REASON 47: LOTS MORE TO COME

So, I only got to reason 47 before the cut off for the Specialized offer! 101 reasons would have been great, but, hey, if I don't get the bike you can still follow the progress of the GoGreenSpot initiative. GoGreenSpot will be developed over the next few months irrespective of whether or not the Stumpjumper Trail Crew slot becomes available. A big thank you to Specialized for having the vision to come up with this type of initiative. Whether I get a slot or not, it was a great motivator for what's to come. If you're interested, you can follow the progress of GoGreenSpot at the Cape Epic in March 2010. Or will it be the Stumpjumper Trail Crew?

REASON 46: CAPE EPIC OFFER STILL OPEN

Its 186 days to the 2010 Cape Epic and my offer on the earlier posts still stand. I am talking to a few potential partners, but, the spot's still open. The hype for the event is just starting and you can take a look at the official Cape Epic website for the latest news. Some BIG Surprises (is Lance riding or not?)in store! Someone from the Stumpjumper trail crew simply must participate in this event to give a trail riders perspective!

REASON 45: TRAIL CREW ABC

Want to know what the Stumpjumper Trail Crew is about, or should be about?

A = ACCESS

You need land to ride on. Its owned by someone and even when it falls under public use, there are normally some conditions attached. Access for mtb trails must be negotiated and established. Failure to do this, will result in long term trail failure.

B = BUILDING

The sweat of building the trail is the fun part. Other aspects of trail building are difficult: arranging dates for work crews; planning the route; finding resources; amongst others.

C = CO-OPERATION

Co-operation is the most difficult of all. Getting people to share trails, ensuring that all assist with maintenance and making interpretive information available on a consistent basis are crucial for long term sustainability.

Its great to have expertise in all these areas!

REASON 44: THE HOGSBACK TRAIL

The Hogsback Trail was one of the trails initiated while I was with the Provincial Environment Department. As pointed out by Jacques Marais at his South African Mountain Biking routes website, "this was once the Holy trail of South African MTB, but a lack of maintenance has seen many of the attractions of the trail fade over the last few years"..
This trail was established through the efforts of myself and Mpumi Fundam of the Amathole District Municipality (amongst others). It was brilliant, but, it needs to be revamped and maintained. I have not seen it or ridden it since I moved back to Port Elizabeth about 5 years ago. Being on the Stumpjumper Trail Crew means that I can turn my attention back to this type of work. The Stumpjumper trail crew needs to be a galvanizing force, to bring riders, community and government resources together. We need to build publically accessible trails which are marked, graded and have appropriate trail information.

REASON 43: BE PREPARED STUMPMAN

Stumpman is not gender specific. Years ago the debate was settled that manholes are not personholes and that chairman is not chairperson. Which one applies to you after seeing a cyclist stranded on the side of the road?

a) Wave, ask if they're alright, but pretend not to hear the cry of distress as you zoot on by.

b) Stop, check that they're OK, if the bikes broken fix it, if the bodies finished, organize an evacuation!

To be on the Stumpjumper trail crew (which earns you the title of Stumpman) you have to be the later. A Stumpman is not a weight weenie. You always carry a multitool, pump, tube and tyre repair equipment. The Stumpman is like a leatherman knife - she / he has got a solution for everything!

Oh by the way, did you see the sunrise on the way to work this morning?

REASON 42: I AM NOT SLOW

Certainly not this slow! And getting faster by the day as the Cape Epic gets closer. Being on the trail crew will give me so much more motivation to excel as a complete rider. What is the complete rider? You ride at the top end of your genetic capacity, but, most importantly - recreational mountain biking is of paramount importance!

REASON 41 : DON'T RIDE ALONE

This is golden rule number one - don't ride alone on the trail. For years I have ignored that rule and I have been lucky - so far. But, how long can that luck last. Sure, I have a few rules like:

1) Don't ride to hard

2) Always carry a phone and a GPS

3) I sometimes log my ride on the Nokia Sports Tracker and do it live.

4) Tell people where I am going

However, it's still not right. The incentives for riding alone are huge. I ride when I want and where I want. I don't wait for anyone and I do my own thing. Its also intensely educational as I listen to Podcasts constantly! However, joining the Stumpjumper trailcrew will force me to go back a few years and start riding in groups again. You cannot work on a trail crew alone and it has to be a team effort. In 1996 we used to get 200 people out on trail related work and we can definitely do it again with Specialized's assistance!

REASON 40: SPOILT FOR CHOICE

I went on my normal 3 hour plus ride over 65km. There are simply loads of small trails like this all over Port Elizabeth. I ride from my home and have about a 50/50 mix of road and off road, with 90% away from cars. However, it is selfish to have so much choice. Simply put, mountain biking cannot grow unless there are marked trails with interpretive information. This was a lesson we learnt in the 1990's. We have loads of trails, but few use them. Mark one trail and have information available on it, and you suddenly double the amount of mountain bikes being used. As Eco Mtb we tried to communicate this simple fact to bike shops, but, they still continued to focus only on racing. A dedicated core of people (a Stumpjumper Trail Crew) is required to identify trails, design them and publicise them. That's what I did in the past and thats whats needed for the future. We simply have to much choice, but, few riding opportunities for new entrants to the sport. You cannot play rugby without a rugby field and you cannot mountain bike without mountain bike trails. Get the latter right and growth will be explosive. With the trail crew, I can help with that.

REASON 39: IN DEFENCE OF SPECIALIZED

Being on the Stumpjumper Trail Crew motivates one to spring to their defence. Though I have a high regard for John and Scott of the Velocast, their criticism of Specialized in episode 43 is off the mark. It seems they were not permitted into the Specialized booth at Eurobike as they did not have business cards. Typical thrifty Scots, to miserly to print cards. It is a trade show and if you pitch without business cards, its like trying to start a bike race without a bicycle. You can't bash a brand just because of an incident with one company representative who was simply doing their job!

REASON 38: PLAYER 23

So what typically happens to a companies marketing budget? Easy, invite your dealers and best sales people to a rip roaring party, in some exotic location, and spend days trying to rip the guts out of a particular product! Whether its cars or bicycles, it's all the same. My local auto dealer is a regular jetsetter - I no longer buy cars! The LBS (Local Bike Shop) is no different - from one promotion to the next. Am I jealous? Absolutely! I'm Specialized's biggest fan, spending massive amounts on the product. Do I get any invites - zilch - nothing - zero!

Specialized should take a look at the Player 23 concept in South Africa. Rugby is a big sport in South Africa and has experienced a resurgence in popularity while other big unions such as Australia and England are battling to fill stadiums. Player 23 refers to the fan, the supporters of rugby, and an entire marketing campaign has been based around them. Look at the Vodacom (a cellular service provider) website and you'll see what I mean. The rugby and cycling fan are chalk and cheese in terms of looks and attitude, but, the concept of recognizing the fan has undoubtedly led to South Africa winning the World Cup and Tri Nations trophies and a pile of revenue for the industry!