Cairns Mountain Bike Club

Tuesday 2 November - Typical. Trying to update the website and my notes are sitting on my desk at work... *sigh* Let's see how much I can remember.

As already stated, Friday registration will be at AJ Hackett. Please be patient with the ladies at registration - they are volunteers too, and as far as I am aware, none are current riders. They're doing it for you.

We would like to welcome Jenkins Rubber as a sponsor - for you downhill guys, they are the ones providing the foam rubber to keep you from getting too 'up close and personal' with some of our more strategically placed trees. And of course their logo is sitting at work along with all the other notes.

Transport to and from the event site. There will be a shuttle bus running from AJ Hackett on all three days to and from Cairns. However, it's only a small bus, don't expect that they are going to be able to carry everyone to the track - especially when you start putting bikes on board. Black & White Taxis (131 008) will be available to get you out there, and if you chat around during the day, you should be able to pool taxis to get back in the evening. B&W have quoted $25 as an approximate cost from the Beachhouse to the MTB Park (subject to traffic etc). When it comes down to it, getting to the track is your responsibility.

Bad news for the volunteers and workers - you'll need to be at the track no later than 0730 on Saturday and Sunday. Organising committee by 0630!

Lots of enquiries about using the DH track for practice. It has been decided that the DH track will be open for push-up runs up until 1200 Thursday. After that, the track will be closed, the guys setting up have no desire to get drilled between the shoulder blades by a DH bike at full speed. Safety rules, okay?

Tuesday 26 October - Everything is going along pretty well for the Nationals, a couple more working bees, a lot of work the week before and we're underway.

Friday Registrations (5th November) will be handled only at AJ Hackett Bungy. Straight up McGregor Road from the Bruce Highway, just follow your nose. Other Registration sessions (6th, 7th) will be held at the MTB Park.

Working Bee this Saturday and Sunday to get a lot of things finished off. Usual time (9.00am Saturday and 8.30am Sunday), usual place (the container)

As of midnight, there have been 475 downloads of the entry form. About 30 have been received. There may well be some pretty horrendous queues at Registration, but we tried our best...

Still looking for local volunteers who just happen to own tray-back 4WDs and/or Troopies for additional transport on Saturday and Sunday. Please volunteer people - I tried it and it worked!

Paramount Hire Services is again proving to be a major sponsor of the Club, with the list of things they are giving us growing on an almost daily basis.

Friday 22 October - The sponsor roll for the Nationals just grew, thanks to Meteor Rentals and Neverfail Spring Water! More information on the Nationals page. Thanks guys!

Tuesday 19 October - Work on the Nationals tracks is going extremely well, although as usual we could use more volunteer workers for the working bees. The tracks and the site are looking great, and the rain that we are experiencing as this is written can only make things better. Can everyone who is available please turn up to the working bees this Saturday and Sunday and let's get these puppies finished. Glen would like everyone there by 8.30am both days, but if you have to turn up later, at least turn up. It's all hands on deck from here on in.

Entries are coming in, but very slowly - take advantage of that discount and get them in urgently! So far, there have been 359 downloads of the entry form! We just hope you don't all want to register on the day...

Thursday 14 October - All you DH racers want to get a look at some of the track for the Nationals? Go to the Nationals page and warm up your broadband!

Tuesday 12 October - Working Bee Working Bee Working Bee Working Bee :) Anyone sick of them yet? Guess what - there are two this weekend, Saturday at 9.00am, Sunday at 8.30am.

Some of the XC guys, led by Dan, are going to be doing midweek working bees as well. If you have a look at the countdown timer on the Nationals page, you'll see there isn't a lot of time left, and still a heck of a lot of work to be done.

We hope to get another release out to the media this week, part of which will be an appeal for owners of 4WDs who would like to volunteer to assist with the Downhill, so if you know of anyone who might be available to help, please volunteer them ASAP.

If any trade companies are interested in a site at the event, please contact Vince at Edge Cycles, Cairns (07) 4052 1164 as Vince is coordinating this bit.

As of right now, there have been 214 downloads of the Nationals Entry Form. Please don't all try to register on the day! Send them now by mail if you possibly can. The first bunch has already arrived, but keep them coming. It's amazing how many inquiries we're getting from New Zealand, too. Guess that makes this an International event!

For those who were at the final round of the Club Championships on the weekend, you'll be pleased to hear that both of our young guys who got hurt, Alan and Ezra, are reasonably fit if not very well. I think Ezra is already back on his bike, but needed a new helmet, and Alan should be riding again by the weekend.

Sunday 10 October - Results and photos are now available for today's Downhill event, and the final points for the Club series are also available, all in the usual places.

Please don't forget the meeting at Mal's place tomorrow (Monday) night, 7.00pm. Lots of important stuff to get through, but we'll try not to keep you too long!

Saturday 9 October - Photos from today's MTX final round are now available, and the results should be up tomorrow night. See you at the Downhill on Sunday!

Thursday 7 October - Please note that Round 4 of the Club MountainCross and Downhill Championships is definitely ON this weekend. There was a suggestion that it might be postponed, but that's all it was - a suggestion. So be there on Saturday at 2.00pm for the MTX and Sunday from 9.00am for the Downhill. See you there!

Tuesday 5 October - It seems that one of our most popular downloads at the moment is the Nationals Entry Form (it's on the Nationals page). Keep it up, and get those forms in fast! Apart from anything else, it will save you a few dollars!

Sunday 3 October - The boys have been busy. There's been a new jump added near the end of the Downhill course - go to the Nationals page to watch Miles Mead playing test pilot! You'll need Windows Media Player or something that can handle avi files. It's 1.6mb and Damian apologises for his shaky camera-work, he'd been hauling rocks all day.

Sunday 3 October - The final round of the XC / Pony Express was run and won at Smithfield yesterday, all the results are on the Results page, including the final season standings (all subject to confirmation, of course) and the photos are up at www.gordong.com as per usual.

Don't forget the meeting tomorrow night (Monday 4th) at Mal's place (behind Geo Pickers, cnr Mulgrave Road & Brown Street). There's a lot more Nationals stuff to finalise yet, and things are really hotting up!