2016 Freedom Challenge RASA & RTR Prep

[Shebeen]

awesome stuff!

 

Without getting into too much detail, as its behind him now, I know Frank very well and rode 2 days with him, he was using a polar hear rate monitor, for HR only. At no time were any routes loaded, or any advantage gained for him. He had reccied the route and relied on that knowledge and that of mine and Al. In fact he was the only one who brought maps with (that we never used!) We did not even know it was GPS enabled, as he only uses it for HR, for very personal reasons. He is one of the most upstanding guys I know and a true sportsman. In saying, that, by having it with him, he unknowingly broke a golden rule and paid the ultimate price. 

I can assure you he will be back to take part in this wonderful race again, this time with a cheap non gps HR monitor..

 

ok. a bit more detail then on the device used. So no routes preplotted on his GPS enabled watch? That has less navigational functionality than basically any smartphone available today (which I'm sure many riders are carrying).

 

I was expecting something like an edge 700 with preloaded kml to warrant a disqualification.

[Percyzn]

awesome stuff!

ok. a bit more detail then on the device used. So no routes preplotted on his GPS enabled watch? That has less navigational functionality than basically any smartphone available today (which I'm sure many riders are carrying).

 

I was expecting something like an edge 700 with preloaded kml to warrant a disqualification.

i dont know the model of the polar, but speaking to frank after the event, I know 100% that he has never loaded a route on the watch, or used it for nav. He is also not any strava or endomondo, so does not use the tracking feature that it has. 

However, the watch is GPS enabled, which is against the golden rules, therefore the race office were correct in carrying out the penalty, as stipulated in the rules. It was unfortunate for him and as I said, a high price he paid to miss out on the last 3 days. 

[tubed]

First big test for Vaughn and Leon happening right now, Blackfountain in the dark, so many temptations to step off early, unlikely they will go left, but they seem being pulled to the right....cmon guys dont do it!!!!

[Percyzn]

First big test for Vaughn and Leon happening right now, Blackfountain in the dark, so many temptations to step off early, unlikely they will go left, but they seem being pulled to the right....cmon guys dont do it!!!!

they have Gary with them...

Hope his compass is fixed!

[tubed]

they have Gary with them...

Hope his compass is fixed!

yikes that was close - back on track

[Moriarty]

Mike Woolnough has got the same WhatsApp group, the best thing about it is that Tim and some of the other racers is part of that group, the point is that the group is just an informative chat group on mute.

 

Racing the trail I can confess that I switch my phone off, because of the fact that many an armchair racer believe they have got the ultimate race line and plan for you, which they need to inform you every now and then. The main reason why I switch my phone off or on silent is to avoid these informative calls, the other reason is to conserve battery life, because the phone normally goes off hunting for signal and the other reason is that as much as I want to talk I don't have the time.

 

thus your very smart phone becomes null and void on the race, it can predict weather also, but you as racer can do absolutely nothing about it....

Have I missed something here? Smart phones all have GPS capabilities which means you can't have them surely?

[Percyzn]

Have I missed something here? Smart phones all have GPS capabilities which means you can't have them surely?

yes they do, but you cannot load a track on them or download route info after the ride

I don't think you can anyway.

unless you run the strava app, while U ride, then it will track your route, but battery wont last.

i guess if someone wants to pull out a smart phone when they lost and try find a route using apple maps (if there is signal) , it could help but that takes away from the whole point of this amazing race, so anyone who is doing it for the right reasons would use their phone to tweet and take pics and have as an emergency, not use it for mapping.

[Percyzn]

are Leon, Vaughn and Gary gonna go north east of the ridge ahead of them (slower) or the much quicker alternate to the south and then hold the high line missing the horrid climb out those gulleys

Brutal in there at night, if you not 100% sure.

Hope they have plenty light...

