Bikes
 Bikes | |
 Emmaemma.randles@jesus |  10:47, 23rd May 2006312 weeks ago |
| I've just noticed the no bikes rule, inc coaches on sat of VIIIs. Does this mean I have to run all the way to the bunglines, do the countdown, then sprint, attempt to keep up with my crew, whilst simultaneously avoiding puddles, and people, whilst looking at what is happening on the river AND blowing the whistle at appropriate times???!! Is this rowers trying to get back at their coaches for the numerous pieces??!! Why not just ban spectators from the tow path? Surely most people watch from the boathouse islands anyway? | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Jenni jennifer.allen@st-annes | 10:52, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Can't ban spectators - it's a public right of way. I'm sure your crew will make it up the course without your whistle. And if not, well, that's what all the millions of marshals/umpires are for. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Mike C michael.churchman@trinity | 11:12, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Ban spectators from the towpath? I think it may come as a shock to you just how many people come to watch on Saturday. That is, provided it doesn't rain! | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| HTFB braun@mobquad[dot]org | 11:26, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Once the towpath is fully repaired, so it's easier to clear a direct path for the bikes right through, I hope we can revisit this rule. It should already be safer along the Green Bank with the bank now shored up. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Edd edward.edmondson@alumni.jesus | 11:41, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| It'd be nice to revisit the rule, but in my experience the problem was less the state of the towpath and more the insane number of spectators who wouldn't do as they were asked, got angry with people politely asking them not to get themselves run over, and who stood in the view of the umpires trying to see when bumps were happening. I'm not sure there's any reasonable way to get bikes safely following crews on the Saturday. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Emma emma.randles@jesus | 11:41, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| I rowed last year so i guess I wasn't aware of who was on the tow path. If it's a public right of way, then shorely you can't ban bikes?? | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Emma emma.randles@jesus | 11:43, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| *although I do understand why they are. The spectators will just have to deal with me running into them instead! | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| HTFB braun@mobquad[dot]org | 12:00, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| There's no way of getting bikes along the path without occasional conflict with spectators, true. Spectators are like that, especially after a couple of Pimms. But the repaired path should make their escape route from the path of the bikes obvious and easy, reducing the likelihood of a collision and the severity if one occurs. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| David L dwlocke@hotmail[dot]com | 12:08, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| "I've just noticed the no bikes rule, inc coaches on sat of VIIIs. Does this mean I have to run all the way to the bunglines, do the countdown, then sprint, attempt to keep up with my crew, whilst simultaneously avoiding puddles, and people, whilst looking at what is happening on the river AND blowing the whistle at appropriate times???!! " A better way to the bunglines would, as mentioned at the briefing meeting the other night that hopefully someone at each college has cascaded back, is to cycle from the head down the abingdon road to Donnington bridge and then enter the towpath. If the weather doesn't put too many people off spectating I wouldn't bet on being able to run along most of the towpath anywhere near your crew - brief the crew and cox that you'll try but not to expect you I'd suggest! David | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Jenni jennifer.allen@st-annes | 12:08, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Emma - as it's a public right of way, ourcs can't ban randomers from doing anything on the towpath - be it spectating or riding a bicycle. However, they are free to dictate whatever rules they see fit to competitors in their events. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| SM stephen.mills@pmb | 12:09, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| The solution: Follow your crews on horse back which clearly has several advantages: 1) You don't have to provide any power yourself 2) They make you a larger more visible target for drunk spectators to see / notice 3) Spectators are more likely to move out of the way of a galoping horse tahn a bike, in part because... 4) If you hit anyone whilst riding a horse, they're likely to come off a damn site worse than you are. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Liz Nixon liz_platts@chiron[dot]com | 12:26, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Can I borrow your horse for the earlier divisions? | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Stevie stephen.pereira@oriel | 12:30, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| I hate to spoil that fun, but whilst the towpath is a public right of way, it is not a public bridleway, so horses aren't allowed either. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| David david.pallot@chch | 12:36, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Its a TOW-path Surely horses are allowed, otherwise how would we tow our narrow boats? | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Emma emma.randles@jesus | 12:48, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| cheers for the advice David, will let my crew and cox know. I'll still turn on the bitch mode though, there's nothing I find more annoying in Oxford than bloody tourists. Don't really want to be stuck with my bike up by Donney once the race is over and i'm back at the Head, how easy do you think it will be to run up the tow path to the start?(before the race - my crew will be in W div 5 or 6) x | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Anu Dudhia dudhia@atm | 12:56, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| It's usually fairly quiet for the first few divisions on the Saturday of Eights, especially if the weather's bad, so I think it would make sense to allow 1 cyclist per crew while towpath spectator numbers permit it, but don't expect that to apply all day. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Matthew Chandler matthew.chandler@chch | 13:04, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Last year I was part of a relay team running alongside our M2 racing in Div 3 and lost contact after the gut - not only were they too quick for me, I'd have needed some kind of battering ram to get across longbridges and again up the greenbank/past OUBC - it's not just tourists, it's students (past and present) and drunk boaties. In short, I wouldn't have tried riding a bike through if you paid me | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| HTFB braun@mobquad[dot]org | 13:48, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| In previous years it was quite possible to run with a crew, but then in previous years we had a regular flow of bikes to keep the towpath clear... | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| David david.pallot@chch | 13:53, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Maybe instead of a bike marshal on sat riding in front of the divisions we could use a steam-roller marshall. That'd keep the towpath clear... | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Lenny leonard.martin@chch | 13:54, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| In previous years you also had colleges provide stewards to control spectators. Going back a bit I know... | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Anu Dudhia dudhia@atm | 15:08, 23rd May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| Ever since a member of the public complained to the Proctors about being hit by a cyclist during Eights some years back we've had... 1. University marshals doing the stewarding, which didn't work, so followed by ... 2. Every college being required to supply stewards, which didn't work, so followed by ... 3. OURCs employing a security firm (yes, real "bouncers") to provide the stewarding, which didn't work, so followed by ... 4. The University employing graduate students to perform the stewarding, which didn't work, so followed by ... 5. The current system of no bikes on Saturday. Which actually does work. Trust me, it's better than any of the alternatives. | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Bob eevans@jesus | 16:59, 24th May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| How is the no bikes rule to be reconciled with the rule about novice coxes must have coach on the bank with them at all times - i really don't fancy legging it the entire way... | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| jude judith.cohen@hertford | 17:36, 24th May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| From my Hertford M1 days, I found the easiest way to secure whistling throughout the duration of saturday's race are: 1) Bump before the gut (2004) 2) Get bumped before the gut (2005) Alternatively, borrow another crew to relay for you and return the favour later in the day | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Emma emma.randles@jesus | 17:45, 24th May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| bob - looks like we're going to have to get ready for a 1700m sprint!!! | |
| RE: Bikes | |
| Sarah sarah.berman@queens | 19:27, 24th May 2006 312 weeks ago |
| The coach with a novice cox rule is relaxed for Saturday - by then your cox should know what he/she is doing even if new to bumps racing. | |
