"Why I don't go to comps".....not looking for comp guy replies....

[Dirt Diggler]

My first introduction to the RC world was back in the mid 80's, when I had both
an RC10 and RC10L, the later of which I put most of my time and money into.
It started out as friendly competition with my buddies just for bragging rights.
For a brief time, I started doing comps, but soon realized that the rules favored the points leaders, and those whom had track seniority. I also found that no matter who caused a wreck, the spotters always seemed to set the favorites cars first, oh well. I gave it up, because it wasn't fun anymore, and that's what it's all about. Thirty years later, I'm into crawlers, no smooth pavement, no tracks needed, you can have plenty of fun in your back yard. I bought an RTR Wraith four years ago, and just started to build it up recently. It's fun to watch comps on you tube, and for a brief second, entertained the idea of U4, then reminded myself of why I didn't want to go that rout. Now it's just about fun, I bought my wife a Bomber, so we could go out and have fun together, but her enthusiasm for the hobby has diminished. I live in the North Bay Area, Vallejo to be exact, and would like to find some locals or a group to join, just to bash about.

 

[RCruler]

Recently all the local tracks closed and I have been racing buggies on and off for 30 years. So now I am focusing on scale crawlers for a change. Seems like a lot of the finnicky rules and drama described here is very similar to what I think has killed RC car racing over the years. Too serious, too many nuanced classes, catering to a few lunatics who take racing toy cars way too seriously and on and on.

 

[stormridersp]

I'm trying hard to go to my first comp. But:

I live in London, UK and I don't make fair wages, which makes me poor. I have to work mostly weekends, I dont have a car and to get to the comps, I need to take several very early trains, tubes and buses and walking miles, on 3h travels, just to get to the place in the middle of places like Surrey by 9h30; while other people just need to drive 40 minutes to get there.

If the comp sites were chosen taking into account sunday public transportantion, I'd definitely consider competing more frequently.

 

[Fallen]

While competitors who take "fun" way too seriously is a deterrent, I sort of doubt I'd actually run into many of them at an event. Most people seem welcoming as far the RC hobbies are concerned.

What I like about the scale RC world, is what I dislike about the competitions.

I love the realism, and being able to envision a real 4X4 vehicle covering realistic terrain in realistic ways.

Scale competitions impose too much non-realistic stuff for me. Rules about what bumper you can have, tire heights and points added for reversing. You have to drive this line, and only this line, you can't choose the line you prefer. And the line you have to drive is one that is very likely to roll your rig over. I seriously doubt that if I built up a full size off roader I'd be choosing lines like that. Plus, the courses don't look like real 4x4 terrain to me. That isn't how actual off roaders drive. They build what they want and drive it how they want, wherever they can drive it.

Sort of like RC Ultra 4 racing. RC Ultra 4 racing is very dissimilar to real Ultra 4 racing. RC Ultra 4 has drivers blasting blindly over rocks at top speed, jumping impossibly huge jumps and operating at speeds that in scale terms, appear way faster than a real Ultra 4 car goes.

Now, competitions have to have these sort of things. Objective order has to be imposed so that you can actually determine who is the best at something, otherwise determining the winner becomes too subjective. And I also understand that full size off road crawling competitions probably have similar rules to those imposed on RC crawling comps.

But trading realism in the pursuit of attaining the objective order that determines a winner just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather not know who won and be able to play with my toy trucks in a way that is as convincingly real as possible.

I suppose I'm more of GTG scale guy, than a comp guy. I don't think comp guys are wrong. I just think they like different things than I do, and we can enjoy our own worlds separately.

 

[jp735i]

I just started crawling back in May, but have no plans for comps. As other state, cost and distance, but mostly after watching so many videos of comps, they are so unrealistic to what a scale crawler should.

I like the look of scale crawlers.

Guess you could call me more of a Trailer then a crawler, but my Coyote has concurred some nice climbs.

As Fallen has stated above, I feel the same way.

 

[debrent]

Why I don’t go to comps?

Simple...I’m just not that competitive. I like to just hike along a trail with my truck and look for interesting places to explore with it. It’s relaxing. Competing is typically stressful...at least for me.
Also, competitive crawling involves spending a lot of $$$ on upgrades. Some of those upgrades will certainly result in improved crawling performance but don’t do anything for the aesthetics of the vehicle.
As many others have stated, I prefer a more realistic “miniature off road” crawling experience. So just give me a good trail, a nice day, some good natured friends and maybe a couple of beers and I will have everything I need or want from the hobby.

 

[bbrigg]

I don't go to comps because there are none within a two hour flight of where I live. I probably wouldn't go to compete in any case but to spectate as I am realistic about my skills. It would be a great way to glean information about what actually works as regards upgrades and technique.

