Originally Posted by
Flatballer
Right, I get that.
And I think my point is that bike racing is different. That's part of why I like it. It's not basically an ITT with lots of other people at the same time, it doesn't have huge bottlenecks at the start.
Others can disagree, and I know these mass rides with a combined category race are the only thing that's going to save the sport (because the "just here to have a good time and finish and challenge myself" crowd outnumbers the "if I don't win I don't care" crowd by 100 to 1 and their entry fees support the whole thing), but that doesn't mean I have to like it or think something is being lost.
I don't know my point here, but a fact anyway.
For several years the Valley of the Sun SR in PHX has had 1 (one) in a category. No offence to that one, but that is not racing. I don't subscribe to the way "we"/USAC slices and dices anyway. There is tremendous overlap in ability.
A fondo style does make clear relative ability and does not have the idiotic equipment restrictions on some groups. Then you just give the prize to whatever division you want.
I'd like to see this style replace all the USAC nationals where seems to me nobody has a clue about where the most competitive groups are. This would make that very clear.