Team organization
and benefits for the 2010 season
Updated:
September 2009
Michael Engberson
umb@madsci.com
801-653-2689 (UMB office 9-5 M-F)
UtahMountainBiking.com office
169 West Main St.
Lehi, UT 84143
Bruce Argyle
bruce@utahmountainbiking.com
801-756-3432 (home) 801-592-0099 (cell)
UMB Team Guidance Committee
Bruce Argyle, Michael Engberson, Jay Griffin, Jason Sparks.
Intermountain Cup Race Series
Bruce Argyle
bruce@utahmountainbiking.com
801-756-3432 (home) 801-592-0099 (cell)
Jason Sparks
Jason.sparks@besd.net
435-230-0447 (cell)
Sundance/Soldier Hollow Series – (no squad organized yet)
Solitude Weekday Race Series – (no squad organized yet)
Downhill and Super-D Racing – (no squad organized yet)
Endurance (long distance) Racing – (no squad organized yet)
Race Information:
Intermountain Cup
ICup email: icupracing@yahoo.com
Cyclocross
www.sundanceresort.com/explore/sum_biking_races.html
Other regional events
UMB Race Team Forum: www.utahmountainbiking.com/UMBphpBB2/index.php and click on UMB Race Team. (You won’t see this forum unless you provide your forum username to Mike for authorization, then check in under that username.)
Joining a team instantly gives you a “family” at the race site. Suddenly you have a group of friends to help you fix your bike, lend you supplies, offer advice, and cheer for you. The UtahMountainBiking.com team is famous for its group spirit. We’re here to race hard, but also to enjoy the company. Joining the team costs nothing, but provides a lot of benefits and good times.
The team can also be your transportation source for car-pooling to races, or a way of sharing a motel room (or a tent) with someone you know. We can even lend you a bike to race when yours is broken.
The UtahMountainBiking.com team has subgroups called squads. A squad consists of the racers who want to participate in a particular racing series or type of race. Our main group is the Intermountain Cup squad. Racers who want to race in the fall Cyclocross series are another squad. A racer can participate on more than one squad.
There’s no “qualifying” process, and all are welcome. If you want to race on the UtahMountainBiking.com team, simply sign up. Provide the following information to Bruce:
Your name
Racing interest – Squad(s): ICup, Cyclocross, DH,
Solitude, Sundance/Soldier Hollow
Username on the UMB forum (register yourself under this username first)
Email address
Mailing address
Phone number
Bike model (optional)
Racing history (optional)
Anything particularly interesting about yourself (optional)
If you’re just starting out, we can lend you a team jersey. But plan to buy one ASAP – ICup rules specify that team members should wear a common uniform.
Once you’ve registered with us, specify UtahMountainBiking.com as your team when you register for any race.
Team benefits (see below) become valid at your first race as
a UMB team member.
To buy team clothing, go to the UMB web site and click on “Shop,” or call Mike at UMB (801-653-2689). If you want to test the sizes, RSVP with Mike and come to our storefront in Lehi. On request, we can bring team clothing to a race for try-out and purchase. Only the jersey is required by ICup rules. The shorts and socks are excellent quality at low cost, and are optional. These are the prices for race team members:
UMB Team Jersey: $60 (may change depending on our
costs)
UMB Team Shorts: $45
UMB Team Socks: $5
Team T-shirts:
$5
Sign-up: “Sign-ups” are racers who’ve announced their intention to race for UMB, but haven’t made their first race. Team Sign-ups will be listed on a separate area of the team roster until they complete their first race as a UMB rider. Sign-ups receive no special team benefits, but may participate in some team activities (such as training rides or race-course pre-rides). A sign-up will be dropped off the roster if they don’t race for the team within 18 months.
Sign-up Benefits:
UMB Team discount on Team
Jersey, Shorts, and Socks
Authorization to enter the
UMB Race Team forum section
Dabbler: Dabbler racers are those who’ve completed at least one race as a UMB team member, but haven’t raced enough to qualify as an “Active Team” member. A Dabbler may be a new team member who is just “testing the waters” of racing, or an experienced racer who can only race occasionally. A Dabbler racer graduates to Active status after completing 4 ICup races within one season as a UMB race team member. Dabbler racers are eligible for team freebies: 1GU per race, Gatorade at races, assistance with bike-repair at races, race-completion merchandise (see below), and raffles. There is no guaranteed discount at the UMB store for Dabbler racers, however the store manager may offer Active Team discount to Dabblers who are pre-registered for at least 4 races in the current season, or extend a discount to Veteran Dabblers on a case-by-case basis. A Dabbler racer keeps the Dabbler-level benefits as long as he or she has raced at least once in either the previous or current season.
