I have been wondering this for a while and decided to put it out to members on their opinions. What way do members view the club? Do you see it more as a social thing or are you in the club to train for/race events?
Personally I am interested in the latter and I am just curious as to how this side can be developed further, or am I just wasting my time? Is the racing side of the club on the decline or do people feel they can just tag along whenever they feel like it. Is Epic MTB suffering an identity crisis? There doesnât seem to be too many members coming through who have a specific goal of racing. I think racing is what keeps me going on the bike and with less time for social spins I like to focus on using it wisely but am proud to represent the club at the races.
So Iâll put it out there. What way do you view the club? And does anyone think we need more unity or communication so that it doesnât drift off into the abyss. Interesting to hear your thoughts.
The most important part for myself is the social it is the meeting of people the banter and laugh on a spin ,in a race on the side lines spectating great for my mental health so thank you folks.
Racing my favourite part is when told go it is race on elbows out give no quarter when over back to the banter and crack checking the results and remembering the only person the result matters to is myself. Re racing in general think numbers entering events down a few years ago there would be 30 plus members at a ,NPS,Enduro,triller
My favorite races are the cx so much to learn and areas to improve in looking forward to 2020/2021 season, Club leagues on a thurs night not many places where you get to race against super stars of the pass present and further who have, are, or will be racing at the high levels on the world stage. Other events I look forward to are the Triller and similar events where the challenge is about completing the course.
Spins once I am out on a bike Iam happy from solo spins to give my head peace to club spins xc, cx racing in particular routes across mountains,anywhere.
Re club in general think as long a we do not become a group of riders who wear similar jerseys I will stay.
The aspirations of members keep changing we all have other lives and commitments that said do come out for a spin or enter a race .
Areas that club needs to improve is attracting new members support communications
So since I have started typing this thread has had 58 views so I will stop and let somebody else have their say
Terry
PS anybody going to the Blitz, Enduro or Nps ? say hello if you on the start line
i'm with Terry - love it for the fun spins - work and kids can impact the level of participation - but I'm a firm believer that this is a great club, people are friendly and would always go the extra yard for each other.
I'd love to do more racing - I would have done all the CX I could this season but a chest infection stopped that (as it does every so often) the Club league is fun and tough at the same time and I am definitely going to enter races (at least 2 enduros and some XC) this year - I think one important factor - is being real or honest with oneself - it's true the top ladies and gents make podiums all the time - they work hard and deserve it. Some of us I reckon know our limitations but are happy to live with it - I believe it's important that lots of people enter races - because the bigger the field the better the winner, the more meaningful the win and it means we'll get more races!
Iâm a new enough member, about 3 years. I joined the club for social reasons, but also really enjoy the racing side. CX, a bit of XC, Enduro and of course the Club League. I got quite into the training summer 2018, was pretty focused on the upcoming CX season, then got knocked down with a nasty virus. Suffered with all the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis for nearly 6 months. I made me rethink what I was doing. Had a young family and when I got better again I decided not to take things too seriously. Now my goal is to stay healthy, be there for my family and be able to cycle well into my later life. Racing gives a bit of focus training wise, and itâs such fun. Proud to represent the club but I donât feel the need now to kill myself to get to the next level. Met a lot of great people here, canât wait to get out to tomorrow on the Saturday spin.
I'm in it mainly for the spins but enjoy the CX races and club league. I might go back and do some enduro races this year, but I'm not serious enough about racing to actually train, trying to hang onto Ben, Alfie, Doris etc is training enough for me.
Adding to the CX racers but mainly in the club for the Saturday spins. College and a chronic illness got in the way for me the last few years. As a result I'm not that fussed about racing, would rather have fun on the bike when I can get out.
Might do a couple of the NPS rounds and would like to do the club league if I can get away from work on time.
Great to get some replies. I was worried people might have been scared of the question posed. It seems that a lot of the views are similar. Is there a way of improving things though? Is there also a way of making the racing side more appealing which might encourage people to join in at any level? CX is a great way for people to catch the bug and Iâd love to get more at the events where possible whilst still enjoying spins. Iâm a little out of touch on the spins side but I feel I can help develop the racing side a little more. Because if no one turns up to the races, there will be no races.
