Mike Murray

Henry Abel wrote:
"Statistically the tandem class is the safest class in all of OBRA racing
(except maybe the fast masters)"

2 points:

1) There may be less total injuries in tandem races but injuries per
competitor are probably not a whole lot different than single bikes. The
number of tandem competitors is small enough in comparison to the number of
single riders that you would have to run numbers for many years in order to
see a reasonable comparison. I remember a mass pile up in a tandem crit a
few years ago. Few things quite so scary as a tandem doing a nose wheelie
over a pile of downed riders.

2) Fast masters fall down at least as much as other categories. Maybe there
was an inadvertently included "s" but even then fat masters fall down too.

Mike Murray

Henry Abel

Dear Tandem Racers,

Hi. We really need your input on this one. Preferably right now...

For those of you who have been following the OBRA chat list, or who raced your tandem at Rehearsal Road Race on Saturday - something has come up.

As I understand it - juniors have to be ten and older to race at OBRA events. I think this was in response to kids under the age of ten racing on single bikes on open courses with adults.

Saturday we had 4 tandems (of the 13) that had kids under the age of ten on the back. Those tandems almost did not get to race. I think that this age ten and up rule - that was probably put in place with kids on single bikes in mind - did not take into account that there are a lot of kids under the age of ten that race on the back of tandems.

Think of all of the mtb races, criteriums, TT's, and road races that you've done where there was a kid under the age of ten on a tandem. It's been very common up til now, and now we have to suggest a rule that would clarify whether or not this can continue.

Personally, I love having the kids come to these races on the backs of tandems - and certain events like Co-Motion stage race (think C-class) depend on these small stokers.

Regardless of what I think - the most important part is to have the TANDEM racers decide on the rules that affect the tandem class, and not open it up to all of OBRA to decide what's best for us. Personally, if you're not racing your tandem in an OBRA event I'm not interested in having you set the rules for a race that you don't participate in. I'm not interested in hashing this out with every concerned non-tandem-racing-parent on the OBRA list.

I would like to tally your feedback and compile it for OBRA so that we can suggest what it is that the tandem racers would like for future events.

This could affect the very next tandem race that you do, so it's important to take a moment and give me your thoughts.

If you don't want kids racing in the adult road races now is the time to speak up about it.

Here's what's being suggested - but this is just to get you thinking about what YOU want to see at the next tandem race you show up at...

Personally I like "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."

I liked that tag-alongs would not be considered a tandem in mass-start races and could only be used in a TT, and then it's still at the discretion of the race promoter. (This might keep tag-alongs out of the Co-Motion C road race, but would still be OK in any time trial).

I think a minimum age might be a good idea for stokers - age 5 and up, for example.

I don't think any requirements should be put on tandem captains with kids. If the captains had to be cat 3 of higher that would rule out most of us - myself (being a cat 4) included. And most of the kids racing the C class at Co-Motion are racing with beginning dads.

Statistically the tandem class is the safest class in all of OBRA racing (except maybe the fast masters) - so I'm not worried about youth stokers. And I think the promoter has the right to state that lapped tandems (of any age) can be pulled in a criterium for safety reasons.

Thoughts?? Kids OK? Kids not OK?

PLEASE DON'T POST ON THE OBRA LIST - JUST EMAIL ME DIRECTLY.

I will compile every one of your comments without my own personal bias and share with OBRA.

Thanks!

Henry Abel
henry@webcyclery.com
NWTandemRacing.com