Rider’s race evaluation 2010

Summary:

  • The riders are pleased with the concept, the track and the management.
  • The race management and administration is running smoothly, this includes information, the web pages, the media coverage, service etc.
  • We've had no major negative feedback; however, there is always room for improvement.

 

Who participates in offroadfinnmark?

We've had a grand total of 115 contestants, 10 in 2008, 35 in 2009 and 70 in 2010. 8 of these were women. 3-6 national champions have participated in each race.
The other participants are roughly divided into two groups; local/regional riders who are athletes or extremely fit amateurs. The other half consists of riders from other counties, these riders also being athletes or non-professional extremely fit amateurs.

The average age of the contestants in the 2010 race:

  • of300: 39 years
  • of700: 45 years

When asked what the riders thought of the one stage race with optional rest stops, 80% responded that they found the race format highly interesting; the other 20% said they found it to be interesting.

 

How did you first hear of offroadfinnmark?

  • The forum at www.terrengsykkel.no
  • The offroadfinnmark website
  • The Terrengsykkel magazine
  • Youtube
  • Local newspapers
  • Nationwide newspapers

 

Do you believe there's an expansion potential for offroadfinnmark?

  • All our riders say they believe offroadfinnmark has a massive potential for expansion and should be more than able to attract national and international professional riders and have more than 200 riders every year. They also say they believe offroadfinnmark has the potential to be exposed a lot more in both national and international press.
  • When it comes to the track and the competition, 82% of the riders say they want to keep the format of the race as it is, both regarding distance, the track and it being a one stage race. The feedback we've received regarding time and distance is all positive; the of300 is doable for many well trained amateur mountain bike riders as well as the pros. The of300 being accessible to many riders makes it the backbone of the offroadfinnmark race.

 

Quoting some of the 2010 participants on tracks and time limits:

  • The distances offered at offroadfinnmark are brilliant. It's supposed to be a wild experience! For the ones who want the most extreme challenge, there's the of700.
  • The 300km long race offers a significantly smaller risk of wear and tear injuries compared to the 700km race. Lack of sleep is one of the biggest issues with the 700km race. We believe there's a market for an of100km race as well. This would be enticing especially for the locals; this race could for instance start at Jotka.
  • The divide between the of300 and OF700 has been a success. The of700 offers that extreme challenge that is so compelling to many riders while the of300 has turned out to be a race that can be completed by more riders than just the top athletes. This was obvious during the 2010 race when the last team finished hours before the time limit. Considering the of300 has a broader appeal than the of700, adding a shorter track might be a beneficial choice. Perhaps making a single race track for all, and improving the quality of that track. This might render a track going through less marshes and riverbeds.

 

Was the GPS tracking a success for you and your team?

Most riders were content with it; here is some of their feedback:

  • It seemed to me that most riders (us included) didn't get sufficient time to recharge their GPS's for the last part of the race. This was due to the long hauls and such a short time to recharge at Jotka. Future participants should be advised to bring an extra battery pack. The track we were given was very good, very precise. However, Garmin Edge 705 is too much of a bike computer and not enough of a navigational tool for this kind of use. A GPS with a larger screen and high resolution maps would have improved the experience for us.
  • Our GPS worked well the whole race. Our only issue was that the track wasn't completely consistent a few kilometres before Sussjavre, in the uphill track before reaching the tarmac. We followed a narrow little foot path than dwindled into nothing before leading us back onto the road. Didn't matter much, but we did spend an extra 1-2 minutes figuring it out.
  • Our GPS navigation was fine, but the Garmin Edge 705 just didn't cut it. Next time we'll use a dedicated GPS navigator instead
  • Using GPS navigation worked very well for us. The track being changed without us being informed did not work well for us though. We know of at least two teams who did an extra lapse at Mollisjok.
  • We were fine with the GPS navigation. It was actually kind of fun; it gave the race another dimension than other races. We did lack proper technical information on the GPS navigators though. Most bike GPS's (such as Garmin Edge 705 being the market leader) are rechargeable, but there's a battery pack that can be plugged in as well that we didn't know of at the time.

