Discussion: MTBO

Has anyone else seen this website?
www.mtbo.us

Should USOF be doing more to foster mountain bike orienteering? If so, how and who?

Mountain biking is popular in the U.S., so why not MTBO? (Probably for the same reasons as for running versus orienteering, no?)

No, but that is great.

As for popularity--not sure.

I had thought there may have been access issues, but that doesn't make sense because, as you say, there is a lot of biking on its own.

The Caledon Navigators orienteering club hosted an MTB-O event in Ontario this spring. It attracted mostly adventure racers and mountain bikers. We'd hoped to attract some orienteers who own mountain bikes but don't ride seriously, but they stayed away.

The response was very positive, and everyone is keen to do it again - including mountain bikers who had never tried to navigate before. MTB-O is an easier introduction to the sport than foot-O.

The main issue for us was that the local standard for MTB insurance is $5M liability, and we could only get $2M through our orienteering insurance. So we had to buy expensive adventure race insurance, which meant high entry fees. Interestingly, we had a higher percentage of juniors than usual, even though the junior entry fee was $25. It was mostly a parent-child thing, and they wanted to ride together.

As we think about venues for next year, the other issue is that organizers need an area where mountain biking is permitted in both directions on the trails. We used a MTB centre that is closed to the public, but some MTB centres have one-way trails, which wouldn't be much fun for route choice.

The Caledon Navigators orienteering club hosted an MTB-O event in Ontario this spring. It attracted mostly adventure racers and mountain bikers. We'd hoped to attract some orienteers who own mountain bikes but don't ride seriously, but they stayed away.

Wow--mountain bikers came? Cool! We've gotten a few at MTBO events when we've reached out to the huge local mountain bike club, but attendance has been mostly orienteers with bikes or adventure racers (although the latter group is entirely contained within the former, since we get such good crossover.)

As we think about venues for next year, the other issue is that organizers need an area where mountain biking is permitted in both directions on the trails. We used a MTB centre that is closed to the public, but some MTB centres have one-way trails, which wouldn't be much fun for route choice.

Ski orienteering faces the same challenge.

As someone who enjoys both mountain biking and orienteering, I must say I've been rather disappointed at the combination. I love adventure racing, but that doesn't require constant map contact (at least not during most MTB segments). Trying to stay in contact with the map and not go over the bars is a challenge, but not a particularly gratifying one. I've tried various systems of holding the map and haven't found one that allowed good map reading and good bike handling. Most do neither. Of course, I'm 46 which means my vision is fading and and recovering from a fall is a much bigger deal than it used to be. Maybe I would have liked MTBO in my 20's. I certainly enjoyed Ski-O, which is pretty similar.

Wow--mountain bikers came? Cool! We've gotten a few at MTBO events when we've reached out to the huge local mountain bike club...

The Caledon Navigators may be the only O club that has 60 members, and not one of them would say that orienteering is their primary sport. Many members, including the club president, have been active in the local cycling club and in bike racing, and there are many mountain bikers, runners and adventure racers in the club. The local cycling shop lets us meet there after hours, and the owner is our treasurer. So we have a unique situation that makes it easier to reach the biking community.

Trying to stay in contact with the map and not go over the bars is a challenge

I think I'm okay at that part, which may be why I like it. Well, actually, I do have to stop sometimes to read complicated sections, but I figure it must be just as hard for everyone else and that I can probably make up for my poorer bike speed by more efficient navigation. Of course, I'm sure I would learn just how good I'm not if I were ever to race at WMBOC.

So we have a unique situation that makes it easier to reach the biking community.

Yeah, I'll say. That's great.

Who are the movers and shakers behind MTB-O in the US?

And why do they have maybe the best looking Orienteering related website in North America?
Besides Attackpoint of course.

Very nice! Nice logo too. SVO hosted one bike-O event this spring. We offered one course in addition to our regular foot-O courses. The course was set by the owner of the local bike shop, who is also an AR and active SVO member. There was a Specialized demo-daze going on at the same time (in conjunction with the shop) and they had their truck parked right next to our pavilion. We advertised (at the shop and online) that people demo-ing the bikes might like to do so on the orienteering course. Unfortunately none of them did. Not even the Specialized reps. We had zero starters. I saved the maps, so we'll probably try again next spring.

In June 2007, the Western PA club had a Bike-O course, handed out 1000 fliers at a venture outdoors festival, called out to the mountain bike clubs to come out and try us out, and despite the region being the HQ for Dirt Rag magazine, the result was, from reading the meet report: "this meet was our first venture into trying to include mountain bike orienteering with foot orienteering in an event. Unfortunately, the bike orienteering did not work out well with only two non-club members trying the bike courses. This was despite a rather extensive advertising campaign."

In the park, met alot of MTB aquaintances, but they were not at all interested. They just wanted to go riding in an area full of S trails and loops.

My take on this is that people interested in O are interested in the O aspect 1st and the mode of transportation is secondary, whereas MTB'ers, skiiers, canoers, etc. are interested in the mode of transportation 1st and navigation is a necessary evil.

So O'ers might try a different mode of transport for variety, but non-Oers have no interest in any kind of O.