How Cycling Should be More Like Running (Part 1)

To my mind, running is the only sport to combine mind-numbing boredom with sheer physical agony, and I frankly can't see why anybody still does it. We no longer have to chase down mastodons or outrun sabre-tooth tigers to continue our species. Running seems to me an evolution that has largely outlived its usefulness.

That said, I think the organized sport of cycling has a lot to learn from the competitive running. Here's one way:

photo by Victa Sailer, via minnpost.com

The runner above is Carrie. But you knew that, didn't you? She's Carrie Tollefson, and has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the women's 1500M. The picture above is from the 5th Avenue Mile race in NYC in 2006. It's a high-profile race and everyone has to pre-register. Evidently, people pre-register far enough in advance for their race numbers to be custom-printed to actually be race names.

Now I know it's not fair to use a picture of one of Sports Illustrated's Best Looking Athletes (which I link to solely because in that pic she's got another customized name-number, with her last name) to make a point. It's also probably unwise, since instead of reading the point a lot of you are by now off doing a Google Image Search on Carrie Tollefson.

But the point is this:
Instead of all the griping about having to pre-register early or not get into a race, why don't we use that lead-time to our advantage and create custom name-numbers like runners? I for one, would be really interested in seeing the names of some of the people I'm racing against - particularly the guys who are going really well right now, or people I know from GamJams, or anybody who owes me money.

It could also be an incentive to pre-register for the categories that don't fill up. Not everybody would get one, but if you register in time you would. Maybe that's a disincentive for some, I don't know.

Anyway, I think it would open up the community a little bit, give us a better opportunity to put faces with many of the names we already know, and also be a worthwhile souvenir to keep on my wall (with a sponsor's logo on it).

The sheet could also have a number on it so that it conforms to USA Cycling standards, with the name underneath, should that be necessary.

Thoughts?

Comments

[The Fatguy Racer]

I like your thinking. Maybe we should all be issued a set of standard numbers with our licence number on it our name. That way it w ould be good anywhere at any race in the US of A. Heck they could put a minature transponder in the fabric so it could be a timing chip too. Or a barcode on it and come up with high speed barcode reader finish line cameras. No need for multiple numbers for doubling up on races. Everyone has a unique number.

[Karen]

Sounds cool. What is the added expense if any?

[Mike May]

Fatguy Racer, you don't just think outside the box - you think outside the truck that delivers the box.

Karen, dunno the additional expense, though I'm sure there would be some. The printing process would need to merge with a database, so you're looking at personnel time, which is more costly than materials time. Probably the bigger question facing adoption is "why bother?" Race budgets are pretty close to the bone as it is. A promoter would have to take a really long view to do this.

[HarryF]

Wasn't there some talk a while ago about RFID tags or GPS for timing? that could be incorporated into the Numbers. Would be nice to have customized names so that I can figure out who my competition is. Right now I have to figure people out by their jerseys and bikes. Once the RFID are used, we can have Garmin or one of the computer manufacturers program a way to track these guys on the cycle computers.

[Pete]

Just invest in higher quality/framerate cameras, and Joe Jefferson can give a quick glance and then accurately transcribe all of the riders' finishing positions as well as their first and last names, nicknames, favorite vacation spot, and the names of their pets.

transponders don't got s*** on Joe!

[Martin]

This is a GREAT idea, if only to make yelling at riders who don't hold their lines easier. There's nothing worse than screaming "463! Hold your line!" when 463 doesn't remember that they're, well, 463.

[PokeTheBear]

Maybe I'm a perv, but I totally thought this was gonna be about the uniforms. Or that Kyle had hacked the blog.

[Mike May]

Harry, your competition is Ramon. That's all you really need to know.

Poke, should I re-use the same picture for Part 2?

[Kyle]

I know some of you were waiting for me to speak up. I think we first need to incorporate the clothing of either tri or running into womens cycling.

But before we can talk about giving out numbers we need to fix the system in place first. I mean bar comes out more than half way through the season for the first 1/3 of it. Plus there are some riders who have 40 upgrade points who are not forced upgraded. I think if we work on the base structure first we can then expand it to that.

[kevrun]

can we also talk about how HOT runners are???
Why do you think iRun?
bib numbers, shmib numbers...

[bugsey]

thats the gayest idea ever, but props for introducing me to that hot runner.

[girloffroad]

Tangent: If we put our names on the numbers, USA cycling would still keep the assanine 3inch rule for each character, thus making a single bib the size of our whole side. I vote we petition USA cycling to enforce smaller character fonts first, then go with custom name plates....at least for Nationals.....

[michael]

Personalization is nice and may come with extra expense. But the money is there already: simply reduce cash prizes in the races. Why should there be *any* money offered to a bunch of Cat 4 (or Cat 3, or 40-year-old) riders anyway--many of whom get some reimbursement from their club for entry fees? I think a huge trophy for Reston would be a much nicer way to reward the work. But I digress.

I like the idea and wonder if the automated registration systems used for Greenbelt and Cold Toes could be adapted to print numbers on-the-fly too.

[dan gibson]

wow mike , you sure got everyone fired up with this one, but as a cyclist i`d rather be farthest away from the competitive running world as possible......and yeah it`s bad enuff we ride around in lycra,but could you imagine if we rode around with ours balls hangin out our shorts????well i`m sure sum of the ladies may like it?and maybe a guy or 2, but NBA players have no problem running in longer shorts????in the end maybe i just got a problem with dudes running around in nutthin but ball hanging short shorts!!!!!!

[MB]

I'm sorry, did you write something?

[TerribleTerry]

Carrie has her name on because she was an invited athlete. Big races invite about a dozen atheletes, pay their transportation fees along with some appearance money. They print those 12 or so invited athletes names and the remainder of the field gets numbers just like cycle races. It has nothing to do with signing up in advance.

[Mike May]

I was hoping you'd chime in and clarify, Terry. Thanks.

But the idea of identifying riders on their numbers with their names (maybe with numbers as well) remains. I come from the conference business, and if we can print 2500 customized badges 24-hours before the show starts, and then accommodate 500 walk-ups the day of, I don't see why we couldn't do something similar with race numbers if we really wanted to.

Terry, can you please also address Dan's point? My guess is that runners are just as relieved that they don't have to compete in diaper-padded lycra as Dan is that he doesn't have to race in running shorts.