 

 

Were the track markings satisfactory?

When asked about their experience with the race track markings, most riders say it was satisfactory, but they'd like to see these improvements:

  • The track was marked sufficiently except for the last stretch following the Alta river. We were exhausted and wasted time trying to find our way. It would have been more fun finishing the race if we hadn't had to waste time trying to find the track.
  • There were markings? I must have been staring too hard at my GPS, 'cause I didn't see any markings. Apparently, they weren't necessary!
  • Marking the track shouldn't be necessary at all. A part of the game is to keep a keen eye on the GPS making sure you're on the right track. I guess marking the last stretch would be necessary to even the field between the locals and the rest though.
  • There should have been more markings leading to the check in posts.
  • The markings were okay in areas with a lot of junctions and crossroads. There could have been a few more in the forest and by the river on the last leg of the race
  • The last leg of the race along the Alta river was at times hard because the markings and the GPS track didn't match. It's important to make sure these are identical!

 

Is the GPS tracking important to the audience, friends and family?

Many riders mentioned how the live GPS tracking online made following the race exiting for their families and friends who couldn't come to Finnmark for the race.

  • The GPS tracking was awesome! It was great advertisement for the race as well. 
  • Got loads of positive feedback from my friends and family. I explained the possibility of following the race online, but didn't really think my wife would use it much. Turns out my entire family was logged on, even my mother in law! They had spent the weekend following every update!
  • This really should be an annual service; it's a vital argument for getting to go on an "ego trip vacation" to Alta! It also gave my family a wonderful opportunity to keep tabs on the race
  • The GPS live tracking makes the race exiting for more than just the riders!
  • We'd love to see collaboration between VG (National newspaper) and terrengsykkel.no (and international MTB websites?) placing the live tracking on the front page making it accessible to a much larger audience.
  • The race wouldn't be the same without the GPS tracking. Tracking is one of the best new tools to make the race exiting for the audience from beginning to end"

 

Did you find the rules and regulations to be relevant and concise?

We got nothing but positive feedback except from one suggestion for improvement:

  • That a compass and two GPS's per team should be added on the list of mandatory gear.

 

The riders' evaluations of the information they were given online, via e-mail and telephone calls before the race?

They were mainly positive, the exceptions were these:

  • The information was fine, but the description of the track should have been more detailed. We felt like we had been given a completely wrong idea of what the track would be like, "good cart road" seems to mean something very different up north and down south.
  • It was satisfactory, but we weren't quite happy with the change of GPS track map the day before the race. We had prepped our GPS days in advance
  • The offroadfinnmark web page was a bit of a jumble, there was a lot of redirecting back and forth to find simple information. Other than that, we were very pleased!

 

Did you find the mandatory information meetings to be helpful?

Most riders were pleased, a few had ideas for improvement:

  • It was necessary information, but not all of it needed to be compulsory, for instance the walk-through of the track. When racing, you forget most of it anyway
  • The meeting was too long, the information should be given in a concise manner and questions should be answered at the very end of the meeting allowing those who want to leave to do so.

 

Did the food/drink service at the checkpoints work for you?

Our riders gave us a lot of positive feedback regarding the service, food and beverages at the checkpoints. Here are some comments that can help us improve even more:

  • The service was good, but there should be coca-cola, peanuts and salty snacks available at all checkpoints. The last checkpoint was just useless to me, I didn't need an energy drink, I needed food and there was none to be had!
  • The service at the checkpoints was really good. I stopped at the Skoganvarre checkpoint after about 300km. My only complaint is that there were no liniments, creams or balms to be had for sore bums and thighs.
  • The checkpoint service worked well for us, but at the checkpoint we were supposed to sleep at, there was so much noise inside and outside the cabin, we didn't get any sleep at all

 

How did the private support option work for your team?

