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Subject: RE: more centerline discussion
Date: 03/29/2004 03:36 AM
From: Whitlinger, David L

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Here is one perspective and some details for those that weren't in the
race:



+ All of the riders were explained the rules at the start of the race.
Everyone was told that the road didn't have a yellow line and that they
were still expected stay off the left lane or they were breaking the
rules.

+ In the CAT 4/5 race, on the lap in question, a break occurred before
the turn onto the narrow road without a centerline. It was a small
break with 2-3 riders and as it happened, the team mates of one of the
riders in the break were at the front of the main peleton going into the
turn. As is expected, the team mates on the front of the peleton did
not try to catch up to the break. They eased off and let the break go.
That's called bike racing.

+ Around 10-15 riders didn't like this tactic and decided to ride over
the centerline, pass the peleton and catch up with the break. There was
no question that riders were making a conscious decision to cheat.
Several riders got bunched up in the left lane and ended up taking over
the whole road at one point. Other riders in the peleton were calling
out numbers of the offending riders and I'm sure some riders decided
that if the rules weren't going to be enforced, they were going to take
advantage of the situation as well.

+ In the end, after about 15 riders broke the rules and caught up with
the break. The rest of the peleton decided catch up rather than let the
offending riders profit from the situation. In subsequent laps, the
peleton was mostly strung out on that stretch of road so there weren't
more issues.



What occurred was dangerous and very unsporting. I don't think the race
promoters can be held responsible - they do everything they can to put
the event on. The least the riders can do is play by the rules and ride
a fair and safe race. Follow the rules or don't race...go for a ride
with your friends and let the rest of us have a fair, safe contest.



Dave



_____

From: Jerald Powell [mailto:jpow-@spiritone.com]
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 12:22 PM
To: mad-@huttig.com
Cc: dirty-@attbi.com; ob-@topica.com
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] more centerline discussion



Come on folks... ride the bike. The piece of road in question has been a
part of many, if not most piece of cake races since the first one I
rode... I think in 1980 or '81, can't be sure. Having not been there
this weekend, I don't know what y'all were doing out there, but in the
past, the lead car usually went far enough ahead to shut down on-coming
traffic. By the way, it's the same thing on a forest service road, or
any other non-center line road for that matter. So do you go neutral in
that kind of situation? I guess you could, but the reasonable (and
tactically correct) way to ride that kind of racing situation is to make
sure you're at or off the front when you enter that road. If you were
caught back in the pack when you left the good road , you're going to
have a long day, 'cause the leaders can and should be putting some
distance on you.



As they say. That's road racing.



Jerry



On Mar 29, 2004, at 9:44 AM, Adams, Mike wrote:



I know I am just one, but unless this situation gets some serious
attention then that is the last time I will do piece of cake. The way to
handle no center line is to go neutral and everyone holds his\her
position. This would be the fair thing to do. The first and second
corner on that stretch of rode are blind and all it would take is for a
disgruntled driver, who can drive on that side of the rode at the speed
posted or there about, to cut the corner and many riders are injured
seriously or fatally. I do not think we need this type of incident for
OBRA. Just my opinion.

Mike Adams



-----Original Message-----

From: Nick Glazener [mailto:dirty-@attbi.com]

Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 8:50 AM

To: ob-@topica.com

Subject: [OBRA Chat] more centerline discussion



The POC presented some unique center line challenges on Dannon Rd.. I

understood that the centerline rule still applied even on the narrow

Dannon Rd.. That would have been very difficult since there was no

clear center line. There was a lot of confusion about the issue within

the pack (4/5). After a couple laps it was obvious to me that if I

respected the rule, then I was going to loose position in the pack to

those that were ignoring the rule. As most racers know, the safest

place was in the front quarter of the pack. None of the riders that

were attacking the left side of the road wanted to actually share the

pace workload.



I broke the rule on the third lap to get up the front third. It didn't

do me any any good because there were 3 times as many offenders that

passed me.



There was a lot of verbal bantering. One rider was quite verbal about

pointing out the offending riders by number. It was annoying but

appropriate to use peer pressure. It was potentially a very dangerous

situation if there had been a car up. There was also some frustration

with a team sending riders up in a break away and then blocking at the

front (another topic).



It would have been a very difficult job for an official to monitor and

enforce. There wasn't even a safe place for an official's car to come

along the side and warn offending riders. I wonder if it would be safe

to have the official car travel on the left side of the pack for those

narrow roads.



The same situation exist for those races that use Forrest Service roads.


However, those roads tend to be in the hills which thin the pack out.



I don't think there any easy answers for this. I expect the official

response to be, "the rule was in effect and officials should have

enforced it." The application in reality may not be so easy.



In the end, it all sorted itself out for a good finish and no injuries

from a center line violation.