The club used to be very focused on racing and you might normally see 20 or 30 of us at various levels competing in the nps races.
When Enduro came along that changed a bit as it was the new thing and there is a perception that you can Enduro with less training (not in my experience you canât ).
Iâm not really about much the past few years as Iâve bad asthma which keeps me off the bike a lot but I really miss racing. The club league is just brilliant for getting fit but also racing your mates and the social side is important too. The nps is great but you have to be fit otherwise itâs no fun at all.
I think the club is more about the spins these days and I think thatâs a good thing. You canât beat an epic spin.
Thanks Paul - great thread
Personally, I canât speak highly enough of Epic in the 4 (or so) years or so Iâve been involved. The club has such breadth and has meant different things to me over this period, as my personal/family life has changed my time availability and biking priorities.
It has given me
- a welcoming route into learning the basic MTB skills and discovering the most amazing trails (by joining the Wed and Sat spins in my 1st year).
- accelerated improvement & into MTB racing by jumping on the Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday spins in years 2 & 3, where u rapidly improve by riding with better riders (the Tuesday loop for example is extraordinary)
- great comradary & buzz on all spins, digs and events: my favourites being Cooley, Nire Valley, a few NPS. Equally Iâve enjoyed the club course dig days with the kids.
As family life is a little more demanding now (kids & coaching activities ramping up), My current motivation & priority is to use weekend spins to become a better rider technically, maintain fitness/strength, learn new trails & enjoy the social aspect and mental/physical benefits of riding my MTB in stunning surroundings
In the last two years, Iâve adopted a ârace to trainâ approach, as opposed to âtrain to raceâ. In other words, by registering for the odd race it keeps a sharpness & focus on technical improvement in my weekend spins.
In the year ahead - I will keep the Sunday afternoon spins going (to fit around life) and would be happy to arrange some kinda mtb trip away later in the year - to explore other Irish trails (Sligo, Norn Irn?) and grow the social aspect of the club
Thatâs my tuppenceworth anyhows
I see Epic as a club that regardless where you are in life, whether you’re racing, kind of racing or not, like a bullet or not, if you’re keen to get out and don’t mind a bit of suffering there’s a group and spin for you. More race or more socially orientated clubs don’t have that same mix. We don’t do ‘extreme social spins’ so much though, both ups and downs have to be at a reasonable pace and coffees and cakes must be well earned :-) there’s always a little bit of the racing mentality in every spin I suppose.
In short, the club is bit of everything these days. recently there have been lots of spins that are getting people out on their bikes regardless of their level and this is a very good thing. Its great to see the club being so active. The challenge in developing the racing side of things is, in my opinion, the time commitment. I think for a lot of people, they have other things in their lives or they've been racing so long they just want to get out and enjoy every spin.
I have mainly been focused on the racing side of things since I started biking five years ago and I want to develop this more. For me, that means getting out consistently on more spins/sessions and really working to develop bike handling skills. Fortunately, there are spins that'll do just that (I just need to employ a few more people or become less successful writing research bids) so I can get out on these regularly.
Reflecting on what I have seen in the last five years.. there is the general drift away from XC racing as the CX side of the game has taken off. The latter has the advantage of being run during the late autumn / winter when people are not on holidays, families are in the normal routine and its easy enough to get to most of the races. The format of the races also lends themselves to good competition; basically short races, mass starts, divided into a and b groups for the men. This is, I think, part of the attraction of races like the Blitz or the KCapital Cup - the big numbers racing been that you will always have someone to race against.
The club league and the handicap system is a great format. You can see 25 - 30 people turning up weekly to race knowing that they will get a race. Racing NPS is a different beast. Being mid-pack fodder is fine if you have someone to give you a good race but it can be a very lonely place out the back getting lapped.
