GRAND SLAM - time limits!!
First of all well done to all who completed the grand slam 3 today,it was a hilly ride and tested some of you. On that note i ask should there be a cut off time in which to complete the full distance?
On the way back from cape jervis as i passed through normanville i came across riders from the grand slam on lap 2 , it was 4PM ! Now i know you are going to all say " we dont all ride as quick as you ,or they may have had a problem but this aside spare a thought for the volunteers who have been on the go since 5 or 6am and need to wait until all riders are safely back, which they willingly do ,these riders ,if we assume started at 8am on lap 1 had been on the go for 8 hours to cover 120km ! If they had started only lap 2 by 10.30am as suggested as the latest start time then thats 5.5hrs to ride 60kms? All i am saying is, should there be a cut off time so the hard working volunteers from bike sa dont have to wait for one or two riders who underestimated how long it would take them. PS no hate mail please !! I will always support any rider who gives it ago but maybe they need some home grown back up on these longer rides.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matt Brennan on -
I think a cut off time for people leaving on the second lap would be a good idea not to put a burden on the vollies.
I was making sandwiches at 11am and there were people doing the same talking about heading out soon....so I don't think the 10.30 guide was stuck to :)
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Permalink Reply by MARK FERGUSON (SPARTACUS) on -
There is a cut off time for starting Loop 2.
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Permalink Reply by Emily Gard on -
The email I got from bike SA said "you do have the option of riding Loop 2 with a later start time of between 10.30am and 11.30am."
So I think they were expecting the hills to slow even the faster riders down a bit on loop 1 and therefore didn't want people starting loop 2 too early in case they were fast and got to the rest stop before it was set up?
Given that people sign in and out I would expect once they get down to a handful of riders they would send out the sweep, start making phone calls to make sure people didn't walk off without signing the book etc. in case someone had an accident and weren't seen by other people.
In any case a cut off time won't stop people who don't know how slow they are (as anyone who has ever run the city to bay will recognize there are always plenty of walkers up the front). Generally events have cut offs so they can open road closures but there are no road closures for the grand slam. It could be stated up front the loop 1 rest stop will operate between time a and time b the loop 2 rest stop will operate between time c and time d "lunch" will be available between time e and time f but I think most people have a reasonable idea of this based on the start times .
Once people are out on the road you have two options drive them and their bike back to the start or let them continue unsupported.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
I was one of the four last riders to complete GS5 last year. Having completed lap 1 at Mt Pleasent I discovered that there was cut off time for starting lap 2. No doubt it was mentioned in paperwork and I should have read it. Fortunately I was within the cut off time and set off, but as I was leaving a buddy pulled in, I warned him that there was a cut off and he needed to hurry. He was actually past the cut off time but they relented and let him and 2 others continue to ride. Arriving at the last refreshment stop in Sedan I advised the volunteers that there were at least 3 more behind me. Climbing Sedan Hill the sag wagon came along, at that point I was riding with a new buddy, they told us there were still 2 more behind us and that the volunteers from the refreshment stop would be taking over sag duties. Arriving back at Mt Pleasent once again I let the volunteers know who was behind me. They weren't in the least bit concerned, however they were making phonecalls and trying to trace a few dickheads that couldn't be bothered to check in and hand in there numbers, "Oh yea sorry we were in a hurry". The last 2 riders came in with sag wagon not far behind, my buddy had been particularly slow due to ham string problems (great fun trying to climb sedan hill). The volunteers were absolutely wrapped and in a celebratory mood that he made it, in fact he was one of the 5 riders that received awards at the end of the season for his "Special Achievement".
I don't think they have any issues with slower cyclists and if or when they do, they will know what to do.
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Permalink Reply by Peter Hill on -
going to be a bigger problem for the 150 km and the 200km rides.
Good to see Nigel at the first loop refreshment stop. Maybe he could offer his advice on the matter if he stil browses AC.
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on -
While I don't know how the volunteers were organised is it reasonable to hope that there are enough volunteers that those busy at 6 AM could finish about lunch time?
I would think from a safety point of view to have everybody finished by 4:30 so they are off their bikes before it gets dark would be a good plan.
with any of these events if you have no way home but to ride a cut off time will not change the arrival time of those who are delayed for mechanical reasons.
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Permalink Reply by Michelle Crick on -
It's like anything of this nature you have to know your own limits and what you can achieve..
For many people they are prepared for the cold, punctures and do the appropriate amount of training/riding in the lead up to these big events others don't!
It's the minority that potentially spoil it for everyone.
Think Bike SA and the volunteers do a great job :-)
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Permalink Reply by Deborah d'Avigdor on -
Colin: I'm only a visiting 'Adelaide Cyclist' (though an increasingly frequent one!) but just by way of response I'd like to say that I'm not sure I greatly appreciate the implication of the your exclamation mark after the comment '8 hours to cover 120kms', it seems to me that you may be saying that riders this slow should not undertake a GS of this distance.
I'm one such slow rider and incidentally, although slow, I'm heading for the best part of 10,000 kms and 1000,000 vertical metres this year, so I'm no slouch.
The underlying philosophy of the GS series of rides is to potentiate riders to do a little more than they might otherwise believe that they can achieve and the sterling volunteers willingly do whatever is necessary to make this possible.
I might add also that I was one of the last in but nonetheless was within Audax times!
Not to be disputatious I hasten to add but just perhaps a different perspective!
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Permalink Reply by Jim Cooper on -
+1!
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Permalink Reply by colin ware-lane on -
@ Deborah i have ridden in the grand slams since 2005 and started with the mini slams b4 going onto the full distance rides,as i have said at the start the volunteers are always there no matter how long it takes a rider to complete the distance,but i stand by my comments if you are taking more than 8 hrs to ride 120km then maybe you need to start early,which is the case with hundreds of riders in the community challenge each yr,they have a cut off time b4 the pros finish and if you want to go under the official arch you need to be within that time or you will be directed off th road.bike sa have never to my knowlege told a rider not to start early.I also stand by my comment that i fully support all riders and the great efforts they put into completing their chosen distance,as many that know me would agree with.
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Permalink Reply by Deborah d'Avigdor on
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@Colin: I look forward to meeting you on a ride one day, the tedium of which will, I'm sure, be greatly enlivened by a lively discussion on these and associated issues! It is entirely possible that we may well go a bit Voltaire and agree to differ! ;)
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