Dabbler Racer Benefits:
UMB Team discount on Team Jersey, Shorts, and Socks
1 GU per race
Gatorade at races
Bike repair assistance at races only
Race-completion merchandise
Participation in raffles
Team dinners
Active: After completing four races within one season, a UMB team member is considered a member of the Active Team. (These races must be significant events that are promoted to all racers in the region, for example the five series listed above under “Race Information.”) Active Team members receive expanded team freebies (up to 2 GU packets per race, Gatorade at races, assistance with bike-repair and bike tuning either at races or by appointment, race-completion merchandise, and raffle entries) and are offered a discount on orders through the UMB store. A racer remains on Active Team by having completed 4 races in either the previous or the current racing season.
Active Racer Benefits:
UMB discount on Team Jersey, Shorts, and Socks
Acive racer UMB store discount (see “Ordering from UMB Store” below)
2 GU packets per race
Gatorade at races
Bike repair assistance at races or by appointment
Race-completion merchandise
Participation in raffles
Team dinners
Veteran: A Veteran team member is a racer who has completed 10 races. Veterans who race actively (four or more races per year) receive all Active Team benefits. The team business manager, at his discretion, may offer deeper discounts on equipment to a Veteran, or may extend “Active-level” benefits to a Veteran who’s racing but doesn’t qualify as Active.
Reserve: If an Active or Dabbler racer fails to complete any ICup races within a season, that rider is moved to the Reserve Team. The rider’s information remains on the team roster for one more year (unless the rider resigns from the team by notifying Bruce). There are no benefits provided to Reserve Team racers. A Reserve Team member who races again converts to Dabbler status.
Booster: A Booster might not race, but is considered a UMB race team member because he/she provides significant ongoing services to the team racers. A booster (whether racing or not) receives the Active Team discount on purchases at the UMB store, and is provided with a free UMB t-shirt upon designation as a Booster, plus other freebies as appropriate based on ongoing service. Boosters are also invited to all team activities including dinners. Boosters are selected by the UMB team guidance committee.
A squad consists of the racers who plan to participate in a particular type of racing (such as downhill) or a specific series of races (such as the Intermountain Cup). Once a group of like-minded riders decides to form a squad, they should select a Squad Captain.
The Squad Captain, either personally or through delegation, oversees team participation in the event series. This may include recruiting new racers to that activity, bringing support items (water, Gatorade, GU packs), establishing a team “home base” (cabana, chairs, table), and documenting the team’s participation (race results, photos).
Once a Squad is organized, a basic budget will be provided by the team for group expenses such as drinks and GU packs at races. Depending on the needs and interests of the racers, a Squad may vote to ask its members for dues to cover additional services to its racers. A Squad may also seek sponsorships independent of the other squads within the UtahMountainBiking.com race team.
So far, the race team has never required dues of any kind. Team expenses have been covered through the generosity of Mad Scientist Software, parent company of UtahMountainBiking.com. (Expenses have been somewhat over $20 per racer per season.)
Official UMB activities may vary from year to year. Unless specified otherwise, these are free to all team members. The activities below depend on a team member being willing to donate his or her time to organize and conduct the activity on a volunteer basis.
Group rides: UMB group rides are open to anyone. Any UMB team member can organize or sponsor a group ride. The ride should be posted in the UMB Race Team section of the UtahMountainBiking.com forum, but may be duplicated in the Group Rides section. These rides may include race-course pre-rides.
Training rides: UMB training rides should be specifically designed to improve aerobic fitness or strength, and should include both on-road and trail riding sessions. The group that reports for a training ride may be subdivided according to riding speed. Any UMB team member can organize a training ride and invite other team members. Some UMB team members have excellent leadership, training, and instruction qualifications, and are encouraged to volunteer as leaders for recurring training sessions.
Skills sessions: If the trail offers appropriate terrain, a riding group may plan to interrupt a training ride for a skills session, such as faster switchbacks, climbing skills, technical obstacles, etc. When a skills session is anticipated during a ride, this information should be included when the ride is posted.
Bike maintenance sessions: We’ll try to have at least one bike-repair workshop every season. Learn how to tune your bike and make simple repairs.
