nitropowered

This past year, I ran a small time trial training series within my club and community as a just for fun event. Every 2nd and 5th tuesday of the month, we would go out to a low traffic out/back course that was open to anyone who wanted to go out and give it a try.

This year I'm trying to get more consistent attendance. Some days we would have huge attendance (20 or so) and other days just a handful. Huge as in 20, shows you how small of a town I live in. If I could get 10-12 people to show up every race, I would be happy.

Now in efforts to make it bigger, I want to offer prizes or prize money. The problem is, we've got a whole mix of ability levels from a few Cat 1/2's and majority of 4/5's, triathletes and beginners. Being a small cycling community, everyone knows who's super fast. There obviously isn't enough people to split up the field for prize consideration other than Men and women. I basically want to level the playing field so the beginner has just as much chance to win as the Cat 1 Stud, but make sure the Cat 1 stud still shows up. It is just a training series after all.

So some ideas:
1: Most improved. Do an initial timing then subsequent runs count toward improving. Some flaws: can be rigged as the first run they can just soft pedal it and then go super fast some other times. Hurts faster riders since many can be at or near their speed limit. I guess one way to limit the initial run sandbagging is to not tell everyone how the prize format is being run, but that can hurt initial participation or people who join in later.

2: Bracket style racing. Like in drag racing, set a time and can't exceed it (can't come in faster than set time). A little more complicated on the racer's part. Carries all the flaws of bracket racing (set a lower time than expected then slow down right before the finish)

3: draw numbers out of a hat and you get the time of the person you drew. Don't know who you are racing for until the race is over.

4: some convoluted weighted averaging system

5: Just tell them to HTFU and take raw times.

Suggestions?

Grumpy McTrumpy

I personally would not do this thing based on winning/losing. I think people should race against their previous performances in time trials.

Our club has a series with both an overall placing and age-based groups within.

cslone

Pick a couple numbers before the race out of a hat, i.e. 2, 7, 18. Whoever places in those spots gets the "raffle" prize for the day.

SpongeDad

If you wanted to do some handicapping for the later races- maybe have 5/6 or some other fraction of the rider's time slower than winning time from the last race subtracted from current race time for purposes of awarding prizes. That way, there's always an premium on being the fastest guy out there, but it compresses everything so people who improve week to week can get a shot.

I would still recognize/award the top 3 actual times too, but this way there's a bit of bigger contest pool and competitive aspect for the slower riders.

nitropowered

Yes that's the ultimate goal, have people come out solely on the purpose to improve themselves. But more people would be motivated to come out if there were prizes or money involved.

I would still recognise the top 3 raw times, though 1/2/3 rarely change, maybe 2 and 3 swapping spots now and again

Creakyknees

have you asked the (potential) participants, what kept them from attending every event last year? it might just be schedules / weather / kids etc.

Grumpy McTrumpy

do you provide timing/holders etc?

nitropowered

yes timing, no on the holders. Its usually just me doing the events but i could probably figure out a way to hold and read the stopwatch. i'm not trying to be super high tech, its not an NRC event TT.

mike868y

Definitely a no to ideas #2, 3, and 4. #1 is good as is #5 haha. Maybe divide the field into p/1/2/3 and 4/5/juniors. That way both fields will be medium sized, but it will give the "weaker" guys a chance to get something. Also, it may be good to switch up the course a little bit. Riding the same TT course over and over may be boring for some of the guys...

Racer Ex 

Not to a TT guy. It all looks the same to us.

Problem with doing "most improved" is course conditions can change times quite a bit.

One idea: Series awards based on points. You get points for showing up, and additional points for the position you finish within your racing category (each cat gets the same points). End of the series do your payout to the top points people. Guy/gal shows up to every TT and wins their cat every time, they win the overall. Gives everybody a chance and encourages them to show up.

Nate552

In my experience most people do NOT do TT series in their local area because they feel they have zero shot of doing well, because they can't beat the local fast guy. If you do what Ex said this helps encourage people to show up week in and week out. Make it so that they have a shot, and a reason to show up.

Grumpy McTrumpy

I was second overall in our series mainly due to showing up. My times would have me at about 4th if all of the racers showed up every week.