Merging of the ABA & NBL ,taking from both Options

[tommydone]

I am now a cruiser only rider as well, since my daughter started racing , I had to pick one. I just couldnt afford the upkeep and entry fees for 2 bikes for myself and the 2 bikes for my kids. I just felt better on the cruiser. a couple of years ago , the year before the "buffett" plan. if you raced 20" at a national , you could race cruiser for 1/2 price, I thought that was awesome and something that USABMX should look into.

Also family discounts for national entry fees. I have me,3 kids(including my step son) and my girlfriend wants to race as well makid 5 total entry fees for a national. Gets expensive to plan any trips.

[PrincessBMX]

I am now a cruiser only rider as well, since my daughter started racing , I had to pick one. I just couldnt afford the upkeep and entry fees for 2 bikes for myself and the 2 bikes for my kids. I just felt better on the cruiser. a couple of years ago , the year before the "buffett" plan. if you raced 20" at a national , you could race cruiser for 1/2 price, I thought that was awesome and something that USABMX should look into.

Also family discounts for national entry fees. I have me,3 kids(including my step son) and my girlfriend wants to race as well makid 5 total entry fees for a national. Gets expensive to plan any trips.

Discounts for entry fees!!!!!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/good2.gif)

I would love this.

3 days with 3 races each day gets expensive for 1 kid much less 2 or 3 racers.

VOLUME DISCOUNT!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/good2.gif)

[LDZDAD]

Personally, I'd like to see them call it what it is and lets all move on. This was a takeover, not a merger.
Not complaining at all. I just wish they would stop trying to pacify everyone by pretending.
In a merger, people are going to want fairness and will complain if things aren't the way they want them.
In a takeover, you are happy to still be alive and grateful that the product is still available.
I, for one, am grateful that all the NBL tracks still have an opportunity to keep their doors open after the sanction fell.
Here's why it feels more like a takeover to me:
The rules and format still favor the ABA.
The membership cards still say ABA. The website and Facebook page are still the original ABA sites.
Race officials and staff are legacy ABA staffers.
Yes, they did update the big rig hauler graphics which now say "USABMX, The American Bicycle Association" (still found a way to keep the name there didn't they)?
I think they should have kept the ABA name and structure and said, "if ya wanna race, you have one option."

[cornfed]

Personally, I'd like to see them call it what it is and lets all move on. This was a takeover, not a merger.
Not complaining at all. I just wish they would stop trying to pacify everyone by pretending.
In a merger, people are going to want fairness and will complain if things aren't the way they want them.
In a takeover, you are happy to still be alive and grateful that the product is still available.
I, for one, am grateful that all the NBL tracks still have an opportunity to keep their doors open after the sanction fell.
Here's why it feels more like a takeover to me:
The rules and format still favor the ABA.
The membership cards still say ABA. The website and Facebook page are still the original ABA sites.
Race officials and staff are legacy ABA staffers.
Yes, they did update the big rig hauler graphics which now say "USABMX, The American Bicycle Association" (still found a way to keep the name there didn't they)?
I think they should have kept the ABA name and structure and said, "if ya wanna race, you have one option."

I guess you weren't involved in BMX back in '02-'03 when this was originally supposed to happen.

Where's the $200 bottles of water?

[murrdog]

For me this is not a bashing thread. This is just a thread with ideas others think may help improve the sport.

I too stopped racing two bikes, can't afford for both. I still have both bikes but not enough time or money to race them both. The cost is the biggest factor.

I agree with the entry level cruiser class for the 30 and over dads. I think our track would have a larger class of these new dads if they had their own class to race. I think they choose not to race because of the large gap in skill levels between the expert dad and themselves.

I think the entry level girls class was a good thing the NBL had put in place.

I liked the NBL bucks too.

As for the classes mentioned above. I don't look at it as a class for trophy chassers but a class that may help the sport grow on a local level. If chassing a trophy is such a bad thing then don't offer those classes at the nationals, change trophy sizes or just let the system take care of its self by a racer earning move up points.

I think the ABA had to have a name change in order to keep the non for profit status of the old NBL. I may be wrong on that.

I wish we could just run our three digit number and not have to change plates every year.

[Elvis]

Personally, I'd like to see them call it what it is and lets all move on. This was a takeover, not a merger.
Not complaining at all. I just wish they would stop trying to pacify everyone by pretending.
In a merger, people are going to want fairness and will complain if things aren't the way they want them.
In a takeover, you are happy to still be alive and grateful that the product is still available.
I, for one, am grateful that all the NBL tracks still have an opportunity to keep their doors open after the sanction fell.
Here's why it feels more like a takeover to me:
The rules and format still favor the ABA.
The membership cards still say ABA. The website and Facebook page are still the original ABA sites.
Race officials and staff are legacy ABA staffers.
Yes, they did update the big rig hauler graphics which now say "USABMX, The American Bicycle Association" (still found a way to keep the name there didn't they)?
I think they should have kept the ABA name and structure and said, "if ya wanna race, you have one option."

This is a pretty good post.

I'll add the "they" in your second line is more teh Internets Geniu3 society than anyone on the sanction side.

More to the point, all this "the sanction needs to ....." stuff is so much navel gazing as we (all of us, regardless of sanction) go through this meld process. I expect the 2013 rulebook will be the real interesting one.

I realize as BMXers it's our duty to only think of life one season at a time, but I'm guessing we're pretty much done with changes for this year, and for next are changes we've yet to imagine.

[sjaquay]

i hope they never say that the doubles have to be filled in and try to save face like what happened to the NBL years ago, that was a joke. they should have found a different insurance company. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[GARG]

I liked the NBL Regional series. Not impressed with the Redline Cup format. The NBL Regional series had a team competition. Not all racers are going to compete in the National Series, a real regional one might get more to participate a little more.

[d0ubledown]

never was a part of nbl but our cca sanction has very similar rules. I'd also like to see a family cap/discount, as 2 kids running all three races gets spendy real quick. it would encourage more participants in a household. could be 3 kids this time next year...maybe cruiser for the boy. plus I'd like to give it a go in the 36-40 novice class (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[1993tnt]

novice= 3 wins to turn inter
inter= 5 wins to turn expert


novice win both days at national= turn inter
inter= win both days at national= turn expert