Frozen Hog: UtahMountainBiking.com sponsors the Frozen Hog winter bike race in early February. Race team members are encouraged to assist with planning, setup, race logistics, and cleanup. A portion of the Frozen Hog receipts will be used to support the race team, and the remainder is donated.
Race-day Picnics: When the race site and the racing schedule allow it, the Intermountain Cup Squad may have a picnic after the race, to which all team members and accompanying family are invited. Some will be pot-luck events, while the team may provide the food for picnics at more distant races. Watch your email (and the UMB Race Team Forum section) for information, because we may ask for an RSVP for these events.
Season-end Party: After the ICup season ends, we traditionally have a season-end BBQ, free to all UMB racers and families. The usual time is early to mid-September. Our ICup Racer-of-the-Year is honored at this party. Often, we give away a little swag by raffle. For season-based prizes or raffle items, you don’t need to be present to win. RSVPs required for the dinner.
Trailwork: We encourage ALL team members to be involved with trail building and improvement. In the ICup competition, Sport and Expert-class racers can receive individual points toward the season standings by completing trail work. Trail work done by any UMB team member counts toward our team point total. UMB will sponsor at least 2 trailwork sessions per season. Team members will be notified by email, and workdays will be posted on the UMB Race Team forum. Workdays may include pop, snacks, and swag.
A Dabbler racer, or a Sign-up who’s anticipating his or her first race, may request a “mentor” – an experienced racer on the UMB team who races in a category similar to the new racer. The mentor will help the new racer get up to speed, which might include training together, providing race-course information, pre-riding together, meeting before the race to assist with check-in and race preparation, and functioning as cheerleader. Active Team members may volunteer to act as a mentor.
Season Swag: In your first race as a UMB team rider (regardless of which racing specialty you choose), you can chose among: Team t-shirt, UMB water bottle, UMB race team window sticker, white-top team socks, or Biking Power DVD. This offer is subject to the swag being available – IOUs may be extended if necessary. To get your freebie, find your Squad Captain or the team business manager at the race. For the 2010 season, this also applies to old team members returning for another year of racing. Once you complete your four races to qualify for Active Team status for the year, you can select a second freebie! (Freebies and sales at races should be recorded on the UMB At-race Sales Ledger.)
ICup squad race-participation credits: Racers participating in the ICup series can receive additional freebies for completing races (including the first two as above), doing Intermountain Cup qualified trailwork hours, and for finishing a race with team points. (Points are awarded to the top 7 finishers.) Because we consider our team boosters valuable members of our racing family, we award credits for those who spend their day working for the team. It’s your responsibility to keep track of your credits and redeem them appropriately. A worksheet is available on-line. But there are two important conditions: (1) You must complete 4 races and qualify as an Active Team member in order to redeem ANY credits. (2) Credits must be redeemed by December 31 of the year they’re earned.
Racing, I.Cup: Per Intermountain Cup race,
Beginner-class 2 credits
Sport-class 3 credits
Expert-class 4 credits
Team points
earned: 1 credit per point
Other races: 2 credits, if racing wearing
UMB jersey
Trailwork, per hour: 1 credits (up to 8 credits maximum/year)
Race photos: 2 credits to shoot all UMB racers in an entire race*
1 credit for shooting kid’s race
(*If
Beginner and Sport sections start at different times of day,
that’s TWO races. Maximum 2
photographers per race.)
Team
support: 2 credits per race (maximum 2 individuals,
spend entire race day
exclusively working for the
UMB team as mechanic, etc)
Photo credits can be earned on behalf of a racer by a family member or friend, or the non-racer can use the credits to claim swag for themselves. Credits can be redeemed for specific team goodies, or you can elect to convert the credits to “dollars off” on a purchase of items from the UMB store. Each credit equals 25 cents off your purchase. This is in addition to your team member discount.
UMB team socks 10 credits
UMB water bottle 8 credits
UMB race team t-shirt 8 credits
UMB Race Team window sticker 4 credits
Biking Power DVD 10 credits
UMB Trails DVD 10 credits
On-trail first aid kit 8 credits
Team T-shirt: You can get a free race team t-shirt as a freebie. You may also buy additional t-shirts for friends and family at the low price of $5 each.
Season Raffle: Each time you race, your name is entered once in the UMB season raffle. The more races you attend, the greater your chances of winning. Volunteering at the Frozen Hog gives you one raffle entry. At the end of the season, we’ll select winners of these big raffle prizes.
