Conference noted::bicycle

The BRC Wells Ave training series starts Sunday, 16-Mar-1997.  It was supposed
to start last week, but mother nature had other plans.

For more details, directions, status phone number, etc., see

http://world.std.com/~nebikclb/RaceEvents/WellsAve97.html

Tim

http://world.std.com/~nebikclb/RaceEvents/RaceEvents.html

Contains the 1997 USCF New England District Race Schedule.  Even if you are not
a racer, you might enjoy coming out to watch.  There are several located nearby
Digital facilities.  In fact, for Marlboro, MRO is the parking and registration
host.

The closest races to the GMA are:

Date              Race
-------------     --------------------------------------------
5/24      Sat     Westfield RR [do we still have a site out there?]
6/22      Sun     Andover Crit 
7/03-06   Th-Sun  Fitchburg Longsjo Classic
7/27      Sun     NEBC Harvard Classic 
8/16      Sat     Marlboro RR
9/06      Sat     Race for the Gate [Nashua]

Most races coincide with town festivals or events and have more to see and do
then the race (what else could you want?) for the family.

Tim

    The Westfield plant is long gone. 
    
    Is the Race For The Gate a crit?
    
    Chip

I thought WFO was gone.  Is there any plant still out in the Springfield area? 
I grew up in Springfield and remember Digital being in the old Armory.  Used to
go there after school for a program they had.  Used TOPS-20!  Then again, we had
RSTS/E 6B in high school on an 11/45 with serial # 2.

The Race For The Gate is a CRIT.  Details are still TBS.  It is supposedly run
by Team BONK.  Contact is Aaron Bagshaw, 603.880.3007.

Tim

    SPO is gone too, I'm afraid. I don't think there are any manufacturing
    sites left in western Mass.
    
    Thanks for the contact.
    
    Chip

Race for the Gate in Downtown Nashua, its still very much in the planning
stages.

HEARSAY ALERT / RUMOR MILL ALARM

The course is (as the plan currently says) a figure 8, part of
it on main street.  I think there are only cat 1-2, and masters fields.
They are trying to make masters entry cheap ($10 i have heard) and draw
some of the teams who are at killington for the 1-2 field.

end hearsay / rumor mill

I have no offical connection with the race, but a friend of mine is
co-course director (ie getting uscf and town ok).

--roger

RE: <<< Note 3188.6 by EDSCLU::NICHOLS >>>

>The [criterium] course is (as the plan currently says) a figure 8....

Golly, I hope that the cross-over point has separate grades for the two routes.
I can't imagine the safety of a level crossing unless the course is long enough
or the field small enough to avoid stretching riders around much of the course
at once (which could lead to collisions at the intersecting point). 
						-- Tom

    Generally, race marshals will pull riders who may get lapped.
    
    It's a little embarrassing (from experience).
    
    Chip

RE: <<< Note 3188.8 by WMOIS::GIROUARD_C >>>

>    Generally, race marshals will pull riders who may get lapped.

Indeed, in the one (and only, thanks very much :-) crit that I raced, the
original field of about 50 was reduced to 25 by the mid-point of the race.

However, even a line of 25 riders snaking single file will stretch quite a
distance. If the figure-8 crossover is in the middle of the course, then a
string of riders stretched over just half of the course will hit itself at the
intersection.

I appreciate that this Nashua race is for experienced riders. Still, I shudder
at the thought of sprinting down the course only to see another rider coming
in fast from the side.
						-- Tom

    I still can't shake the image of figure-8 racing on bicycles.  If you
    T-bine the leader, is that a DNF?
    
    Karl

    Of course for T-bine read T-bone.
    
    How *does* one modify a reply?
    
    Karl

From the USCF rule book (actually from the web site), Rule #1 for Road Racing,
in the very first part of the section, on "Courses" says:


3A1. A road course may be from place to place, around a circuit, out and back,
or any combination of these. The course shall not cross itself there must be no
chance that riders may have to cut through other groups of riders. 



Often when you see a figure 8 course listed, it's more of an oval with the
middle pinched in, such that you have both left and right turns, but don't
actually cross.

I can't imagine a permit being issued for such an event, if the course does
cross itself.  How do you pull a breakaway???  Do you pull the entire field?


I too have experienced the pain of being lapped.  It's a double-edged sword. 
You are so beat from trying to stay on, so getting pulled is almost a relief (I
was pulled, I didn't abandon) but then again, who wants to get pulled?  This
year, I'm not going to get pulled!!  My problem last year was those first-year
jitters of taking corners at 25mph in a large group of squirrely riders.  I also
lost a lot of races to the start line, which is the most important part of a
criterium -- to be in the front row for the gun.

Tim

    Many years ago ('77 and '78 was when I raced it) they had a race at
    Myles Standish park down near Plymouth (Mass) which was on a "dogbone"
    course. That is, it had a two-way main section with one-way loops at
    each end. Effectively, this was a figure eight but without a cross
    over. It was rather weird (and a bit dangerous) to meet people racing
    the opposite direction in the main stretch.

    Yeah, I really liked that race. It has been suspended (for some reason)
    the past two years. I heard a rumor it was back on this year, but it's
    not on the schedule.
    
    Remember the wind in your face on the home stretch? Man, some years
    were more than brutal.
    
    Chip

    Yeah, for me it was the wind created by the main part of the pack
    coming toward me!

re: figure 8:

Tim's got it right, the two loops dont actually cross, but are 2 'squares'
with a pair of corners 'touching'.  If there are 2 groups 'meeting', both
are making left (or right) turns so they never overlap.  The intersection
is blocked diagonally by haybales or something similar.  We had a couple
courses like this in the midwest (MO,IL,IA,WI).

           r-->-->--7
           |        |
           ^        v
           |        |
           |        L--->-->-7
           L--<--<--7        |
                    |        |
                    ^        v
                    |        |
                    L-<---<--J

--roger

http://world.std.com/~nebikclb/NebcInfo/NewRacerClinic97.html

has the "syllabus".  Yours truly will be one of the instructors, for 3 of the 6
sessions (I'm racing the other weekends)

Tim