Newly formed mountainbike event promotion team REFUSENIX RACING will be hitting the ground running in 2012. At the REFUSENIX RACING core are Sue Webber and Trevor Creighton who, between them, have 40 years’ experience mountain bike riding, racing and cycling journalism. Alongside the Creighton-Webber partnership works a dedicated band of comrades, who can be deployed for all manner of black-ops tasks as needs arise.
The REFUSENIX TEAM already have three major events in the pipeline for the coming year. On the MTBA calendar for April 21st and 22nd, the existing Port Macquarie 12 hour will be extended to become the Port 24 hour. It’s a logical move on Jason English’s home track and the REFUSENIX TEAM are adding the necessary logistical firepower to the Hasting Valley Mountain Bike Riders’ excellent track and proven race formula to take this great event to the next level.
September 9th will see TEAM REFUSENIX deliver their second Pleasure and Pain endurance event, in conjunction with Coffs Harbour Cycle Club’s MTB wing. 2012 will again see the popular race format of 1, 2 or 4 laps of the 25km loop, with the 100km option extended, for the first time, to include teams. 2011’s event was the REFUSENIX’s first official gig. A last minute downpour led, paradoxically, to an initiation by fire but the systems worked and the organisation held. REFUSENIX look forward to 2012 and hope for fine weather so this brilliant track can again deliver its full potential!
Main event three is still in the planning stages. Our forecast is a mid-July date and the working title – The Mother Bucca. Mother Bucca is to be a 100km out and back loop race. The event will be held in the hinterland behind and to the northwest of Coffs Harbour. The objectives are: to exploit this brilliant terrain, with its mix of variable fire roads, fire trails and “free-range” single track. And to make it one tough mother of race. To date we’ve logged around 80km of potential route and 3000 metres ascent. The event will also include some eye-watering descents. This will not be an race for the inexperienced, or the faint-hearted!
As you can see from our collaborations with Pleasure and Pain and the Port 24 hour, REFUSENIX enjoy collaborations with clubs. The expedient behind this has been born of our own experience. Sue and Trevor have been (and remain) ardent, hard working club volunteers. We know the great things that clubs can achieve. We also know that event organising, particularly large events, can stretch club volunteers to the limit. We work with clubs to deliver mutual benefits. We bring to the event resources that clubs may not have – quite often that can be simply the time to pursue avenues such as sponsorship and logistical expertise. We are also developing our own “brand” events – Mother Bucca will be number one and more are “in the pipeline”. What keeps us motivated is the love of riding and competing - so we try to develop events that riders will love.
