Last blog post I wrote that the dress-rehearsal verification route is up and running. Roadbook published, Gaia route published, Richta CP pins dropped and the whole of it tested and shown to work. See the last post for details.
Now, the rest of the story. There will be some very relevant points for participants in this blog post, so I will be emailing a invite to this out to everyone on the website inclusion list.
VIP 1. Richta Competitor ver 1.25 (119) is the version of Competitor we shall be using. If you have not yet installed your Competitor App on your "Richta" phone, you might find you can only get ver 1.26. I have been told 1.26 is backwards compatible, but if you can only get ver1.26, run the verification route on event weekend Thursday or Friday morning so we can make sure your scores are registering.
VIP 2. Each of the legs in the routes are long - 15 to 20km typically. I have increased the maximum time penalty in every leg to 2500 seconds, 41 mins and 40 seconds. This will minimise the number of "maximums" participants may score. Miss a Richta Check Point (CP) and the number of missed CPs will be used as tie-breakers should that be needed to decide the placings.
You will see as you ride around the routes, road signs nailed to trees with "RCP" in large, friendly letters. These are Radio Check Points for the logging lorries, not Richta Control Points....
VIP 3. You need to make sure your Richta phone is set to "always on" and Location Services is set to On.
Location Services is sometimes in different places in the Settings app on the Home Screen.
On my iPhones, it is in Settings>Privacy>Location Services (swipe right to turn on) then scroll down to Competitor>Always.
I don't know how Android differs, hence the Verification route to make sure all instrumentation is up and running as it needs to be.
VIP 4. As your phones need to powered on at all times you will need to arrange for a usb charger to charge both your Richta Phone and your Rally Roadbook Reader phone.
I used this arrangement for three solid days over the weekend without a failure. Get the settings on the phones right and these systems are bombproof.
VIP 5. Start times. Each rider carries their own timekeeper in their pocket. Their Richta phone. With Richta GPS timing, there is no need for a set start time for each rider as the event runs on elapsed time, not actual on-the-clock time. You can start effectively when you and the event team are ready. This is particularly so for the Friday Day One start. I will make sure there is a realistic start time gap between riders though to minimise "following". A minimum of one minute up to a max of three minutes. If two participants wish to ride as a pair, that can be arranged too.
Reread the blog post I wrote about zeroing the Rally Roadbook Reader odometer and navigating from significant Waypoint to significant Waypoint, correcting your odometer as you go along as the roadbook distance will vary from your odometer reading.
That's the heavy important stuff done, now for a light entertainment photo:
Last year we had an avalanche on one of the routes, this year it's a landslide - but this can be ridden over without a great deal of difficulty at all.
The Routes.
All have been ridden, only one fallen tree needed clearing in contrast to the hundreds that blocked the ways last year.
About 550km in total, with no more than 20km on tarmac. Everything else is FSR on Crown land. Your ICBC insurance and BC driving licences are in operation - Drive Safe. Drive Sober.
Each day's route has compulsory Passage Control (PC) points where the event team can keep a census of rider's positions around the course.
The roads are all of rock construction. No muddy single track, no excursions onto private land, no thrashing through virgin forest. The roads range from old, smooth pebble roads, through more recent navvyjack (with added marbles) to just-laid crushed blast rock.
The gradients vary from quite level to the steepest that logging equipment can be expected to crawl up. It is all two wheels down. No fancy one-wheel riding.
As a measure, while me and Tim were returning through heavens-knows-where, we came across a young couple driving the same route in a Chevy Equinox. Ok they were going slowly but they made it out, and so can you.
Breakfasts: can be purchased from the Uptown Cappuchino cafe next to Event HQ at the Pacific Tides Mall in the centre of town.
Dinner: can be purchased from the Sea and Field Bistro, 500 Industrial Park Gold River. 250-283-2005 phone to make a table booking. You can also get food and beer from the Ridge Roadhouse pub, Donner Court Rd at the top of the town where each day's route finishes.
If pot is your intoxicant of choice Green Gold Cannabis Company, 1B-390 Muchalat Dr (250-283-0137) is where you want to go. Remember - Ride Safe. Ride Sober.
If Tattoo is your thing, the in-town artistes, Curt and Cynthia are expecting you Ink N Sht
Day One, Friday 220km. A lunch (or afternoon meal - depending on when you start) and fuel stop at about 100km. The next 50km are the more demanding 50km of that day and participants have the option of returning by the way they came or pressing on through some high/exposed roads before rejoining the outward route and returning to Gold River.
The lunch and fuel stop is at Sayward Junction.
Laura Thiessen, owner/operator of the Crossroads Restaurant and Pub is expecting you. Their telephone number is 250-282-3462.
Friday, Day One start time will be brought forwards to mid-morning to give participants a chance of making lunchtime.
Day One, Two and Three finish is at the Ridge Roadhouse pub.
Day two, Saturday 220km.
Morning start fron the Pacific Tides Mall. Another 220km jaunt exploring "the roads that were the roads before The Road was built".
Lunch and fuel at Woss (Wosstastic Woss, 'Vegas of the North). Lunch can be bought from The Shot in the Dark Cafe, next to the petrol station. They are also expecting us.
Each of these lunchtime food and fuel stops are time-neutralised. The clock stops before you get there and restarts as you rejoin the route. Take as long as you like over lunch.
There is a tricky bit before you get to Woss, with a workaround and time penalty detailed on the roadbook. How tricky? A couple of steep loose ascents and descents where you might come across oncoming riders.
Day three, Sunday. 110km. Also has a Passage Control about halfway round, between two sets of mountains and a turnround cairn:
Yes, it's still there and yes, the sky is that blue!
The Trophies
Will be presented in The Ridge Roadhouse pub on Sunday afternoon after the last rider has finished. The results will be decided by the lowest total of time penalty points over the three days - and in the event of a tie, by the most CPs "pinged".
Note: if you miss a CP, you will score a maximum on the leg before the missed CP AND a maximum on the leg after the missed CP, as each leg is scored from the preceding CP.
As always, entries can be found at:
Camping at the municipal campground:
I hope to see you!
jdb 23/5/23
Comments