MTBO Resources

First of all, make sure you have read the beginners' hints. They are written for bikers taking up MTBO, or foot-orienteers getting onto a bike.

This page is a collection of random items that might help you sometime. At the top are short-term things such as partners or transport wanted or offered. Then come stable things such as equipment ideas, further down is advice for the organiser of a MTBO event. If you have something that could help, or you see a need for some guidance, get in touch with the

Contents

Partner or Transport Wanted/Offered

Nothing at present

Preparing your bike for Air Travel

 Packing details assembled by and installed a while ago, um, maybe 2004. Experiences with NZ-Australia baggage limits have been assembled by and updated Oct 2010.

How to Hold Your Map

Written by and updated 24 Sep 09.

You can't hold it in your hands! A mapbag round your neck will twist and end up strangling you! The best place is on the bars.

The state of the art is made in Czech and is called the Miry Pro. Lightweight materials, strong and stable, and most importantly it has a rotation mechanism so you can align the map with the way you are going. Check it out at The MAPsport Shop and look down the bottom of "Miscellaneous Products". MAPsport also sells a nifty system that lets you put a magnetic pointer where you are on the map.

If you want an cheap mapholder while you see whether you like this crazy sport, make one! Lots of people have devices made from clipboards, hoseclips, cable-ties and spring-clips. Here are some that even rotate! Download Di's design

And here's one by Steve Holden formerly of Wellington OC. Warning: may be bad for your health, requires consumption of 2 litres of icecream first... Click on the sketch for the instructions. Prints better than it looks on-screen.

Here's a website with two more designs. Alternatively try this design or that design.

Fitting your Miry Mapholder with Quick-release Mounts

Prepared by of Auckland, New Zealand, Ph 021 239 3649 or 09 473 6434. Installed a while ago, um, guess 2004

Download picture (5k PDF)

Introductory MTBO Courses

 Written by and installed on 5 Apr 09.

In 2008 OHV ran a couple of MTBO events for beginners. They used the public land along the Hutt riverbanks - flat terrain, limited route choice, larger scale than usual. They consisted of an untimed course of 1-2km (to bring riders back for help and encouragement) and a timed course of 5-7km (along the riverbank, across a bridge and back on the other side). They were nicknamed "Brownie Events" - serious riders get "brownie points" at home by bring kids/partner - and riding level suitable for brownies.

OHV has decided to declare some of its maps free for personal and school use, and has put pdf versions of them in a download area on its website. The are also suitable as examples for the simple courses and terrain used. Rather than list the names of the files we link here to the OHV download page so you can read the "fine print" associated with the map use. Find them by searching the download page for "MTBO".

Learning MTBO Techniques

One of OHV's beginner events contains some very good lessons for beginner riders. OHV MTBO Coordinator Michael Wood has noted the features that he would look for on this course, together with some navigational techniques he would use. Link...

MTBO Organisation and Course Planning

 Written by and installed a while ago, um, guess 2002 sometime.

MTBO Mapping

 Written by The situation in Dec 2011

A new edition of the International Specifications for MTBO Maps came into effect in 2010. Australia and NZ had already adopted the most significant change, showing tracks in four speeds instead of three. Here's a summary of the changes (minor updates made 14 Jul 10).

These specifications are fairly unsatisfactory in the area of off-track travel. Various countries allow it, some allow it with bizarre restrictions (carrying the bike), and some don't allow it at all. The above specifications contain an appendix with four suggested ways of showing places where off-track travel is allowed. They all have disadvantages.

In NZ we see a need for limited off-track travel to be allowed, mainly to clarify those areas where it isn't clear what is a track, and to prevent temptation where tracks come very close together. And fairness demands that the rider can tell the speed of off-track options relative to tracks. The MTBO Committee has assembled some "NZ MTBO Mapping Conventions" which it thinks will be an improvement. There are also some small symbol dimension changes. They are illustrated here in a Sample MTBO Legend". These haven't been formally endorsed by the federation yet, but will be used during the Otago MTBO Carnival and reviewed afterwards.

Earlier notes in mid 2009.

In 2007 a revised MTBO Mapping Specification was approved and you can download it from the Mapping Commission website. This means that the version in the little booklet ISOM 2000 is out of date. The revision still contains many words relating to foot-orienteering eg "runnability"!!!

Since then the Australians have revised their thinking and instead of wanting more widths they have moved to more speeds: the 4X2 system. This provides two speeds instead of one to cover the wide range between fast and unrideable. They are represented by long and short dashes. They have found support in the IOF MTBO Commission but the measure has been blocked by the IOF Mapping Commission. The NZOF MTBO Committee supports "4X2" and maps are being progressively changed over.

Another principle which is being discussed is to beef up the contour widths - after all most foot-o maps are 1:10,000 and have 150% contour widths. And if contours why not streams? The visual situation is surely more demanding on a bike.

Earlier notes mid 2003.

Here are a couple of proposals which have not yet been accepted by the Mapping Commission. They are word files that you can download.

Here are some NZ mapping comments dated 20 Dec 02 following the 3rd NZ MTBO Champs in 2002. They are mostly about the colour for forest.

Here are some NZ mapping comments dated 29 Aug 02. They are mainly about the dimensions for the track symbols.

Earlier notes mid 2002.

The official specification for MTBO maps is still under development, with the organisers of the first World Champs making some changes to the standard contained in the 2000 edition of the International Standard for Orienteering Maps. The IOF Mapping Commission has published two interim amendments. They still have too much baggage related to foot-orienteering, so I would expect further change.

MTBO Rules

 Section written by and updated on 9 Dec 11.

NZ ran MTB-Orienteering for about 15 years without a set of rules. Practice generally followed other countries, but there are some big variations, particularly about going off-track. The NZOF MTBO Committee has formulated a rule-book and some guidelines for championships, dated November 2011. At this stage they are in draft and feedback is welcome. Read them here. View a sample map prepared to illustrate the mapping conventions here.

So the documents that govern this corner of orienteering are:

ANZ Challenge Results

Section written by and updated on 22 Jan 12.

Often only the individual results find their way into the archives. Here's a collection of the team results, with links to other records where available. The result is generally based on the best two individual results from each side, except as noted. In the early years the best four results were used in the open classes.

This page is maintained by .
Back to the MTBO home page.