motoguy128 wrote:
Jim Martin wrote:
noofus wrote:
logella wrote:
Quote:
Are loops within the Woodlands a viable option?It's certainly doable using The Woodlands marathon course or some modification thereof. It'd be a clusterfuck traffic/commuinty relations-wise but it could certainly be done if they wanted to. From a rider perspective it wouldn't actually be that bad a course. I think it'd be kind of fun as it's something that I ride on a regular basis as a normal 25-ish mile ride from my house or from the office. It'd have a mix of flats (most of the course), rollers (Flintridge) and as hills with descents (as much as you can expect for around here) along Kuykendahl.
I am a fan of muli-lap courses anyway as the logistics becomes quite a bit easier. Obviously you don't want to make the laps too small as things get a bit screwey and crowded when the front of the race runs into the back. But doing 4x27 mile laps would make neutral support, aid stations, medical support, etc all much easier to manage.
Aid stations might be easier to manage, but I think that they would be far more dangerous when the front racers (doing 4:30 to 4:50 bike splits) are coming through on lap 4 and there are people doing 8 hour bike splits stopping to get bananas.
The aid stations on the run at IMTX are a good example of where multi loop courses present challenges. If you are a 9 to 11 hour finisher, your last lap on the run course there, you will be deciding if your fueling needs are important enough to stop and wait in line, they were that crowded last year.
That's always my concern. You have the fastest guys pushing 30mph, and the back end doing 15mph and stopping at aide stations. You'd almost need to set-up separate "lanes" for riders on their 3rd & 4th laps.
Another options might be offering an early start for faster athletes and have stricter time cut-offs for an official finish to prevent slower athletes for entering that wave. Honestly, I just assume start at 6AM if I'm a sub 11 athlete. Should be just enough daylight by 6AM.
If you were able to close 2 lanes, then loops 1 and 2 you ride on the right lane 3 and 4 on the left lane. Aid stations would be set up on each side and you only access the left side aid station with your left hand on loop 3/4. I believe the issue at IM Arizona on an out and back course on loop 3 is you have riders going both ways and no where to pass because each side has only a single lane. Same problem IMLP used to have in the first 10 years on the Hasleton single lane out and back when slow swimming fast bikers had to pass fast swimming slow bikers with only 1 lane of riding each way and no shoulder either. We also have the same problem at IM Tremblant on loop1 just past the 30K out and back. On the way out it is 2 lanes (technically only 1 lane as the other is supposed to be for emergency vehicles, but riders spread out). On the way back after 30K, the slow swimming fast bikers have to pass the fast swimming slow bikers which makes for some tight passing and pack formation.
I have talked to Jimmy Riccitello about this numerous time at different venues....you just need 2 lanes of 1 way traffic and MOST of the drafting problems and speed differential problems get instantly resolved....the honest guys stay honest (which is most of the field). Put the same people on single lane and they see their KQ slots riding up the road in a 3 man formation and they latch on and 3 becomes 5 which becomes 8 which suddenly turns into 20.
If IM Texas went to an "inside Woodlands" loop course, hopefully they can get 2 lanes connecting back to itself at the 28 mile point with mainly right hand turns. Don't know what is feasible, but if they could pull something like that off, it would be pretty awesome.
At Tremblant when they close an entire lane of the highway, what they do is divert vehicle traffic to single lanes on the other side just like 2 lane Highways do for construction. Traffic is inconvenienced, but it flows and keeps the race course liberated of irate traffic separated only by cones.