How can you expect to attract new people to the sport with a completely out of date website - and one, in my opinion that is far too busy. If upkeep is a problem then why not make the site much simpler, but at least keep it up to date.

The thread that said there was going to a big re-launch of the Event and a new spangley website that was to be kept up to date seems to have gone missing...

Personally, I've given up on the website (which is a shame for new entrants I admit) - I just pay the event fee and enjoy the two days of fun. 2003 did give us three very good events and I'd rather have a great event than a up-to-date website.

Of course, I keep an eye on the forum for amusement value ;)

Couldn't agree more Ian the site is a big disappointment.I keep coming back to the site looking for updates without success.

Also, there where four good events last year if you include the French event.Not many people made it over but those that did had a great time.It would be good to have a report and photos on the site to encourage people to go next year.Over to you Martin!

bollox to the web site!lets just get out there and RIDE!!

Hello Steve Draper! Remember us from France?

I've given up checking the Polaris website for updates etc, they don't seem able to help themselves.

We did a write-up on the Alston event for MTB-Britain, but oddly don't remember much about the French Polaris, maybe it was all Martins wine that we drank or the Ricard we kept pinching? Do you remember 'Adventure Racer'? me being forced to sit away from Nathalie for being 'too smooth', flaming sugar-cubes, my North Face jacket that got nicked? our boozy breath in the airport departure lounge?......

Happy days, Matt sends his regards and we hope to see you and 'Everest Dave' again soon.

John

Garty,
How could I forget!
After being incarcerated at Gatwick for bringing suspicious items into the country,planted by persons unknown..........
Your boozy breath.
It still lingers on that jacket ( I'm sure I'll grow into it some day !)

As for the lovely Natalie I,m sure you'll find that her calling you 'une vilain cochon' does not translate as 'too smooth'!!

Joking apart its good to here from you and I am sure we are destined to meet on a mountain fairly soon.

Steve

The March entryforms are old hat as well

Well at least we finally have some updated details on the site regarding the new map option but it is a concern that with only four weeks to go to the Spring event, there still isn't a write up on the Autumn Polaris

Has anybody got a report that they can send to Graham to put up on the site. If not how about writing one on here. Seems sensible rather than moaning. I'm willing to give it a bash. Alston was my first event and didn't finish too well, but at least it would be something. Alternatively, we all post a bit and do some copy and pasting....!

Eddie S

Alston was a great event,overnight camp was alright apart from the water supply.
Started fresh Sunday morning,Five hours later i was totally knackered,but felt the better for doing the event.
By the by i bought 4 tins of bitter to drink sat nite but was too knackered to drink so i carried them back to the finish on sunday,was i tempted on the way back Sunday-bet your sweet arse i was!
So heres to Yorkshire,see you there.
There you go Eddie S that's my stab at it!!

Tony
As one of the old hands who has had a break from the PC and returned to do it solo why don't you write an article about your experiences.
We do not see what goes on ouon the course all I see is the results.
Feedback from teams with your own experiences will help us generate some copy.
Anyway Tony, I thought you were up for planning an event in the SE in Herts/Hants, Autumn 2004/Spring 2005 is up for grabs.

Graham,
I'd happily write something up about my experiences at Alston. I can't support it with any photos, but can produce something readable and hopefully sufficiently entertaining, inspired by Gary T's article on Yorkshire Dales.

OK so I walked into that one! Although I had thought about it. Now I've just got to fit it in between responding to the latest DEFRA consultation on vehicle use on Byways, commissairing any number of events between Portugal and Fort William this year, whilst trying to get some time on the bike (not to mention fitting work around all that)!

As for the Herts Polaris, I still thinking about it but can see some difficulties but Hampshire? Well I'd go for West Sussex and the Downs myself, an area I know quite well, so could be an option?

Perhaps we will get a chance to chat at the next PC.

By the way... where exactly in the Dales????
I got out my map from Spring '93 at the weekend, are we going back to the same area???

Ian
Thanks for the offer, we can supply some photos.
Tony
How do you manage to get some commissairing jobs? All I got was a trip to Belgium, Dalby and Plymouth, I still think I am qualified as an MTB commissaire as I never retired, just seem to have been overlooked.
West Sussex it is then, I'll put you down for Spring 2005 so it will give you time to plan it in the close season.
Plenty of clues on the other thread, Herriot Country, Black Sheep and all that, yes your old map will be of use except that the ROW information will be out of date.
Plenty of time to chat at next event as the maps are pre-marked.

