Do you HAVE to take the BC points?

TheDrunkMonk
TheDrunkMonk Posts: 181
edited December 2011 in Amateur race
This might on the surface seem a bizarre question, but if you get a placing in a BC road event do you HAVE to take the points?

The only reson I ask, is that I'm eyeing a winter series that has a reputation for a low turn out. I'd like to race it to prepare for our local road and circuit events in the spring, but I don't want to prematurely go up to a category that is beyond my talent, just because of low rider numbers, and then spend the next 2 years waiting to come back down so that I can enjoy racing again.

Comments

  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    Sadly yes. Been there myself and its why you sometimes find fellas who can rip the legs off you, take all the preems, then tow their team mate towards the line before sitting up to come in eleventh. Been there ,done that , seems very sad but its the reality of the system.
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • Ah, thanks.

    Equally daft question, can you ask to go down a category on the grounds of being rubbish?
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    You can't go back to 4th (not sure if this applies to vets now) but apart from that you go down a cat automatically if you don't get the required points.

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • giropaul
    giropaul Posts: 414
    Yes, not only because that's the rule, but also because otherwise some people would stay as 3rds and rip every race apart.

    In the days before computerised systems it wasn't unknown for some riders to have at least 2 licences, so that they could keep winning 3rd cat crits etc. It was strange how many people "lost" a licence early on in the year - "lost it in Mallorca" was a popular story - and had a second one issued by the (then) BCF.
  • dulldave
    dulldave Posts: 949
    Just don't contend the sprint at the end. Simples.
    Scottish and British...and a bit French
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    What category are you worried about moving up to ?

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • 2nd. Particularly worrying as I consider myself a 4th cat rider trapped in a 3rd cat license.

    Might be alright, races are getting ever more popular, if enough riders start the races, it won't be a problem.
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    I think you can decline them if your a vet, definately so if won on the track.
    I know some guys who one events on the track when they are 65 and get a second cat license which they do not want so they get option to deciline those but I am not certain about winter series though.
    It is easy to say sit up for the sprint, in practice it is not so easy as you normally want to improve this also.
    I got stuffed last year early on in e 1 2 races as I was a second and I always start racing about may or june :D
  • As above the answer is no, you can't decline the points.

    Personally I'd use this as an opportunity to spend the whole race (or as long as you can anyway) rotating through the front 6 in the pack and make unlikely attacks (e.g. attacking while you're at the head of the bunch rather than a couple of rows back). Unless the bunch is very small you should find you can do lots of race pace efforts without taking many points.

    Unfortunately if your talking about a race of 15-20 starters and 1/2 of them are too weak to hold on to the pack then you're in trouble. Your best option then is probably to only start racing in the new year.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Worth getting the second cat licence though surely - in years to come saying yeah I used to race as a second cat will sound so much more impressive!

    Suppose it depends on what races are on around you - if there are plenty of 2/3/4s then you could use it as a motivating factor - if it's all E12 or 34 then yes I agree you might be in trouble.

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • giropaul
    giropaul Posts: 414
    The usual method of dealing with this issue is to ride TLI (or if you're old enough LVRC) events until the next year, or whenever you're out of danger.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    giropaul wrote:
    The usual method of dealing with this issue is to ride TLI (or if you're old enough LVRC) events until the next year, or whenever you're out of danger.

    Assuming the OP wants to race winter series races in other years he'll always have this problem as he remains a 3rd Cat for good.

    I worry about the same thing sometimes, but I'm thinking it would be a nice predicament for me to be in that I might be close to getting enough points to be promoted.
  • this kind of annoys me as this year i was 3 points off 2nd cat, i had got 9th in a race that was classed as national B but then ended up not being a bc race and so no points came with it, had it came with points i would easily made 2nd cat. BC wouldn't upgrade me despite being from Guernsey meaning i have to travel to England to do any races where i can get points. I think 2nd cat is the best to be, you can still enter 2,3,4 races which are pretty easy but also elite,1,2 which covers all races.
  • maryka
    maryka Posts: 748
    Just get a provisional race licence which comes with any level membership at BC and pay the fee (if there is one) for the day licence. Any points you get will not count towards anything. When you want to start getting points, upgrade your licence to a full one.
  • There should be no points for winter racing as they dont count, and only soft southerners deal with these sort of shennanigans.
  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    2nd. Particularly worrying as I consider myself a 4th cat rider trapped in a 3rd cat license.

    Might be alright, races are getting ever more popular, if enough riders start the races, it won't be a problem.

    I'm confused - if you don't rate your own ability much, why are you worried about getting upgraded to 2nd..?

    Either way, road points are awarded electronically, whether you want them or not...
  • Herbsman
    Herbsman Posts: 2,029
    There should be no points for winter racing as they dont count, and only soft southerners deal with these sort of shennanigans.
    :lol:
    CAPTAIN BUCKFAST'S CYCLING TIPS - GUARANTEED TO WORK! 1 OUT OF 10 RACING CYCLISTS AGREE!
  • There should be no points for winter racing as they dont count, and only soft southerners deal with these sort of shennanigans.


    i understand its just a joke but surely by racing in the winter it makes you 'hard as nails' not soft by only racing when its warmer?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Pseudonym wrote:
    2nd. Particularly worrying as I consider myself a 4th cat rider trapped in a 3rd cat license.

    Might be alright, races are getting ever more popular, if enough riders start the races, it won't be a problem.

    I'm confused - if you don't rate your own ability much, why are you worried about getting upgraded to 2nd..?

    Either way, road points are awarded electronically, whether you want them or not...


    Presumably as the low turn out more or less ensures that you will get points just by finishing? There was an early season 'road race' series held at Maindy track and the first few races only had 5 or 6 finishers. Points should be restricted when fields are small. You used to only get points for a top 6 finish on races shorter than (I think) 80 miles.
  • There should be no points for winter racing as they dont count, and only soft southerners deal with these sort of shennanigans.


    i understand its just a joke but surely by racing in the winter it makes you 'hard as nails' not soft by only racing when its warmer?

    No Joke! Winter is for pottering around and the only allowable burn up is one agreed between training groups or club runs for a cafe or an agreed waypoint.