Cycling Otago Finds A New Way To Lose More Riders

[andrewb]

The latest from cycling otago, bit crazy if you ask me.

Cycling Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Gearing Handicap System
To start the 2010-11 Cycling Otago track season off we are incorporating a “Gearing Handicap”.
This “Gearing Handicap” is design to achieve 2 major objectives set out by the Track Committee.
Firstly, since there hasn’t been a significant number of equal ability riders in any one class for several season we believe there is a need to try and equalize all riders abilities to allow everyone to be competitive amongst everyone else.
Secondly, the better riders need more competitive at a national level and will benefit by having closer racing.
How it works-
- Each rider will be given a maximum gear they are allowed to use at the start of the season.
o A grade riders will have a small gear probably in the low to mid 80’s
o B grade riders will be allowed a medium gear (mid 80’s)
o C grade and new riders will be allowed a larger gear probably 90+
- This will allow all riders to be in one race and remain closer at the finish.
- If the handicapper notices any rider whom is doing far better or not as good as the average rider they will adjust this riders gearing accordingly to even out the racing.
- Gearing handicaps will apply to all races each night.
- Riders not complying to gearing handicap will not be allowed to race.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=341179920225&topic=15548

[XCrazy]

At first glance this doesn't appear to make a lot of sense to me

[Oli]

Aren't PNP limiting the gears in the early season too, or is it just for the trial nights?

[crossalis]

Aren't PNP limiting the gears in the early season too, or is it just for the trial nights?

Yeah, I hear you can only use one gear on the velodrome...

[Oli]

[disoriented]

That won't work, class will always win. ie, can remember Jack Bauer jumping on some junior geared bike with an 70 something inched gear and somkin' everyone on there 90 odd inches at the wellington track and that was after a full day of work. HTH(I'm a twerp)

[fatwombat]

Aren't PNP limiting the gears in the early season too, or is it just for the trial nights?

PNP have set a gear limit of 84 inches across the board for everybody, just for the start of the season while everybody's getting back into the rhythm of track racing. They still run Cat 1, Cat 2 and Cat 3 races for the different levels of ability.

That's substantially different from Otago where they are imposing handicaps to slow the fast riders down relative to the lower graded riders and make them all race together.

HTH(I'm a twerp)

[johnL]

fark an 84 is huge I can feel the hurt from here, you would have to train to use a gear like that

[Oli]

HTH(I'm a twerp)

It does clarify things somewhat thanks Peter.

[fatwombat]

You should pop up on a Tuesday evening and check it out - they are a very welcoming and growing group of people ... trackies are friendlier than MTB-ers!! You must have a fixxie or a classic 1980s track bike that you could use on the velodrome?

[Oli]

I've been to the track many times, and I do indeed have a lovely track bike languishing in the shop, but I can't/don't go to every race that's going because my life has other non-cycling facets that often clash. Sadly Tuesday nights are out for me as far as cycling goes right now, but I have enjoyed many evenings spectating at the Velodrome in the past.

I'm not sure what you mean about MTBers as I find them very friendly on the whole, despite the odd weird freak or two who hangs around at the races.

[Conners]

my life has other non-cycling facets that often clash.

You non-syslist you.

[fatwombat]

I'm not sure what you mean about MTBers as I find them very friendly on the whole, despite the odd weird freak or two who hangs around at the races.

Hmmm, humour fail on my part - it was meant to be a humorous allusion to the usual debate about "MTB-ers are friendlier than roadies".

... And I hardly ever hang around at their races now . . .

[FLATULENTFRIEND]

The latest from cycling otago, bit crazy if you ask me.

Cycling Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Gearing Handicap System
To start the 2010-11 Cycling Otago track season off we are incorporating a “Gearing Handicap”.
This “Gearing Handicap” is design to achieve 2 major objectives set out by the Track Committee.
Firstly, since there hasn’t been a significant number of equal ability riders in any one class for several season we believe there is a need to try and equalize all riders abilities to allow everyone to be competitive amongst everyone else.
Secondly, the better riders need more competitive at a national level and will benefit by having closer racing.
How it works-
- Each rider will be given a maximum gear they are allowed to use at the start of the season.
o A grade riders will have a small gear probably in the low to mid 80’s
o B grade riders will be allowed a medium gear (mid 80’s)
o C grade and new riders will be allowed a larger gear probably 90+
- This will allow all riders to be in one race and remain closer at the finish.
- If the handicapper notices any rider whom is doing far better or not as good as the average rider they will adjust this riders gearing accordingly to even out the racing.
- Gearing handicaps will apply to all races each night.
- Riders not complying to gearing handicap will not be allowed to race.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=341179920225&topic=15548

Not only that but they need to tidy up their grammar too

[FLATULENTFRIEND]

The thing I thought of too was if it creates a bigger bunch riding together there will be more riders with mixed ability of bike handling skills and the possibility of more crashes / close calls

I used to be the lapboard / bellringer guy for 4 Summers for the cash cycling club in Dunedin (at the Caledonian). We had a crash one night and called the ambulance over. They couldn’t get it started again to take the guy to hospital. It had to be jump started