Help me build.....
 

....a bike for certifying 5K, 10K, and up to marathon courses.
I have the required Jones Counter, so I don't need a measuring device.
It helps, though to have a cyclo that goes to .00 for reference.
GPS is not allowed yet under sanctioning rules.

this bike needs to be a simple, flexible, and reliable ride.
this bike will need to be able to ride the road and wide off-road trails, mostly roads, but only 2-3 times each course.
this bike will only be used to measure and calibrate a 1000 ft course and then the race courses.

I plan to use a 58cm Trek 1400 frame. That way, my kid can't borrow it to ride, he's too short.

I'll take my answers off the air... and we thank you for your support. :thumb:

Robbie

I was going to suggest a Miyata 1000 with some 'cross tires, but that's just me being a fanboy.

My recommendation of 'cross tires stand, though. Also, if you want simple, and don't mind a bit of a workout, consider going fixed-gear?

If I remember correctly, the 1400 is a road bike. Correct? What kind of tire clearance does it have? Do you think you can get 700c x 30 or 32 on it?

Also, isn't an older aluminum frame a pretty risky proposition for trail riding? I'd think steel would be a better option.

Owning a Trek 1000 and Trek 1100 I would suggest you look for a Trek hybrid frame. The aluminum bikes have almost no tire clearance on them. You might be able to get small 28s on one but that is the limit. I would try to see if you can get the tires you want into the frame before I invested anymore time/money into it. Roger

I had to go google up what a Jones Counter was and came up with a couple of links that might help you with some ideas:

http://measure.infopop.cc/eve/forums...2/m/6461039291

http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...tion/tools.asp

http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...cation/manual/

http://www.coursemeasurement.org.uk/lessons/lesson4.htm
(I found a typo on this page, transversed numbers, probably not a good thing to do on the job:
"The reading shown is between 65,215 and 65,216. We would record this as 65,125.5 when calibrating the bike a a short calibration course. When measuring a 10k we would record to the nearest whole number of counts. in this case either 65,215 or 65,216." The numbers in red should probably be 65,215.5 . )





You probably already know this so consider this just typing to myself for my own edification and if you then gleen something from it then great and if not then at least I helped you get some sleep ;).

I'm thinking there are some specific guidelines in the certification manual that I'll look into in awhile as to how to set up a bike for this, and also what would disqualify a bike used for this should a complaint be made by some competitor or official or spectator ("I drove the course in my car after the race and the course was 700 feet too short" ). This does sound like something that would be interesting to get involved with, so it's your fault if this sends me off on a wild tangent with something new to do in my no spare time off work hours.

I assume you'll need to verify your tire pressure both before and after measuring a course, so tubes that hold pressure well would be good to have, so no latex lightweight tubes. Also I assume that you must hold some sort of straight line and not meander all over the place, especially when off pavement and you need to dodge a pothole or stump or boulder or critter, so a good tracking bike would be handy. A straight and steady bike chosen over a quick and good cornering bike.

Per the http://www.coursemeasurement.org.uk/lessons/lesson4.htm , and since this is the C&V section of the site here, I would suggest trying to find either a 1961 built bike or a 1970 built bike, but you already have the frame you're going to use so forget that thought.

With this comment "If you do a lot of measuring, you may wish to carry fore and aft signs reading "Official Measuring" in yellow lettering on a dark background." you might want to fit a rear rack to the bike and have two placquards (sp?) with the Official Measuring text stencilled onto them. Might be overkill, but might also garner you a little consideration from folks while you're out doing that measuring thing.
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...ng-bicycle.asp

Also I see why you want a somewhat offroad capable bike: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...es/page21a.gif
(imagelinked from http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...es/page21a.gif )

It also appears you might have to do a little math or trig to calculate distances
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...ges/page30.gif
(imagelinked from http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...ges/page30.gif )

This appendix also mentions the possible use of a solid front tire on the bike:
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/...appendix-a.asp

I also found this maintenance tip for the counter device:
http://measure.infopop.cc/eve/forums...6/m/8211096961

Hey, I just realized they've got thier own measurement bulletin board
http://measure.infopop.cc/eve

Wow, you've got a lot of stuff to keep in mind and comply with, quite the task you're taking on, and even with all of that it still sounds like it could be fun to do.

So, I'm thinking you might want to get a second fork for the bike, one with a solid front tire if you want to go to that level of accuracy. And you'll need some sort of bag to carry a note pad and sketch pad. Might also me handy to have one of those digital voice recorders to verbally take notes on the ride. A GPS unit that can save and download the route and overlay it onto a map would be handy to have.

I've just lost myself with all of this new to me stuff, gotta go scratch out some thoughts and ideas and clear my mind .....

Robbie,

I have 2 sets of wheels for my Trek 6700 mtn. bike. The first set is pair of all out trail wheels that were OEM on the bike. My second set is pair of Mavic Cross Rides with Continental Contact semi-slick tires.

The Maivc set-up is extremely fast but durable enough for a variety of single track riding. I have no traction issues with the semi-slick tires.

It's a roadie. I think the 1400 and 2000 shared a frame, diff components separated them.
I haven't checked clearances, as I have no 700 wheels, yet. I'm going to try and trade some 27's for a cheap set of 700 wheels. My tire options right now are 35 cross tires, and 28 Conti Ultra's.

Hmm, sounds like there's hope for the Conti Ultra's, which have some tread.

Well, I have a smaller Univega Activa frame, but roccobike is thinking on it...And I promised my 60cm Ironman frame to some Canadian. :D

I don't plan to Evel Kneivel or anything, and the trails are for XC meets, so they go a little wider, and are generally smoother. As far as I know, I'll be certifying NCAA XC courses, which don't really get that wild.

It does get pretty complicated, and may be beyond my limited capability.
The note pad is essential, because you've got to know what you did on each turn.

The last guy I saw do it walked his bike the whole way of a 5K course.
RobbieTunes will not do that.

My goal is to have the first NCAA-certified course in the area, and then help host the championship XC meet. After that, it's to establish the fastest 5K course in the flat eastern NC area, maybe same with the 10k. And then, try to break the state record for 50-59 in both.