One way that USAC has mitigated the possibility of rider/vehicle interactions is to avoid overly complex terrain where rides might take one of many lines on a technical selection. The course has been designed to minimize potential hazards, such as overly technical descents or areas with poor visibility, without compromising the competitive spirit of the race.
According to the tech guide for the 2024 event, the center line rule “stipulates that riders must stay on their side of the road, delineated by the centerline (or virtual centerline/center of road), throughout the race. Crossing the centerline, whether for overtaking or any other reason, is prohibited.”
I suppose it has to be this way and is probably not much of an issue when most or all of the roads look like this:
I think the GPS tracking is an interesting feature, it’s opt-in and not mandatory and I’m not clear if it’s free or what the cost will be. Also not clear how well it’s going to work or if there’s any prior history showing good effectiveness.
I’m hopeful I’ll never have to do a USAC gravel event.
I was riding in a fast group (probably 3rd group) at the FOCO Fondo this year. Double Dog route which was 62 miles. We crossed a couple of paved highways on our route. We did an okay job of slowing down and being safe, shouting out obstacles to riders behind, etc. However, on one crossing the guy who was pulling didn’t slow much and a pickup going 60mph came flying past. Fortunately, his brakes worked, though his back wheel got a foot off the ground and he nearly went over the bars. Felt very sketchy at the time.
Then in the last couple of miles we joined with the 30 mile and 12 mile family route. It was chaos as our group or 15 was jockeying for position before the final sprint while passing folks going 10mph or less.
Overall, I had a blast, but there were definitely dangers.
Answering to a rather old post but guess it’s due to winter ?
I was thinking of organizing a gravel race and issues are main roads crossing that are inevitable. Got an idea but wonder how riders would welcome it.
It’s to go the route that some car races go, just have some parts timed, the hazardeous parts are just junctions. Technology wise it’s not too complicated with the timing chip on board of the bike. Set a max time for passing the final finish line that allows you to ride safely on the non timed parts. Then just go full gaz where it is timed and safe. Doing that you can eliminate the risky DH, ride safe in traffic and still have the fun of racing when it’s safe to do so.
I’ve actually seen some Ebike races organized that way so they can change their batteries (if I’m not wrong) and also have safety while changing sides of a valley for example.
Could it be a solution for gravel ? What are your thoughts ?
I’ve done one of these style races. I don’t know that it’s better or worse, it’s just different. Probably safer at the front than a standard race but mid pack and behind at those races people are probably more careful at road crossings. The main difference is you don’t know where you stand until it’s over. Fun to ride with friends because you can hammer the timed segments and party pace together in between.
Thanks for the input. Here’s the description of the race format on the linked race website :
#### What is the race format?
Get ready for some fun. Our races will maximize your smiles-per-mile with a timed-segment race format.
Rather than just embracing the sufferfest of other races, we’re leaning into equal parts mash those pedals and party on two wheels. Ride with friends across each transfer stage, then drop the hammer through the finish of each timed segment. Regroup at the finish and ride together to the next segment.
Minimally, the Short course usually has one timed-segment, Intermediate course two timed-segments, and Long course will have three, covering up to 30-40% of the course distance. Segments starts and finishes will be marked on the GPS courses when we release them.
Must be fun to do. Sure you don’t have the strategy and drafting the same way as a regular race but for some fun it must work out well, top with friends of different levels.
I’m happy to see it exists already. Would love to participate in one but where I live is not too gravel developed yet
Sounds like a fun day on the bike, but hard for me to think of that format as racing. I know they do a flavor of that for enduro, but I consider pack dynamics, tactics, and drafting to be at the core of gravel racing. Even if the sections between the timed sections weren’t timed, the fast racers would be hammering those untimed sections also to make sure the folks who got dropped on a previous climb, etc. can’t get back onto the group and gain the draft on the next timed section. The only way I see that kind of format work for actual racing is to make it a TT where no drafting is allowed on the timed sections. At that point, you lose all the tactics. I might still do an event like that, but it’s a totally different type of racing. TT’s can be fun if you have a decent motor, but I think you limit the audience a bit with that format.
I am racing one of these in May, its a new format for them as well. I think it makes good sense, have the race bits be race intensity (if you want) and the casual bits be party pace.
I did a local fondo a couple of year ago that I thought why they didn’t implement something like this. Only a small group raced it from start to finish, a couple sections of the road were narrow and sketchy. The small group were taking unnecessary risks on those section with the narrow roads and blocking traffic, everyone else was much more chilled, road single file in the narrow sections, stopped at the aid stops, enjoyed the food and social aspects.
This is not a new thing… Grinduro was one of the first to make it mainstream for gravel back in 2015 in my neck of the woods. The name itself comes from “gravel grinder” and “enduro”. Timed segments within a set route… There are dozens of others out there. Stetina’s Pay Dirt being another local one that has followed suit.
Old Man Winter in Boulder/Lyons is a similar format with 2 timed segments and it works great - a lot of fun to race and still plenty in terms of pack dynamics etc.