[Moriarty]

yes they do, but you cannot load a track on them or download route info after the ride

I don't think you can anyway.

unless you run the strava app, while U ride, then it will track your route, but battery wont last.

i guess if someone wants to pull out a smart phone when they lost and try find a route using apple maps (if there is signal) , it could help but that takes away from the whole point of this amazing race, so anyone who is doing it for the right reasons would use their phone to tweet and take pics and have as an emergency, not use it for mapping.

Ok, fair enough, but then why was a rider disqualified for having a gps when all riders who rode with a smartphone also had them?

[Percyzn]

Ok, fair enough, but then why was a rider disqualified for having a gps when all riders who rode with a smartphone also had them?

as I understand it, a garmin or polar can track routes and follow a tcx or kmz file but a phone cant. But a phone can track a route and load to strava, so yes its is an issue. Lots of debate will surround this for ages I think, but end of the day, we must abide the rules and enjoy the trail and its challenges. 

[hillbilly]

Ok, fair enough, but then why was a rider disqualified for having a gps when all riders who rode with a smartphone also had them?

 

The rider was disqualified for carrying a device which was prohibited - simple. Might seem harsh but those are the rules.

 

A  smartphone is not prohibited because it is required equipment for riders - as a communication device.

 

As for the smartphone argument / grey area: Do you buy a smartphone for its GPS functionality or do you buy it to use as a phone?

 

If you intended to use it as a GPS, you could but you would have to pre-configure it (load track files - which would be intentionally cheating), then mount it on your bars for it to be practical to use while riding - so it would be pretty obvious to everyone else what you were doing. Not to mention the battery life issues, the fact that its not waterproof etc. You carry a phone (smart or dumb) as a communication device - for safety reasons during the event - if you carry it for other reasons, then in the words of Percyzn: "it could help but that takes away from the whole point of this amazing race, so anyone who is doing it for the right reasons would use their phone to tweet and take pics and have as an emergency, not use it for mapping."

[tubed]

At the race briefing Johann started out by saying that the race is about integrity first and foremost, hence this year he has been drawing a firm line with regards the golden rules and the gps was the most definitive demonstration of that - because it is at the heart of the race - a decision clearly supported by the ultimate race jury - the blanket and whip bearers.

 

But just as important are the rules of no outside assistance - ie even having your family pop up en route somewhere,(which would be totally understandable for some of the guys in that area), or the rule about respecting others property (gates, hosts homes etc).

 

Here's my story - I have known Johann for years and I pitched up without a red rear light - in going through the registration he casually asked me if I had one and I casually replied, "nope, I don't intend seeing any cars", I saw the look on his face and I immediately knew I had put him in a difficult position, I tried to talk/ lawyer my way out of it and I could see that I was being THAT guy, 'please bend the rules just for me', it was a position I should not have placed him in.

Thankfully I then engaged my brain and remembered that I had bought a new headlight which had a rear red light - problem solved.

Fact was, I had been given the grace of a last minute entry and I neglected to read and obey the rules and placed a friend in an awkward position.

 

So read the rules and dont be THAT guy.

 

Sorry Johann.  

[Slowbee]

the only person who looses out by having a GPS in a race built around savy paper map navigation is you.

 

and this is not the argus or the 94.7 with 1000's of riders. The integrity of the other riders will bust you. Its the race ethos.

 

Like tubed said: Dont be THAT guy !
 

[Moriarty]

Ok great, thanks, asked and answered!

[Marnitz Nienaber]

So who will stroke the Freedom Challenge paint brush and make a few Picasso dot's today ? Had a late night last night, glued to the screen, maximum zoom, shown some David Waddilove symptoms last night.

 

We can now by just watching tell that Picasso's might only have maps and maybe a compass or not....

[Shebeen]

as I understand it, a garmin or polar can track routes and follow a tcx or kmz file but a phone cant. But a phone can track a route and load to strava, so yes its is an issue. Lots of debate will surround this for ages I think, but end of the day, we must abide the rules and enjoy the trail and its challenges. 

phones can do navigation way better than a polar watch - I've opened up a new thread on the topic so as not to take away from this one on the race specifically

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/160903-navigation-and-gps-specifically-freedom-challenge/