So what to do... well the general advice of riding your bike as much as possible, riding with better riders, pushing yourself to keep up with better riders etc... is good but what else could be done? Would people be more engaged in racing if we had a better way of developing riders? If so, what would this look like?
Re the racing, it could do with more of push on the forum like Paul is doing for the Blitz – I’d encourage everyone racing to post the races they’re going to – probably the best way to hook a few floaters like myself, create a buzz etc. There’s still plenty of people racing to share the war stories, however brief they always make a great read and go a long way to tempt others to try them / re-engage with the races. I haven’t a rashers what’s going on in the racing world at any point, even less who is planning on turning up. Perhaps there’s a Whatsapp group!
One of my personal gripes the past few years was during CX racing season in the Autumn when the mid-level MTB spins seemed to fall off a cliff. However every cloud has a silver lining… the past few months has been exceptional for spins, perhaps because less have been racing – multiple spins every weekend, some tremendous adventures included and very well attended. It’s been a fantastic year for the spins, long may it continue!
I would say the culture of Epic still very much has XC at its heart – whether consciously or subconsciously, everyone is trying to improve fitness on spins to either not be dropped on climbs or to push on upfront to get to the next level. When you look from the outside in, the fitness levels of the average rider in Epic are incredible - this really becomes apparent when you take part in one of those corporate type events in anything really. Certainly the spins in a former club I was in were frustratingly slow ascending (with a long rest when they got there), and I’m hardly at the fast end of Epic either.
I like to race, but life often gets in the way. The NPS being based largely outside Dublin is not helpful. However I see the Blitz is now 6 rounds and hopefully the K capital cup returns (any word on this?). Will do some of these.
Anyway, for me Epic is the complete mix – spins, racing, health, fitness, banter, adventure, camradery, etc all without the pressure to take part and all for an annual fee of only €35! Where else would you get it!
Oh - and also the nicest club gear around for sure. And not forgetting the summer kids spins - they're deadly!!
I’m all on for an away trip – last Sunday we agreed the inaugural Epic Ski & Snowboard weekend away, can’t wait!��
I think Epic is really sucessful in catering to many different types of riders - and not many clubs achieve this balance. Most other clubs I can think of have evolved a very specific focus - club's for XC racers but not much else, clubs for weekend enduro riders but nothing else, small clubs that are just a group of mates but not very open to new members etc. For me at least my interests in mountainbiking have evolved over ther years as life changes with family, work comittments, body not so young anymore :) etc. and I think Epic works really well for people who just love mountainbiking and so you can do racing, hard spins, easy spins, XC, Enduro, just riding your bike, you name it whatever you like all with the same club.
The flip side of the coin though is that the club might be seen as jack of all trades master of none which I think is Paul's point in regards to racing - maybe not a huge focus in racing compared to some "racing or nothing" clubs. But I think it works well to be able to cater to so many different riders who want different things. MTB is very diverse and I'm not a fan of pigeonholing it into different disciplines or activities and to be able to have a broad range of things going on in the club is great and keeps people hooked on the sport long term.
Things like the club league and regular spins of different types, AGM night (unfortunately I missed this year) are key to keeping all the different people connected and it having the feeling of a club rather than loads of disconnected people who happen to be wearing the same kit. The club league especially is really good for getting people together, whether you're a racer or not everyone seems to enjoy them.
Some great replies guys. Iâm really glad I asked now as I have an insight into what people are thinking.
It is a pretty diverse club. It has all a mountain biker needs, so why arenât new people joining? Are we behind the times a little or are we still viewed as a bit of a club of savages? Iâd love to se new people coming through the ranks especially in terms of racing. As it stands Iâm the only elite rider from the club at the races which is a little disheartening.
On reflection I did join the club on the basis that I could race if I wanted and just be social if I wanted with no pressure from anyone. And thatâs the way it ended up. I also joined to find out what John Dorisâs secret sauce was (turns out it was wine).
So yeah the club seems to know it identity as everyone has stated which is excellent. I will keep driving and posting the race stuff here to rope in a few more who feel up for it. Remember the pain is only temporary. Would be great to see more jerseys at events
I have been wondering this for a while and decided to put it out to members on their opinions. What way do members view the club? Do you see it more as a social thing or are you in the club to train for/race events?