I only have a TRX-4 but I am into the crawling part more than the trailing. I might feel differently if I had somebody else to crawl with but it seems I'm the only one here who does it.

 

[toy4crawlin]

IS this thread to find out how to improve the interest and or participation in comps?

I have been to several comps, sometimes driving up to 3hrs to get there.
I enjoy being in the crowd of other crawlers but wish there would be more nicer people, open to chat and interest, along with sharing ideas how to promote and make more relaxed comps.

From my opinion i think I see were things went down the tubes. The Comps rewarding the folks with the most money, sponsers time spent crawling , I'm referring to mostly the MOA market.
Now I see the market turned to off the shelf scalers and offer extra points in comps for buying scale items like a winch, action figures and what ever.
I think that nice for those that want a simple crawler but allow them to spend little bits of money here and there and be creative adding on scale things.

I am more involved in crawling and so much more happy conquering incredible walls and climbs with my MOA than I ever was with my 2.2 or my 1.9 scaler.
The 1.9 is just to fragile and takes certain terrain far away to really get enjoyment.

Need more Comps with 1hr drive
It would be helpful to put together a list of contacts for each popular area so we can could organize an event.

 

[jmitchell13]

I race 1/10th scale offroad for competition. I bought crawlers to have a non-competitive rc outlet that I can walk out my back door and do with my kids.

 

[Boongoosen]

Def lack of events in my area. Would love to go to one.


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[sickboyboone]

While competitors who take "fun" way too seriously is a deterrent, I sort of doubt I'd actually run into many of them at an event. Most people seem welcoming as far the RC hobbies are concerned.

What I like about the scale RC world, is what I dislike about the competitions.

I love the realism, and being able to envision a real 4X4 vehicle covering realistic terrain in realistic ways.

Scale competitions impose too much non-realistic stuff for me. Rules about what bumper you can have, tire heights and points added for reversing. You have to drive this line, and only this line, you can't choose the line you prefer. And the line you have to drive is one that is very likely to roll your rig over. I seriously doubt that if I built up a full size off roader I'd be choosing lines like that. Plus, the courses don't look like real 4x4 terrain to me. That isn't how actual off roaders drive. They build what they want and drive it how they want, wherever they can drive it.

Sort of like RC Ultra 4 racing. RC Ultra 4 racing is very dissimilar to real Ultra 4 racing. RC Ultra 4 has drivers blasting blindly over rocks at top speed, jumping impossibly huge jumps and operating at speeds that in scale terms, appear way faster than a real Ultra 4 car goes.

Now, competitions have to have these sort of things. Objective order has to be imposed so that you can actually determine who is the best at something, otherwise determining the winner becomes too subjective. And I also understand that full size off road crawling competitions probably have similar rules to those imposed on RC crawling comps.

But trading realism in the pursuit of attaining the objective order that determines a winner just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather not know who won and be able to play with my toy trucks in a way that is as convincingly real as possible.

I suppose I'm more of GTG scale guy, than a comp guy. I don't think comp guys are wrong. I just think they like different things than I do, and we can enjoy our own worlds separately.

Good opinion. You have no idea what real ultra4 racing is or what it’s about.


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[Piranhaboy]

I’ve alway just enjoyed bashing or ripping around the track in my 1/10 buggies. Racing always had too much forced time not actually driving and it turned a fun hobby into a money pit where to be competitive you have to have the latest and greatest. I got into crawlers because my neighbor and his kids are into them and let me run one a couple times, I had a blast. Picked up the cheapest well reviewed one I could find. The E10 it Has been a lot of fun. In the 8 months I’ve had it now the only stock parts are the wheels, axle housings and drive shafts.
I went to a comp with my neighbor just to watch and all the scale point bs looking rigs completely turned me off of it. It just seemed nuts the way the scoring and rules are set up. If people didn’t have full sized suburbans and things like that with piles of crap on them I would be interested. I think the classes need fixed to resemble more of what you’d actually see on the trail and match the terrain more to the class. My good friends highly modified but still street legal xj wasn’t usually using his winch too run most of the trail.

 

[bgredjeep]

I might sign up for a comp if i happened to be at an event where one was going on. I picked up my crawler to goof around at the house, or friend's place, when we weren't out wheeling full size rigs. It's also fun to play around with at the camp sites after we finish riding.

I've never seen or heard of any comps being put on in my local area.

 

[tjohanne]

Re: "Why I don't go to comps".....not looking for comp guy replies....

