Just how heavy is a Cliff Shot wrapper anyhow?

[Godzilla]

If you're one of those leg shaving, 17# bike riding, spandex clad, HR monitor on even in the shower ******t@rds who think that your race results are SO important that you can't be bothered to stuff your wrapper back into your jersey pocket - and instead opt to leave it in the middle of a 100 mile race course under the assumption that a race volunteer is going to sweep the entire f'n course picking up trash that your entitled, b1tch @ss was too blown to carry out - stick to the spin classes.

It's not like you're in the Olympics and the balance of your racing career hangs on you behaving like an entitled, littering POS, 'kay Skippy? It simply doesn't matter how fast, factory, or important you feel, it's trailer trash behavior. Knock it the F off, or move to the South.

I hate to add to the incessant "what about me and my feelings" whine-fests that have cluttered the FR board lately - but there is simply NO EXCUSE for throwing your sh-t on the ground unless your idea of time on the bike consists of going to Bally's and grinding away in an enclosed room. There is no way that an army of volunteers can offset such ******baggery on such a grand scale as that witnessed today in BC.

For the record - this rant is not aimed at XC racers, DHers, race organizers, roadies, guys who simply enjoy shaving their legs, people who ride 17# bikes, racers who are blown, dems, repubs, or even that shameless tw@t Rush Limbaugh - it's aimed at the entitled ish-heads who think that a bit of oxygen debt justifies throwing their trash around like some KFC eating hillbilly on a month long meth binge. For the love of all that is worth riding, quit behaving like DBs...

[davec113]

If you're one of those leg shaving, 17# bike riding, spandex clad, HR monitor on even in the shower ******t@rds who think that your race results are SO important that you can't be bothered to stuff your wrapper back into your jersey pocket - and instead opt to leave it in the middle of a 100 mile race course under the assumption that a race volunteer is going to sweep the entire f'n course picking up trash that your entitled, b1tch @ss was too blown to carry out - stick to the spin classes.

It's not like you're in the Olympics and the balance of your racing career hangs on you behaving like an entitled, littering POS, 'kay Skippy? It simply doesn't matter how fast, factory, or important you feel, it's trailer trash behavior. Knock it the F off, or move to the South.

I hate to add to the incessant "what about me and my feelings" whine-fests that have cluttered the FR board lately - but there is simply NO EXCUSE for throwing your sh-t on the ground unless your idea of time on the bike consists of going to Bally's and grinding away in an enclosed room. There is no way that an army of volunteers can offset such ******baggery on such a grand scale as that witnessed today in BC.

For the record - this rant is not aimed at XC racers, DHers, race organizers, roadies, guys who simply enjoy shaving their legs, people who ride 17# bikes, racers who are blown, dems, repubs, or even that shameless tw@t Rush Limbaugh - it's aimed at the entitled ish-heads who think that a bit of oxygen debt justifies throwing their trash around like some KFC eating hillbilly on a month long meth binge. For the love of all that is worth riding, quit behaving like DBs...

Nice rant How many wrappers are we talking about here?

[DWF]

Best post ever!

After riding at BC today, I have to agree that the f'tards that do this crap are major league over developed sense of entitlement ******bags.

[Godzilla]

Nice rant How many wrappers are we talking about here?

Hundreds. It was insanity.

I went back and forth about posting this because I did not want it to appear that I was attacking the organizers or anything of the sort, but the fact of the matter is that the above mentioned behavior makes ALL of us look bad, racers, recreational riders, organizers, etc... This "practice" has bothered me for more than a decade, yet I've never even seen it mentioned, so...

[eurochien]

If someone's got enough energy to lift their arm to their mouth to use the energy gel, they should have plenty left to stuff the spent wrapper back into the jersey or under one of the bike shorts' leg. Couldn't agree more. Sick of the "me firsts and gimme-gimmes".

[jugdish]

What did you expect?

[concretejungle]

Your surly rant impresses me and I would like to buy you a beer.

