SF Cyclocross Crisis Note
Message from Tom Simpsom regarding training for cx in these parks.
We're not flying under the radar anymore.
Folks, if you love 'cross racing in San Francisco, please heed the following request - because every future event (possibly even 2007) in SF Parks depends upon your cooperation.
The SF Park/Rec. Dept. has had a number of calls from residents near McLaren Park as well as Golden Gate Park. What's their beef? Riders have been practicing on the Crocker-Amazon run-up and playfields and GG Park has seen significant trail use near the Polo Fields course.
Park/Rec grants permits only for course set-up day and the event itself - they figure their parks can absorb that much impact just once a year. But the continuous training activities in the last month have really caught their attention - and that means we have a very serious potential to lose legitimate access to all SF Parks for races.
What can we do? * Stop all training in these 2 parks * If you know of trail markings or course directional materials, please remove them from McLaren and Crocker-Amazon playfields and GG Park Polo Field areas.
We are guests in these parks. We used to be able to stay under the radar when 'cross was less visable and less popular - that's no longer the case. The sport has grown to the point where we can't take over public facilies ad hoc - we risk losing the permitted race courses that have been very tough to obtain - and we'll get chased out by Park Rangers.
Sincerely,
Tom Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Alec Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Paule Bates - Roaring Mouse
We're not flying under the radar anymore.
Folks, if you love 'cross racing in San Francisco, please heed the following request - because every future event (possibly even 2007) in SF Parks depends upon your cooperation.
The SF Park/Rec. Dept. has had a number of calls from residents near McLaren Park as well as Golden Gate Park. What's their beef? Riders have been practicing on the Crocker-Amazon run-up and playfields and GG Park has seen significant trail use near the Polo Fields course.
Park/Rec grants permits only for course set-up day and the event itself - they figure their parks can absorb that much impact just once a year. But the continuous training activities in the last month have really caught their attention - and that means we have a very serious potential to lose legitimate access to all SF Parks for races.
What can we do? * Stop all training in these 2 parks * If you know of trail markings or course directional materials, please remove them from McLaren and Crocker-Amazon playfields and GG Park Polo Field areas.
We are guests in these parks. We used to be able to stay under the radar when 'cross was less visable and less popular - that's no longer the case. The sport has grown to the point where we can't take over public facilies ad hoc - we risk losing the permitted race courses that have been very tough to obtain - and we'll get chased out by Park Rangers.
Sincerely,
Tom Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Alec Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Paule Bates - Roaring Mouse
posted by funkdaddy at 2:10 PM
52 Comments:
Tommy -
Can you clarify: what is the issue here? Do the parks prohibit trail use for cyclists except during permitted races?
Or is this just a case of haters in the neighborhood targeting a recognizable subculture? What's the deal?
This was clearly only a matter of time. Even in like '03 and '04 the looks were growing. Moving here to Boulder, the same has occurred...to the extent of being chased out by parks and rec pickup trucks driven by fairly worked up people.
So this year what’s up? We got advocacy! I have no idea if Funke or any one of the SF peeps have done this but what we did was get organized last year to prep for this year. We could see these group training rides getting bigger…and bigger…and people at the parks were getting irate. We nominated some principal folks to stay ahead and ironically ‘visible’ with the P & R people. We presented the case of CX and the need to train and we bartered with the right people for small swatches of land….useless to most but perfect for us. With that out of the way, we got everyone who trained to be ‘on message’. So if anyone complained like a dog walker, hiker, etc, we could explain who we are, what we’re doing….and the fact that this was deemed OK by Boulder P & R. We ended up with one fairly crappy park and one awesome park (North Boulder Park…home to some of those famous mid-80’s final stage crits of the Coors Classic and Zinger). It’s a fairly rad all grass park. The rules we have to abide by are no riding on it when the grass is wet or frozen and ‘share the trail’ rules at all times. We’ve dinged retards who can not follow by that. Also, quid pro quo is in effect and we’ve applied volunteers for various P & R advocacy things.
So while it seems obvious, it all came down to a select few ‘crossers taking their own personal time to meet with City people and present the issues. Bottom line is that SF is a way bigger city than Boulder which is understandable, but the work’s got to be done if you all don’t want to exit the City, ride over the GG Bridge and do hot laps up in the Headlands (where you’ll be ostracized). The SF parks and rec people would have a hard time trying to argue tha 'vast use' and 'pristine beauty' of that little sandy area by Chain of Lakes drive. I remember more needles, old shoes, car bumpers and bum forts than I care to. But it was an uber rad place to secret train!
