CAPE EPIC - GPS Tracking

[geotrails]

I see that if you track your route on the Cape Epic using a GPS device, you can be disqualified.  Does that mean every one of the guys using the Polar tracking at the last Epic were disqualified, or does it simply mean there are different sets of rules?

[Mr Mulebar]

Do you mean the live Polar tracking that you view on the website during the event?

 

 

 

If so that is a service that Polar provides the Epic to give live tracking of certain celebrity riders and the units do not log the route, they merely provide a position fix using GPS.

 

 

 

 

[geotrails]

Yes - the live Polar tracking.  The way I understand it is that it works on the same principle as Nokia Sports Tracker.  The bottom line is that a co-ordinate is streamed to a website.  Its a relatively simple matter to pull those co-ordinates in and create a track.  Bottom line, the rides are tracking the race route using a GPS device.   

[Shebeen]

I find this Cape Epic no GPS rule a little bit silly and rather childish.*

 

Their reasoning is to stop people reriding 'the epic route' as it is mostly on private land with access only granted on race day.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have a big problem with people trespassing, but this is hardly going to stop it. If they were serious then they would have to blindfold riders as well so they couldn't remember where they rode.

 

My theory is that it's pressure from Polar who are losing out on the bike gadget market dominance(mainly to Garmin) because they can't compete with GPS features.

 

*then again i find many things silly about this overhyped race

[Mr Mulebar]

How it works isn't the point really. The only people that use those units are given them by the race organizers to allow people to follow their progress. The units are made by Polar but do not require the rider to use a Polar Unit. The last rider on the route is also given the same unit so that the organizers can track their rate of progress to aid in the organization and for their safety.

 

 

 

I get what you're saying the bottom line however is that if you are found to be track logging the route using a GPS unit then you can be disqualified.

 

 

 

Don't bash the organizers, the rule has come about because our fellow MTBers have been caught trespassing on private land using tracklogs from previous years and landowners have put their foot down.

[geotrails]

So what's really going on then?  An attempt to protect a Polar monopoly (the bathymetric based altitude sensor on the Polar units vs the GPS based Garmin) or a genuine attempt to stop trespassing.  If its the later, it would be far better for all concerned if there's simply a blanket ban on anyone trespassing on Cape Epic routes.  I would wager that I could generate the Cape Epic routes purely based on the altitude profiles provided in Bicycling and on the descriptions provided! 

[BigGuy]

My guess is this is more of a selling point when bargaining upfront with landowners: "Hey, no GPS tracking allowed, so this will guarantee no trespassing on your land afterwards." Silly rule, and it cannot be enforced, unless they strip-search after every stage.

[Mr Mulebar]

I don't think anyone is naive enough to think that the rule will stop trespassing or that landowners believe that it will. It will hopefully help to minimize trespassing on closed trails in the long run and has absolutely nothing to do with Polar.

 

 

 

Quite interesting to see the thread on Thandi closing their trails as a result of trespassing!

[geotrails]

And therein lies the core of our South Africanish problem.  Nobody listens to rules so therefore find another solution.  The alternative is unworkable, but, heaven forbid, don't actually try and make rules work - change the rules.  Classic case in point.  Read rule one of the IMBA rules of the trail at http://www.imba.com/international/rules_intern.html  and in English it reads:

 

"Ride on Open Trails only" ie only if you have permission to do so. 

 

The Afrikaans translation reads:

 

"Ry slegs op duidelik aangewyse roetepaaie"

 

Which means - ride only on marked routes!  Thats a huge difference!  Perhaps the Cape Epic guys can start taking the lead and reinforce proper mountain biking ethics - and that is to only ride where you're allowed to (ie where we have permission).  If we merely sort that part out, everbody will have infinitely more places to ride, landowners wont be hassled and they could even make some money from mountain biking. 

 

Banning GPS tracking is a Neanderthal way of dealing with problems and indicates a mindset of "If theres a problem - ban it" instead of finding constructive solutions!

geotrails2009-11-23 07:16:29

[Slowbee]

I would suggest that the reason is much more sinister.

 

They just want to protec the EPIC brand. Exclusivity. No-one ever been there done that. No one ever will again.

 

 

 

[BigGuy]

My last opinion on this: Most of the riders with GPS use it as a training and reference tool, and like to see where they have been and how they performed at specific altitude, elevation, grade, distance etc. That is a very large part of the memories you have of the race where the average entrant have to extend his/her home loan just to participate.

[Shebeen]

Quite interesting to see the thread on Thandi closing their trails as a result of trespassing!

 

ja that was me, I started that thread after reading this one. People have to know about the consequences of them skipping ticket offices and riding on closed land.

 

I do feel for them on the land issue, I've organised adventure races before and getting the boer op jou kant is die moelikste taak van alles. But this would not be my solution, hence my Polar theory. I wonder what Grandstand would actually do if someone released them on the net?probably not much,

 

anyone have some *.kml files of epics 2004-2008 handy? would be nice to see the routes on GE

[Mr Mulebar]

And therein lies the core of our South Africanish problem.? Nobody listens to rules so therefore find another solution.??The alternative is unworkable' date=' but, heaven forbid, don't actually?try and make?rules work - change the rules.? Classic case in point.? Read rule one of the IMBA rules of the trail at http://www.imba.com/international/rules_intern.html? and in English it reads:

 

?

 

"Ride on Open Trails only" ie only if you have permission to do so.?

 

?

 

The Afrikaans translation reads:

 

?

 

"Ry slegs op duidelik aangewyse roetepaaie"

 

?

 

Which means - ride only on marked routes!? Thats a huge difference!? Perhaps the Cape Epic guys can start taking the lead and reinforce proper mountain biking ethics - and that is to only ride where you're allowed to (ie where we have permission).? If we merely sort that part out, everbody will have infinitely more places to ride, landowners wont be hassled and they could even make some money from mountain biking.?

 

?

 

Banning GPS tracking is a Neanderthal way of dealing with problems and indicates a mindset of "If theres a problem - ban it" instead of finding constructive solutions!

[/quote']

 

 

 

I agree completely the root of the whole problem is the South African attitude towards rules and the law.....blatant disregard. I never thought it was that bad till I came back from living abroad for 6 years.

[geotrails]

A conclusion from all of this is that people simply do not listen to individuals.  Generally speaking the Mtb crowd are a solid bunch of people with respect for mountain biking ethics.  However, if a race organizer or individual tells another that they cannot ride in a particular place, guess what, they do precisely the opposite and trespass.  My experience with Mtb'ers has been that if the ethic of the sport says ride on open trails only, as long as you know which trails are open, people wont trespass. 

My take - race organizers such as the Cape Epic are doing the sport a disservice by idiotic bans on GPS tracking instead of placing the emphasis on the IMBA rule of "Ride on Open Trails only"

 

As for the 2010 Cape Epic route - I will post my take on the 2010 route in KML format soon.