Racer of the Year and other Recognition awards: A special award is given to the team member who’s selected by the guidance committee as UMB Racer of the Year. The selection is based on criteria including team point production, leadership and attitude, personal improvement, and contribution to the team image. Other awards may be given, as voted by the team members.
Veteran Team members may have free fitness testing through UMB. Two tests are available: Graded Exercise Test (GXT) or Power Profile (PP). For accurate results, these should be done on separate days, but can be done sequentially if you’re planning to do it the same way the next time. Testing can be done pre-season, early-season, and mid-season. RSVP your interest, and we can arrange team testing days. The GXT takes about ½ hour including warmup; the PP 1 hour.
Decreasing the cost of racing: There’s a discount if you register (by mail) for 4 or more races at a time. There’s also a discount for recruiting a new first-time racer. And if you can provide ICup with a voluteer, your next race is free – a great deal!
Selecting a race category: Almost all racers should start in the Beginner category. Your age group is based on how old you’ll be at the end of the year – not on how old you actually are right now. If you’re on the podium every time, then after 5 or 6 races consider moving up to Sport. There’s a huge difference once you move to Sport, and you need the time and dedication to train hard. Your primary motivations should be personal improvement and having a good race experience. All race categories (including Beginner) contribute equally to our team point total, so staying in a category where you’re competitive helps us.
Team race jerseys: The ICup rules “strongly encourage” but don’t absolutely require wearing a team jersey. We can provide a loaner jersey if you aren’t ready to buy one, or if you arrive at the race site without yours. The UMB jersey helps us identify team members for photos, and quickly lets other UMB riders identify you so they can help or at least stay out of your way.
Before the race: Carefully check the race information on the Intermountain Cup site to be sure when you race. (At some races, all classes are combined. On smaller race courses, the race may be split into 2 or even 3 separate races. Be sure you know when your category is racing.) If at all possible, pre-ride the racecourse. It’s usually marked with flags about 5 days before the race. We encourage you to come to the race completely prepared, to decrease the last-minute chaos of race-day morning. But if you need last-minute bike parts, clothing, or supplies to be delivered at the race, email or call your needs to Mike at the UMB office. We aim to serve. You can give Mike charge-card info, or bring check or cash to the race.
Race-day morning: Plan to arrive an hour early to allow for check-in, bike tuning, and warmup. “UMB team support” usually arrives about 1 hour before the first race of the day (if there’s more than one). Look for the UtahMountainBiking canopy in the parking lot. We bring GU packets, Gatorade, and water. There’ll be a pump, tool kit, and workstand available to team members. If you don’t see what you need, ask. Routinely, we have some emergency supplies such as chains and tubes. You’re welcome to hang out in the shade of the canopy. Chairs go quickly, so bring your own campstool or lounger.
Check-in: The ICup will have a registration table somewhere near the parking area or race starting line. You can register at the race site, but pre-registration decreases race-day hassles. The pre-registration can be done by mail or via web. Be sure your registration includes UtahMountainBiking as your team. Even if you pre-registered, you need to sign a waiver on race-day. You’ll be given a racing number plate, which you affix to the front of your bike with twist-ties. Check the colored racing tag to be sure it has the UMB team written underneath your name. Pin the tag to the back of your jersey or hydration pack. (Put the pin through the small section, as the bigger piece will be ripped off at the finish line!) Your racing packet usually includes information on where to view official race photos, some advertising, a freebie or two, and a race t-shirt or socks.
Starting the race: Find the racer information (usually somewhere near check-in or at the starting area). See how many laps and/or partial laps your category is going to do. Plan your hydration and GU needs. If possible, pre-ride the first bit of the course. Warm up. The ICup official will begin a “racer briefing” at the starting area about 10 minutes before race time. This will include “staging” – lining up the racers in the order they’ll be racing. Individual categories are started a minute or two apart, so racers will be spread out along the trail. Find the other racers in your category and line up.
After the race: Your racing tag will be pulled as you cross the finish line. After about 10 minutes, you’ll find it stapled to a posterboard somewhere near the finish line. Tags will be sorted by category, in finishing order. The time you see written on the tag is your “race clock time” – the time from when the first group started out. (To compare times across categories, subtract your “offset,” the time you spent waiting at the start line.) Hang with us at the canopy and exchange war stories while hydrating with free Gatorade and water.