Graham

All change this year as the UCI not the National Federation make the Chief Commissaire appointments to category E2 domestic races (e.g. NPS) and this is true across Europe. As a result I'm doing a round of the Portugal Downhill Cup as well as my UK duties. Other UK Commissaires are going to Portugal, Spain and Eire this year.

Of the rest of the "Class of 92" Colin Clews is still in action and Rob Kinsey is still racing but hasn't commmissaired in a while, We haven't seen Adrian Walls for a while and although Willi Tarran has been commissairing Road and Track he hasn't been near a Mountain Bike Race in years but apparently has got some appointments for this year (should be a laugh)!

The Fort William World Cup appoinment is not a UCI appointment but a BCF one (apparently I shall be Start Commissaire) but I have been on the team for the last two years. Apart from a couple of BCF appointments to the World Cup at Plymouth the only previous international appointment (i.e. under the old system) I ever got was Budapest in 1998 but until this year nothing else!

You could always contact Laetitia Stefani, the Commissaire Coordinator at the UCI and remind her of your existence: [email protected]

I did take the Black Sheep/Theakstons references with a pinch of salt as a) They sell them across a wide area including here down South and b) it could have been a brewery tour around Masham for all I knew!

I know the map is out of date (I can hardly read the control points as the ink has faded) but at least I've got a clue where I'm headed.

Tony
The big clue is not the Brewery but James Herriot country, you know the country vet, you are old enough to remember that.
Who is in charge of the BCF appointments now? Colin.
email me direct on [email protected]

Tony,
Go on, make it Herts. Teach the northerners about real mud :)

What Mud? It's all frozen at the moment!

You are joking, frozen mud in the south, never.
Never mind the mud Ian what's the ale like.

You're right, it's thawed already (still a bit of some funny white stuff around though).

Beer, well it tends to be expensive! the local brew is McMullens of Hertford. they have got over their keg beer phase and are brewing traditionally again these days but it is an acquired taste. Of course we also have our fair share of Green King pubs, which is my preferred tipple.

Aye, Tony is right, McMullens does divide opinion a bit, but I'll be knocking back a few pints of it tonight as part of my winter training regime. Though, strictly speaking, it also forms the core part of my summer training :)

Just to let you know that we have started work on the new web site, on line entry form and results integrated software.
No doubt you will have seen some improvement on the content following the Spring event, thanks to Karen following some website training.
We hope to role out the new website in time for the Autumn event.
The new software will also speed up registration and results as we are going to try and import the SI output directly into our database.

I'm fairly new to Polaris so am not aware of the website being out of date. However, I am getting extremely frustrated at not being able to access the results from the spring event 2 weeks ago. I don't have Excel so used a computer that does and still could not download or open the results spreadsheet. My partner and I think we did okay (250 Day 1, ? Day 2) but it would be nice to know! Can anyone advise me on the correct procedure please.

Zoe
All the instructions are on the results page but here is the method.
The results are downloaded in a zip file.
You need to click on the download and when the grey box pops up then save the file to a location such as my documents.
You then need to unzip it using winzip, if you have XP then it will do it for you but if you haven't there is a link on the results page to download it.
Once unzipped you can view it in excel, if you don't have excel then again you can download a viewer from the link on the results page.
If I can do it then you can too.

The link to the Excel view is out of date. The correct link is here. Also the viewer only works on Windows PCs.

I have put an HTML version (707KB) of the results here. It's a bit slow with a dialup modem, so ...
I have put a zipped version (36KB) of the HTML here.

That told you Zoe you absolute idiot!!!

How about just providing the results in a way we can click on and view - like I'm sure I've done previously.

Does anyone know if there are any upmarket hardtail bikes that still have braze-ons for fixing pannier racks? If not, does anyone know of ways of fixing racks to seat, or chain, stays? Seat post racks are OK for the Summer event but I wouldn't trust them for Autumn/Spring. (I am not able to carry a lot of weight in a rucsac).

Andy look here www.oldmanmountain.com these may solve your problem.

Not sure what you classify as upmarket hardtail bike, but Orange P7 comes with mounts for rear panniers.

Thanks, Keith and LLoyd, I'll look into those leads.

Andy
I have just bought an Orange EVO4(Aluminium as opposed to Steel P7) and that has mounts on for rear panniers too.
But if you get a Custom made bike then you can specify what braze ons you want.
Give Pace a call they may do bikes with rack mounts.

Thanks Graham. I had just looked at the P7 (suggested by Lloyd)but would I prefer an aluminium one so the EV04 might be a possibility