The venue at Tackeroo is ideal for holding events at. Easily accessible from the north or the south Tackeroo is around 15 minutes from the M6 motorway junctions at Cannock (South) or Stafford (North).

Facilities

 

• Toilets
• Camping - Camping is available onsite at a cost of £2.50 per night
• Parking - There are lots of hard standing parking at the venue
• Food & Drink - we've managed to secure ‘real’ coffee car vendor, Per-Cup, to attend the event. For the true coffee lovers they'll be offering proper coffee. We'll also be offering a wide selection of home baked cakes & savory treats.
• Onsite drink water - there are a number of taps around the parking area with fresh drinking water.
• Massage Therapy will be set up early Sunday morning offering pre-race treatment  and post race treatments . The effects on the legs of a good massage cannot be under estimated.
• Run & Ride Store will be offering the essentials should you forget something and dare we say something breaks. Of course all will be at a reduce "special offer" rate.

 

The event is very kindly supported by Juice Lubes, Accelerade, Mt Zoom, Husky Organic, SuperB Tools and Schwalbe who will be supplying prizes for the podium finishers along with cash prizes for the Elite / Racing Snake category. Without the support it's makes putting on events very difficult so please where possible support these guys.

Rules

 

• Helmets must be worn at all times whilst you are on course with your bike.
• Your bike must be in good working order and suitable for the terrain.
• Any areas on the bike that could cause damage to yourself or others during a crash must be covered. E.g open ends of handle bars / bar ends.
• Suitable clothing must be worn for the conditions.
• Abusive or offensive behavior towards the organizers or other competitors will not be tolerated. Please refrain from using any offensive language.
• Please remember that you will be in a public place and whilst we have the backing from the Forestry Commission to use the land we must still share it with other members of the public.
• Please be courteous towards other competitors when passing. If passing a back-marker please give them plenty of warning that you will pass on the left or right. You must then wait for a suitable moment. Remember everybody has the same right to be on the course as you. Anybody found to be barging past or endangering others will be disqualified. 

On-line entry is available now using the section below and will remain open until 5th July. Entries will be taken on the day with a small surcharge. Camping is available over the weekend for a small charge of £2.50 per night.

Other Information

We will not be sending out race number prior to the event. This is an added expense that we really don't need. Instead please arrive with enough time (we recommend at least 1hr before your event start) to sign on. Signing on will be open at 8am in the morning so to give any keen riders time to get sorted well before their start time. At signing on you'll need to find your name against your correct category and sign your name. For any under 18's we will need a parent or guardian to sign for you. By signing you are agreeing to follow the rules and regulations of the event (these will be posted on the rider notice board at signing on). You'll be issued with your race number and cable ties.
 
Entry on the day will be available with a surcharge of £2.00 (we will waver this for the U10's and U13's categories). Please ensure you allow for more time to enable you to complete a brief application form. It is advised where possible that you enter via the website, this will remain open until Friday evening (5th July).

Please note that details maybe subject to change following the Winter Classic. We may decide to make alterations following feedback from the event in the early part of the year.


 

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