| Subject: | RE: more centerline discussion GUILTY |
| Date: | 03/29/2004 03:36 AM |
| From: | Ken Finch |
|
First off I'll admit right off I was one of the guilty riders who bridged to the break in the 4/5 race on the afore mentioned part of the course. However, let me explain. First of all, I missed the explanation at start of the race due to having to pee. So during the race I went merrily off down the road, blissfully unaware of these special circumstances that existed on the stretch of road without a centerline. It seemed prudent to me to stay generally right anyway and did for the most part. However I didn't pay strict attention to this as there was no centerline anyway. How do you enforce a centerline rule with no centerline? Even if I had been aware of this rule, if there's no painted line it's always going to be subjective. You just can't enforce a rule like that. Again, I had no idea about the agreement to stay right anyway. Second, I was close to the front when I started to bridge and never had to swing that far left to pass people. I may not have crossed the imaginary centerline at all then. But frankly I just wasn't paying that much attention to it because I didn't realize I was supposed to. I don't know about others. In retrospect situations like this are always going to create some problems. Not everyone is always going to hear special circumstance instructions at the beginning of a race. There will always be people standing in line at the honey buckets, getting that last water bottle from the car or whatever. If someone had been kind enough to clue me in that would have been great. But I'm most likely not going to respond to yelling and screaming. At least not without an explanation. And at no time did I ever ride in an unsafe manner. I'm just not that type. The last thing I want to do is hurt myself or others. Rules exist to make this sport fair and safe for all of us and that's as it should be. We should self police these things and expect people to adhere to the rules. But there are few cases where right and wrong is a completely black and white issue. There may be a narrow shade of gray in there. I think this was certainly one of them. And if it makes everyone feel better I got DQ'd at the end of the 5th lap for inadvertently violating the centerline rule (where there was actually a centerline)in the most minor way. Maybe that was justice? Who knows? Who cares? Ride your bike, ride it safe, help others do the same, don't blow a gasket. Ken Finch --- Matthew W <albertanu-@yahoo.com> wrote: =========================================================== Are you looking for savings on products you use everyday? Visit Quality Health today and see the coupons, free samples and special offers our members enjoy each and everyday. http://click.topica.com/caab5n1aVxiDpaVIGy3a/ Ivo Interactive =========================================================== "But where was the centerline on a narrow one-lane road with no line. What specific reference prevents a rider from riding up next to you in the middle. I believe that this road was a special case that we see infrequently." First, to repeat: "+ 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." There was certainly a consensus on the location of the centerline, as evidenced by the majority of the peloton's lack of difficulty complying with the centerline rule even on the section with out a painted line. Approximately one dozen riders chose the "see no evil, hear no evil" approach and advanced past the rest of us that were respecting the "invisible" line. If any of those riders who advanced past twenty or so other riders in the course of twenty seconds are on this list: you risked people's lives in order to advance in an amateur bike race, hello? We all know that it is quite difficult to advance that number of spaces in a short period of time when the peoloton is bunched up and not drafting in a single or double line. Second, I am disappointed that I was the only member of the peoloton willing to look like a complete idiot screaming bloody murder at the aforementioned cheaters. It was my understanding that obra-land had agreed that we would not tolerate this sort of behavior. Was I wrong, because it sure felt like that's what you were saying by remaining silent? "Schreck, George" <george.-@pacificorp.com> wrote: But where was the centerline on a narrow one-lane road with no line. What specific reference prevents a rider from riding up next to you in the middle. I believe that this road was a special case that we see infrequently. -----Original Message----- From: Dave Whitlinger [mailto:david.l.w-@intel.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 1:48 PM To: ob-@topica.com Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] more centerline discussion ===========================================================**** Bounces like rubber! Shatters like ceramic! ****Discover Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty in grown up handfuls. It's the creativity unleashing, mood enhancing desk toy!http://click.topica.com/caab4CEaVxiDpaVzo6Rb/Crazy Aaron Enterprises=========================================================== 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 === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. 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