dz_nuzz

You make a good point. The P123 was small enough and spread out enough that it wasn't an issue. But if a field of 30+ had come to that straightaway it would have been a lot different, that didn't occur to me at the time.

I am curious where other people fed on the course? I don't think I saw any of that in our race. I am curious if the BBQers along the side of the course started handing out water?

grolby

Relevant USAC rules on feeding:

Basically, if randos on the side of the course are handing out food or water and a rider chooses to take it, that's ok. If someone is providing a feed in any kind of organized way (e.g. they're associated with a specific rider/team and looking to feed them specifically) they have to do it in the feed zone.

mike868y

i forget where exactly on the course it was, but it was definitely not just random people.

shovelhd

Not true on the feed rule, outside the zone is an illegal feed. We knew about the feeding outside the zone and discussed it as officials but decided to let it go because the feed zone was not marked. It has to be by rule. We have two pages of officials feedback for the promoter. Next year it will be marked and the zone enforced.

As for the finish the only field where it was an issue was the 3/4 because of size. We had an officer blocking traffic coming the other way so we could have given the field the whole road, except (getting the theme here?) the 200m sign did not exist. We had the numbers for two out of the ten over the line but since the numbers were on the opposite side the motos could not get them all. We decided to let it go. Not the best outcome but the best alternative.

TheKillerPenguin

I remember seeing a 200m sign. Did y'all put it up for the 1/2/3's?

shovelhd

Officials don't put up signs . It's possible he put one up after the CR gave instructions but it would have had to have been up before then to change them. Wth the start 1.5 miles from the finish I had no way of knowing. Stuff for next year.

mike868y

wiiiiiiiiiiitches cup!

hubcyclist

hmm, looks like jamestown isn't a USAC race anymore, just the "gran fondo"? too bad if that's the case...

shovelhd

Yup. You can thank the guys pissing in public.

echappist

we need names in order to do a proper witch hunt.

actually, what do you call it when the bogey is actually real?

hubcyclist

Ugh, of course. What is it with the weak bladders? I can ride for hours without needing to go, maybe i'm dehydrated.

globecanvas

Oh man.

Barneveld teen in critical condition after crash involving milk tanker, bicycle - News - Uticaod - Utica, NY

TheKillerPenguin

That's terrible, I've raced with him a bunch the past couple of years and he's a very talented junior and awfully nice. I hope he heals quickly.

dz_nuzz

So from what I remember from years past they ran both USAC and Non-USAC races there. It seems to me like they are choosing just to not run the USAC race. How do they know that it was a USAC racer necessarily? Also there is nothing to prevent a USAC racer from signing up ffor the non-USAC event and repeating the offense. How do they know that the non-USAC racers won't do the same?

Honestly it sounds more like they just don't want to run it as a USAC event, which is fine, but I don't know if that is really the best explanation as to why they want to continue to run a bike race but not have any USAC fields.

shovelhd

They are choosing not to run any race. It's a fondo now, which usually means less categories and much larger fields. We've always had problems with the residents becaus there are so few roads on the island and so many fields. It's almost a given that a larger faster field is going to overtake, usually right after the u-turn before the sprint. It gets so ugly. Plus we take over the roads and center of town for pretty much the whole day. It's a huge impact.

That said, bike racers can be so self centered and careless about what it takes to put on a race and what it means to the communities that host them. At Tokeneke I had a pro start taking a piss on his bike on the first lap. The first lap. There's no excuse for that. What's worse he couldn't get the stream going so he had to try several times. When it wasn't working on the third try, and with the field heading into civilization, I sent the car up to tell him to get with it now or I'm going to write you up.

dz_nuzz

All those things I understand. It always seemed like there was a lot of car traffic. I was always surprised that they even put the race on (Not that I am complaining they did, just sort of surprised the town didn't say 'no'). It was a fun race, I liked the course but I understand the challenges on that course. What I am referring to is that someone peeing in public seems more like a recipe for saying "No race at all!" than it is for saying "No USAC race! But we are gonna do an age grouping gran fondo.". To me it seems more like the decision was made based upon cost and or time to run the races.

As for Tokeneke, I get that he shouldn't be peeing through the center of town, but who really cares if he was peeing on the first lap or the last lap? I mean if you are going to say "No peeing off the bike at any time" that is fair, or no peeing in the town, but getting annoyed he peed early in the race? I don't know if this is the best example of a self centered and careless racer (probably one with some bladder issues from the description) and I get how people in general can be self centered and careless but I think we are getting into the stereotyping realm. Most people are pretty good, the bad ones ruin it for everyone else, just like drivers.

Ygduf

Also, if you find yourself needing to pee off the bike, doing it early is better. More time to recover if something goes while you're at the back...

shovelhd

We're talking 20 minutes after the start. You mean to tell me that your pre race routine timing is so critical for an 88 mile race that you can't take a few minutes to hit the john before the start?

Ygduf

I've been in races where the field stopped 15 minutes in to pee...

You've never left the house and had to pee 15 minutes later? never?

shovelhd

I was a crit racer. Never had a pee problem in a road race.

Look, the rules are clear. If the CR takes a risk and allows discrete peeing on the bike, then don't abuse it.

dz_nuzz

I just really don't think that counts as abuse. I know plenty of people who have the whole "need to pee every 30 minutes thing". Just ask one of my teammates, driving to races with him is always funny. I am just saying that some guy peeing early in the race doesn't mean he is necessarily abusing the privilege, if he was being a **** about it (Aiming for people's mailboxes and dogs) then obviously that is a no-no.

Ygduf

I'm not arguing the rule or any consequences, just saying I don't think the dude is an ass for HAVING to pee. If he's peeing off the bike in a downtown stretch or something, that's one thing, but just having to go - I can commiserate.

carpediemracing 

Triathletes pee on their bikes all the time*. Just saying.

*not endorsing peeing on your bike. It's just that I've seen some gross pictures of bikes that came in for service. Totally not part of the conversation. nvm.

TheKillerPenguin

Well, triathletes don't have much choice. If one of em removes a hand from the bars they're going to crash. Trying to roll up a leg? You're talking death race carnage.

mike868y

so...new circuit course at GMSR, has anyone ridden it?