Awards: An hour or so after you finish the race, the awards will start. Depending on the race official, ribbons may be awarded to 6th place regardless of number of racers, or may follow NORBA conventions (to 3rd, then each whole number that’s less than half the total number of racers, not to exceed 6th). Prizes (swag or gift certificates) are usually awarded to the top 3 finishers in each category, but special prizes may be given – for example to each 8th-place finisher as a “lucky number.”
Team points: The Intermountain Cup is a traveling trophy awarded to the team with the most points for the season. All categories contribute to team points. Points are earned for 1st through 7th place. Sport classes earn one more team point than Beginners, Experts two additional points. Team points can also be earned through authorized trailwork by team members, one point per hour up to 100 points.
Season individual points: There are no “season standings” or championships for Beginner-class racers. In the other categories, a racer can earn individual points toward his or her category championship by placing in the top 15. At the season’s end, a plaque is awarded to 1st through 3rd place. (There are some nuances: Wolverine Ridge counts as double points. In most seasons in the past, only a certain number of races count towards the total. For example in 2006, only the racer’s top 9 races out of 14 counted. In 2007 all 12 of that season’s races counted towards the category championships. Check the rules for the current season on the Intermountain Cup site.)
Race scrapbook page: We try to get an action photo of each UMB racer at every race. Within a few days of the race, the photos are assembled into a web page on the UMB site. If other photos or high-resolution versions are available, links can usually be found on the UMB race team section of the forum.
Your discount is based on your team status. Here’s how we
do it.
We determine what it actually costs us to get stuff for you. The distributor charges us shipping and handling. For little stuff that’s frequently ordered, this isn’t a big deal. But for big items like forks and trainers, this is a significant cost. So, we’ll tack that amount onto the wholesale price. The bank charges us fees on your credit purchases. And we have a part-time employee who helps with cycling orders, but he doesn’t work for free. That might add a few cents to your order.
Veteran, Active team members: Deepest discount (the best
deal Mike can possibly offer).
Active and Booster: Excellent discount, varies by item, usually
about 20% off.
Dabbler: If a Dabbler racer is pre-registered for four or
more races during the season, they can receive Active racer discounts before
they complete those races.
Procedure for ordering:
1- Pick the items you want from the racer discount price list (available separately from this racer bible), or select from items on the UMB on-line store. If you don’t see something you need, it may be in stock but not listed (yet) in the on-line store, and it’s often possible for us to special-order it. Call UMB (653-2689), or drop by the store and check our distributor catalogs.
2-
Email your list to Mike (umb@madsci.com).
(Hint: Here’s an easy way to be sure your list has the proper names and part numbers.
Select each item you want from the on-line store and add it to a shopping cart.
Then click Checkout. Now drag the mouse over your list of items to highlight
it. Press Control-C to copy. Now go back to your mail program and paste the
whole thing into your email.) You can also visit BTI-USA.com and browse the
many available parts, then email Mike the part numbers to be ordered.
3- Mike will email a price quote for your order. Cash price is 2% less than credit card price. He’ll also give you an estimate of shipping cost so you can decide whether to pick it up at the store or at a race.
4-
Edit your order as needed and give Mike the OK (email or phone
call).
Include payment information (card plus expiration, vs. cash/check).
Specify shipping (ship vs. pick up at race vs. come to store)
5- You can always drop by the UMB store to get hands-on help and buy supplies, and to review our distributor catalogs.
6- Some items (boxes of GU, GU flasks, tubes, tires) will routinely be available for purchase at races. Bring a check or cash.
There’s no limit. There’s room for you, even if we already have a handful of riders in your category.
No. The more racers sign up, the better our team does.
No. But you’re expected to race in a team jersey, which we’ll sell you at the lowest price we can afford. Basically, that’s cost from the manufacturer plus what we paid to have it shipped here.
Simple. For the ICup, register as a Beginner in your age bracket, based on your “race age.” For other races, check the race descriptions to find a suitable race category.
When picking your race category, the age you use is your “race age” – your age after your birthday in the current year. For example, if it’s April and you turn 40 in December, your race age is 40, not 39. You register as Beginner Men 40-plus, not as Beginner Men 30-39.
Go to the UtahMountainBiking.com forum, log in, and click on the “UMB Race Team” forum.
Either you’re not logged in, or Mike hasn’t authorized your username for the forum. Email Mike or Bruce and give us your forum username.