Erik Long
I couldn't agree more, Mike.
I spent a few years in Tucson, AZ, where they have the Shootout every Saturday. This ride draws well over 100 riders on its peak weekends, which can make it a great training tool. The problem is that there are no rules, no rolling enclosure, and no first aid. I saw more than a few crashes on that ride and at least one massive pileup that put riders in the hospital. Irritating, because these crashes start with inexperienced riders - who may have never held a race license - and can end with one of your teammates on the ground and out of commission for a few months. This is one reason for category separations.
Those safety factors are nothing compared to what rides like that do to the attitudes of local drivers. You can't possibly get a group of 100 to the shoulder to let traffic pass, as you can imagine. You can't make them ride 2 abreast. There's a lot of animosity from drivers along the route of Tucson's Shootout.
While I can appreciate the unique nature of Athens' Winter Bike League, I think it should stay in Athens. Leaving out the fact that Oregon's winter climate is less than friendly for group rides, the last thing we need is to aggravate more Oregon drivers.
-Erik
> From: mike.murray@obra.org
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:03:59 -0800
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Interesting Story - A Cycling Phenomenon
>
> My concern with the unsanctioned and unofficial races that Jeb describes is
> that they can often generate ill will in the non-cycling public, cause
> conflict with police agencies and occasionally lead to serious injuries and
> lawsuits. I have been on some of these rides in various parts of the
> country and they can be fun but they can also be pretty scary. Personally I
> have always thought that one of the strongest aspects of the bike racing
> scene in Portland is that we do NOT have unsanctioned regular races.
> Personally I think we are all better off when racing to have rules,
> officials, liability insurance, road use permits, first aid support, etc.
> Obviously bad things happen at official races too but at least there is an
> organized effort to minimize these. I guess the cost of this is entry fees
> and less "freedom". I think it is a reasonable price to pay.
>
> Mike Murray
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of Jeb Stewart
> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 12:46 PM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] Interesting Story - A Cycling Phenomenon
>
>
> I know this might come across as shameless self-promotion because I am
> directing you guys to my site, however, I'll run the risk of getting labeled
> as such to share what I believe to be story that is not only enjoyable, but
> that could be a catalyst for the creation of another amazing facet to this
> incredible cycling scene/culture we have here in Portland.
>
> Check it out and LMK what you think. I hope that it leads to the creation of
> something similar here which would be a lot of fun and a very positive thing
> for the cycling community as a whole. If nothing else, it will provide a
> good talking point for at least a few digests. I am sure of that! ;-)
>
> http://www.endurofit.com/blog
>
> Enjoy,
>
> Jeb Stewart MS, PES
> Endurofit, LLC
> www.endurofit.com
> jstewart@endurofit.com
> (503) 238-5408 p
> (706) 243-6105 f
>
> Sign up for your FREE training products at
> http://www.endurofit.com/free%20resources/free%20resources.html!
>
>
>
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>
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