firstly: how many members of Moray Firth, a cycle racing club are not riding the 100?
And if not riding, then why not? The '100' is one of the finest races in the North calendar and surely one of the most interesting races to compete in, always memorable in one way or another if nothing else. If you want to race regularly in the North, it's essential to compete in all disciplines and at all distances. If you actually want to race, as opposed to pretending to, that is.
and secondly: why are the organisers apparently having such difficulty finding marshals?
Okay, it's the Scottish as well as the North '100', but it's a privilege, not a burden to host a National event, not least because riders who don't want to travel can compare themselves to the best in the country without leaving their local roads. For those who don't want to ride the '100' this year you would think the chance to help out whilst watching the likes of Riise and Cusick wouldn't be that much of a hardship.
Look at the effort John Macmillan has put into organising this race for people like you and ask yourself, are you not ashamed that you aren't willing either to ride or to marshal? And if you feel you've already done your share of this, which you may well have done, then why not encourage others to do the same instead of moaning?
Local racing clubs and the associations to which they belong exist for the benefit of all who want to race. If you don't want to race it may be better to join the ctc as a private member where you can then pay for a 'professional' event organiser and ride Sportives.
This was merely an enquiry as to why MFCC had to supply 2 marshalls. It would be nice to be asked and not told.
MFCC is a cycling club and it is possible to get pleasure from cycling without racing. The club has app 60 members and the majority do not race.
Myself and everyone involved in cycling in the North of Scotland are well aware of the time and effort John Macmillan puts into the sport for the benefit of others.
I suppose asking has been tried in the past, probably with very little success. Club and NOSCA officials are appointed by means of a democratic process so you've not really been 'told'. And I'm quite sure NOSCA would prefer not to have to dictate marshalling numbers, but then they'd probably prefer not to have to ask either.
I have no idea how many MFCC members race, but it looks like a lot more than perhaps ever before? Judging by the gallery photos lots of people are turning up to club '10's and supporting the club runs.
If clubs aren't encouraging members to go on to race, and to give them the confidence to compete in the longer distances especially, then these events will go the same way as the 12 hour.
I agree that it's perfectly possible to enjoy cycling without racing however I doubt you'd join a racing club without at least some interest in the sporting side. It's instructive to see what happens in a club when a bit of enthusiasm is shown, it's a while ago now, but didn't Elgin at one stage have nearly all it's members riding the '12 hour? Some were fast and some were slow, but all appeared to enjoy the experience. Similarly, after years of pathetic grass track entries, ( I mean in numbers, not talent, before I upset anyone) things seem to be looking up. No doubt the encouragement of peterr, by way of race reports and bike lending etc has played a part.
Anyway, best wishes to all those riding and I hope oilskins won't be necessary for anyone marshalling.