Anyways, the advocacy thing’s worked like a charm for this season and all seems copacetic. We hope...
‘Cross on!
The SF crew will always get together and do our thing. Sorry to the neighbors, sorry to the park police, sorry to the dog walkers, we will always unite and ride these places. Even if we have to pull a pirate race at GGP weekly.
As far as Simpson goes, maybe he should come out and have fun when we have our dresses on.
And Funke, you organized some of this stuff and blogged about it, then now say to stop?
The SF crew will not be denied, and we will always unite and make sure we can use this area.
I feel a critical mass demonstration coming on.
maybe we left our course markings out there from the pirate races, and beer cans, and so on, but there is no way we will stop riding these area's.
It is our back yard!
So you think its ok to leave trash in the state parks? It only takes one person with this attitude to ruin it for everyone else. My vote is to try to leave the park in as good condition or better (pick up some trash)then when you showed up and maybe we can all get along!
I live 1 block from GGP, and I'll be riding pieces and parts as I please. I tend to ride alone and I don't post anything on the internet. Nobody tells me where I can ride. Live free or die!
I dont get it?
I live 3 blocks from GGP
Yet T. Simpson can come along and put on a over crowded event in the park and do a bunch of trail damage, and have people walking all over the bushes off the trails, but then ask me not to go ride and practice in my own area.
He asks this just to save his own event, but what about the folks like me who live here, ride here, and train here regularly.
He has impacted us with his event and then says to not have our fun, times, which for me is 4 days a week of riding this area. All so Simpson can have his event and tear up the place and leave more damage and trail use then my mid week group rides ever could.
There is no way a outside group, like Simpson, should tell me to not ride these trails and then they come and trash the place and try to make a profit off of my local park.
I will have a word with the Rangers and when I see Simpson out on the trails riding regularly like I do, then I will consider his requests, but for us locals, this area was a great place to ride and have our group get togethers long before Simpson's event has come along and really did damage and destruction to the trails.
I feel I am to blame for much of this. I organized group training rides in GGP near the Polo fields. In all honesty I was a little taken aback at the turnout at the rides - people were coming to these rides from well outside of the city. We did our best to be courteous, but I do think there were too many of us at once on those trails every week. I think perhaps it was these rides, not DFL nor any other riders on other rides solo or otherwise, that caused the problems in GGP.
In the future, if I ever resume training, I will either train solo or with a small group in a less popular area in the park that does not jeopardize our access to the trails.
It is my back yard too - I live 2 blocks from the park and do almost all of my training there. So we must ask ourselves: do we want to trash our back yard? do we want to have access to our back yard cut off?
I do not expect cyclocross to cease to exist in the parks nor will I cease to ride in the park, but I would hate to give anyone at SF Parks reason to (a) ban CX events from the park, or worse, (b) close more trails to bikes in the park. I do NOT want to be a part of that, and I don't think anyone else in the so-called "SF crew" does either.
Many of you know that when I am able, I am one of the first to don a dress and fly the flag for DFL. With the greater numbers of cx enthusiasts out there, I just ask that we show the utmost respect for our public parks and our fellow park users.
Peace,
-Funke
No Offense,
but those trails and park fields and open spaces Tom speaks of were there long before he came along and put on events. And people were already there using them and riding them long before any of his events took place. Really it is the big events who have created this issue, not local riding.
To ask locals to not apply use to places they used for years long before his races came along is a joke.
I am on the other side of the bridge, and I use certain parks for my team cross workouts and other cycling workouts, and while there is some complaints from other park users, really we all get along. San Fran is the same as Marin in that many park users need to respect each other and communicate. It really is the events that come in and create chaos where locals have tried to establish their niche for riding in these parks. I never want to see some event come in and use a area, and then ask the true locals to not use these places, or else!
This advice could only be from someone who is out of touch with the locals, and someone who has their own agenda.