Personally I am interested in the latter and I am just curious as to how this side can be developed further, or am I just wasting my time? Is the racing side of the club on the decline or do people feel they can just tag along whenever they feel like it. Is Epic MTB suffering an identity crisis? There doesnât seem to be too many members coming through who have a specific goal of racing. I think racing is what keeps me going on the bike and with less time for social spins I like to focus on using it wisely but am proud to represent the club at the races.
So Iâll put it out there. What way do you view the club? And does anyone think we need more unity or communication so that it doesnât drift off into the abyss. Interesting to hear your thoughts.
The most important part for myself is the social it is the meeting of people the banter and laugh on a spin ,in a race on the side lines spectating great for my mental health so thank you folks.
Racing my favourite part is when told go it is race on elbows out give no quarter when over back to the banter and crack checking the results and remembering the only person the result matters to is myself. Re racing in general think numbers entering events down a few years ago there would be 30 plus members at a ,NPS,Enduro,triller
My favorite races are the cx so much to learn and areas to improve in looking forward to 2020/2021 season, Club leagues on a thurs night not many places where you get to race against super stars of the pass present and further who have, are, or will be racing at the high levels on the world stage. Other events I look forward to are the Triller and similar events where the challenge is about completing the course.
Spins once I am out on a bike Iam happy from solo spins to give my head peace to club spins xc, cx racing in particular routes across mountains,anywhere.
Re club in general think as long a we do not become a group of riders who wear similar jerseys I will stay.
The aspirations of members keep changing we all have other lives and commitments that said do come out for a spin or enter a race .
Areas that club needs to improve is attracting new members support communications
So since I have started typing this thread has had 58 views so I will stop and let somebody else have their say
Terry
PS anybody going to the Blitz, Enduro or Nps ? say hello if you on the start line
i'm with Terry - love it for the fun spins - work and kids can impact the level of participation - but I'm a firm believer that this is a great club, people are friendly and would always go the extra yard for each other.
I'd love to do more racing - I would have done all the CX I could this season but a chest infection stopped that (as it does every so often) the Club league is fun and tough at the same time and I am definitely going to enter races (at least 2 enduros and some XC) this year - I think one important factor - is being real or honest with oneself - it's true the top ladies and gents make podiums all the time - they work hard and deserve it. Some of us I reckon know our limitations but are happy to live with it - I believe it's important that lots of people enter races - because the bigger the field the better the winner, the more meaningful the win and it means we'll get more races!
Iâm a new enough member, about 3 years. I joined the club for social reasons, but also really enjoy the racing side. CX, a bit of XC, Enduro and of course the Club League. I got quite into the training summer 2018, was pretty focused on the upcoming CX season, then got knocked down with a nasty virus. Suffered with all the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis for nearly 6 months. I made me rethink what I was doing. Had a young family and when I got better again I decided not to take things too seriously. Now my goal is to stay healthy, be there for my family and be able to cycle well into my later life. Racing gives a bit of focus training wise, and itâs such fun. Proud to represent the club but I donât feel the need now to kill myself to get to the next level. Met a lot of great people here, canât wait to get out to tomorrow on the Saturday spin.
I'm in it mainly for the spins but enjoy the CX races and club league. I might go back and do some enduro races this year, but I'm not serious enough about racing to actually train, trying to hang onto Ben, Alfie, Doris etc is training enough for me.
Adding to the CX racers but mainly in the club for the Saturday spins. College and a chronic illness got in the way for me the last few years. As a result I'm not that fussed about racing, would rather have fun on the bike when I can get out.
Might do a couple of the NPS rounds and would like to do the club league if I can get away from work on time.
Great to get some replies. I was worried people might have been scared of the question posed. It seems that a lot of the views are similar. Is there a way of improving things though? Is there also a way of making the racing side more appealing which might encourage people to join in at any level? CX is a great way for people to catch the bug and Iâd love to get more at the events where possible whilst still enjoying spins. Iâm a little out of touch on the spins side but I feel I can help develop the racing side a little more. Because if no one turns up to the races, there will be no races.
