66 replies to this topic

[rich pierce]

We're keeping the race and hope to keep the quality.   Going into this year's race I was tapped at work and it seemed too much.  My team has stepped every year but this year club leaders took most of it off my old shoulders.  Things went well and in conversations after the race, it was clear the club and the town want us to keep doing it.  I am super happy that Todd will take over as race director next year.  So no selling it on ebay.  It was a fun thought but maybe a little hokey.

We do take feedback seriously .  I understand that many times when I respond to feedback I sound too defensive or aggressive.  Obviously I am even more cranky when I'm exhausted.   I'm not so exhausted this year.  I hope nobody is discouraged from making suggestions, nor should they be offended if in answering, we explain why some ideas are impractical from our point of view.

Rolling enclosure is not possible with 8 fields on the course.  For one field, yes, it might be possible to convince the locals to do it, but would require a lot of county police, and they already donate one officer.   In pro races there is one field and the road is closed for 5-10 minutes while the peleton goes by.  At Hillsboro, fields are 6 minutes apart at best, and they are blending together after 30 minutes.

Suggestions on starting fields in different orders are understandable but you may not be aware of past history.  Last year we started the masters behind the 3/4's and they ran them down in short order then ran through them.  The masters are monsters.  The quality of the masters fields here are as good as anywhere in the states.  This year they ran down the pro/1/2's. Maybe we should start them ahead of the pro/1/2's!

Center line rule is tough indeed when roads are narrow.  The echeloning on main roads scares me the most.  Given that a young woman died in Illinois last year in a road race, everyone has increased awareness of the risk in road races.  Other than proposing the ridiculous- limiting fields to 25 racers as a silly example- there's no easy solution to large fields on narrow roads.  Again, rolling enclosure is not practical there but if it was, we'd do it.

You all make the race. We do our best to stage the event but it's the battles out there on the course that make it epic.  Looks like everybody did a great job of keeping it as safe as possible.

[cleeland]

cleeland, on Mar 31 2008, 09:02 AM, said:

lavosh, on Mar 30 2008, 10:57 PM, said:

Oh Gupster you have a lot to learn.  

1.  No suggestions.
2.  No questions.
3.  Absolutely NO COMPLAINTS.
4.  Smile and nod.
5.  Compliment often.

You'll get the hang of it.

Oh lavosh...the reality is that Rich has already stated that he won't be putting it on next year.  So, if Gupster or anybody wants something different implemented next year it won't matter a whit unless somebody's willing to take over the race.

tim, on Mar 31 2008, 10:06 AM, said:

so that we understand you, chris...

to make a suggestion, you have to be willing to do it yourself or just keep your mouth shut?

that may be a harsh synposis, but it sounds to me that is what you're saying.

certainly, if that's the way this racing community wants to operate, i will oblige.  

btw, fish is 100% correct.  it was a learning process concerning the yellow line rule.  and, the gent on the motorcycle was over the top with his aggressive behavior.

I reply to lavosh...tim replies to me...  Has the anonymous Lavosh inadvertently revealed his or her true identity?  I wonder what the IP addresses would reveal if a moderator were to check.

[Mark EWERS]

rich pierce, on Mar 31 2008, 03:37 PM, said:

We're keeping the race and hope to keep the quality.

You were an excellent host on race day, Rich. I think we're all pretty happy to see the race remain near, if not entirely in, your capable hands.

rich pierce, on Mar 31 2008, 03:37 PM, said:

We do take feedback seriously .

OK well, you asked. We found it, but the Church Street Pub doesn't open until 5pm on Saturday. Something has to be done!  

[rich pierce]

Will see about getting that pub opened earlier on race day.  I bet if they knew they'd get 50 customers at 3:30 PM, they'd open up!

Just a clarification: When I said, "hope to keep the quality" I mean it takes a lots of pieces.  Todd will do a great job; be sure of that.  He is gifted organizationally and will out-work anybody.  I hope we can keep the core of officials that scored this race so well the past 2 years, the same police chief in town, Richard and Nancy Slepicka and Denny Springer who coordinate so many things in town, Richard Small and the MCCA volunteers, the church, our sponsors, and the many volunteers from other clubs who help out each year.

[1776]

Look man, a lot of people had high hopes of getting a good placing in their respective cat/race but did not...Don't let your disappointments lead to bickering or subtle complaints to one another. Most of us got our butts handed to us so to speak, now suck it up and ride more and train better.

I like to ride and race but there sure is a lot of prima donna cyclists out there.  It's kind of a turn off.  Just ride and be grateful we're healthy and we've been blessed with the opportunity to ride our bikes.

Thanks to Rich and all of the volunteers/workers that put the race on for us.  A special thanks to the people of Hillsboro for allowing us to race that beauty.

[Schvonzie]

Cat 5 entry fee should increase to $80 dollars next year.  