I like ordinary trail stuff and realism with both dedicated crawlers and more ordinary rigs.
Crawler comps, to me at least, involves a lot of waiting and stupidly difficult tracks. Not that they are impossible, but what I consider unrealistic scale-wise. And people get too serious about it.
We once had a guy winch himself out of a ditch, and because of some very skillful driving and that his winch line accidentally got caught up in a twig or root of a tree, he was able to press his rig towards the tree and then drive up it vertically, then horizontally around it, where he could winch himself down again. Good job, but it kind of turned me off, too technical.

I would, however, like to try Ultra 5K Enduro. That looks really cool, but nobody here does it. Probably because very few are able to run at all.

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[QuesoDelDiablo]

I used to do every scale adventure type comp I could find. And then I realized that just means hanging out with a whole bunch of people and being forced to wait for other people to clear a section. I don't like people and I'm not very patient so I don't comp much anymore..

 

[rendeverance]

Hi all,

Very interesting thread.
I've been into RC for over 20 years now. I've been into nitro trucks, touring cars, drifting, drones, helicopters, planes etc.. and now crawling...

My issue has always been a combination of cost to compete, and the restrictions, or rather way they are imposed.

My enjoyment of the hobby is primarily in the building, I run or have run all of my models and enjoy doing so when I can but time and UK weather play their parts, as does suitable spots. Therefore I really enjoy exploring what's POSSIBLE. Due to cost I enjoy maximizing the possibility of older designs, restoring and upgrading second hand models and parts, so usually due to age and rate at which new stuff comes out, it's hard to compete in such an arena. It becomes keeping up with the jones' next door, rather than a technical challenge.

In competition, generally what is permitted is very restrictive, so your pigeonholed into spending a great deal of money into parts you ARE allowed, and have little to no room for modifying your rig. Just about any of my rigs end up in unlimited type classes, which then becomes a competition against people with far more money than I. If I can achieve a build for sub £500 that will do 95 percent of a £1500+ build will do, and sometimes some things it won't, I see that as an achievement, it requires skill and ingenuity. If they had some kind of scoring system that reduced the benefits of throwing unlimited money at a model, it would appeal more to me.

For instance, and this might be a bad / extreme example, have a Tamiya TA03... It's a pride and joy of mine. It's been many years since it would have been competitive as a touring car, but no clubs I've met have something I can compare it to. I won't say what I've spent on it but it's less than half retail...
I built it before brushless motors and lipos were a thing, this car has been converted to twin motors and 4ws, it has 2 tamiya supermodified 11t triple motors, and on a NiMH pack she has achieved 64mph with savage acceleration, nearly 20 years on it's still not a slow RC, but the club's seem to all be super serious competition only, the fun is not there and there is no open race for fun catagories, the car scene is super serious.

I got into drift as that was more fun based to begin with, but that has gone pretty much the same way now.

So yeah, I'm a basher and proud. I will consider crawling competition attendance as I've not been to one, but am seriously expecting to find myself in a class I can't compete in simply by virtue of having a truly custom rig.

I find it a shame as I know very few in the hobby and want to have meets with people.

 

[Egsise]

Re: "Why I don't go to comps".....not looking for comp guy replies....

While competitors who take "fun" way too seriously is a deterrent, I sort of doubt I'd actually run into many of them at an event. Most people seem welcoming as far the RC hobbies are concerned.

What I like about the scale RC world, is what I dislike about the competitions.

I love the realism, and being able to envision a real 4X4 vehicle covering realistic terrain in realistic ways.

Scale competitions impose too much non-realistic stuff for me. Rules about what bumper you can have, tire heights and points added for reversing. You have to drive this line, and only this line, you can't choose the line you prefer. And the line you have to drive is one that is very likely to roll your rig over. I seriously doubt that if I built up a full size off roader I'd be choosing lines like that. Plus, the courses don't look like real 4x4 terrain to me. That isn't how actual off roaders drive. They build what they want and drive it how they want, wherever they can drive it.

I like ordinary trail stuff and realism with both dedicated crawlers and more ordinary rigs.
Crawler comps, to me at least, involves a lot of waiting and stupidly difficult tracks. Not that they are impossible, but what I consider unrealistic scale-wise. And people get too serious about it.

These ^


I drive my RC like real a truck, most of the time at least.
I tried few Performance Scale Class comps, too much bashing because of time limit and reverse penalty.

 

[gmorg]

Just my 2 cents, I don't have alot of posts on here but still follow. I still have my LCC and MOA comp crawlers which seems to have died off because back then guys went to scalers because of the cost and style of the courses. I see on the videos of scale comps the same thing happening as far as courses and rigs. SORRCA allowing plate chassis I think will hurt scale comps.

 

[Slow Runner]

I don't go to comps because I don't know of any .....and ummm yeah...there's a pandemic.

 

[Kingmeow]

LOL!!!!! Yeah, true that. And I can't wait for this virus to go away!!!!!