I think I finally figured this one out, but how to most of you place your race number (the one that attaches to the frame) on your bike. I cut mine and use duct tape to put it on the seatstay (monostay) above the rear brake. I used ot put it on the top tube, but that always flopped around and got in my way. I notice the pro peleton seems to put it at the headtube, top tube, downtube junction but they have special cardboard or something cool like that.
I know this is a minor thing, but can’t races do something more like that?
I have a trick for the ones with adhesive where you peel the paper and wrap around your bike. Take plastic wrap (clingier the better) and wrap it around the area where you’re going to put the number. I like the seat post myself. Then peel the backing off and put the number on the plastic. It doesn’t mess up your finish, and when the race is done, it comes off easier.
Where is it written that trimming numbers can be reason for DQ’s. If its true then we have another reason that USA triathlon is braindead. They DQ’d a couple athletes at nationals a few years back before the race started for missing bar ends when they could have avoided ruining their entire trip by giving them a chance to fix it with 5 cents of electrical tape. They kept saying they want to enhance the athletes expierence but then we get this garbage.
The USAT Officals handed out a pile of penalties this year at the Tri America opener this year. A bit overzealous and a silly rule as long as you can still read the numbers.
Numbers are supposed to be unaltered and readable. If they’re not, its time added, not a DQ. I worked as a transition volunteer at a race last year, and had to walk through looking for missing plugs - you would be surprised at how much triathletes stretch the ‘unaltered and readable’ part. Check some out at your next race!
As for the plug stuff, electrical tape covering the hole doesn’t help at all, since you will still get impaled if you fell on it. And I think it’s the race director’s job to make sure there are enough plugs to fill any bikes that come in missing. Once I had to use a water bottle cap, which I jammed over the end and was tight; that passed inspection until I could find the real thing.
As to what happened a few years ago - I’d consider that old history, unless you’re still seeing it happening today.