Canadian Math
 

I know this isn't about road cycling (directly) but I found it pretty amusing.

Trek is currently having a contest to win some stuff (among the prizes a fully stocked Madone), and I happened to look at the contest rules and found this

"Canadian winners will be asked to complete, unaided, a multi-function mathematical skill question, before their prize can be awarded"

Link for the whole spiel - http://www.trekbikeswow.com/rules

So what is it with Canadian cyclists that they have to complete a math problem before they get a prize?

Many countries have laws that prize give-away contests must be 'skill based', so they throw in a gimme math or trivia question to get around the law.

Wow, didn't know that. Thanks... thread closed I suppose

to top it off, sometimes those math questions seem to be written by people who don't know the order in which functions are supposed to be done.

5+19/2= 12 (correct for the prize)
5+19/2= 14.5 (real correct answer)

hmm, time to hit up the local trek store.

Funny stuff. I wasn't aware of that law.

Hmmm. I just won a Trek water bottle. Um, w00t, I guess.

Me too! Hooray? I guess it's one more to add to the always-growing collection...

Guys who fail math aren't allowed to win anything here. It may or may not have been an act of parliament.

What is it with American cyclists that they don't have have to complete a math problem before they get a prize?

I won a t shirt. Thanks.

Yay a water bottle!

umm. What?? I think your order of operations is wrong?

Nada

I think there'd be another civil war if Congress passed that law!

They called me a loser. I thought that only happened on group rides. Or here.

Hey, sweet! I just won a t-shirt and didn't even have to do my math wrong!

- Eric

The last time I checked, the 'skill testing question' was also necessary to claim your "free fries" or "cheeseburger" from places like McD and BK. Often enough though, the cashier just tells you the answer.

Life goes on.

I get a water bottle. Hope it goes with my Trek bike. :D

I failed math.

Gambling is illegal in Canada, unless there is a lottery licence associated with a charity fund-raising event.

The Skill-testing question is seen as moving the event from gambling, to a skill-based competition.

Lotteries are also illegal in the US without an association to a charity. The definition (and workaround) is a bit different, though. For it to be illegal, it has to be based on chance, have a prize, and an entry fee. The last is why you'll always see "no purchase required" mentioned in the fine print. If you have to buy something to get a free token, there will always be an alternate way to obtain one through the internet or mail order.

I failed gambling.

I won some FRS energy drink powder.

I think someone else on BF won a madone, but I can't confirm yet.

water bottle!

Just won an Astana Jersey.

I got a water bottle. Yay, I guess.