Originally Posted by
kings run east
...Riders are tired, focused on bikes, and, sometimes, are annoyed with answering the same questions over and over again between efforts. What I observed was the riders having to act as ambassadors to the track contributed to several visitors feeling unwelcome- right after they saw a massive sign inviting them in....
The other issue is that the way the track is used is, in my opinion, completely unsafe. The combination of entering on the backfield and the steep, wooden banking means you have to merge on to the track with a good amount of speed- but the party deck at turns 1 & 2 gives little passage. Riders are encouraged to accelerate past this at a fairly quick speed, and then return to the infield on the back stretch immediately after a finish. As the BVV director told my cert class, "People don't want to watch cool down laps." This led to one of the people in my class deciding she never wanted to ride a track again- she told me that she felt mtbing by herself in the Rockies was safer.
...And I'm not even mentioning the splintered wood on turns 3 & 4 that scares the ***** out of me when I ride over it...
I don't check in on this forum frequently and just saw this - I'm really bummed about the experience you had at BVV. It's my home track and if you ever want to ride with someone or be introduced to more folks there, let me know, I'd be happy to find time.
In my experience over the past three seasons, it has been a safe track that's well run by great folks. I think there's very little elitist or exclusionary attitude at BVV, though there are some who are a bit more aloof or introverted - just like there would be in any crowd. I hope you'll give it another chance.