[Event] Stellenbosch Mountain Bike Challenge

[Karman de Lange]

Every year the Dirtopia results is a mess. It is quite obvious that the first 3 riders in the 42km results would not have been able to ride that race at that speed. Unless they rode e-bikes and did not tell the organisers.

 

Problem with those 3 was, they decided to downgrade to 50km and not tell anyone, systems can only be automated that much.. They busy fixing all the incorrect starters and will be sorted by Tuesday.  That's also the reason why its provisional  results..     

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

My first 75km, lekker tough for me, but thoroughly enjoyed it. The Delvera Single Track rocked!

 

So how did the e-bike category play out?

[Skubarra]

My first 75km, lekker tough for me, but thoroughly enjoyed it. The Delvera Single Track rocked!

 

So how did the e-bike category play out?

 

Seems the take-up was small, I see only about 5 per distance on the results.

 

So I guess a bit of a non-event this time round

[nazmo]

Did the 42km last year, had a blast, did the 50km this year (roadie route). Enjoyed it as much as I decided to TT it. pity about the single lane climb (with the switchbacks)  and all the families on the route towards the end. It is public pathways either way so all good.

[Skubarra]

My memory must be failing me because I didn't remember all that climbing on the 75km last year... 

 

Thank heavens for the easy bit between Klapmuts and Papegaaiberg, was badly suffering at that stage.

 

Proper challenging route, think next year I'm going to give "Round the Pot" a go but will be back one day 

[dev null]

Problem with those 3 was, they decided to downgrade to 50km and not tell anyone, systems can only be automated that much.. They busy fixing all the incorrect starters and will be sorted by Tuesday.  That's also the reason why its provisional  results..     

 

Bastards. 

 

Karman, is there not a way the system can be updated when the riders tag in when they enter the batch at the start?

 

Also, last year some young guns started in the first batch for their race, even though they should have started in the later batches. Screws up the whole timing system.

 

I am going to be nasty now. 

 

Time that Amarider/Dirtopia invest in a timing chip that can be read from a longer distance. This watch timing chip is really irritating, especially at the finish when riders sprint for a position and the ladies scream at them to slow down to tag in. This will solve the starting batch problem when you have a sensor at the start. Surely they must have the capacity to do this now?

[nazmo]

Bastards. 

 

Karman, is there not a way the system can be updated when the riders tag in when they enter the batch at the start?

 

Also, last year some young guns started in the first batch for their race, even though they should have started in the later batches. Screws up the whole timing system.

 

I am going to be nasty now. 

 

Time that Amarider/Dirtopia invest in a timing chip that can be read from a longer distance. This watch timing chip is really irritating, especially at the finish when riders sprint for a position and the ladies scream at them to slow down to tag in. This will solve the starting batch problem when you have a sensor at the start. Surely they must have the capacity to do this now?

 

It took me over a minute to get out of the start shute, but as you pre-tagg, your race starts at XX:XX irrespective what time you cross the start line. A minute is a minute

[Skubarra]

 

Time that Amarider/Dirtopia invest in a timing chip that can be read from a longer distance. This watch timing chip is really irritating, especially at the finish when riders sprint for a position and the ladies scream at them to slow down to tag in. This will solve the starting batch problem when you have a sensor at the start. Surely they must have the capacity to do this now?

 

Agree Moridin, lots of mtb races have the system nowadays where your chip is on your board. You don't even need a racetec chip

 

I guess the trailtag will work fine for small races but for a mass participation event like this it is a bit daft.

 

Seems technological advances have caught Dirtopia napping 

[Thor Buttox]

Agree Moridin, lots of mtb races have the system nowadays where your chip is on your board. You don't even need a racetec chip

 

I guess the trailtag will work fine for small races but for a mass participation event like this it is a bit daft.

 

Seems technological advances have caught Dirtopia napping

All you have to is push through to the front of your chute, all the while pretending to be blind and deaf so that everyone thinks you need the help of starting first. Be the solution, not the problem!

[GLuvsMtb]

Bastards. 

 

Karman, is there not a way the system can be updated when the riders tag in when they enter the batch at the start?

