I'm a legacy hopeful and I could ask for a better scenario - a full course. It's not worth spending the vacation time, effort, and (additional) money to travel to Houston for a 28.6 mile race.

I'm a legacy hopeful and I could ask for a better scenario - a full course. It's not worth spending the vacation time, effort, and (additional) money to travel to Houston for a 28.6 mile race.

I think the whole "etiquette" thing is quite ironic considering those posters hijacked the IMTX thread for a personal food fight.

My apologies.

However, how people ride and how people use the road, is a big part of the issue here.

Ask around in a number of the Ironman race communities and you don't have to go far to find locals really irritated by cyclists on the road. In fact, my sources, in the Woodlands have told me that it's an issue there.

So you are right, it's a side issue, but it's also a side issue that is directly related to the main issue.

Why did type (additional) money?

What's the logic on it benefiting people chasing KQs. I am a chaser at this event and the 10 hours per week that I have been on the bike don't seem to align with a swim/run very well. Especially one that is going to be announced less than 30 days before the event.

What's the logic on it benefiting people chasing KQs. I am a chaser at this event and the 10 hours per week that I have been on the bike don't seem to align with a swim/run very well. Especially one that is going to be announced less than 30 days before the event.

"Certainly would be an issue. But no more of an issue than the Option 2 route that goes under 249 and several train tracks. Like I said, the Uturns under the overpasses would be available during those times, so no loss in accessability. If the construction on 149 is the only real issue, just use 1097 and Johnson road over to 1486 and do some loops over there, or head out towards Anderson and 1774. If the MS150 training series rides can do their rides year after year after year all over the area, I really don't see what the problem is. Get creative. Grease a few palms, and git er dun. I find it ironic that an event who's motto is "anything is possible" is getting so close to a major event without a published course."

I like your thought process here. Plenty of other options and Country roads could be put in place out here in this area which would effect far less people than what is being discussed as far as Option 2.

You and I are just little people, no offense ,but hopefully the decision makers are at least looking at this as an Option 4?

Seems a little late in the game for an option 4. Maybe for future years (if the race survives) but the leg work and networking needed to get something like this approved takes time.

Honestly, there never really was an Option 3. The powers that be were never and are never going to pass up all that toll road revenue and deal with the bitchfest associated with closing it down for even 9 hours. Spending any time at all on that option was a big waste of time and effort.

Has anyone emailed/called them and asked what Plan B is if they don't get a road permit? Has anyone recently asked them what their new deadline for having a bike course is?
I just hopped into this thread and didn't bother to read all the posts so apologies if this was already asked.

Has anyone emailed/called them and asked what Plan B is if they don't get a road permit? Has anyone recently asked them what their new deadline for having a bike course is?
I just hopped into this thread and didn't bother to read all the posts so apologies if this was already asked.

Apologies also for the hijack. Steve and I have been around IM Communities for 25 years, and where you get an IM, you get an overlap of. Cyclists and cars. Many locals who do not economically benefit in the outlying communities hate the inconvenience we cause to them. Those who economically benefit like hotels-restaurants-bike shops etc love us, and they have a battle with those who don't benefit. Meanwhile those of us visiting are in for a race or a few camps, so maybe 2 weekends in the community, but every weekend there are other groups. We can get large, unruly and momentarily take over parts of the road and the friction escalates from there.

Steve, I realize that you know I can handle a bike. A buddy and I did a top 30 all time Strava descent of Alpe d'Huez, so I can hold my line and can have nerves of steel on a bike. I was not defending myself or the guys I ride with, I was defending many that you just grouped broadly. Most triathletes and cyclists that I know are fairly law abiding, so at least here on a tri forum there is no need to group the majority with the bad apples. It's just really a scenario where you have an influx of riders and cars. It's just stats.

In Ottawa where I live we have more than 100k of roads closed every Sunday morning for cyclists. It's just the way it is and cars know to plan another route. On the balance they don't get pissed off at us like they do in Placid or Penticton on weekends (and it seems Woodlands too), when we suddenly fill up the roads. We're on the roads all the time every day and cars get used to it because we are part of the community...they can't kick us out because we live here and the bike advocacy groups, bike clubs, tri clubs, community leaders etc would be ripping it up at city hall. In IM communities though, the riders clogging the roads on bikes are largely not local. Plus an affluent community like Woodlands does not really need our money. But places like Placid, Tremblant etc which are resorts want our money.

I really hope for everyone registered that they put on a full bike course. I am fortunate that in all my Ironmans I got to race the full distance in all of them, including forest fire threats multiple times in Penticton and Tahoe, earthquake in Kona, crazy deluges in Placid and recently in Whistler. Many times WTC could have cancelled, but they always stepped up. This is the first year in the last 3 don't have the health to do Texas and would be really bummed out if I was registered. It's a ton of training and finance to put into a shortened event or a swim-run. My guess is WTC is being quiet because there is a good chance they can pull something with a full course off. If not they will put the gears in motion to vector people over to other non sold out events. It is really too bad all of WTC events are in the late summer or fall now. For many doing IM Texas is the best shot to do an IM and free up summer for families!