M.W.
let me start my saying that my opinion is more legit than the rest of you "locals" - cuz i don't live near ggp - i live in it! i've also been riding 'cross for the past 67 years. about 5 years ago i gave up all my worldly possessions and moved into the park with just my cross bike and my tent. i wake up every morning, eat some barriers for breakfast, and then start training. so this is basically my turf, and y'all better back off. long live homeless cross!
yeah simpson and the rest of you fools, i am homeless too, here in the park, with my computer of course, just like the other loser who lives in his tent with his computer going strong. well i dont want any events taking place where my turf gets messed with. just like the other tent living bearded boy, we like our trails and turf not messed with by some long haired or over weight promoters.
just let me lay here in the trees and bushes with my desk top computer hooked up to a shopping cart, and let me ride the trails i live on un bothered by some cycling events that do nothing but wake me up before noon. my opinion is way more legit then you all cause i live in the bushes and trees of the park, not even a tent.
tom you have got to be kidding me! you don't even live here.
Funke, it's diplomatic of you to say it's not DFL, but I was training out at the end of the park where DFL had raced the week prior and was approached by a guy saying he'd call the Park/Rec Dept. if he saw another event like that because people know that's not a sanctioned event. But can we blame DFL? I don't think so--look what not publishing times/locations of races online got them as an attempt to be more low profile: over 140 racers in the first race and similar turnouts in the subsequent events. Anonymous posters should be honest here: those 2 DFL's trash the park at least as much as one Pilarcitos race.
If there's going to be blame here, let's just blame that too many people have figured out how fun CX is.
It's pretty weak to bash Tom for promoting one large event in GGP per year, and irresponsible to say that it's the Pilarcitos event drawing all the ire of other park users. If you're in GGP often on the weekends then you know there are constantly large events using the park. One CX race is not the problem. If you're posting here telling Tom he has "his own agenda," um, duh--Pilarcitos wants to keep putting on great CX races in our area, using great venues like GGP. Wake up: he's alerting you that the growing CX scene, if it as a whole doesn't listen, then there could be no GGP race, and those trails could become illegal. It makes no sense to try and create antipathy between CX riders and race promoters who put the races on for us.
I train in both Mclaren and GGP and don't plan on stopping that. It's true that there's some evidence of the increased trail use in GGP--the sand pit in particular has gotten a lot sandier. But by and large those trails look pretty good to me. There are only a few little sections like loose corners, etc. that show the wear of frequent use.
It seems out of line for Park/Rec to be blaming Pilarcitos for people training in GGP. If the GGP race were to be cancelled it would have zero impact on how many people ride CX bikes or MTBikes there.
For the short term I'll mostly ride further out in GGP, and I don't use that run-up in Mclaren. I didn't think that many people trained in Mclaren anyway...anyone?
Y'all lay off Tom Simpson. No promoter is perfect (or has perfect motives) but without them we would not have real races in cool venues. Let's all share the park a little.
Why doesn't DFL find another (new) venue that way Tom can exploit it as well.
Maybe we should stop pointing blame ( except towards the unruly homeless ones) and marinate on some realities...
It seems to me that 'a few phone calls to park & Rec' is probably true of any event thrown in the park - permits or not. I bet the Aids walk and Run to the Far Side get complaints. So quit playing that card so hard, especially at Crocker - home of the broken glass quarry.
It seems to me that Pilarcitos has gained from the rougue crew by following their lead to great locations ( Candlestick, Crocker) and even using some of the excellent connector trails that were scouted and initialized by said rougues... which may not have been allowed with your permit.
It would also appear that a quality pre-season series only increases the fitness of the athletes and makes for a more competitive and eventful Pilarcitios series.
It also seems like it would be very difficult to shut down the 'training rides' if Crirtical Mass has been any example.
Maybe it is time for more name calling.....
Nah - I actually like what Greg was saying about Boulder. It would be awesome to get the city to allot Crocker and a space in GGP as 'Bicycle Zones' and allow us to improve some existing trails as well as build a few more suitable new ones. Hell they are dumping a million bucks in to Crocker's new Artificial Turf Stadium... and you know its an outcast area when their is a Skate Park already there.
Does that solve who is to blame- who cares.
I think more people should be out riding their bikes, and have no idea why whoever started this thing is trying to discourage people from doing so.
In case you are not following the more banal sectors of cycling - Urban Bike parks are the rage ( See Seattle) and so is High School Mountain Biking. So lets Do IT For The Kids ( that one seems to work in most cases)
Maybe I need to smoke another bowl - but it seems that in a scenario where the city makes a legal bike park we might all come out ahead...