The club used to be very focused on racing and you might normally see 20 or 30 of us at various levels competing in the nps races.
When Enduro came along that changed a bit as it was the new thing and there is a perception that you can Enduro with less training (not in my experience you canât ).
Iâm not really about much the past few years as Iâve bad asthma which keeps me off the bike a lot but I really miss racing. The club league is just brilliant for getting fit but also racing your mates and the social side is important too. The nps is great but you have to be fit otherwise itâs no fun at all.
I think the club is more about the spins these days and I think thatâs a good thing. You canât beat an epic spin.
Thanks Paul - great thread
Personally, I canât speak highly enough of Epic in the 4 (or so) years or so Iâve been involved. The club has such breadth and has meant different things to me over this period, as my personal/family life has changed my time availability and biking priorities.
It has given me
- a welcoming route into learning the basic MTB skills and discovering the most amazing trails (by joining the Wed and Sat spins in my 1st year).
- accelerated improvement & into MTB racing by jumping on the Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday spins in years 2 & 3, where u rapidly improve by riding with better riders (the Tuesday loop for example is extraordinary)
- great comradary & buzz on all spins, digs and events: my favourites being Cooley, Nire Valley, a few NPS. Equally Iâve enjoyed the club course dig days with the kids.
As family life is a little more demanding now (kids & coaching activities ramping up), My current motivation & priority is to use weekend spins to become a better rider technically, maintain fitness/strength, learn new trails & enjoy the social aspect and mental/physical benefits of riding my MTB in stunning surroundings
In the last two years, Iâve adopted a ârace to trainâ approach, as opposed to âtrain to raceâ. In other words, by registering for the odd race it keeps a sharpness & focus on technical improvement in my weekend spins.
In the year ahead - I will keep the Sunday afternoon spins going (to fit around life) and would be happy to arrange some kinda mtb trip away later in the year - to explore other Irish trails (Sligo, Norn Irn?) and grow the social aspect of the club
Thatâs my tuppenceworth anyhows
I see Epic as a club that regardless where you are in life, whether you’re racing, kind of racing or not, like a bullet or not, if you’re keen to get out and don’t mind a bit of suffering there’s a group and spin for you. More race or more socially orientated clubs don’t have that same mix. We don’t do ‘extreme social spins’ so much though, both ups and downs have to be at a reasonable pace and coffees and cakes must be well earned :-) there’s always a little bit of the racing mentality in every spin I suppose.
In short, the club is bit of everything these days. recently there have been lots of spins that are getting people out on their bikes regardless of their level and this is a very good thing. Its great to see the club being so active. The challenge in developing the racing side of things is, in my opinion, the time commitment. I think for a lot of people, they have other things in their lives or they've been racing so long they just want to get out and enjoy every spin.
I have mainly been focused on the racing side of things since I started biking five years ago and I want to develop this more. For me, that means getting out consistently on more spins/sessions and really working to develop bike handling skills. Fortunately, there are spins that'll do just that (I just need to employ a few more people or become less successful writing research bids) so I can get out on these regularly.
Reflecting on what I have seen in the last five years.. there is the general drift away from XC racing as the CX side of the game has taken off. The latter has the advantage of being run during the late autumn / winter when people are not on holidays, families are in the normal routine and its easy enough to get to most of the races. The format of the races also lends themselves to good competition; basically short races, mass starts, divided into a and b groups for the men. This is, I think, part of the attraction of races like the Blitz or the KCapital Cup - the big numbers racing been that you will always have someone to race against.
The club league and the handicap system is a great format. You can see 25 - 30 people turning up weekly to race knowing that they will get a race. Racing NPS is a different beast. Being mid-pack fodder is fine if you have someone to give you a good race but it can be a very lonely place out the back getting lapped.