Should it be easier to have or shouldn't it be an option at all?

  • Don't see much use for it other than for the pro teams doing the of700
  • We had some help from a local "hero". It should be an option, but it does give the local riders a major advantage
  • We had private support and it really made a difference to us. We had spare parts and food ready and waiting at all checkpoints. It was also a nice bonus having familiar faces greeting us. Maybe teams coming from other parts of the country could have their family members do the support work?
  • Private support worked very well for us, it's important that the non-locals can have an equally good set-up as the local riders.
  • Being an amateur, the private support option wasn't very relevant. However, there shouldn't be any private support in the race, only at the checkpoints, levelling the field between the pros and the amateurs.

There was no negative feedback from any riders regarding food and housing prior to and after the race.

 

Ideas and feedback as to how we can improve our website?

We also asked if they'd like to contribute with relevant material. The riders gave a lot of positive feedback; here are some of the ideas as to how to improve the website:

  • Great website, but we'd like some tips and ideas on how to prepare bike and rider for the race
  • I like the website; it's easily navigated and looks cool. I'd like there to be some info on next year's race already though
  • The website has improved a lot. It would be really cool to have some way of seeing the previous race tracking at high speed, giving the viewer a taste of the excitement and the race format. I really think that would be nice teaser for the audience, previous riders and potential riders.
  • The website is good, but there's always room for improvement. How about some film sequences from the rider's point of view (Helmet camera) from some of the most exiting/spectacular parts of the track? I'd be more than happy to contribute.
  • I think the site is good, I think it would be interesting to have links to other races in Norway and abroad. Think it would be an effective way to increase the website hits and promote the race to the international audience.
  • How about some video footage from the race? The DVD is awesome!

 

Regarding participating in offroadfinnmark again:

A lot of our riders return to participate in the offroadfinnmark race annually.

  • All but one of the riders of the 2008 test race returned for the 2009 race. 
  • Of the 2009 riders, 60% signed up for the 2010 race. 
  • 30% of the riders say they think they will participate again.
  •  Through our questionnaires and interviews we've found that all of the 2010 riders have stated they want to participate again, be it 2011 or at a later date. 
  • All the 2010 riders say they recommend participating in the race to others.

 

What makes you want to participate in offroadfinnmark again?

  • offroadfinnmark is a race like no other. Amazing concept! I think the race will loose of its rough appeal if divided into stages though.
  • It was an amazing experience, so I really want to come back and ride even faster!
  • My goal last year was to complete the race, which I did. If I participate again, I'll be in it to win
  • How about a single rider participation in the of300? As long as you're not one of the last riders, there will be teams passing you being able to help if there's a problem. In the first half of the race, the teams pass by quite frequently. With more participants, there'll be shorter time intervals between the passing teams. The terrain is significantly easier in the of300 than the of700 and sleep deprivation isn't a problem at all. Sleep deprivation and lack of concentration are the main reasons for injuries. offroadfinnmark could discern whether or not a rider is able to complete the race alone, and the registration could be the same as for the teams
  • I'll be back in a couple of years!
  • I have already signed up. I intend to complete the of700 and to race to win the of300.
  • Love the beautiful ride across the mountain plateau
  • In a couple of years, I really want to ride again

 

Fees

The race fee is deemed to be reasonable by all the riders.

 

What makes the race unique and intriguing?

  • Riding through such beautiful scenery and through such a rough terrain.
  •  The adventure race profile
  • The GPS tracking
  • The extreme experience of a one stage race, being the first to cross that finish line.
  • The scenery
  • The midnight sun, a small and extreme race
  • The nature and the unnecessary swim across the Iesjohka river
  • The ride across the mountain plateau with my team mate for hours and hours
  • Crossing the finish line
  • The unique combination of the rugged nature and the one stage race

 

 

By race manager Carsten Rolland