[jurichar]

Godzilla for president

[Godzilla]

What did you expect?

Honestly? I expected maybe half of what I saw. I get that things happen, I would likely not turn around on a race course to pick up my wrapper if I dropped (by accident) it in the middle of my run, but this was over the top - stuff thrown everywhere, as if some cosmic shop vac were going to come along and suck it up from every nook and cranny after the race.

[topmounter]

That rant should have no problem qualifying you for a Colorado MMJ card

[Godzilla]

That rant should have no problem qualifying you for a Colorado MMJ card

I have a strong suspicion it wouldn't help on this matter.

[guacamole]

+1

Those d-bags threw their empty water bottles on the ground all over the place too... a$$hats.

[schnauzers]

Forget the wrappers. I counted no less than 20 water bottles from Miller Gulch to the end.

[schnauzers]

+1

those d-bags threw their empty water bottles on the ground all over the place too... A$$hats.

+++++++1

[guacamole]

+1

Those d-bags threw their empty water bottles on the ground all over the place too... a$$hats.

I must admit, I was in the race... but did not participate in the d-baggery... It was surely done by the "elite" ahead of me.

[wormvine]

+100 as well.

I thought of collecting all the gel wrappers I saw on the Beaver Creek X-terra course last year and dumping them on the desk of the event promoter.

Inexcusable but typical.

[lidarman]

Forget the wrappers. I counted no less than 20 water bottles from Miller Gulch to the end.

My fave is the dog poop nicely bagged and even tied shut, left presumably by the runner-- or walker to get in the trash on their way back....only that they forget!

Oh wait, this was a race....It was okay and expected. There was a cleanup run after.. The race promoters are suppose to clean the course. Blame them I guess.

[cbrock450]

I was racing today and I can't even count the number of red cliff shot wrappers i saw on the ground. LAME!!!!!

[bad_andy]

I went riding Thurs with a couple new buddies, and a not so new buddy (in Boulder County - even though there's no riding there). I think one of them may have seen me drop the TOP part of a Cliff Bar (fingernail size-ish). This was at the farthest part of our ride, and we were VERY tired! Went to pick it up, wind blew it 10 feet away. Went and picked it up anyway.
My son always picks up other people's trash when we hike and ride.
People like the subject of the OP's rant amaze me, and not in a good way.
Good job Godz- world-class rant there.
I think Lidarman's subject are my faves as well.
Would like to see someone doing that, and have a chat!

[PBR me!]

Wasnt going to complain about it till i saw this thread but i shot over from pine valley to see a few of y'all finishing near the CT jct. and picked up a fair share that i ran across- no big deal- they could have just fallen out- my rant is they werent completely empty and they leaked all down my pack and on my A$$ and then stuck on my seat in the truck - oh well! Glad everybody stayed all Gelled up out there!

[schnauzers]

Wasnt going to complain about it till i saw this thread but i shot over from pine valley to see a few of y'all finishing near the CT jct. and picked up a fair share that i ran across- no big deal- they could have just fallen out- my rant is they werent completely empty and they leaked all down my pack and on my A$$ and then stuck on my seat in the truck - oh well! Glad everybody stayed all Gelled up out there!

Eewwww! There's probably backwash in there.

BTW, race event guys were supposed to go back along the course, take down signs, and pick up trash. I know these guys did/will do that.

Good on ya, PBR. All I ever see are spent ammo.

[PBR me!]

Yah i found a full 5 hr energy sitting up all neatly next to the trail - so i downed it- thanks for the boost! but ive been seeing some weird colors and nothing in my house looks familiar and i swore i had a chocolate lab- now all i see is some kind of Chihuahua....... weird..........and my house used to have stairs......

[schnauzers]

Yah i found a full 5 hr energy sitting up all neatly next to the trail - so i downed it- thanks for the boost! but ive been seeing some weird colors and nothing in my house looks familiar and i swore i had a chocolate lab- now all i see is some kind of Chihuahua....... weird..........and my house used to have stairs......

