[- seb]

Random question I know.

Here in the UK we have about 50 a year. Obviously the USA is a much bigger country, with a much bigger population, wondering how that relays to races. Are there loads more?

I'm talking about "proper" official races. In the UK they all contribute to our national ranking system via BCF points, I expect the US has something similar. So don't count club-run stopwatch & walkie-talkie type affairs etc.

cheers

- seb

 

[Eastern States Cup]

here's a few within a few hours drive from Albany, NY

May 2-3 Plattekill Series #1

May 8-9 GES #1 Massanuten Resort VA - DH only

May 17 Diablo Gravity Series – DH only

May 23-24 Canada Cup Mount Tremblant, Que

May 22–24 U.S. Open of Mountain Biking – DH & IX

May 30-31 Mount Snow VT Series #1

May 30-31 Blue Mountain Pa. VES#1

June 5-7 GES #2 Wisp Resort MD - DH - DS Y Format DS

June 13-14 Plattekill Series #2

June 13-14 GES #3 Seven Springs Resort PA

June 20-21 Snowshoe #1

June 20-21 Mount Snow VT Series #2

June 27-28 GES #4 Windham Resort, NY

July 4-5 Canada Cup Bromont Que

July 11-12 GES #5 Highland Mountainbike Park NH - DH-DS

July 11-12 Pats Peak Bike Fest & DH Race

July 11 - 12 Diablo Gravity Series - DH & IX

July 18-19 GES #6 Attitash Mountain, NH Mount Snow Series #3- DH Only

July 18 Highland Mountain Claymore Challenge

July 24-26 Plattekill #3

July 24-26 Snowshoe #2

July 25-26 UCI World Cup XCO/DHI/4X Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que

August 1-2 UCI World Cup XCO/DHI/4X Bromont, Que

August 1-2 GES #7 Sugarbush Resort VT - DH Only

August 1-2 Blue Mountain Pa. VES#1

August 8-9 Mount Snow VT Series #4 GREEN MOUNTAIN GAMES

August 15 Windham US Cup DH & 4X UCI Cat 1

August 22 – 23 Attitash Mountain, NH Mount Snow Series #5- DH Only

August 22 – 23 Diablo Gravity Series - DH & IX

August 22 – 23 Highland Mountain GS2 DH & DS

August 28 – 30 Snowshoe #3

Aug. 29-30 GES #8 Whiteface Resort 5K NY - DH

September 5-6 Plattekill Series #4 (double points)

September 12 - 13 Diablo Gravity Series - DH & IX

September 19-20 Plattekill Series #5

September 19-20 Highland Mountain GS2 DH & DS

Sept 26-27 GES #9 Blue Mountain Pa. VES Finals

October 2 - 4 Snowshoe #4

Oct 3-4 GES #10 Mount Snow, VT Series Finals #6DH-DS

Oct 10-11 GES #11 Finals Plattekill Series #6 NY - DH - DS

October 17 - 18 Diablo Gravity Series - DH & IX FINALS

October 24-25 Plattekill Seroes #7 Finals (double points)

 

[DHJUNKIE]

yeah the east coast alone is insane... once every week.

 

[- seb]

How do they do timing at most US races? I ask because in the UK we use light beams, and 90% of races quote results to thousandths of a second (e.g. 2:34.872), the rest hundredths of a second.

Most US results I see quote only the nearest second, or maybe tenths. Suggesting maybe timing is still done using stopwatches??

 

[kidwithbike]

are you daft?
just because a time is reported to the nearest tenth doesnt mean it was only accurate to that time... it was likely just rounded off by the journalists or who ever typed up the race report.
90% of timing in US events is done with lasers by professional timing companies.

 

[Pegboy]

We've found, here in the U.S, that we can drop a few grams off of the timing systems by eliminating the hundredths and thousandths.

 

[- seb]

are you daft?
just because a time is reported to the nearest tenth doesnt mean it was only accurate to that time... it was likely just rounded off by the journalists or who ever typed up the race report.
90% of timing in US events is done with lasers by professional timing companies.

Well, that's what I assumed, just wondered why results are often quoted to 10ths even though there's several people on the same tenth. And I'm not talking about race reports on unofficial sites, I'm talking about result PDFs from the organisers.

e.g: http://www.mountsnow.com/sobedh/images/sobe_3_results.pdf

 

[John P.]

Hey Seb-

I've been racing DH for a little over 11 years now, mostly in the northeast U.S., but also a bit out west. Every single race I've ever done has used a sophisticated light-beam system that measures to the hundredth of a second (maybe the thousandth?).

--JP

 

[Sghost]

Less clutter in listing results.

Live, you'll still hear things like "Takes the win by 3 thousandths!" all the time.

 

[Jeremy R]

We have both down south.
Some races we have top notch timing like we just had at Beech Mtn. (thanks Matt).
And some races we have straight up stop watches out in the middle of the woods. To be honest, I have just as much fun at the stop watch races.
Ha, the ole standard around here used to be to set up a timing wand up top that was supposed to start your time, but it was not connected to anything.
You hit the wand and the guy starts the watch.

 

[Eren]

We've found, here in the U.S, that we can drop a few grams off of the timing systems by eliminating the hundredths and thousandths.

Quoted for truth!!!!

 

[JRogers]

From what I remember, the only races I've been to that used stopwatches were collegiate ones (ie run by students and very ghetto).

 

[Cant Climb]

Some races use stopwatch as a backup.....all of them should do it, most don't. Would eliminate any controversy in certain situations if done correctly, which isn't difficult....