europa

Sadly, the 2018 Indian Pacific Wheel Race has been cancelled. As explained in the press release below, the Coroner's Inquiry into Mike Hall's death is on-going and the organisers thought it better not to race while it was on.

BikeLite

https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com/

Aushiker

It is looking like it will be going ahead in an informal way if this article in the Sydney Morning Herald is anything to go by.

znomit

What were the proposed "extra safety precautions"?

BikeLite

https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.c...sked-questions

"How will you ensure that racers are visible on the road? Minimum requirements will be in place and enforced when it comes to visibility. This includes two independent front lights, two independent rear lights. Between 4:00pm and 8:00am local time or when visibility is poor, a reflective vest also has to be worn at these times while front and rear lights must be in use. A rear red reflector must be permanently fixed to the bicycle and a reflective ankle straps must be worn at all times. Use of reflective tape on the crank arms and seat stays is also part of requirements. As experienced cyclists, racers will know that it’s strongly recommended to wear bright clothing.

Racers will need to attend a pre-race safety check on the Thursday prior to the IPWR starts in order to be on the start line. Should they fail this safety inspection, they face warnings and removal from the race."

Chris Pringle

The requirements for this event apparently went from being pretty lax to becoming much stricter than an ACP-sanctioned brevet.

BikeLite

They just need another race coordinator/sponsor that is less risk averse.

znomit

Looks like it's all go...
https://indianpacificwheelrace2018.maprogress.com/

Rowan

Except for the reflective tape on the cranks... not at all. These are rules almost identical to those used by Audax Australia which runs ACP sanctioned events. And, there is nothing wrong with them.

And as to the event needing an organiser less risk averse... well, that comment really does take the cake given the circumstances.

Machka 

+1



And also ... the unofficial IndyPac started today:
IndyPac 2018: A Look At Two Rider's Bikes As 'Official Unofficial' Indian Pacific Wheel Race Starts On Saturday - Bicycling Australia

BikeLite

Audax does not mandate
1. times for lights/reflective vests to be used outside of sunset/sunrise
2. ankle bands to be worn at all times
3. reflective tape on crank arms
4. reflective tape on seat stays

Rowan

Audax does mandate using lights and reflective vests outside of sunset and sunrise. As to the other points, they are trivial. As it is, the UMAC required we had reflective tape on cranks and chainstays for the two 24 hour event we completed in Iowa.

You, BikeLite, should perhaps participate in some decent events around the world to understand some things that you patently don't at the moment. Throughout these discussions, you've come across more as a troll, than anyone contributing thoughtful discussion.

To put this into perspective....

Both Machka and I have been active long-distance event organisers for some years, she in Canada and Australia and me in Australia. I also have sat on the National Audax Australia committee. All this is apart from participating in events as riders around the world.

In the discussions we had about the Indi-Pac BEFORE the first one even started, I noted that the regulations were lax and that the event was just ripe for an incident that could have serious ramifications through the Long Distance community here. This came after the death of several other randonneurs in events in Australia and New Zealand, as well. One of those I had to deal with as a National Audax committee member.

There are guidelines and rules in Audax for organisers to follow. Comprehensive ones. It's not just a case of some dude, like you BikeLite, having a fanciful idea of a route, sitting down in front of a computer and mapping out something that looks great -- on the screen. We know of some organisers who do that, set up the event and run it, but because they haven't physically checked the routes (because, you know, Googlemaps, and MapMyRide, et al are soooo good) and taken into account the guidelines, they put riders at serious risk.

And unlike the US, where anyone who is hurt and hasn't taken out their own insurance can get effed by organisers and the system, we have a much more civilised approach where insurance covers riders while on events, and Audax members even when on training rides. In order for that insurance to work, however, there is compliance with certain standards. So we go back to management of events within rules and guidelines.

As to the Mike Hall incident... every picture I ever saw of Mike, he was wearing a dark blue kit. There appears to be an issue about conspicuity. Maybe his reflective gear and dark clothing wasn't enough. Maybe his rear lights had run out of batteries. Who knows until the coroner hands down a finding... and undoubtedly recommendations.

Already, the organiser of the original Indi-Pac has withdrawn, and the event is now being run ad hoc by its participants. The effect on last year's organiser and his family and and their future lives, I suspect, will be considerable. As an adviser once told me a decade ago, it would cost a person not covered by public liability insurance around $25,000 (probably double that now) just to get a lawyer to fire up their computer in response to an action to sue by a victim's family.

Remember, too, that there is a driver involved in the Mike Hall incident whose life is irrevocably affected by this. So it's not only Mike Hall, his family, his circle of friends and acquaintances, and the organisers, but a slew of other people as well... including the other participants in that Indi-Pac... and the driver and family.

So before you put fingers to the keyboard, BikeLite, with childish comments such as "They just need another race coordinator/sponsor that is less risk averse", you should mature up and think about some of these ramifications.

BikeLite

Old man Rowan lashes out again. The low light thing is pretty vague. The race goes on.

https://www.audax.org.au/public/imag...quirements.pdf

https://audax.org.au/public/images/st...vegarments.pdf