Sounds like every night after I take my Ambien. You are a brave man.

[edenger]

+1 World-class post and I couldn't agree more! It's inexcusable and I don't care who you are, it's a blatant disrespect for our beautiful trails.... moreover, on almost every course, the post-race clean-up misses trash that we end up cleaning up. To those of you that perpetrate this crime.... how hard is it to stuff the empty gel back in your jersey pocket?

[KarateChicken]

...and people wonder why I have decried amateur MTB racing on public lands for many years.

After riding the 24HOM course the day after the race in Moab, it was plenty enough to turn me against the d-baggery of it all. Endless wrappers, too many lame "mojos" to count and off-trail cryptobiotic soil damage for miles.

Sad.

[mtn.skratch]

c'mon guys! Just put yourselves in the sidi's of pro beginner super sport amateur cat whatever rad shredder guy and you'll realize how hard it can be to act responsibly. Life must be tough being so radical and all.

For real though, lame actions and sad to hear. Doesn't bode well for any of us.

[ebry74]

I'll start by saying I do agree with you. Way to much ***** dropped on the course. By what is the point in the rant. If you feel so strongly about it, why not get in touch with the event organizers, and find out what they are going to do about it. Maybe they have a plan.

Also, what is with all the hate on anyone who wears spandex, has a light bike, monitors their heart rate or shaves their legs. It's so easy to garner support on a forum with a negative post. All the haters come out in force!

For the record, I did race in the Hundo yesterday, usually wear baggies, but decided on the spandex for comfort reasons, was not wearing any sort of kit, don't shave my legs...although I've considered it (my wife laughs at the idea), and managed to get all of my trash into my jersey pocket, although I did toss a few water bottles not far from the aid stations as it just seemed it was kind of set up that way, and my wife volunteered.

Overall, I thought the race was a great event, and hopefully the organizers have a plan for cleaning up. Maybe a team of people are planning to ride sections of the course on cleanup duty. I'm sure there is a lot of cleanup after marathons, and any large organized event for that matter.

[yetirich]

Great rant....but if I had to put that sticky gel pack back in my jersey, my hands would get dirty, I would forget about it and then wash it, leaving me with a stained piece of race clothing and then it would weigh more

Race guys are such a bunch of pansies and think they are the only one's that use the trail and it is all about them. I have done a couple of Warrior Cycling races this year and didn't see any of this left behind.

PICK YOUR **** UP!!!

[mtn.skratch]

[QUOTE=ebry74;8160287]I'll start by saying I do agree with you. Way to much ***** dropped on the course. By what is the point in the rant. If you feel so strongly about it, why not get in touch with the event organizers, and find out what they are going to do about it. Maybe they have a plan.

I feel that it is the responsibility of the person to take his/her trash and put in the proper spot. It is not the responsibility of the event promoter. It sounds like you were able to successfully transport your garbage out. Why can't the same be expected from our fellow mountain bikers?

Point of the rant? I don't know. Nothing ever gets solved on Forums. it's just talking.

[TVC15]

Okey dokey, I did the math. 2 water bottles + 10 empty wrappers = 195g. That's it. I suppose that's just enough weight to make otherwise rationale and responsible adults magically transform into trailer trash?

By what is the point in the rant.

To point out how indefensibly stupid it is, have that truth ring true to at least a few people, and hopefully have the word spread and change attitudes. The answer doesn't have to be the organizers "better" cleaning a (100 mile!!) race course, it might more easily be found in "racers" realizing that their number plate weighs more than what they somehow feel entitled to litter when they never would under any other circumstance, and seeing the absolute absurdity in it.

Great post, J!

EDIT: Actually you do bring up a good point. Race organizers could help mitigate this problem by asking participants (at sign up and on race day) not to be jackoffs and refrain from intentionally littering .. explaining that clean up efforts are provided to pick up flags, signs, and items dropped by mistake but not to cater to some sport-level doooochbag who wants to get his princess on.

