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Snelling RR fields already filling
Mon, 01/29/2007 - 4:56pm
Well actually only one field at Snelling has a significant number of entries and that is the 35+ 4/5 race. There will be two groups of 50 riders each for the 35+ 4/5 riders and they already have filled up the first group of 50 and have 1 rider in the second group of 50. To see how the Pre-reg for Snelling stands go to http://www.velopromo.com/Full%20Fields.htm . What is on that page now doesn't include the Snelling entries Velo Promo took at the races this past weekend.
mhernandez wrote:Hey Casey.
I was wondering that in future events if we might not want to consider having a 35+ cat 4 field of 100 and a 35+5 field of 50 instead of 2 35+4/5 fields of 50 each?
In case anyone's thinking about it - we did that at (largest-ever) Tam last year and while no field filled, I think we got a lot of people who wouldn't have driven over the hill if there'd been just a 75-limit 35+ 4/5 field. These cats/limits gave 400 total slots for 35+ 4/5s which as we all know is the group you need to pay off the permit!:
100 Cat 4
100 Masters 35+ 4
100 Masters 35+ 1234 (123 is a small field at Tam)
50 Cat 5 - open
50 Cat 5 - open
We could have done another 5s field, we have a lot of people who race "public". Tam's a funny course of course but this might work some other places.
It seems you can run bigger fields when there's no mixed 4/5. If not 100, maybe 75 anyway? And I kind of like the idea of Cat 5 as a single group and all the other races (incl 45, 55) starting at cat 4. It must be a bummer to show up for a first race and hop into some of these 4/5 races. Copperdropaload for example.
-Tad
CRC
Co-director, Golden Gate Velo
Snelling is definitely a race that could benefit by a 45+ 4/5 group. Lots of 45+'ers race in the 35+ 4/5 at that race.
Wow, I'm glad I'm not a new old-guy racer.....
-David
Dang that was fast. The 35+ 4/5 races have now filled up for Snelling and there is a wait list of 3 people. The next closest group to filling up is the 45+ race with 20 out of the 50 starting positions already spoken for.
Better to have a
35+ 4s limit of 50 or 75
35+ 5s limit of 50
If you are already doing two groups, then this would seem safer. Give the new riders a race where they race against new riders. We've got 5 categories, we might as well use them when needed...
The two issues I can think of are.
1) is it safer to have two groups of 35+ 4/5 or having a 100 group of 35+ 4s and 50 35+ 5s.
2) At what point do you have so many riders in a race that you overwhelm the area ( ie parking problems, facilities, reg etc) and start running into problems that give people a negative experience that helps discourage them from racing?
Last year Snelling had just under 800 total riders. personally I've always been a fan of keeping the fields smaller for safety reasons and the overall turnout smaller to help keep things more manageable so that everyone has a better experience at an event. As they say on the car Ads though your milage may vary :)
Hey Casey.
I was wondering that in future events if we might not want to consider having a 35+ cat 4 field of 100 and a 35+5 field of 50 instead of 2 35+4/5 fields of 50 each?
I guess that would be more a suggestion for promoters like VeloBob. But, thought I'd throw it out as something to consider.
what a great thing to have these new old-guys getting into their spandex!
... cuz they buy biking stuff.
supporting the bike bidness ... one geezer cat 5 at a time.
thanks for the updates.
~m