Jerald M Powell, AICP

Community Planning

1926 SW Madison Street

Portland, OR 97205



503 222 7173

503 799 7823



jpow-@spiritone.com


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<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Here is one perspective and some details
for those that weren’t in the race:</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>+ All of the riders were explained the
rules at the start of the race.  Everyone was told that the road didn’t
have a yellow line and that they were still expected stay off the left lane or they
were breaking the rules.</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>+ In the CAT 4/5 race, on the lap in
question, a break occurred before the turn onto the narrow road without a
centerline.  It was a small break with 2-3 riders and as it happened, the
team mates of one of the riders in the break were at the front of the main
peleton going into the turn.  As is expected, the team mates on the front
of the peleton did not try to catch up to the break.  They eased off and
let the break go.  That’s called bike racing.</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>+ Around 10-15 riders didn’t like
this tactic and decided to ride over the centerline, pass the peleton and catch
up with the break.  There was no question that riders were making a conscious
decision to cheat.  Several riders got bunched up in the left lane and
ended up taking over the whole road at one point.  Other riders in the
peleton were calling out numbers of the offending riders and I’m sure
some riders decided that if the rules weren’t going to be enforced, they
were going to take advantage of the situation as well.</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>+ In the end, after about 15 riders broke
the rules and caught up with the break.  The rest of the peleton decided
catch up rather than let the offending riders profit from the situation.  In
subsequent laps, the peleton was mostly strung out on that stretch of road so
there weren’t more issues.</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What occurred was dangerous and very
unsporting.  I don’t think the race promoters can be held
responsible – they do everything they can to put the event on.  The
least the riders can do is play by the rules and ride a fair and safe race.  Follow
the rules or don’t race…go for a ride with your friends and let the
rest of us have a fair, safe contest.</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dave</span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>

<div>

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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>

<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>

</span></font></div>

<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Jerald Powell
[mailto:jpow-@spiritone.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, March 29, 2004 12:22
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> mad-@huttig.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> dirty-@attbi.com; ob-@topica.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [OBRA Chat] more
centerline discussion</span></font></p>

</div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Come on
folks... ride the bike. The piece of road in question has been a part of many,
if not most piece of cake races since the first one I rode... I think in 1980
or '81, can't be sure. Having not been there this weekend, I don't know what
y'all were doing out there, but in the past, the lead car usually went far
enough ahead to shut down on-coming traffic. By the way, it's the same thing on
a forest service road, or any other non-center line road for that matter. So do
you go neutral in that kind of situation? I guess you could, but the reasonable
(and tactically correct) way to ride that kind of racing situation is to make
sure you're at or off the front when you enter that road. If you were caught
back in the pack when you left the good road , you're going to have a long day,
'cause the leaders can and should be putting some distance on you. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As they
say. That's road racing. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Jerry </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Mar
29, 2004, at 9:44 AM, Adams, Mike wrote: </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I know I
am just one, but unless this situation gets some serious attention then that is
the last time I will do piece of cake. The way to handle no center line is to
go neutral and everyone holds his\her position. This would be the fair thing to
do. The first and second corner on that stretch of rode are blind and all it
would take is for a disgruntled driver, who can drive on that side of the rode
at the speed posted or there about, to cut the corner and many riders are
injured seriously or fatally. I do not think we need this type of incident for
OBRA. Just my opinion. </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mike
Adams </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>-----Original
Message----- </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>From:
Nick Glazener [mailto:dirty-@attbi.com] </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sent:
Monday, March 29, 2004 8:50 AM </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>To: ob-@topica.com </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Subject:
[OBRA Chat] more centerline discussion </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The POC
presented some unique center line challenges on Dannon Rd.. I </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>understood
that the centerline rule still applied even on the narrow </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dannon
Rd.</span></font>. That would have been very difficult since there was no </p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>clear
center line. There was a lot of confusion about the issue within </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>the pack
(4/5). After a couple laps it was obvious to me that if I </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>respected
the rule, then I was going to loose position in the pack to </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>those
that were ignoring the rule. As most racers know, the safest </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>place was
in the front quarter of the pack. None of the riders that </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>were
attacking the left side of the road wanted to actually share the </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>pace
workload. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I broke
the rule on the third lap to get up the front third. It didn't </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>do me any
any good because there were 3 times as many offenders that </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>passed
me. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There was
a lot of verbal bantering. One rider was quite verbal about </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>pointing
out the offending riders by number. It was annoying but </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>appropriate
to use peer pressure. It was potentially a very dangerous </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>situation
if there had been a car up. There was also some frustration </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>with a
team sending riders up in a break away and then blocking at the </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>front
(another topic). </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>It would
have been a very difficult job for an official to monitor and </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>enforce.
There wasn't even a safe place for an official's car to come </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>along the
side and warn offending riders. I wonder if it would be safe </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>to have
the official car travel on the left side of the pack for those </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>narrow
roads. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The same
situation exist for those races that use Forrest Service roads. </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>However,
those roads tend to be in the hills which thin the pack out. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I don't
think there any easy answers for this. I expect the official </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>response
to be, "the rule was in effect and officials should have </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>enforced
it." The application in reality may not be so easy. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In the
end, it all sorted itself out for a good finish and no injuries </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>from a
center line violation. </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Jerald M
Powell, AICP </span></font></p>

<p><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-style:italic'>Community Planning</span></font></i> </p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>1926 SW
Madison Street</span></font> </p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Portland</span></font>,
OR 97205 </p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>503 222
7173 </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>503 799
7823 </span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>jpow-@spiritone.com
</span></font></p>

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