[fireclimber]

That pisses me off too. I finished with all my wrappers!

[davec113]

Hundreds. It was insanity.

This "practice" has bothered me for more than a decade, yet I've never even seen it mentioned, so...

It seems unbelievable to me, but I guess this is expected and condoned by the race organizers? Seems like they are the ones to blame as much as the racers, and it does seem impossible that it all could be cleaned up, and if the wind picked up it would blow the wrappers all over the place.

If the race organizer threatened to add 10 seconds to your time if they see you litter that would probably solve the problem.

[Godzilla]

I'll start by saying I do agree with you. Way to much ***** dropped on the course. By what is the point in the rant. If you feel so strongly about it, why not get in touch with the event organizers, and find out what they are going to do about it. Maybe they have a plan.

Also, what is with all the hate on anyone who wears spandex, has a light bike, monitors their heart rate or shaves their legs. It's so easy to garner support on a forum with a negative post. All the haters come out in force!

For the record, I did race in the Hundo yesterday, usually wear baggies, but decided on the spandex for comfort reasons, was not wearing any sort of kit, don't shave my legs...although I've considered it (my wife laughs at the idea), and managed to get all of my trash into my jersey pocket, although I did toss a few water bottles not far from the aid stations as it just seemed it was kind of set up that way, and my wife volunteered.

Overall, I thought the race was a great event, and hopefully the organizers have a plan for cleaning up. Maybe a team of people are planning to ride sections of the course on cleanup duty. I'm sure there is a lot of cleanup after marathons, and any large organized event for that matter.

For the record, I have, at one point or another: raced XC, ridden a light bike, ridden road, used a HR monitor, worn spandex (for nearly a decade!), etc.. etc...

Please don't interpret my sarcastic post as an attack on anyone other than entitled litterbugs, it's not.

The point of my rant is, as TVC said, to draw attention to the issue. Yes, race organizers do clean up the course after an event - but let's face it, this was a 100 mile course and that nice 7mph breeze that kept most of us cool yesterday is sufficient to distribute wrappers all over the place before workers have a chance to get to them.

I do think that race organizers would do well to mention trash management before a race.They could let people know that it isn't always practical to behave like the cleanup crew is going to get everything after an event. I've finished races with sweat, snot, puke and god-knows-what else all over me, a bit of energy gel leaked from a wrapper isn't going to hurt anyone who's actually there to compete.

[WKD-RDR]

Yah i found a full 5 hr energy sitting up all neatly next to the trail - so i downed it- thanks for the boost! but ive been seeing some weird colors and nothing in my house looks familiar and i swore i had a chocolate lab- now all i see is some kind of Chihuahua....... weird..........and my house used to have stairs......

My wife ran some random marathon (I dont remember where. I mean, who knew running was a sport, right?) Anyway, she was so exhausted half way through that she started picking up used goo packs for energy.
She was able to make it to the end, and she shaves her legs on occasion.

So maybe they were leaving some leftovers for the slower crowd?

[ebry74]

Again, I didn't like the fact that so many wrappers were disgarded, and did manage to reach into my jersey pocket to stash my trash.

What do I know though, maybe insulting racers will spread the word and change attitudes, but I doubt it. I'm assuming the OP was at the event and wonder if anything was said. I do think mentioning waste management prior to the race would be a great start. Maybe they could impose a time penalty, or disqualification to those seen purposefully littering.

It just seems that these boards have such a negative tone most of the time and the negative posts seem to get the most attention. Not that I'm not guilty of that as well at times.

Overall, the event was great, and all of the money raised goes to charities such Trips for Kids, and COMBA. So, overall, the event has a very positive outcome, even if a few of the racers decided to get their princess on.

[WKD-RDR]

Also, what is with all the hate on anyone who wears spandex, has a light bike, monitors their heart rate or shaves their legs. It's so easy to garner support on a forum with a negative post. All the haters come out in force!

What do I know though, maybe insulting racers will spread the word and change attitudes, but I doubt it.

