Retro bike racing

[cows_in_cars]

Other than cannock chase, the vintage bike masters in Switzerland and the Malverns are there any other retro bike races? Or with retro categories?

Vintage bike masters although obviously far away is the most appealing as it's on a retro style course.

But then being in Scotland cannock and the Malverns are also far away. No motivation at all for the Malverns as 30 mins of racing is rubbish in my eyes.

Ideally, and don't think anything like this exists, but I want a proper retro bike race, long, long laps and river crossings.

Obviously I could race a retro bike in any race, and there are events/races that spark that feeling of good old grass routes MTBing(although would race a modern bike) , these tend to be off road duathlons around here which are fine with me but would still love to do a proper retro bike race.

It might spark me into showing the old explosif some love, although I like looking the whole concourse thing is not me at all.
Any suggestions?!

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Me too, but it ain't never happening.

 

[cows_in_cars]

Ha ha! A honest but depressing reply!
Surely there must be some other people on here that fancy recreating the proper old school 90's, gather in a place race, and then pretend that it never happened, style racing. Race like it's the 90's!

The racing collective manage it as do the stravaing series it seems, racing without nonsense...

Anyone fancy it? I will plan a route in the tweed valley or some where? A classic old school route. Turn up race, no entry fee, agree that no one tries to sue anyone, make your own paper plate number, might have to be a degree or a large degree of self navigation, have some fun racing and then a racing collective style first person buys second person a drink and so on?

 

[jimo746]

I'll race ya!
Where in Scotland are you?

A few years ago we held "Macduro" up by Dundee, enduro format ie timed stages, ridden on the old boneshaker bikes.

The kind of race your describing is called "gravel" these days, and there's plenty of those around. I actually thought about doing a gravel event on my retro MTB this year, but then remembered hours long "races" and river crossings on a retro MTB were fun in my teens but not so appealing in mid-life

 

[cows_in_cars]

Macduro sounds good!
I am in Peebles.

I would be more into gravel if it was really like a retro mtb race, but most are more like good road races! Still better than being on a road but more singletrack, hiker bike and rougher roads in my mind is a 90's mtb race.

Some do verge on a retro mtb race but too much gravel not to be a rubbish mtb race course.

In fairness probably a marathon mtb race is as close as I will get without some kind of miracle/organising something myself.

 

[Tsundere]

Retrobikers racing....

Expectation






Reality

 

[cows_in_cars]

Does that matter though? Both are doing something giving it a go. Again that's whats used to be nice about early 90's racing there were loads of people just giving it ago.

 

[Tsundere]

Does that matter though? Both are doing something giving it a go. Again that's whats used to be nice about early 90's racing there were loads of people just giving it ago.

Just an affectionate self aware jape. I ride the shit out of my bikes and I've been in physical decline for decades.

 

[27motorhead]

Just an affectionate self aware jape. I ride the shit out of my bikes and I've been in physical decline for decades.

The older you get, the faster you were...

 

[cows_in_cars]

Just an affectionate self aware jape. I ride the shit out of my bikes and I've been in physical decline for decades.

Sorry in no way do I take offence at that, at all! Very much a similar situation for me!
It's more just an observation of how early 90's racing was full of the have a go heroes and now even I find myself thinking "Umm, maybe I am not fit enough?"

But equally how many of us on here used to race and still love bikes but wouldn't race now rather just look at bikes or ride them but not in competition? And that to me, is a sad state. I don't blame anyone at all, but it's the crap thing about sport is that we loose the people that actually make the events. 7 fast people don't make a race, 50-70-100 people most of who are just okay, that's an event. The mid pack, back of the back racers are the ones that need recognition once you loose those, racing is intimidating and rubbish.

A rant maybe but bugs the hell out of me that there are still loads of people that rider mtb's but most won't race and I don't blame them, in the 90's certainly from my highland's of scotland experience, races were adventures, an achievement just to finish and had sole, even if they were or maybe because they were cobbled together. But who is really motivated to race around a 3/4 mile lap, probably get lapped and even before your off, you line up with about 15 people almost all looking like they will lap you.

It's not the style of bike that matters to me so much as the sprit of that 90's MTB event, maybe I will just have to console myself in some off road duathlons/triathlons they have way more of the 90's sprit than mountain bike races.