Training rides could spontaneously happen because its legal to ride your bike.
The Nimby complainers would be able to roam the area as free and safe as they always were - but be able to cope with others having fun due to some subtle legal language.
And Pilarcitos would still be able to hold there events with the comfort of knowing 'other citizens of sf county' will be voluntarily improving the home of their Race Event with new trails. That top me seems like dream perk - no sweat, no money, better course.
SF County wins by getting some free labor to improve a poorly kept dump of a park, gets good publicity from a TWO key demographics in the City ( cyclists, parents and their kids)...... as well as it would begin to set the table for the next anonymous cycling legend to come by and actually START a High School MTB or CROSS team for the City. They can not come forward and launch that dream until we have provided a legitmate place for them to 'practice'.
wasn't that what we were talking about .....'Practice'
Oh Shit i just fell off my soap box and twisted my ankle
Now pass me that bowl - i got a tent to pitch in GGP!
I dream of what nobody612 proposes...and every time I go thru the ever-growing frisbee golf area and see how they're installing freakin' bordered walkways, gravel tees, and whatever the hell those basket things are I wonder what they're doing right to get the permission to do this to our park. Then I wonder what we cyclists - surely a larger community - can do to be granted access to an area of the park for our own purposes...
Okay, I tried I really did. I For once I wanted to be that guy that says “can’t we all just get along” and break into the chorus of “Kumbaya”. Age may have turned my hair semi grey and maybe I don’t get an immediate erection every time I see a stylish tranny prancing up and down Polk St. But fortunately age has not diminished my shit stirrer gene. I have to admit the SimpsomasterBate’s post chaffed my ass worse than racing cross in my girl friend’s vintage 1977 baby doll dress and thong. Oh wait, the dress is mine but the thong is definitely hers.
I know the people that take issue with your post wouldn’t be so polarized if you guys would have simply come out and said something like, “Hey fellow crossers, we got a really sweet deal charging people 35 bucks to race in the park and if people ride the trails illegally or heaven forbid continue to put on outlaw races, it could fuck up our gig”
I personally think you guys put on a good race. And I certainly appreciated the effort. But guys with all due respect who the hell do you think you are? These are our parks and it’s just not cool for you guys to suggest how we should use them, especially considering your agenda and your seeming lack of respect for long standing tradition of outlaw riding racing in these parks.
(Music Please) San Francisco has a rich history of alley cat and outlaw races as well as illegal trail poaching. These races are an integral part of our unique bicycle subculture. I know people like Eric Zoe held his outlaw sprint races on the Polo Field track back in the early 80’s, And the Vulcan Velo crew put on an outlaw cyclo cross race in Mclaren even before dlf. We’ve held 4 California Crusty Cruiser Cup single speed races in these parks. And we’ve been doing our Urban-Outlaw-Cyclo-Cross-Dress series for 14 years. Anyone who as ever participated in one of our races knows it’s definitely not about the money. And here’s a news flash, we could continue to “fly under the radar” and people could continue to poach the trails in these parks another 20 years regardless of how popular cyclo cross becomes if people like the Pilarcitos promoters didn’t try to capitalize on our deal and then have the audacity to suggest we should go elsewhere.
The last time some clueless self-righteous cyclo cross promoter inspired the dfl’ers this much we packed our bikes and dresses and jumped on a fight to Seattle armed with banners and signs. I hope you guys are secure in your manhood because we can ride our bikes to the park.
Can you say "Heckle"?
Funke,
Ya know I luv ya, and you're definitely a hottie in a dress, but dude we don't want to have to ask for permission or get permits or be legitimate. We just want to go into the park and ride our bikes. And if we get chased out by the rangers or police once in a while, well then we just have a better story to tell.
No offense but "Frisbee Golfers" are a bunch of stoner pussies.
Since most of the crossers are wearing dresses maybe those "outlaw" cross races it could promote it as a gaylesbianbitransexualtransgeneder event and if anyone criticizes it in any way we can just say they're prejudice against gaylesbiantransexualtransgender people and we can have a big rally and Rev Al, Rosie O, and CNN!
Didn't Tom Simpson die in 1965 while riding Le Tour on acid or something?
And as far as recreation riding in the park, just don't roll through any of shooting galleries. Let the junkies shoot dope in peace!
