a question of the classes...

a question of the classes...

there is always a little question of the classes
so much of the decision of what class to race is self selected
but... there needs to be some responsibility of the race promoter to create the various fields to create a competitive event for the races
I think that there may have been some confusion in the race categorization for the Cranky Monkey Race Series

what class to race is a riddle for some racers...
a healthy rider who has never raced before may well be a beginner racer
but after a race or two that individual feels comfortable to step up to the Sport Class
then there are those people in the Sport Class... at which point do the Sport Racers move up to Expert?
is it as simple as the winning Sport Class Racer should bump up to Expert?
or is this something that falls back into the concept of Self Selection?

the same goes for Single Speeders or Clydesdales...
at what point do you outgrow your class?

well...
yesterday I felt that there was a confusion in the creation of the classes
I had registered for the Expert 35+ division
thinking that there was Beginner, Sport, Expert, then the sub category of 35+
when in actuality they had Expert broken down into young and old Experts...
I am not really an Expert... Experts are the fast guys... some aspiring pros
I am a 35+ person who is slightly above the categorization of Sport
well... at the line I looked at all the numbers and I questioned why all of the Expert racers were hanging out in the 35+ lineup
well.... it was that strange mash up of the old and young experts.... when I am not really an old expert
I am really one of those people trapped between the classes
stuck right between Sport and Expert
but fitting nicely into the 35+ Category... when that 35+ Category is a lesser than Expert Category
not when that category is Experts 35 Years of Age and above

enough on this...

it is something that is not sorted out in my head enough that I can sort it out on the keyboard
but...
there needs to be a dance between the Promoter's Creation of the Classes and the Self Selection Process...

sidenote...
I never race Clydesdale with the assumption that I am going to win the race
there are certainly a great number of Clydesdales who can beat me
by lining up with the Clydesdales I bring respect and competition to the classes
so.... when a super fast racer lines up and leads out with the Single Speeds... well... I can sort of understand why they would race Single Speed and not Expert... but
there is one difference
I can not decide my body weight when I register to race
I am 230plus pounds no matter what class I choose to race
the Single Speed... well that is a self selected handicap... which for many people is not a handicap at all
maybe some of the faster Single Speeders should just race in the Expert fields on their Single Speed bicycles
Gunnar Shogren or Eric Roman are two racers who compete in their classes on their Single Speeds... but not usually in the Single Speed Class
(for years I have raced as a Clydesdale at various events on my Single Speed.... Lodi Farms, Wakefield, Panarama Paranormal)