BoPers Complain Of Motorcyle Draft Official Neglect

Triathlon Forum
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For the newbies reading CDW’s excellent thread below, or reading threads here by most of our gazelle’s here, just read it and go on.

The fact is, at the back of the pack in these triathlon races, everybody in the middle to back, is usually closer than 10 yards, bike to bike, quite often in a line, it’s a clumsy line, yes, maybe an illegal line, looking like a run over snake going 2 miles an hour, slithering down the highway, eeking sweat, chain rattles and flat tires. Our line provides absolutely no aerodynamic pull or advantage. The BoPer line has not the word “pace” in it at all. It is inadvertantly created out of chaos. Its only function if any might be that it is a conversational line to socialize in, and we are damned proud of it.

I can tell you this happens in every race I’ve seen or been in. I mean we try not to do this, but, if someone is going 14 miles per hour, and then somebody wants go to 17, until his chain goes off, or his brakes get hung on the rim, or he gets tired after 200 yards, this is what we have to deal with. Nobody is going to leave the line for very long that won’t come back from absolute mechanical or physical failure.

Its pretty much a ballet of shit, with some heap of fat, hairy mass taking off on his beater and coming back, and nobody knows if they are violating the rules, the goal is just to get back to camp thing. I mean we are aware of that rule but incapable of ever having it put into advantageous play.

Telling us this is a rule violation is like telling a golf player in the Seventh flight, not “to play the ball up” in a local golf tournament. I mean who cares: they are in the Seventh flight.

Yes, we are backed up violating the 10 yard rule, squished in here but we can’t help it. Nobody can escape to make a break for it, or at least not for long.

Our illegal pace line is needed for conversation and bike repair help, too, spanning the gamut from “where are you from?” to “I think that squeak is from a loose crank…”

The sad news is, and I hate to report this is, that we couldn’t get up an aerodynamically advantageous pace line even if we tried.

Few of us have ever seen the motorcyle ref anyway except going back the other way. He does not ever stop for us. We feel neglected. He does not care about us. We feel his slight, or her slight: sorry. In fact, I think for us BoPers we should demand to have a motorcycle ref following us: to give us some pride.

I think I speak for all BoPers that we find some of you elite and professional complaints about such things as “drafting giving an advantage” as another condescending ploy to keep us further down in triathlon society status.

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wonderful. just wonderful.

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“is usually closer than 10 yards, bike to bike”

Here’s part of your problem. The draft zone is 7 meters long with is 5 meters from their rear wheel to your front wheel not 10. Learning to ride 5 meters from someone’s rear wheel is a useful skill. But really, do want a draft marshall pulling up to you on his Segway and writing you up?

*Definition of Drafting Zone. *The term “drafting zone” shall refer to a rectangular area seven (7) meters long and two (2) meters wide surrounding each bicycle. The longer sides of the zone begin at the leading edge of the front wheel and run backward parallel to the bicycle; the front wheel divides the short side of the zone into two equal parts.

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We need no penalty, for our ignominious station at the back of the back is already purgatory. The damned are already suffering their punishment.

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…but mostly, it is just plain embarrassing when the marshall runs along side and writes you up.

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Almost feel off my chair with laughter…“it’s funny 'cause it’s true” Thanks!

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7m…LOL…how about 3m…what a joke.

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You’re right. I measured the 5 meters out from my bike on the trainer in my basement the other day. I think 5 meters is a long way compared to what most people think of as “riding legally” at least from the groups I see at races. I rode past a couple of groups yesterday where I had no choice but to pass everyone as there barely a bike length between them.

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Hey Booth,

I agree with you completely. Saturday was probably the largest mass start event I have ever done. Before that I thought waves were stupid because I wanted to race everybody else and when I passed someone, I wanted to know I really passed them and not find out they were really ahead of me because they started in a different wave.

Seeing the masses on the way back in convinced me that waves are a good thing. You just can’t cram that many people on a course without causing some confusion and discontent. Cycling is not running and there are a lot of dangers when you put that many people together on a road that is not closed. On one instance Saturday I was not paying sufficient attention and I swung around a guy in front of me and had a close call with a car that was passing a large group of riders.

I don’t know what the answer is because wave starts have their own issues. I know there are a lot of people who are not gaining much advanatage doing what the rules say is “drafting” and frankly I think we should leave them alone. However, I suspect there were more than a few riders who closed the gap on me via a large drafting pack if what I saw at the turnaround was any indication.

Chad

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Booth, that is one of the few thoughtful posts on this board in some time.

People need to stop bitching and complaining that the grandmother in 1,125th place gained a minute or two from drafting – over the course of her 15 hour Ironman. Anybody finishing outside the top 25% in their AG should have an automatic waiver of any penalties.

Lighten up people! It’s not your livlihood at risk here! It’s a f’ing hobby! The hard-asses that want to complain about others’ races need to look in the mirror for the source of their discontent. If you would just make yourself faster, you could stop worrying about everyone else.