Jon Ragsdale

Now that we are a month into cross season, I'll share things I have seen......

Number placement. This is very important. You want to be scored, you need to have your numbers (both of them) placed properly. Yesterday I had a couple of people tell me that they say races on TV, so that's how numbers need to be placed. That is wrong. For some humor, and to see the proper way to pin your numbers, watch this (starring some of your favorite officials and racers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFF3zWKkImc

Bake safety: Make sure your equipment is in good working order. Last week and yesterday I saw people that their wheels fell off their bile. Check everything! Also, you must have bar end plugs to race. It is not safe to race without them.

Equipment in the pits (especially with Crusade coming up): When you drop off equipment in the pit area, pick it up after you complete your race. The pits get crowded when bikes and wheels are left there all day.

Using the pit area: When you have a minor equipment issue, you can fix your bike on course (ex: dropped chain, twisted bars, etc). Yesterday a couple of people stepped into the pits to put their chain back on. Also, when you pass the pits, you cannot go against course direction to go get a new bike or wheels. You have to follow course direction to enter the pits on the other side. And lastly, it is not the responsibility of the pit official to bring tools with them for the racers to use. The promoter may choose to have a mechanic, tools, or a pump in the pit area. Complaining to the official isn't going to get you very far.

Jon