It just seems that these boards have such a negative tone most of the time and the negative posts seem to get the most attention. Not that I'm not guilty of that as well at times.

From your quotes, I'm not sure you read the last paragraph from the OP:

For the record - this rant is not aimed at XC racers, DHers, race organizers, roadies, guys who simply enjoy shaving their legs, people who ride 17# bikes, racers who are blown, dems, repubs, or even that shameless tw@t Rush Limbaugh - it's aimed at the entitled ish-heads who think that a bit of oxygen debt justifies throwing their trash around like some KFC eating hillbilly on a month long meth binge. For the love of all that is worth riding, quit behaving like DBs...

and from the last post:

Please don't interpret my sarcastic post as an attack on anyone other than entitled litterbugs, it's not.

I really dont see the hate on racers, or any insults on anyone exept litterbugz.

[ebry74]

I did, but I also read the first sentence in the very first post that was the start of this thread. Maybe one of those leg shaving, 17# bike riding, spandex clad, HR monitor on even in the shower ******t@rds will come and defend themselves. If you think a post like this is anything other than just a rant, and that it would actually change attitudes and make the world a better place, you're probably a little naive. Personally, I just hate all the bikers hating bikers (even if you're not actually the one hating, a lot of the ******t@rds that responded are) that creeps up on this forum, and I'm too tired to do much of anything else today since I actually carried my wrappers for a 100 miles yesterday.

[mtblucas]

I agree with this rant as well. Drives me nuts seeing garbage on the trail. Leave No Trace applies to EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!

[Timo]

I raced yesterday and saw stuff all over the place.....it was not cool. I've done several races of this sort and this is the worst that I have seen. In my opinion, while it was nice to have filled bottles being handed out while moving through the aid areas, it only led to more trash on the trail. Some people would down a bottle and drop it close to the aid station, but others - for some reason would toss it far out on course. Lame.

I did use the bottle exchanges, but it was so simple to carry the empty bottle to the next aid station and drop it there....why on earth would someone jettison a bottle out in the middle of nowhere? Ditto for trash.

This kind of thing will take away the privilege of having bottle change outs. It's a nice thing to have, but i will bet dollars to donuts that the promoter isn't happy today with the cleanup.

To the OP - you are correct about littering but obviously biased and off base by going after racers. What does leg saving, spandex, or 17lb bikes have to do with this. Turn down the smugness. Focus your anger on ******bags....of which this country has a lot of them unfortunately, which is another discussion.

[schnauzers]

That pisses me off too. I finished with all my wrappers!

You finished in the top 20. You probably didn't even have time to down a goo.

Simple solution: Trail monitors. You get caught littering = instant disqualification.

[WKD-RDR]

I did, but I also read the first sentence in the very first post that was the start of this thread. Maybe one of those leg shaving, 17# bike riding, spandex clad, HR monitor on even in the shower ******t@rds will come and defend themselves. If you think a post like this is anything other than just a rant, and that it would actually change attitudes and make the world a better place, you're probably a little naive. Personally, I just hate all the bikers hating bikers (even if you're not actually the one hating, a lot of the ******t@rds that responded are) that creeps up on this forum, and I'm too tired to do much of anything else today since I actually carried my wrappers for a 100 miles yesterday.

We'll have to disagree that asterisks are hateful.

Attention has been shed on the issue, and there will be some improvement next year.
Call me naive.

[concretejungle]

I did, but I also read the first sentence in the very first post that was the start of this thread. Maybe one of those leg shaving, 17# bike riding, spandex clad, HR monitor on even in the shower ******t@rds will come and defend themselves. If you think a post like this is anything other than just a rant, and that it would actually change attitudes and make the world a better place, you're probably a little naive. Personally, I just hate all the bikers hating bikers (even if you're not actually the one hating, a lot of the ******t@rds that responded are) that creeps up on this forum, and I'm too tired to do much of anything else today since I actually carried my wrappers for a 100 miles yesterday.

