Why sign up in advance for TT...

AndyRubio
AndyRubio Posts: 880
edited October 2009 in Amateur race
... when you can just turn and pay yer money at a cyclocross race?
My hour on the plinth

Comments

  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    promote one and find owt
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • AndyRubio
    AndyRubio Posts: 880
    It's easier to ask someone who already knows.

    Getting the entries in advance means you can make the right amount of cake, and let people know in advance their start time. But as a rider, if I wanna do a TT on Saturday I'm screwed.
    My hour on the plinth
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    can you imagine the logisitics ,if in your saturday afternoon tt, 150 people turn up and wanting to ride at 3 o clock. you`ve got to get money off them all ,cant take cheques cos it will bounce, find out their LTS, set the field . tell 30 riders they`ll have to go home without a ride, issue everybody with the right number, make sure what time they are off, print out a starting sheet for the time keeper and the list goes on.
    as an event promoter ,if we ever have entry on the line in tt`s i will walk away.
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    As above, there is a max number of entrants for a TT, this is not the case for a cyclocross race AFAIK.

    It would be good if an under subscribed TT allowed entry on the day, but as riders are seeded, it really isn't possible to do this on the day. Most TTers plan their season in advance so would have entered before the closing day anyhow.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    I've been to running road races which have entries on the day, once the race limit is reached race closed. First come, first served, and unlucky to those who weren't there early enough - which you can communicate in advance. You could also say cash only, to avoid the cheque bounce issue.

    Although, this won't help with the seeding of riders!
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    Entry to Open time trials isn't on a first come basis though, it is on a fastest basis, so as sub55 mentioned, you would have to get all the entries together, work out who was the fastest 120, and then turn the slowest ones away.

    There are rules which CTT affliated clubs must adhere to to run time trials on public roads, and some of these are part of the road traffic act. Alot of events are over subscribed, so the only way to do it and have the organisor get everything prepared in time, means advance entry is the only way to do it.

    That said club events are generally undersubscribed and you can enter these on the line, but then again in club events seeding is not an issue in a club event, you just ride in the order you signed on. These are great for those that don't plan their season, and just want to try to see if they like it.
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    I imagine it's because it's always been done like that!

    Ideal scenario would be a combination of entry in advance, and a number of entries on the day randomly slotted into the field or added to the end. They could even replace the spaces where entrants do not turn up on the day. Charge an extra £3 for on the day entries to provide an incentive to enter early if possible. I tried to enter a TT 7 days before the event and was told it was too late as the list closed 2 weeks before the event!

    Personally, I'd go for the CX option every time; much more interesting and fun and you don't have to wear a silly helmet (although you do have to be careful of all the dogsh1t because the lazy owners can't be bothered to responsibly clean up after their pets).
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    In a time trial you need to have a start list ready and issued in advance so that competitors know their start time. Starting position is also determined based on the riders' PB times e.g. in a field of 120 riders the fastest is generally number 120, second fastest 110, third fastest 100 etc.

    I've organised Cross, TT's and road races in the past and cross is by far the easiest with the work being mainly in the course preparation. Organising road races (and possibly TTs) these days is even harder due to risk assessment forms and marshalling issues associated with racing on the open road.
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    I think most people do not know that you can turn up and enter on line for club events. I suspect that as the ability to do this becomes more widely known fields will grow.

    If this is a good or bad thing is another story though.... :twisted:

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