I have to agree that as a SF City Resident(S.F.C.R), Tom is out of line to ask anyone to do anything for him. I asked that guy for a free race entry because I did some bicycle advocacy here in the city and he plain cold shot me down. He said he will not do this. It was all about him making money. It seemed he was not in it to help others, but truly in it to help himself. I just stopped going to his events because I felt used by a individual who was not in touch with the core group who likes to do cycling in the city. For me, I was shocked that he would have the nerve to ask others to stop riding these places, when I asked him for some help, and he did nothing but give me reasons why he could not bend a little and reward those who help make the cycling scene go here in the first place.
I used these area's before him and I will continue to use these area's. And I have personal reltationships with other park users who like local cycling and are friendly with local cyclists. These are the people who matter. But he seemd so out of touch, except in touch with his making money at the expense of others.
Maybe after you good citizens tackle the cyclocross crisis you can do something about those damn skateboarders! They ride around on their boards in the street banging on benches and curbs. They don't even have helmets or uniforms!
The biggest problem with those unsanctioned cross races is that while the race is going on there is very often another group of men hanging out in that same area. They aren't quite as noticeable but what they are doing is just as important as racing cross. They're trying to meet that special someone that you can only meet in the bushes in GGP. Let's do away with the unsanctioned cross races, don't let them stand in the way of love!
how is it you know of this? are the practice races standing in the way of your love triangle with the other men in th park? or are you just so taken back by so many men wearing dresses that it is simply too much for you to handle, since all of them look so tempting to you?
Blanco, I wouldn't expect DFL to ask permission for anything...that would just be wrong.
Wow, what a world we live in. Talk about divergent realities: I'm just a lonely cross rider west of Santa Rosa getting back into the sport after not racing for 15 years. Where I live, there are miles and miles of fire roads and closed dirt county roads that all lead to some crazy fun single track descent. In my many hours of riding I have not run across one rider and am crying out to have someone to enjoy CX with. I read all of these rantings and wish that just a fraction of you guys lived up here so you wouldn't have to deal with such BS. Being a surfer, I have traveled all over the world for waves. Being Cx'rs, why don't you guys travel or live where you can do it w/out all the hassle?!
Wait - didnt some of these 'promoter' types actually participate in the Funke/DFL 'training rides'?
Tom Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Alec Simpson - Pilarcitos Cyclesports
Paule Bates - Roaring Mouse
Check the roster - I think I saw them listed as Ms Hypocrite.
I like the idea of an actual Cyclo Cross Training Area set up in the city. I want to see the the inner city youth league kick ass on their stolen bikes...... i hear they almost had another one
But I would not want a land greedy, parasitic organization like PARACITO's getting off for free.
I would think they would need to invest some of there profit into the cause for Promotion and awareness campaigns. They would also need to be more hospitable towards fellow crossers and come to the table with generatimng volunteer manpower to the cause.
But it certainly sounds funner to heckle the crap out of them and drive them nuts
Dear denizens of the NorCal CX community,
What's with the hate? A few phonecalls from some crusty dog walkers to the park and rep. folks and we're infighting and making threats. That's really all it takes to get us all to turn on each other?
Tom is a capitalist. He makes a little bit of cash throwing a few races every season. He's also been intimately involved in helping other promoters out for a long time now, both on the road and in the dirt.
Personally, I like his races, and I'm not eager for them to disappear.
Said Tom gets an earful from PaR, puts out a global email on a listserv, and then everyone gets offended like he's knocking on their own front door. Do you really think Tom is so quixotic that he thought his little email was going to prevent CXers from enjoying the Park? Come on folks. Tom's not an idiot, and he's not chasing windmills. He's just making it known to the masses that some of us could stand to do a little bit better job minding our manners on the trails that we love.
If anything, Tom is our advocate, not our enemy. Right now, we are our own worst enemy. Not only are we instantly infighting like spoiled little cretins, but some of us are quick to ignore some pretty sound advice from other posters. Mainly, organize. Contact PaR. Make your plea.
Like Funke mentions, if the Frisbee freaks can get PaR to make concessions then we can too. And that being the case, Tom is one of the better connected folks out there that might be able to help make that happen.