If I just hate pretty much everyone is that ok.

[eurochien]

You finished in the top 20. You probably didn't even have time to down a goo.

Simple solution: Trail monitors. You get caught littering = instant disqualification.

That's what's enforced in road races. The ref on the motorcycle spots anyone littering, he gets your number and you're DQ'd, you can go home, race over. Obviously easier to manage on the road than on the trails. The incentive - or push - for race organizers has been neighborhood associations who noticed the crap that racers would leave behind after an event and threatened to have it banned the next year.
I don't even know why the notion of "Please do not throw your trash on the trail" should be mentioned at all in the first place, it is common sense after all, but it does. Now when the person is out on the trail and there are no witnesses, he can do whatever his conscience is comfortable with.

[DWF]

To the OP - you are correct about littering but obviously biased and off base by going after racers. What does leg saving, spandex, or 17lb bikes have to do with this. Turn down the smugness. Focus your anger on ******bags....of which this country has a lot of them unfortunately, which is another discussion.

You must have a condition where you can't recognize satire. Probably that 17-pounds of leg shaving, spandex smugness you're sporting.

[Waafoo]

There is another post on here about the people that go shoot the crap out of everything and anything in the mountains and then leave it all there afterwords...sounds like the same f***ed up mentality, cant believe this is a issue! You are no different from them, holy crap, imagine that!

[RIDNMO]

I came to MTBing from a background of Ultrarunning. My main focus in Ultrarunning for about 5 years was the 100 mile trail race. I can't remember an event where the Race Director did not disallow in very strong terms any form of littering on the trail. This was included in the printed/Web event info, and also included in the pre-race meeting. I know of one Western race where a very well known racer was DQ'd for tossing a banana peel in the area of a trash can, but not in the can. Enforcement of littering rules varies with each event, but a participant who drops junk on the trail would experience enough peer pressure to make them feel uncomfortable, at least.
In addition, the event organizer is always responsible for providing a sweep of the course to make sure it is cleaner than when the race began.
The MTB races that I have participated in have been small, and litter has not been an issue. The race that prompted the great rant from the OP seems more like road marathons that I have seen, where the majority of the trash goes in the road to be cleaned up later.
I think the first responsibility for litter control has to be with the participant. But supporting that, the event organizer is responsible for making participants aware that littering is not permitted, and violators will be DQ'd, pulled from the event, or whatever. The event organizer is also responsible for providing a complete and fast cleanup of the course. People riding the course a day or two following the event should not find trash from the race on the trails.

[sprocketjockey9]

At Shenandoah 100, I believe racers aren't allowed to use gel packets? They give out hundreds of flasks to prevent littering. Understandably race organizers can't afford to do that. But they should inform racers that littering is def not cool.

I always use flasks & pre cut my wrappers on bars/food so there's no blow away as I'm moving forward. My wife is never happy to pull all the garbage out of my jersey pockets, but much happier than it being out on the trails

[Timo]

You must have a condition where you can't recognize satire. Probably that 17-pounds of leg shaving, spandex smugness you're sporting.

That's not satire...it's called a Rorschach Test. The OP (and apparently you) both project your own interpretations. The issue is littering...not what someone looks like. Do you base your opinions of all people on appearance?

[UncleTrail]

5 grams.

[DWF]

That's not satire...it's called a Rorschach Test. The OP (and apparently you) both project your own interpretations. The issue is littering...not what someone looks like. Do you base your opinions of all people on appearance?

sat·ire/ˈsaˌtī(ə)r/Noun
1. The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Of course it's satire. Of course the issue is littering. The satire is stating that you'd have to be a leg shaving, heart rate monitor in the shower wearing, ****tard to throw your litter on the ground because you're "racing" in a "race" that is basically a fundraiser & not your last chance to win a spot on the Olympic team.

Reread the OP and then please note that I'm being satirical in explaining this to you. I'm starting to suspect you'd be less sensitive had you packed out all your wrappers.