DISCS banned ITU gc tomorrow

[prizna 715]

Can't ride disc wheels tomorrow at gc

[roxii 7,182]

Seriously shit decision. 

What if you don’t have an alternative.will they turn you away after all you have been through to get there? 

You can use a 90mm front but not a disc rear. I know what I would feel safer on. 

[AA7 1,830]

From the comments, many people don't have another option.

[roxii 7,182]

What about Tesm Australia “athlete support” that you pay the big bucks for??  

[BogFrog 677]

I stupidly forgot to bring Mr BogFrog's shallow front wheel - mine is a 49cm caden and I get blown around on it. DOH!  

Edited September 15, 2018 by BogFrog

[BogFrog 677]

The weather forecast looked dodgy earlier in the week but started to clear up a few days ago. The wind wasn't due until later in the day. But the forecast changed a few hours ago so not sure if we can be blaming the race organizers for the late decision...

[Ex-Hasbeen 8,122]

Money to be made getting rid of old stock down there tomorrow.

[Peter 4,221]

If you are over 75kg you’d be fine on a disc. 

Maybe triathlon should just ban discs fullstop. 

If you have no other option just use it and get a dq. 

Youve paid a lot of money to get there. 

[trifun 446]

Shit decision by the race organisers IM (btw).

would not be surprised if they got sued

i mean the bikes are already racked and less than 12 hrs to race start they pull this one that no one suspected???

my bike is going to look pretty crap (and handle similarly) with a zipp 1080 on the front and a borrowed alloy training wheel on the back ( assuming I can get the gears to work)

not to mentioned the lost sleep

are they intent on destroying the AG race so they can only have Pro races at ITU events

maybe they should just take their World Cup series someplace else an let us have our non drafting world champs for real people back

[AA7 1,830]

6 hours ago, BogFrog said:

The weather forecast looked dodgy earlier in the week but started to clear up a few days ago. The wind wasn't due until later in the day. But the forecast changed a few hours ago so not sure if we can be blaming the race organizers for the late decision...

Respectfully disagree (as you know already). Lots of weather apps around that are not real accurate. The two I have been following are the official BOM forecast and a website called Seabreeze. They have had the high wind forecast for several days. I was chatting to people about it at the team dinner on Thu night.

[Cat Lady 826]

And now they are offering those athletes who can’t source a wheel a separate start time 8:44 so they can borrow wheels from people in earlier waves - triple WTF - do they not understand the concept of racing - at that time the wind will be stronger so their times will be affected by not only wind but current ....

[prizna 715]

16 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

And now they are offering those athletes who can’t source a wheel a separate start time 8:44 so they can borrow wheels from people in earlier waves - triple WTF - do they not understand the concept of racing - at that time the wind will be stronger so their times will be affected by not only wind but current ....

Wow

[AA7 1,830]

41 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

And now they are offering those athletes who can’t source a wheel a separate start time 8:44 so they can borrow wheels from people in earlier waves - triple WTF - do they not understand the concept of racing - at that time the wind will be stronger so their times will be affected by not only wind but current ....

The wind is actually predicted to drop for a little while when it changes direction to a strong SE/SW. Currently blowing from the north.

[RunBrettRun 2,038]

It's so windy here in port this morning that I took my 40mm rear off and put my kickr on it.  No joke.

 

Accept and adapt people.

 

Get out there and get it done.  

[Cat Lady 826]

32 minutes ago, RunBrettRun said:

It's so windy here in port this morning that I took my 40mm rear off and put my kickr on it.  No joke.

 

Accept and adapt people.

 

Get out there and get it done.  

Easy to accept and adapt if you have a spare wheel with you and don’t have to source one at 8:00pm the night before a race ... 

[goughy 3,725]

So what is the wind like down the ATM?  It was a bit blowy at my place up this hill, bit not horrible.

