RaceTec/Winning Time Discrepancies

[levett]

Has anyone else had discrepancies with their RaceTec/Winning Time published time and the time they believe they did?

 

On the 94.7, Argus, and now Tour Durban, mine has been 2 to 4 minutes different. On the 94.7, I thought it was me (I was using a CatEye computer) but I've had the same with the Argus and the Tour Durban (where I've been using a Garmin Edge 705). I was very careful this weekend to start the Garmin as I passed over the start mat, and as I went over the finish mat (the 1st one on the finish line), and the RaceTec time is 2 minutes different.

 

Do they use the 2nd finish mat for the timing? (they've told me that the 2nd set are only a backup).

 

With my times, this is not very relevant in terms of 'make-or-break', but I'm a statistics freak, so this is more of an 'I'm curious' rather than a 'Rant n' Rave'.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave.

[Trubie]

Dave

I have never had a discrepancy on the times before. Suggest you contact them, and take it up.

 

 

[Ox_Wagon]

The timing companies usely use the start time and not the time you go over the start mat.  This adds about a minute if your are at the back of the group.  Next, check that your Cateye is not in auto start-stop mode as it will then record ride time and not total time.    <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Ox_Wagon2009-05-04 03:44:19

[Gman1834]

Your time start when the first guy of the group go over the line not when you go over the line, but 2min is a long time to cross the line. Well at the argus it took more then 2min to go over the line.

 

 

 

[levett]

Cheers Guys - that explains it.

 

I just did the 'fun ride' at the Tour Durban (with the 'domestic' boss - her first 'race') and she was nervous of the start - the group was very slow off the line, and we were close to the back, so that explains the 2 minutes.

 

(the Garmin did accurately register my start and stop times, which I set as I crossed the lines)

 

So the question is: If they can register your personal time as you cross the finish, why can't they use your personal time when you start?

 

What would happen if you rode 'out of group' with a friend on, say, the 94.7 (you are allowed to start later than your start time, but not erlier.

 

[Guest colonel]

Cycle faster.

[Gman1834]

 

Championchip record both your start time aswell as th group start time.

 

Your seeding and position is calculated on the group start time. The reason is that if they use your individual start time and you start at the back and the winner of the group started in front you can have a better time if you finish just behind him.

 

does this make sense?

 

On the 94.7 or any other race they do check in what group you start and use the start time of that group.

 

 

Gman18342009-05-04 04:05:15

[Trubie]

As far as I know, you can ride out of group, without any consequence, as long as you ride down, and not up.

Eg you can as a lic vet ride in A/B, but as C rider cannot ride B.

 

 

[levett]

Championchip record both your start time aswell as th group start time.

Your seeding and position is calculated on the group start time. The reason is that if they use your individual start time and you start at the back and the winner of the group started in front you can have a better time if you finish just behind him.

does this make sense?

Yes I guess it does (for the big boys) but for us who are never going to win I can't see it making a difference - but I guess it's the 'one rule'

 

Now I know why some people feel that they can join the start group late, and push to the front as though they have more right start at the front than everyone else  - it's all so that they can gain a minute or two on their time! I always wondered

[Gman1834]

I agree with you, if you are trying to beat your own time it is not nice to see that you lost some time just going over the start line. Next time be early get in front and moan at the guys in blue and white that push there way to the front. 

[Trubie]

I agree with you' date=' if you are trying to beat your own time it is not nice to see that you lost some time just going over the start line. Next time be early get in front and moan at the guys in blue and white that push there way to the front.  [/quote']

 

Levett, the reason why they push in , is not because they care about their time. A lot of them are dropped quite quickly anyways.

 

Its purely because they are pricks without any manners, and do not feel the neccessity to be there early enough  to get to the front half of the start group. The fact that fellow riders allow them to do it, just keeps them coming back every time.

 

[levett]

I agree with you' date=' if you are trying to beat your own time it is not nice to see that you lost some time just going over the start line. Next time be early get in front and moan at the guys in blue and white that push there way to the front.  [/quote']

 

Levett, the reason why they push in , is not because they care about their time. A lot of them are dropped quite quickly anyways.

 

Its purely because they are pricks without any manners, and do not feel the neccessity to be there early enough  to get to the front half of the start group. The fact that fellow riders allow them to do it, just keeps them coming back every time.

 

I agree fully - my post was a bit 'tongue-in-cheek'

 

I do have to laugh when people do it in the fun ride  My wife was in her first 'race' (and we were on our mountain bikes - she only has a mountain bike and I rode mine, rather than my road bike, so that we both put in the same effort (though she does have 700c wheels on hers)).

 

Long story short, we passed quite a lot of the people who pushed to the front (on their flash road bikes, with their equally flash gear) quite quickly

The time is not so important to me, it was curiosity, the focus is on the 'fun' in the Fun Ride!

 

PS - well done to the guys on the hand-cycles, and the guys helping them - I felt for them, they looked absolutely knackered at the end!

levett2009-05-04 04:29:06

[DaLoCo]

 

PS - well done to the guys on the hand-cycles' date=' and the guys helping them - I felt for them, they looked absolutely knackered at the end!

[/quote']

 

They were awesome..... I saw them coming at around Umhlanga as I was heading out to the turnaround. Hats of to the helpers who stayed with them.