So what to do... well the general advice of riding your bike as much as possible, riding with better riders, pushing yourself to keep up with better riders etc... is good but what else could be done? Would people be more engaged in racing if we had a better way of developing riders? If so, what would this look like?
Re the racing, it could do with more of push on the forum like Paul is doing for the Blitz – I’d encourage everyone racing to post the races they’re going to – probably the best way to hook a few floaters like myself, create a buzz etc. There’s still plenty of people racing to share the war stories, however brief they always make a great read and go a long way to tempt others to try them / re-engage with the races. I haven’t a rashers what’s going on in the racing world at any point, even less who is planning on turning up. Perhaps there’s a Whatsapp group!
One of my personal gripes the past few years was during CX racing season in the Autumn when the mid-level MTB spins seemed to fall off a cliff. However every cloud has a silver lining… the past few months has been exceptional for spins, perhaps because less have been racing – multiple spins every weekend, some tremendous adventures included and very well attended. It’s been a fantastic year for the spins, long may it continue!
I would say the culture of Epic still very much has XC at its heart – whether consciously or subconsciously, everyone is trying to improve fitness on spins to either not be dropped on climbs or to push on upfront to get to the next level. When you look from the outside in, the fitness levels of the average rider in Epic are incredible - this really becomes apparent when you take part in one of those corporate type events in anything really. Certainly the spins in a former club I was in were frustratingly slow ascending (with a long rest when they got there), and I’m hardly at the fast end of Epic either.
I like to race, but life often gets in the way. The NPS being based largely outside Dublin is not helpful. However I see the Blitz is now 6 rounds and hopefully the K capital cup returns (any word on this?). Will do some of these.
Anyway, for me Epic is the complete mix – spins, racing, health, fitness, banter, adventure, camradery, etc all without the pressure to take part and all for an annual fee of only €35! Where else would you get it!
Oh - and also the nicest club gear around for sure. And not forgetting the summer kids spins - they're deadly!!
I’m all on for an away trip – last Sunday we agreed the inaugural Epic Ski & Snowboard weekend away, can’t wait!��
I think Epic is really sucessful in catering to many different types of riders - and not many clubs achieve this balance. Most other clubs I can think of have evolved a very specific focus - club's for XC racers but not much else, clubs for weekend enduro riders but nothing else, small clubs that are just a group of mates but not very open to new members etc. For me at least my interests in mountainbiking have evolved over ther years as life changes with family, work comittments, body not so young anymore :) etc. and I think Epic works really well for people who just love mountainbiking and so you can do racing, hard spins, easy spins, XC, Enduro, just riding your bike, you name it whatever you like all with the same club.
The flip side of the coin though is that the club might be seen as jack of all trades master of none which I think is Paul's point in regards to racing - maybe not a huge focus in racing compared to some "racing or nothing" clubs. But I think it works well to be able to cater to so many different riders who want different things. MTB is very diverse and I'm not a fan of pigeonholing it into different disciplines or activities and to be able to have a broad range of things going on in the club is great and keeps people hooked on the sport long term.
Things like the club league and regular spins of different types, AGM night (unfortunately I missed this year) are key to keeping all the different people connected and it having the feeling of a club rather than loads of disconnected people who happen to be wearing the same kit. The club league especially is really good for getting people together, whether you're a racer or not everyone seems to enjoy them.
Some great replies guys. Iâm really glad I asked now as I have an insight into what people are thinking.
It is a pretty diverse club. It has all a mountain biker needs, so why arenât new people joining? Are we behind the times a little or are we still viewed as a bit of a club of savages? Iâd love to se new people coming through the ranks especially in terms of racing. As it stands Iâm the only elite rider from the club at the races which is a little disheartening.
On reflection I did join the club on the basis that I could race if I wanted and just be social if I wanted with no pressure from anyone. And thatâs the way it ended up. I also joined to find out what John Dorisâs secret sauce was (turns out it was wine).
So yeah the club seems to know it identity as everyone has stated which is excellent. I will keep driving and posting the race stuff here to rope in a few more who feel up for it. Remember the pain is only temporary. Would be great to see more jerseys at events