[Peter 4,221]

Watching the live coverage it doesnt look that bad 

[goughy 3,725]

Saying that, this isn't any ordinary race, and not ordinary level schmo's like me who qualified!  I wouldn't take a disc to a Gatorade race without having a backup option since banning them is something that can happen.  You'd think this level of athlete at this level of race would cover all eventualities?

[Rog 1,731]

I'm here watching the race start from 10th floor right in front of the swim start.

I can literally see NO movement at all, there is ZERO wind at the moment, it is THE perfect day for a triathlon to be held.

Blows my mind that these decisions are mate at the eleventh hour (note they also changed rules around aero helmets for the sprint the day before the race), and that they think it is acceptable to offer a "separate" wave start for those affected. What a joke!

 

 

[Rog 1,731]

[Turts 2,973]

34 minutes ago, goughy said:

Saying that, this isn't any ordinary race, and not ordinary level schmo's like me who qualified!  I wouldn't take a disc to a Gatorade race without having a backup option since banning them is something that can happen.  You'd think this level of athlete at this level of race would cover all eventualities?

Disc covers may make a resurgence.

 

I think the same - if you re travelling a loooong way and have invested a lot in a race, it might pay to have a Plan B.  Discs do get banned if it's windy.   Has happened before. 

Youre taking a chance on having your day ruined. Yes the probability is low - but the consequences are significant.  Hence a high risk choice. 

 

But what kind of joke is the separate wave with a later start?  It's for those that couldn't source a spare non-disc wheel, but could make arrangements to "borrow" a wheel of someone from an earlier wave so that when they finished the bike leg, you went t their bike, took the wheel, put it on your own bike, tuned it up, and rode your race.   Seriously?  Debacle.   For a WC's, they better havetheir lawyers ready. 

[Turts 2,973]

Looks "breezy" at the fnish line at the moment. 

[mhvh 157]

1 hour ago, goughy said:

Saying that, this isn't any ordinary race, and not ordinary level schmo's like me who qualified!  I wouldn't take a disc to a Gatorade race without having a backup option since banning them is something that can happen.  You'd think this level of athlete at this level of race would cover all eventualities?

100% agree. 

[Ex-Hasbeen 8,122]

1 hour ago, goughy said:

You'd think this level of athlete at this level of race would cover all eventualities?

 

30 minutes ago, mhvh said:

100% agree. 

A lot of people have flown in for this one, and it's hard enough fitting all the gear you need to race in, let alone spare wheels and helmets.

[RunBrettRun 2,038]

Was there anyone that didnt get to race?

[bumcrackjack 37]

We should just be grateful they didn't cancel the swim because it is too windy.

Muppets

[BogFrog 677]

I was a numpty and didn't bring the shallower wheels. My fault. If I had disks, I think it would also be my fault for not bringing a spare.

BUT in saying that, if I had a disk, I'd be rightly pissed off that I wasn't allowed to race on it today. It got a little breezy on the bike but nothing a child couldn't handle - no gusts, not strong and head on / tail wind.

[Crowies crushed nuts 101]

They had no need to make the decision last night. A bit of a head wind on the way out and tail wind on the way home. It’s just triathlon, the same as every race. 

They shit their pants due to all the accidents on Thursday in the draft legal. 

 

[Ex-Hasbeen 8,122]

43 minutes ago, RunBrettRun said:

Was there anyone that didnt get to race?

Was there anybody disadvantaged because their whole race prep was thrown into disarray at the last minute because of a silly ruling?

I'd hate to cross the line first in my category and find out I'd been beaten by a few seconds by someone who was in the last wave cause they had to borrow a wheel.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Ex-Hasbeen

[RunBrettRun 2,038]

Pretty sure they made the call as they were concerned for peoples safety.  Not to ruin or disadvantage anyone's day.  There was a race, no one died (I hope).

[Ex-Hasbeen 8,122]

7 minutes ago, RunBrettRun said:

Pretty sure they made the call as they were concerned for peoples safety.  Not to ruin or disadvantage anyone's day.  There was a race, no one died (I hope).

