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Sandbagging/ Sandbaggers

6712 Views 74 Replies 46 Participants Last post by RabbitHole, Jul 19, 2010

snowjnky

Discussion Starter · Jul 12, 2010

I mentioned that we need a thread to call out sandbaggers. Maybe we just need a thread to rant, discuss, debate or vent about so-called sandbaggers. So I thought I would start this thread. Maybe we use it maybe not, But last year after the Downieville Classic this same issue came up. I was more perturbed last year because I know the "screwed". This year it seems like it is going to dominate the "Race Report" thread again. I do not want to contribute anymore negativity to an event that is so well done, fun and instrumental to Nor-Cal Mountain Biking.
Please use this thread.
Maybe this is a waste of time, but I tried.

1 - 20 of 75 Posts

renderedtoast

· #2 · Jul 13, 2010

Decker sandbagged.

snowjnky

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 13, 2010

Hell yeah. Dude got skills he should race God cat.

grrrah

· #4 · Jul 13, 2010

last week I went camping with a new group. I told them I don't drink beer that much, so they decided to split the beer tab equally. That will learn them to mess with a sandbagger!

scaryfast

· #5 · Jul 13, 2010

The general rule of thumb, no matter how new to the sport you are. If you win or podium at 3 or more races in the same category, you must move to the next category up. For those who don't understand, that means, if you race beginner or cat 3 and podium 3 times in the same year, you move to sport or cat 2. A lot of people try to justify bumping down at bigger races like....I race expert at small races, but at sea otter I race sport.
This behavior and mentality is straight up bull ****. Even more annoying are those racing "pro/expert" racers who bump down to sport. I mean, seriously people...how do you go from saying hey i race at a pro/expert level to hey, i need to drop down to sport? Does that mean you went from pro/expert to being only a mediocre rider?
I understand people coming out of injuries or people who haven't ridden in a while who are getting back into the sport, but even they know to jump back to normal class when they are up to par.
I like this thread, people who are sand baggin should be called out. This way racers can be held accountable for their shady ways if they are sand baggin. If not, then they have nothing to worry about.

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Passenger13

· #6 · Jul 13, 2010

.02 cents

Only at the Pro/Expert level where you place should matter. If you are racing Sport or Beginner, then you should be out there to ride the best ride you can. Set a personal challenge to yourself and see if you can reach it. You might even score a podium. If you race "down" to score a podium, you are not really challenging yourself. That's my take, some may agree. some may not. It really doesn't matter, people will do what they want, and that is nothing that should surprise anyone.

Iggz

· #7 · Jul 13, 2010

lol

You must not know how retarded USAC is

EBrider

· #8 · Jul 13, 2010

Passanger13 is right on the money. Who cares what your place is in sport or beginner, the point of the classes it to develop as a racer. If you are worried about sandbaggers, train harder and race expert.

grrah, I'll split a tab with you sometime.

Carl Hungus

· #9 · Jul 13, 2010

EBrider said:
Passanger13 is right on the money. Who cares what your place is in sport or beginner, the point of the classes it to develop as a racer. If you are worried about sandbaggers, train harder and race expert.

grrah, I'll split a tab with you sometime.

In my opinion, worrying about sandbagging is wasted energy. I figure if I'm paying money to race my main goal is to have fun and do the best I can. Ultimately, whether I finish DFL, mid pack or podium...I'm going back to work on Monday.

jp3d

· #10 · Jul 13, 2010

Anyone who complains about sandbagging is obviously doing it themselves. Sandbaggers are people who are doing "too well" in their arbitrary little division. Why do you care that they are in that category? Because you want to win that same category yourself... so what does that make you?

snowjnky

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 13, 2010

Sandbagging is racing out of cat. to win or trying to win. If you are winning races in one cat. you should not bump down on higher profile races because the competition is greater. You should test yourself against a broader range of competitors.
I know a sport class racer who decided to train his arse off for a race. He got fast and did well. If some sandbagger decided to bump down just to win a race then I call WeakSauce!
Someone has to win, so let it be the proper person who trained their butt not the cheapo sabdbagger.