 

Also, last year some young guns started in the first batch for their race, even though they should have started in the later batches. Screws up the whole timing system.

 

I am going to be nasty now. 

 

Time that Amarider/Dirtopia invest in a timing chip that can be read from a longer distance. This watch timing chip is really irritating, especially at the finish when riders sprint for a position and the ladies scream at them to slow down to tag in. This will solve the starting batch problem when you have a sensor at the start. Surely they must have the capacity to do this now?

 

I think that Dirtopia did quite well given that there was no title sponsor for the event this year. While TrailTag has many limitations, the cost of getting SAS or Racetec involved would have added substantially to the entry fees. Lets assume SAS or Racetec would have meant another R80 on the entry, would you have complained about the high entry fee then?

[Skubarra]

I think that Dirtopia did quite well given that there was no title sponsor for the event this year. While TrailTag has many limitations, the cost of getting SAS or Racetec involved would have added substantially to the entry fees. Lets assume SAS or Racetec would have meant another R80 on the entry, would you have complained about the high entry fee then?

 

I don't have the exact numbers but I remember for a race I was involved in the timing for the mtb wasn't particularly expensive - chips on temp bike boards - it was far less than R80 pp

 

Especially for a mass participation event like this the cost per rider would not be an issue.

 

Timing technology has improved a lot over the past 3 or 4 years, systems like Racetec and Trailtag are obsolete for mtbing

[Karman de Lange]

Bastards. 

 

Karman, is there not a way the system can be updated when the riders tag in when they enter the batch at the start?

 

Also, last year some young guns started in the first batch for their race, even though they should have started in the later batches. Screws up the whole timing system.

 

I am going to be nasty now. 

 

Time that Amarider/Dirtopia invest in a timing chip that can be read from a longer distance. This watch timing chip is really irritating, especially at the finish when riders sprint for a position and the ladies scream at them to slow down to tag in. This will solve the starting batch problem when you have a sensor at the start. Surely they must have the capacity to do this now?

 

 

The system is designed to update the start groups, but it will only happen today (Its manual process after verifying the actual batch start times (and getting all the people that jumps over rails/push through  etc sorted).

 

Regarding the last question:  Watch this space .....

[Skubarra]

I don't have the exact numbers but I remember for a race I was involved in the timing for the mtb wasn't particularly expensive - chips on temp bike boards - it was far less than R80 pp

 

Especially for a mass participation event like this the cost per rider would not be an issue.

 

Timing technology has improved a lot over the past 3 or 4 years, systems like Racetec and Trailtag are obsolete for mtbing

 

 

I dug up the numbers - for a electronic timing system including temp bike board and a photo of you when you finish (on the website) the cost was less than R20 per person. And this was for a race far smaller than Sunday's

[Karman de Lange]

 

 

Seems technological advances have caught Dirtopia napping 

 

Actually not .. Problem is, theory and real life don't always work.  All I can say, new system has been in testing for almost 2 years, everytime a step forward is made another curveball is thrown .. 

[dev null]

Actually not .. Problem is, theory and real life don't always work.  All I can say, new system has been in testing for almost 2 years, everytime a step forward is made another curveball is thrown .. 

 

Ah, I love the complexities of dev work. 

 

Shifting goalposts and hidden/undocumented requirements/limitations.

 

I have to make a complex financial transaction work over USSD with a 160 character limit per message and no guarantee of delivery. I understand your pain.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Moridin

[Groadie]

Back to the course though: those earlier changes for the climbing courses (not the flat gravel-travel 30km & 50km routes) around the 20km mark were steep. We were dropped down lower into the valley than previous editions and then thrown up a real bugger of a vineyard climb. After 75km I had close to 1800m ascent (on my Garmin). That was a tough day out - so great course for proper MTB riding.
As for the wrist-based timing system - I also agree that the run in to the final tag is not ideal - especially when you have so many races converging at one finish point. I was desperate to clock in but had a bunch of 60 and 42 riders also all busy in their own personal race to the finish... very undesirable Cav/Sagan kind of effect  

I look forward to any developments that Dirtopia make here