I don't know how many of you have been involved in throwing and promoting races, but it's a massive headache, and there are very few people doing it for the money. Most do it for the love of the sport, and many others are giving all of their proceeds to charity. It's a tough, often thankless business, an a LOT of hardwork goes into it.
It's a little bit disturbing right now that some of you are so quick to jump for the throat. Tom doesn't think he's God and that his word is law. Just ride your bike, but be more careful. Especially for you local, mostly solo riders, this isn't even about you.
Hmmm. Lots of interesting comments. Typical of our wonderful community. I stand by the plea that Tom put out. However, please stop calling Chris at Roaring Mouse Cycles and leaving opinions with him. The shop has nothing to do with this email. Chris has donated full bikes as prizes for the last two years at the Pilarcitos series. Leave the shop alone. Call me and rant, 415-215-9484. My name is Paule Bates. If you get my voice mail, leave a number so I can call you back.
I work for Pilarcitos at the events and I work my friggin' ass off at these races. I do it because I love the sport, our community and want to make a difference. Hell yeah, we are getting filthy rich off the parks we use in the races. The Simpsons and I have fantasized about quitting our soul sucking day jobs and doing race promotion full time. It's a fun discussion but pointless.
The problem with the email we put out is that we stated a problem and offered no solution. Yeah, the complaints are coming from a bunch of haters or people who could never understand even with electro shock therapy. They will always complain, fuck 'em. At the Crank Bros race in GGP, I had an irate crazy woman stalk and berate me even though we told her we were legit. Whatever, you can't please everyone. MTB access has the same issues. Want to hear some crazy ass stuff, go to a trail access meeting in Woodside. Horse people are the worse.
Yup, I raced at the DFL races. I love them and would miss them if we can't get this worked out. I'm just as guilty as the other 125+ people...wow think about that number. What were there two years ago, 60ish? You think people are going to notice us? I couldn't help but have a shitty feeling that we were pushing the envelope with those numbers. But my selfish desire to hang out in a dress with my friends was too overpowering. Shit, i'm proud to tell people I race in a dress.
The "outlaw" series belongs in our community just as much as CCCX, Livermore and that promotional juggernaught, Pilarcitos. We need to figure out how to make it legit enough so that we can continue having all of them. Ask the promoters how much shit they go through for land access. Ask how much they have to spend to repair grounds after an event. I remember getting 10 Mouse team members out to roll a log back in GGP.
I will gladly participate in a movement to get our own land. Why couldn't Crocker, GGP and Candlestick Point have permanent cross courses. There's a fucking golf course in the city. At least we aren't dumping assloads of chemicals into the ground water. Hell, i hate my day job and I'm a great grouchy old bastard, might as well use that time to do something productive. Who else is willing to help, or do you just want to sit around and post stupid shit anonymously while we lose a great part of our community.
Great post prior to mine. Email me. sspaule@earthlink.net. Hell, tell some of those bush dwellers to email me too. Maybe we can team up with them for the end of the park that no one likes but us and them. Strength in numbers and all that.
Word! So Tom has a business promoting races. People, putting on races is WORK. He SHOULD be getting paid! Are there really this many people on here that don't want his races to occur? Just because he's got a business putting on races so you can race?
We are damned lucky to have promoters like Tom putting on races. Isn't the whole idea here to have a race on saturday and sunday every weekend? Do you want to race or not?
I imagine that when the rangers get complaints about cyclocross practices in the park, Tom is the only person in our community that they can contact. Tom is just relating the message that if the group practice sessions don't tone it down, there will be some kind of a crack down on cross practice in the park and no more racing.
Sooo, if we're not allowed to "practice" in the parks any more, where are you going to steal your ideas for Pilarcitos racecourses from, Tom?
Chuck Scarpelli said;
Just a thought, for puttin' some work/fun
sweet transtions........
easy access............
no hassles.............
the Presidio
peace
Peace...my sentiments exactly.
Enough with the misplaced anger. Tom is just stating the obvious - our sport is growing and we need to face it. This isn't about us or them, promoter or racer, dresses or kits, this is about the fact that we have a growing sport and no legitimate place to practice or hold races unless we go through the hassle of getting permits or take the chance of getting kicked out of great venues forever.
Stop attacking the messenger and let's move on.
We are a small close-knit community with no room for this kind of crap.