Agreed. But did they need to make the call, and if so, that late. There have been heaps of calls by RD's to shorten/cancel swims, as they are catering for the lowest common denominator. Plenty of those get lambasted for the call. This is another of the same thing.

How would you feel if they'd decided to shorten the Commonwealth Games Marathon to 35km, as it was such a hot day. It would actually have been the right decision, given what we saw in the last 5km. they didn't, because "conditions" are a part of the race.

 

And to add: They didn't ban 1080 front wheels. They are a lot more dangerous in strong winds than a disc rear.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Ex-Hasbeen

[RunBrettRun 2,038]

Does it state in the rules that they can shorten the marathon due to heat?

It definitely says they can ban disc wheels due to wind.

 

I'm not arguing whether they made the right call or not.  

 

Judging by the posts I saw and the number of cyclists and triathletes on the coast I'd be surprised if anyone missed out on racing today.  

 

I've been involved in a race where a call wasnt made due to weather and someone died.  That was due to a storm so very different circumstances but if they called the race off and the storm swung right and missed then the rd gets blasted.

 

What if though in this race a 45kg women with a disc in one of the last waves when the wind could have potentially blown up gets hit by a gust and moved sideways into another rider and someone is seriously hurt or worse.  Is it her fault or the rd?  

[monkie 1,145]

1 hour ago, Ex-Hasbeen said:

 

A lot of people have flown in for this one, and it's hard enough fitting all the gear you need to race in, let alone spare wheels and helmets.

Exactly. If you're self funding this from the UK then an extra case for all the extras is gonna cost you another chunk on an already big trip.

[Ex-Hasbeen 8,122]

16 minutes ago, RunBrettRun said:

What if though in this race a 45kg women with a disc in one of the last waves when the wind could have potentially blown up gets hit by a gust and moved sideways into another rider and someone is seriously hurt or worse.  Is it her fault or the rd?  

Yeah, maybe it was the right call, but why weren't high profile front wheels banned? They are way more dangerous.

 

And as some have said, the forecast has been for strong winds Sunday, for the past few days. Yes, athletes could have maybe expected it, but why didn't the RD at least put out a warning this could be the case instead of waiting till after the bikes were in the racks. Some athletes probably had no idea it was coming till this morning.

Edited September 16, 2018 by Ex-Hasbeen

[Jon 362]

This is seriously messed up!

[Merv 362]

did they play the national anthem at all ?

[Rog 1,731]

VERY windy now, but no bikes on course for a few hours.

Pro race will be interesting!

 

[BogFrog 677]

Just met a lady who started in a later wave (8h30) and she said it was a hard day out there. She had a little trouble with her 50cm rims

[Peter 4,221]

Just watching the live feed on instagram. Fark its windy now. 

There could be some breaks from n the mens. Shiuld be great 

[Cat Lady 826]

So I went off at 8:40 and had 60 wheels.  Definitely got the worst (and best) of the wind.  It was a smashing tail wind out and revolting headwind on the way back.  A few short sections of cross winds where I had to brace slightly but nothing onerous - personally I found the head wind on the run way more challenging.  Super day out overall and a time way better than I expected or deserved.  The support on the course was awesome.

[Cat Lady 826]

As an aside I’ve done moo the last 4-5 year’s and the head wind there had nothing on today’s.  Advantage of today’s is that you got rest every 10km before heading into it 😂

[Cat Lady 826]

One of the more bizarre scenes this morning was a guy standing next to his bike as a mechanic swapped out his disc.  On the front was an zipp 808 and the replacement wheel was a shimano clincher 🤔

[Cat Lady 826]

When I was leaving transition I saw one bike hanging there with a disc wheel still on.  Do not know if they raced or not.

[-H- 1,232]

6 hours ago, Rog said:

I'm here watching the race start from 10th floor right in front of the swim start.

