jmikami@comcast.net

I could take a lesson on being concise from Mike.  However, I think that the last sentence would rule out most if not all TTs and Road races as only crits are held on closed courses.  

I would also like to see some limits to the drivers of stokers to help make me feel better if I am to enter a mass start race and limit prizes to equal value to the entire field.  I made a shortened version of my earlier post that leaves a little more upto the promoter of the race.

... Youth   only   races   can only   must   be held on closed courses. Tandem races with a y outh stoker a nd an adult driver may be held on any course.  Prizes for any races open to youth riders must be of equal value to all participants.  All tandem mass start events with youth stokers must be on a standard tandem bike, Time Trials may use either a standard tandem or an attached tagalong style bike.  The race promoter must specify that a tandem race is open to youth stokers or include a seperate race category for this event.

Is that too much?  Anything else that is missing?  How do people feel about allowing promoters to include youth stoker events mixed with adult races?  I still think that is a bad idea for two reasons.  1) adult tandem races are typically more aggressive (ie crashes more likely and more dangerous) and the goal is to win which is more than I am interested in at this time.  2) in most cases the adult pairs would quickly gap the youth stoker tandems creating two groups of riders which is more difficult to manage in a RR and again creates passing issues in crits.

I also feel that the driver must be older/more experienced in some way, but these are not sticking points for me, just what I am thinking today.  Curious what others think as I would like to get something like this infront of the board this year.

----- Original Message -----
From: Micros8391@aol.com
To: jmikami@comcast.net, obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 3:45:02 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Juniors on Tandems

I would like to propose the following rule change.
 

Youth is defined as riders under the age of 10.    Youth riders may enter only youth races and may not be mixed with other categories except as stokers on tandems at the discretion of the race promoter.   Youth only races can only must be held on closed courses.

Mike Rosenberg