So, next steps...I for one would be happy to try and help in any way possible. If someone has contact info for people at SF P&R, I'd be happy to try and get in front of them. How about we get a group together to discuss how we can go about getting permanent land for our use in the Park? I'd bet we have some folks on this list who are members of the SF Bike Coalition, and I'm sure they would be a huge help to us in accomplishing something positive. How about getting together and brainstorming about fixing this? There are a lot of constructive things we could be doing.
Jumping off my soap box.
Let me know what I can do to help.
Julie Bates
i never heard of cross racing, but i feel your pain brothers. do you race with a full sized cross on your back, or just a little cross like people wear around their necks? tell me what size to bring and i will meet you next week.
actually cross racing is tom simpsons invention, check with him about the does and donts of this type of activity, and he will recommend what you do and dont.
organization and advocacy - why does anybody need that? It does not sound like much fun
I know some are asking that question as you fantasize about beating a life size pinata of your favorite local race promoter.
Well how many of you are MEMBERS of the SFBC ? Why is it that you support or joined them?
Probably the same reasons many are talking about CycleCross advocacy now - to gain some equality with the other user groups, and have a voice in the community.
But maybe it was just for Free Beer and Prizes at Winterfest every year
As for "trashing" GGP ... it was nothing but sand a century ago, it's not like Yosemite or something.
But I love doing both the DFL and the "sanctioned" races, and I'll do what they want to make them happen. If DFL wants me to wear a dress, I'll dress like a slut. If Pilarcitos wants me to not run over dog walkers on the trails, I won't ride the trails during CX season.
But during the week, if I'm running a long tag in the avenues and I need to cut through the park, well, you know, I might not be able to keep a wheel off the dirt.
-- Chris Rocket
It was just a matter of time..
Remember when punk rock was cool?
No?
Then you probably weren't there ether.
GGP is only good for taking a crap, shooting coyotes and gay sex. Why anyone would want to ride bikes there is beyond me.
Chuck, are you aware of the firestorm that occurred after '99 Nationals in the Presidio that pretty much has banned CX from the Presidio for eternity? Something to do with a dead bird that had nothing to do with the event and "disturbing" the environmentally pristine demolished parking lot where the event occurred.
Less hassles? You're lucky then. I got a $200 ticket for rolling thru a stop sign at <5mph. FYI since the Presidio is National Park land, any infraction of the law amounts to a federal offense. Even DFL won't touch it with a 10' stick...
BTW the hypocrisy goes both ways.
i.e. how many of the these anonymous Simpson bashers have done and will continue to register for Pilarcitos events? We'll never know, but we know you do and we know you will, because they are great races, yo.
And to the poster complaining of Tom not giving a free entry because you do bike advocacy - a lot of us do a lot of things to promote our sport/activity/access - should we all get free passes?
Josh makes a great point that putting on races is work and as such they are entitled to get paid for it.
If you don't like it, don't support it.
Yes, you can race jungle-cross for free, and with it comes a degree of risk (injury, incarceration, etc.). You can also pay money to race a sanctioned event, and get a closed course, insurance, officiating...
It's all fun and it's YOUR choice.
FUNKE FOR KING!
Well, as always there's some worthwhile things being written here and as always there's a bunch of idiocy being spewed as well. Funkee-D brings up some good points and doesn't run from his responsibility as a proponent of park riding/racing.
Personally, I gotta take everything T. Simpson says with a grain of salt...even though I'll take the start at any one of his races...even though the entry fees go up and up... even though the prize lists go down and down... So why do I take the start? Because it's a race and I want to race and sometimes it's the only game in town.
And then there's the anti-establishment in your face crew. Yeah, there's people complaining about us riding. This is news?! People, listen- there's nothing to be gained (as of now) by being confrontational and by continuing as normal. The only way to get what we want in the matter is through communication and diplomacy. Sorry, people- we gotta talk it out with the complainers and/or authorities. Be progressive and be positive and use your brains...maybe we'll get what we want after all.
And if all that fails? Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meanwhile, let's ride!
Many of you seem to think that Pilarcitos is making money hand over fist at these races. Have any of you looked into the cost of permits?
So Tom is land hungry?
He's "stealing" the DFL location?
"Tom's such a dick."
Tom just wants to be able to keep putting on a cool ass race at a cool ass venue. I think what he's trying to do is get people to be a touch more aware of the fact that it's a PUBLIC park and just like cyclists have a right to use it so do dog walkers, parents, kids, seniors, whatever. So instead of practically running someone over because you have to do an interval, give them a second to pass and do another interval.
