Anyone else heard about the speed limit for some sections of the Mooseman course this weekend?
I haven’t heard back from them about specifics like where and how fast but here is the text of the email I got back from Ironman:
Thank you for your email and interest in Ironman.
There is a section of the course that will have a speed limit zone. It will be clearly marked when it starts, and clearly marked when it is coming to an end. There will be officials on the course monitoring the speeds of the athletes coming through, and USAT officials will be on stand-by. The speed zone was put in place for the overall safety of all of the participants.
According to the athlete guide (which is upon the website, by the way so you can answer all your questions there!) there will be one of those roadside speed clocks showing your speed and they will penalize (actually I think it says “disqualify”) anyone they think is going too fast.
I love riding my bike as fast as I can, thats why I race!
Another reason why I HATE M-GAY races.
God forbid someone pushes themselves, jezzz!
Maybe they should put a Max HR % on Fla 70.3 while they are at it
or not allow you to clip your shoes on your bike, wait they already did that.
Don’t you sign a waver anyway? If someone busts their ass bc they can’t handle their bike thats their fault.
Doesn’t our society have accountable anymore?
I say F’ing go for it, if you get DQ’d from a race for “going too FAST” you’re a bad ass in my book!
You have a set on you if you get DQ’d for that!
DAMN THE MAN, DAMN THE MAN! (cue for somone to yell AYHSMB)
I had a similar reaction when I first read about a speed limit – however, having ridden the course last week, I can tell you that there are sections of that downhill where you will NOT wanting to go even close to 30mph.
The road is simply too steep, too twisty, and pavement too poor.
Trust me, I routinely hit 50+ mph on downhills where I live and am not afraid to let loose, and I really think the mooseman course is pretty tough because of the unique combination of grade, turns, and pavement condition.
In anycase, who cares, it’s going to be a blast no matter what, just go have fun.
I had a similar reaction when I first read about a speed limit – however, having ridden the course last week, I can tell you that there are sections of that downhill where you will NOT wanting to go even close to 30mph.
The road is simply too steep, too twisty, and pavement too poor.
Trust me, I routinely hit 50+ mph on downhills where I live and am not afraid to let loose, and I really think the mooseman course is pretty tough because of the unique combination of grade, turns, and pavement condition.
In anycase, who cares, it’s going to be a blast no matter what, just go have fun.
It should still be up to the participants to exercise good judgement and slow down when required. Putting an artifical cap on speed is stupid.
i completely agree – – race officials should always have the option of penalizing a racer for reckless riding – it just so happens that in this particular case, there are places where you simply are going to have to slow down so that you don’t hurt yourself or others.
Oceanside also has a small stretch where there is a limit of 25 mph, put in place after a guy died there a few years back.
Seems a warning and caution flags are deserved, but a DQ seems a little extreme. However, if it results in a smaller entry fee because the insurance is less, I am all for it.
I doubt anyone can say “Man, if I wasn’t held back from going 35 for that 1/4 mile stretch, I woulda won”.
I doubt anyone can say “Man, if I wasn’t held back from going 35 for that 1/4 mile stretch, I woulda won”.
Well, it’s 1.7 miles long and you have to do it twice, so someone going 35 mph will gain a minute on someone who goes 30 mph.
If everyone sticks to the limit, then its a wash. I can understand a limit on dicey sections with multiple waves with huge speed differentials.
At Wildflower there are sections I’m descending at 50+ mph while others in younger waves that I am catching are doing perhaps 25 mph. It’s a bit scary, but I know the course, and I can take those downhills like I am on rails. I make up lots of time on descents, so this works against me, but if it helps safety, I’m all for it.
“Don’t you sign a waver anyway? If someone busts their ass bc they can’t handle their bike thats their fault.
Doesn’t our society have accountable anymore?”
Great, but what if someone busts MY ass because they can’t handle their bike?
For the guy who can’t, warning flags should be enough and he should slow down. Knowing he’s not going to win and that he’s
going to brake a bone should be reason enough to go slower.
Bushpilot is not worried about the speed limit on the downhill. They are going to have to impose a 30 mph speed limit on his on the uphill. Hopefully he’ll flatten the climb enough with his quads that by the time I come around it will just be flat as a pancake!
You guys do know what happened there last weekend? someone was training on the course, and crashed on that section so badly that they a) broke their neck and b) had such bad roadrash they had to do skin grafts. After that, the speed limit doesnt bother me…