mattm

I wish CA would bite the bullet and just do cloth numbers, I really miss that about WA.

The numbers went over 1000, so it's not like there aren't enough of them.. and when you upgrade you just keep using the same number. Win win.

TMonk

They do that at the sd velodrome - makes total sense. I think the logistics would be a little tougher to manage in an entire USAC road district, but it should be doable.

Doge

Just a rule. For the record - a folded number (against the rules) is a smaller area than a crinkled number (allowed - unless specified)
Junior has never ridden USAC with a folded number. Many UCI races you have to fold to place over the pockets. They also don't fine you for that.

globecanvas

I think that would be great.

If you use both letters and numbers (leaving out I, O, and other potentially ambiguous letters) you can get ~30,000 unique cloth numbers with just three characters.

rankin116

I see no reason not to go for an interview. You're not being a jerk, you're looking out for your best interests, and if you don't do that, who will?

carpediemracing 

I personally don't like cloth numbers. I had more problems with scoring when dealing with cloth numbers. Much easier to screw up a pin job with a cloth number such that the number is illegible, versus simply unaerodynamic.

Cloth numbers have a sheen, at least the ones I've scored (just one brand), and they reflect sun just as well as paper. Difference being that with cloth you can have a "micro-fold" which can make a 0, 5, 6, or 8 look the same.

For the rider, and for waste reduction, I agree, cloth is easier. I went through about 1500 numbers a season. Tyvex so it's not exactly stuff that breaks down. The boxes were 40-70 lbs each year, and very very dense. That's mostly in landfills I imagine.

In the old days the numbers were super durable, typically made from formerly ubiquitous vinyl tablecloth. Numbers were usually hand painted on the backside. You paid a "substantial" deposit for the number (back then $1 on a $8-10 entry, maybe $5-7 nowadays?), you got the deposit back when you returned the number. I'd pay the "bib number tax" to keep numbers when I did well. Missing numbers were replaced after the race, usually by painting the number on another piece of discarded vinyl tablecloth. Something like this would be interesting to me for today's races. (also in Belgium in the early 1990s, long after these numbers disappeared from the US, it was still done this way).

Flatballer

At Giordana Velodrome here you got one number for the season, based on your cat, and it was extra money if you lost it. It was just a normal style number though, nothing fancy, but at least less waste and you could pin it at home before you went (or leave it pinned and not wash your skinsuit, you animal).

Flatballer

I would go. It's a hard position though, I don't argue that. If you end up taking the new position, you have to leave the initial company hanging after accepting an offer.

However, don't think they'd hesitate to drop you in a hurry if the circumstances were reversed. Most states and contracts are "at will" on both sides. They can let you go because you wore a blue shirt (blue shirt wearers aren't a protected class) and you can leave with no warning because your magic 8 ball said you should change it up. There are sometimes perks that go along with 2 weeks notice, and if your industry is small it won't look good and could hurt you later, but it's fair game on both sides.

If the new position is better then it's probably worth the possible reputation hit at the initial company. They'll likely understand, and if they don't, it probably isn't somewhere you want to work anyway.

caloso

I don't think anyone would begrudge you optimizing your opportunities.

Flatballer

I've met some people in business who would, but I agree that they shouldn't, and those aren't people you necessarily want to associate yourself with anyway.

Doge

I only saw anti wrinkling verbage at one race ever - Chico.
Racers should crinkle/wrinkle/soften their numbers. They seat better and except when the ink is bad - read very well. There is a lot of mis-information about number attachment. An unfolded, glued number - no pins can work great and is legal unless the promoter forbids as a rule before the race.

The former SoCal president decided to lecture my 12 year old son about it and hold up the start of the race over it. To which he replied "what rule".

This is the txt of the current rule.
"Numbers may not be folded, trimmed,or otherwise defaced."

A few times when crinkling the number was not readable (Dana Point GP, Ladera) - I think it was toner. We get a new number and don't crinkle it. Just you don't know it is an issue until you ball it up and unfold it.

At Ladera they wanted to charge for a new number - I just pointed out that was a director issue, not a rider one - and a director fine.
1J7A '...black waterproof ink. Numbers shall beconstructed from materials sufficiently durable to last the racewithout tearing or disintegrating, even in adverse weather....Race Directors who fail to providenumbers meeting the above requirements to all riders shallbe fined as specified in the Schedule of Fees."

shovelhd

Then why did he do it twice in the same day?

TheKillerPenguin

Pro tour don't crinkle, yo.

shovelhd

Cloth numbers are great as long as the rider knows how to properly pin them. If they don't, the material is a lot less forgiving than paper or Tyvek held by a pin, which will rip slightly to conform. Cloth wrinkles, making an unreadable mess. BTW we do absolutely score a road race using the rear number. It depends on the size and speed of the group that is passing. The better timers in the area will use two cameras, one over the line and another behind it, aimed at the rear number.

shovelhd

Pro Tour use the proper number of pins and don't ***** about it.

Doge

I don't understand. Is that for me? We/he has never had a number issue with rules other than the president redbike (for those in socal) making an issue of it when he wasn't even an official. It is a case of an authority making things up. Rather common.

Junior crinkles/softens/glues. Right in front of the refs at nationals and every other race (Ramone, Allen, I have a while bunch of names - there is no issue). I get the number, crunch it into a ball, roll it in my palm and then burnish it over a railing as a chief ref showed me , flatten it out and glue it on.

Doge

the PRT guys were asking to use my glue.

shovelhd

No I was not referring to you, rather to the subject that started the whole thing. The violation states he did it twice.

PRT is not Pro Tour.

Doge

Quote:

Originally Posted by shovelhd

...
PRT is not Pro Tour.

What is Pro Tour? Orchard Beach Criterium (the violation) is Cat D

grolby

First of two phone interviews today. Buzzing a bit - these people are intense! Not in a bad way, mind you. Next one is Monday. Phew. Be interesting to see if this one works out. Trying not to get too excited. It sounds pretty neat, though - a job that would actually involve doing science! Would be a nice change from my current bench monkey status.

Flatballer

That sounds exciting. Phone interviews are interesting. I've done a lot of them over the past year and a half or so (and 0 in person interviews). As someone who isn't super comfortable on the phone (I don't pick up social cues well without seeing people) they're a little uncomfortable for me. It's also sometimes hard to tell who is talking when there's multiple people and you don't know them at all.

grolby

I've done a couple phone interviews, but only as precursors to an on-site interview. I haven't yet had one that didn't turn into an on-site. But I also haven't had two phone interviews. So I'm curious to see what's next after the second interview, assuming they don't decide at that point that they're not interested.

mike868y

the company i work for always does two phone interviews before an on site.

grolby

Fortunately, I'm not interviewing with your company! Even if their interviewing practices are similar.

globecanvas

Poison ivy all over my arm. And spreading on my side as well, no doubt from secondary contact. Awful. I want to saw my arm off.