I complain and I don't sandbag.

dhoffroad

· #12 · Jul 13, 2010

Hi my name is Danny and I'm a sandbagger.....LOL.....

well not really just started out only raced 3 times but do feel I'm at the top of the beginner class that I've been racing in, so after this next race which is the last of the series I'll be moving up to sport and get my ass handed to me....

Tim F.

· #13 · Jul 13, 2010

Sand baggers are douch-bags at any level. Especially when they continously dominate the same class each season.

Tim F.

· #14 · Jul 13, 2010

jp3d said:
Because you want to win that same category yourself... so what does that make you?

Uumm, cheated out of a legitate podium finish?:skep:

jp3d

· #15 · Jul 13, 2010

snowjnky said:
Sandbagging is racing out of cat. to win or trying to win. If you are winning races in one cat. you should not bump down on higher profile races because the competition is greater. You should test yourself against a broader range of competitors.
I know a sport class racer who decided to train his arse off for a race. He got fast and did well. If some sandbagger decided to bump down just to win a race then I call WeakSauce!
Someone has to win, so let it be the proper person who trained their butt not the cheapo sabdbagger.

I complain and I don't sandbag.

I'm going to assume that the distribution of performance all mountain bikers is going to look something like this:

If you assign people into three equally populated categories based on their performance the two boundaries obviously end up right smack in the middle of the high frequency portion of the distribution, thus inherently maximizing the potential of sandbagging induced butthurt. It's therefore completely irrational to complain about sandbagging from a purely statistical point of view. Also, you are a sandbagger a liar for claiming otherwise and If I catch you complaining about sandbagging I will attack you with a handsaw ...wait too soon?

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d-bug

· #16 · Jul 13, 2010

Everyone faster than me is a sandbagger... and doping.
To me racing is just about doing my personal best and "beating" the me of the last race.
The best parts are: I'm encouraged to go as fast as possible, won't get a ticket, and don't have to worry about other trail users going the other direction.

Piranha426

· #17 · Jul 13, 2010

I raced Cat 2 at Sea Otter this year. I came in last place in my class. It kinda sucked to come in last place, but I know that last year (when I did my first race ever as a Cat 3) I couldn't have even raced 17 miles 'cause I would have had a panic attack or something. So yeah, sandbagging sucks (the women I raced against looked like they could have eaten me for lunch, and they were seemingly all on $7K carbon hardtails), but I don't really take it too seriously so ultimately it doesn't bother me too much.

I can't identify at all with people that actually take racing seriously. I've only ever relied on my brain, not my body, so this whole "count on your body to do something you've trained it to do" is completely foreign to me, let alone the "I'm gonna sandbag so I can get me a purty medal" thing. Whatever. As long as there's beer at the end of the race, and I'm in one piece so I can drink it, I'm a happy girl.

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singlespeed.org

· #18 · Jul 13, 2010

This thread reminds me of an article I wrote for Cycle California back in 1997:
http://www.cyclecalifornia.com/Sandbagging.html

Ryan G.

· #19 · Jul 13, 2010

This is different than teabagging right?

jdubsl2

· #20 · Jul 13, 2010

snowjnky said:
I mentioned that we need a thread to call out sandbaggers. Maybe we just need a thread to rant, discuss, debate or vent about so-called sandbaggers. So I thought I would start this thread. Maybe we use it maybe not, But last year after the Downieville Classic this same issue came up. I was more perturbed last year because I know the "screwed". This year it seems like it is going to dominate the "Race Report" thread again. I do not want to contribute anymore negativity to an event that is so well done, fun and instrumental to Nor-Cal Mountain Biking.
Please use this thread.
Maybe this is a waste of time, but I tried.

I didn't make it up for the race this year, but I've been anxiously awaiting the results to see how the kid who sandbagged my category last year did this year.

As expected, he sandbagged again. Last year, he won sport all mountain by racing against dudes significantly older and heavier in his class (read: 16yo expert vs. true sport guys in 20s and 30s). Is the kid fast? Yeah...

BUT if you're gonna race the big boys -- stay consistent. Don't drop down to Jr. Expert for Downieville 2010 so you can crush the field with a 27 minute spread (the largest split between 1st and 2nd in ANY category) for another 1st place at Downieville.

What's sad is this is the kind of person WTB is sponsoring. :nono:

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