I can literally see NO movement at all, there is ZERO wind at the moment, it is THE perfect day for a triathlon to be held.

Blows my mind that these decisions are mate at the eleventh hour (note they also changed rules around aero helmets for the sprint the day before the race), and that they think it is acceptable to offer a "separate" wave start for those affected. What a joke!

 

 

They didn't change the rules about aero helmets, they just put up an incorrect interpretation of the rules and then corrected it at the last minute. I had been asking them to clarify it for some time (because I knew they were wrong) but didn't get a response. 

As for the separate wave start - what a debacle. Mixed ages and genders, completely different conditions to the rest of their competitors - FMD whoever thought that was a bit idea should have a good hard look.

[Surfer 559]

5 hours ago, Crowies crushed nuts said:

They had no need to make the decision last night. A bit of a head wind on the way out and tail wind on the way home. It’s just triathlon, the same as every race. 

They shit their pants due to all the accidents on Thursday in the draft legal. 

 

Hope noone was badly hurt, particularly those that have a long trip home

[Gilliga 75]

This was the worse decision, you can ride a disc in some pretty strong winds without any issue, the front wheel is a far more important factor in relation to control. Everyone at this race Qualified so should be of a standard to make their own decision on equipment. Maybe BAN Discs for world champs moving forward to avoid bull shit like this happening again.  Making the call at 8.30pm before the race, wow! 

No wonder no one gives a shot about this Age Group race, they charge a fortune for the uniform and entry, the course is packed and then decisions like this happen. what a joke!

[k3vski 161]

I was one of those who had to drive back to pick up my alloy wheels the night before. Thankfully I only live 45 minutes away from Southport but I agree, making a decision like that at 8.30pm is very poor form. i was just about to head to bed. So 1.5 hours later, back in the motel and an hour earlier to my alarm so I have time to swap wheels & brakes, and to bring the other wheels back to the motel before the race. Nothing some gels couldn't help with the lack of sleep during the race, but I was dead tired later in the afternoon driving back. 

[zed 1,468]

3 hours ago, Gilliga said:

This was the worse decision, you can ride a disc in some pretty strong winds without any issue, the front wheel is a far more important factor in relation to control. Everyone at this race Qualified so should be of a standard to make their own decision on equipment. Maybe BAN Discs for world champs moving forward to avoid bull shit like this happening again.  Making the call at 8.30pm before the race, wow! 

No wonder no one gives a shot about this Age Group race, they charge a fortune for the uniform and entry, the course is packed and then decisions like this happen. what a joke!

Yeah it's a big urban myth. No idea why it's still perpetuated and why they're still banned in Kona. Busso in May we had storms/squalls and strong winds, swim was canned and RD advised people not to use discs, but permitted them. Loads of people withdrew because they only had discs and/or were concerned about the conditions. People posting on FB saying you'd be mad using a disc. The irony is, what I've read and experienced, is that discs can have a stabilizing effect in high winds. I did get some movement with the 808 front, but nothing crazy. WInd was around 60 - 70km/hr with gusts up to 100 km/hr and I was fine as was everyone else who rode a disc. 

[goughy 3,725]

An interview on imtalk with the Rolf prima dude, he said even his lightweight wife can handle a disk in any conditions, just had to adjust the front.  I'm sure he said disk and 50 front was great.

[trifun 446]

On ‎16‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 1:47 PM, Cat Lady said:

One of the more bizarre scenes this morning was a guy standing next to his bike as a mechanic swapped out his disc.  On the front was an zipp 808 and the replacement wheel was a shimano clincher 🤔

I rode with a Zedtech 1080 tubular (Zipp on steroids) on the front and a borrowed alloy clincher on the back (with my Zedtech sub9 back in it's wheelbag with brand new $120 tyre).

Attention required to pilot the 1080 on aero bars and a zero stack P3 was less than that required to avoid getting pinged for drafting (unlike those 13 poor souls who got done twice > DQed (or forgot to serve penalty)).