Stealing the venue? How can it be stolen if it was never a sanctioned event? Don't get me wrong, I think the DFL races are cool as hell. But pick up your beer cans and maybe have some "undercover" course marshals to warn other park users so they don't get run over.
Those of you just ranting about the rights of the "SF crew" and "stealing venues" and other such nonsense should take a second and try to come up with a solution instead of screaming loud but not saying anything.
Also, anyone complaining as an anonymous post is a straight up B***
DFL? Is that the group that sits at the top of the tuesday ride smoking dope. Nice representation for the rest of us riders! Do any of them have a job, pay any taxes or otherwise actually contribute to society in any way? They are just a few days removed from actually living in the park themselves. Instead of "dead fucling last", most of them should accept the name "dead fucking losers"! The holigans of the bicycle community. I actually was riding through the park one day and saw one of them (I have seen this same guy in the Depot area of Mill Valley many times, we all know who he is) squatting, taking a dump right on the side of the road in plain view of even cars passing by! What a scumball! I have heard he makes his living selling weed. Guys like him make us all look bad! Maybe you DFL guys should clean up your act or at least take away the jerseys of the guys in your group that make you look sooooo bad. When you wear your team jersey, you are highly visible to all!
respectable racer of 30 years
This is for Mr Respectable
or more appropriately Mr Half-a-Testicle
Please dont come on board and think you are so above others... (especially annonymously)
Unless of course you are wiping your ass with Gold Plated Toilet Paper .
I know, I know - You are such a pillar of the cycling community it would damage the entire city if you were to actually identify yourself in this scrum......... we are glad you take yourself so seriously
Thanks for taking the high road - its apparently the only one us losers know how to folllow.
So what makes your Chamois so Golden? (besides pissing on yourself, becuase you apparently never have roadside emergencies)
Why not primer your 'respectability' with some of your personal efforts that have benefitted the overall cycling community.... (hopefully you at least have some)
I smoke lots of dope, I Am proud to be DFL, and I contribute heavily to benefit off-road cycling in the Bay Area. I have a lengthy list of volunteering my free time in San Francisco, Marin, the Penninsula and beyond.
I am not blindly saying DFL is perfect, we know we are not. We have flaws both individually and as a group like the rest of the world ( yours included).
What I am saying is very few of you blog watchers actually do anything that makes a difference to the cycling community....... yet you feel inclined to open your mouths and say nothing.
I for one would rather be part of a DFL crew that at least makes an effort to bring something unique and interesting to a city THAT CAN HANDLE IT.
Too bad many of you can not see the subtext of the situation and realize that sometimes the real story is not what you see or hear on the surface.
It is rather what it rerpresents and means within the context of the larger scope of things.
your homework assignment:
I want to hear your scholarly opinions of just how and why we should kill off Critical Mass so it does not keep negatively affecting the goodwork of the SFBC.
We all know Critical Mass is promoting cycling in a negative manner. It sends all the wrong signals because it disturbs the status quo, and everyone who participates is surely a cretin or loser. There is also no political arm in which to wrestle - meaning it is powerless and should be easily dispatched.
thanks for your time
Nobody
Dear Mr. DFL Nobody,
You are aptly named and you didn't have to tell us that "you smoke lot's of dope", that is readily apparent! And why do you want the other guy to reveal himself when you don't. He was right and you know it as well as the rest of us.
another respectable racer
Hey, easy on the DFL guys, they revel in their bad reputation. When they take off their cycling jerseys, they don their other colors.....Hells Angels Oakland! They have earned their "Filthy Few" patches many times over. Remember, we all have to have some bad apples!
By the way, are there not public toilets in GGP? Hmmmmmmm......
The guy who was taking a dump on the side of the road was a fella that went by the name of Steveo.
Hes dead now, so the respectable bike racers dont have to worry about him tarnishing their good name any longer.
God bless the DFL,
smoking pot is for stoners,
and 'Mr. Respectable' will be a fantastic name for my soon to be launched website celebrating necrophilia.
Thanks for the inspiration.
xo,
Steve Smith
I think Mr.Respectable could use a hit or two of some "dope"...
Stoners=losers=DFL
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