And first come, first served for racking your bike. The earlier you rack, the further you are from the exit of T1. Lol! They claimed this setup is going to work great and help save the limited space available. You are supposed to find your bike after the swim, by zone, based on placards displaying IM Legends such as PNF, Mark Allen and Dave Scott!?! This will be a mess.

Before this was announced, the bib list was sent out with separate bib number sequences for AWA Gold, Silver and Bronze as lowest numbers then followed by AG's. No sense worrying about AG competition numbers because AWA makes it impossible to track. Now no idea of AG competition based on T1 and T2 rack views because racking at both locations is first come first served.

There was nothing mentioned to indicate this was to be a new WTC standard. This was done under the oversight of longtime the longtime Honu and Kona RD, though there is a new RD listed for this race. It was interesting that this info was not contained in the athlete guide while the race organizers stressed it would be important to attend one of the five athlete briefings. Probably designed to minimize the complaints received before race day...

Seems some RD's are lazy!

This is a huge step backwards

.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Oh man. I'd be all kinds of pissed. I barely tolerate this at small local races, barely, but at a big WTC race this is unacceptable.

The threshold for outrage has gotten remarkably low in the internet age. Maybe this would be a good post for the "First World Problems" thread.

Seriously. This will have .0000000000000001% affect (either way) on anyone's race.

I was told in the race office this is a pilot for more Wtc races to come. Anyone that thinks this will not be a huge mess obviously doesn't race large events. So we should just do away with all numbered racks?

It probably won't make much of a difference. Plenty local races have no assigned racks and they work fine.

The question is: why was this change made? Why?

Even in small races it can be challenging locating one's bike without numbers. In Chattanooga 70.3 with numbers it's at least manageable. I locate the rack by the number range and just start looking at the numbers on the bikes to know when I'm getting close to mine. Without that it will definitely be more difficult.

Easy solution for you whiners. Come join me back at the 1:40 IM swim time. When you get to T1, there's only a few bikes there. Problem solved.

Athletes travel from all over the world to race at this first class event and they pull this stunt. Yes non numbered racks work well at local races but I haven't been to one of those with 2100 athletes racing (up 500 from last year).

They said the reason for this was so that there were not empty rack spaces for no-shows which allows them to get more entries (assuming they accurately estimate the rate of no-shows).

Really, I think it will be no big deal. You find some landmarks to remember where your bike is parked and you run to it. I do that with numbered racks too.

I just hope finding my run transition bag will be as easy.

---

-------------
Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

I always put a pole with a flower at the top where my bike is. I never have an issue finding my bike this way.

.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

As a race official, if I saw you do that, you would get a penalty. Well... I'd probably just toss the flower in the garbage and not tell you, but....

Just wait... they are going to start charging for "premium" rack positions.

I'm all for this if for no other reason than I keep getting stuck with a spot in the middle of a rack, once everyone else's bikes are on it I can't get my bike out unless I lift the entire rack up. Being able to put my bike on the end where there is less flex in the bar of the rack seems like a much better option than swimming slower.

Never been illegal at any race I have done. Even used at Nationals with no issues. Now at worlds, not legal.
I see nothing illegal to the rules for USAT? Do you have something different?

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

You seriously don't know that marking your position is against the rules? If it wasn't the transition would be full of balloons and other BS...

ITU competition rules 7.1 j)

"Marking positions in the Transition Area is forbidden. Marks and objects used for marking purposes will be removed and the athletes will not be notified;"

No penalty noted, but I'd still remove your marking after I saw you off to the swim start...


EDIT: Astonished not to find this in the USAT specific rules. Wait until people start brining large inflatable gorillas as transition markers...

If only you had some flexibility in how you rack your bike on the bar other than by the nose of the saddle...

---

----------------------------------
"Go yell at an M&M"

My issue is that even with assigned racks, people bring a beach blanket and move into their spot like it's a hotel room. Without assigned spots, these very people may assume they can bring in two beach blankets and turn their T area into a small living space.

---

_________________________________
The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.

Ya. I'm not impressed with the changes. They cram more people in the race, then say there's not enough room to provide proper racking. It's not bad enough you are not racked per number or division, but you are going to be "told" where you are racking your bike and T1 will be filled up according to when you show up. I have no say.
T2 sounds even more confusing. Again, you will be shown were to leave your bike and it will have a color associated with it. You then grab your T2 bag and go to the change tent and leave your helmet there.
After the race you need to find your bike. If you forget the colour, you will be asked what time you entered T2 and they can look in the general rack areas.
And while I agree this may not be world famine or equal rights discrimination, I have paid a premium to race here, and I feel like I'm not getting value.
Don't even get me started on the non-existent perks for AWA athletes.

IMFLA 4 times
IMWISC 10 times
Racine 2 times
Muncie 3 times
Steelhead 10+ times
Oceanside 2 times.
Mrs.T's/Chicago 4 times

I do not think it will be a huge mess.

If you mean by the bars/levers, I did that once. I came in the next morning to setup transition and my bike was turned around hung by the nose of the saddle and I couldn't get it out without lifting the entire rack like I mentioned. The saddle at the time didn't have a hook to do it by the back. My new saddle does but my current bottle setup was unstable when I tried to do it and the bike was twisting and hitting the bikes next to me.

But yes obviously I never tried anything else. People noted the same issues in the dash thread, please make sure to set aside time to share your wisdom there as well I'm sure they will appreciate it.

I was wondering the same about if people would take up more space. Possibly there will still be designated locations? Numbers still on the bar from the previous race they were used for?

The racks being used are wood and support the bike from the rear tire. Nothing is allowed on the ground around your bike. You can keep your shoes on the pedals or store your stuff in a bag on your handle bars- or where ever. Just nothing on the ground.