This would allow better prize money for the Pro Men AND WOMEN and create a bigger draw.

Also, you could then afford to have a few moto refs partoling the fields and keeping people in check.  That would seem to solve a lot of the bickering.  

For the record, this was the first year i was unable to make the race.

[phawley]

cleeland, on Mar 31 2008, 03:39 PM, said:

I reply to lavosh...tim replies to me...  Has the anonymous Lavosh inadvertently revealed his or her true identity?  I wonder what the IP addresses would reveal if a moderator were to check.

I looked at the IP addresses of their posts...tim and lavosh both have the same daytime IP and nighttime IP address.


Let's try to post under our own names people...if anyone wants to hide behind a fake name to slam on people, we all know the other site where that is a cottage industry...not here.

[cleeland]

tim, on Mar 31, 2008 06:47 PM, said:

chris, if you have a beef with me, cool. i'm not sure why, but cool. just make sure you have a good reason.

tim, I have no beef with you, just lavosh.

Quote

having raced a long time, i like to think that i have a right to have reasonable questions and comments about races. your comments always seem to suggest that i/we don't have that right. i thought gupster's remarks were within reason. and, i think the comments and suggestions on the board are within reason.

*my* comments always seem to suggest that folks don't have a right?  Since my memory isn't what it used to be, I did a little search through all my posts on this board and can't find any posts where I suggest that folks don't have a right to ask reasonable questions or comments about races.  I've asked reasonable (at least to me) questions in the past regarding race and gotten chewed about it.

BTW, the duration of your racing career gives you no more right than anyone else to make comments or suggestions.  Certainly it gives you a unique and valuable perspective that others may not have, but it doesn't give you any special rights over anyone else.

Quote

do you think we can stay on the discussion, rather than attack the person that has an idea or opinion that you don't like? if you don't have suggestions, why are you commenting?

Sure.  Maybe you can talk to Lavosh about the personal attacks, too?

[Rusty-P]

phawley, on Mar 31 2008, 09:18 PM, said:

cleeland, on Mar 31 2008, 03:39 PM, said:

I reply to lavosh...tim replies to me...  Has the anonymous Lavosh inadvertently revealed his or her true identity?  I wonder what the IP addresses would reveal if a moderator were to check.

I looked at the IP addresses of their posts...tim and lavosh both have the same daytime IP and nighttime IP address.


Let's try to post under our own names people...if anyone wants to hide behind a fake name to slam on people, we all know the other site where that is a cottage industry...not here.

I don't know Tim from Tom, Dick or Harry.  I do know that matching IP addresses to user names is rubbish.  You find a coincidental likeness of a connection or two sessions.  It only proves that both Tim and Lavosh hang at the same StarBucks or eat at the same Bread Co. or even work in the same building.  Without an admission all you have is a coincidence so for the time being you may be a little off base scolding someone based on your "forensic analysis"...  Oh, and I don't care what your response is.  Thanks.

[1776]

Rusty-P, on Mar 31 2008, 09:18 PM, said:

I don't know Tim from Tom, Dick or Harry.  I do know that matching IP addresses to user names is rubbish.  You find a coincidental likeness of a connection or two sessions.  It only proves that both Tim and Lavosh hang at the same StarBucks or eat at the same Bread Co. or even work in the same building.  Without an admission all you have is a coincidence so for the time being you may be a little off base scolding someone based on your "forensic analysis"...  Oh, and I don't care what your response is.  Thanks.

That's right.  Or as Fonzie would say "Exactdumundo!"

[Schvonzie]

Tim=Cool

[klages]

Tim may =Cool but using both a fake and a real name is not.  I will wait for a denial of the dual names and, if it comes, try and reconcile that against what I have heard before this occasion.

[tim]

denied.   no further explanation needed on my part.

[dplex]

klages, on Mar 30 2008, 05:37 PM, said:

oldfatguy, on Mar 30 2008, 03:07 PM, said:

A far as I could see, the centerline rule was fairly well observed with a few exceptions, certainly not 80% over.  As far as not starting the 50+ masters ahead of the 3/4 race......  what about not starting the Pro,1,2's in front of the masters?  Does that make any sense? No.  Well, the 40+ race caught the Pro,1,2 race after five or six miles.  Stuff happens.

Russ, you may have been far enough forward to not see it but easily 75% of the 40+ field was riding in the opposite lane on the road after the 2nd turn on the course (right turn off of Walshville Trail).

I think you were in 40+, if not, ignore me

Yep, there was a lot of misbehavin' going on in the 40+ field. I got across to the break at the start of the second lap but got popped when I tried to stay "legal" while there was an echelon all the way across the road in the crosswind.

You can see that there were a lot of DQ's in the 40+ field, including guys that were in the winning break.

[rich pierce]

Results are up at USA cycling.  Thanks for your patience.
http://www.usacyclin...permit=2008-403