Calvin’s Challenge

John & Ann had some pretty simple rules. “No whining” and “No Cheating”.

We feel the need to elaborate and spell out what may constitute cheating and whining. Race officials reserve the right to enact any rule at any time as it becomes necessary to do so without prior notification. We don’t foresee doing this, but you never know what might come up.

1) Race officials reserve the right to stop the race due to weather, serious accident, or rider death. For purposes of those participating in the Cup Points we will score you based on distance traveled at the time of race termination.

2) No short cutting the race route. No deviating from the race route. The South Solon checkpoint is there to make finding a shorter way around the 50 mile loop impossible. If we find you off route we will direct back onto the route. You will not be credited with your off route mileage.

3) No punching your own score card. We will at different times punch the card with a different size or shape of punch. If during results tabulation we see that your score card does not correspond to the scheduled pattern of holes and shapes you could be disqualified. Believe it or not we get to learn who is in what place in the race. If at the end you seem to come out of nowhere, we will be suspect.

4) The mirror rule is in effect all race long. If we see you without a mirror we will stop scoring you until you are in compliance.

5) Blatant disregard of the Ohio bicycling laws is cause for disqualification. The race in held on roads open to vehicle traffic. Some of the roads on the route are narrow and most are lightly traveled. It is easy to become complacent and let your guard down. Echelons are prohibited. (Unless they are no more than two riders wide, as permitted by Ohio law). Any riders seen riding left of center will be instantly disqualified. All of the Calvin’s Challenge Race Directors are racers ourselves. All of have extensive experience at Calvin’s. Racing safely is paramount to success. “You can’t win if you can’t finish, and you can’t finish if you are dead”. The race has experienced one tragic death; we don’t want you to be next.

6) Disqualification will result for failure to obey course marshals or law enforcement officers. They are out there to protect you from harm and get you through intersections as fast as possible.

7) Verbally or physically attacking a fellow racer, course marshal, race official, spectator or persons along the route will result in disqualification.

No drafting anyone but race participants. No drafting in the 100TT or drafting the 100TT racers by the 12 or 6 hour racers. No drafting of the Fun riders. So, no signing up of your friends in the fun ride and have them pull for you later in the race.

9) No altering or destroying of the course markings.

10) No crew vehicles on the race route. Crews can meet their rider at the main checkpoint and at the South Solon check point. There is a route for crews to follow to get between the two check points. If your rider has a mechanical or physical problem and must be picked up out on the route, please contact a race official before hand.

11) Protests must be made verbally first to one of the race officials. It then must be submitted in writing within 30 minutes of the end of the race that you are participating in. (12, 6 hour or 100 mile TT). The ruling on the protest by race officials is final.

12) Any racer that assists an accident on the route will be compensated for miles lost. Let race officials know of the situation ASAP so that we can make the proper adjustment to scoring.

13) We are making every effort to have as many people punching score cards at the check points as we can get. Whining about it will not get you through any faster. Every racer will face the same problem, so it is just one of the challenges you’ll need to overcome.

We are absolutely positive that the weather will be perfect, as it has been every year for the past hundreds of years. If by chance the weather is not your idea of perfect, whining about it will fall on deaf ears. This is a race, make adjustments and be prepared, get on with it. This is no social century ride, it’s a race!

Schedule of events.

Friday: Registration opens at 4:00. Closes at 9:00.

Saturday: Day of registration opens at 06:30. Closes for the 12 hour race at 07:00. 08:00 for the 6 hour and 100TT.
07:15 Call for 12 hour races to start to line up.
07:25 Announcements and last minute instructions.
07:30 12 hour race begins.
08:15 Call for 6 hour racers to line up.
08:25 Last minute announcements and instructions.
08:30 6 hour race begins.
08:35 Call for 100TT to line up.
08:40 Last minute announcements and instructions.
08:45 First TT ride on course Riders sent off at 30 second intervals until all 100TT racers are on course.
09: 00 Fun riders line up and given instructions, announcements and are permitted on course.
11:15 7 mile loop opens for 6 hour race only. No 12 hour racers at this time.
2:10 Mile marks staffed on 7 mile loop
2:30 6 hour race ends
2:45 all 6 hour race scorecards must be turned in.
3:00 Awards for 6 hour and 100TT finishers.
3:00-? Award 100TT as they finish.
3:30 7 mile loop opens for 12 hour racers
6:15 South Solon check point closes
7:10 Mile marks staffed on 7 mile loop
7:30 12 hour race finishes. All 100TT racers need to be finished at this time as well.
7:45 all scorecards must be turned in.
8:00 Or as close to as possible. Awards ceremony starts. The 7 mile loop opens for the 6 hour race at 11:15. Loops ridden before that time will not be scored. There will be a sign at the turn to the short loop telling you that the loop in open. The 7 mile loop opens for the 12 hour race at 3:30. Loops ridden before that time will not be score. There will be a sign at the turn to the short loop telling you that the loop in open. 100 TT will not be riding any 7 mile loops. Fun riders can ride any loops at any time.

Rules for Calvin’s Challenge 12 hour, 6 hour and 100TT.

The First rule that must be addressed is the mirror rule. Yes, mirrors are required. They can be Bike, Helmet, Eye glasses or Hand mounted. (it is a recumbent way of doing it). The reasons are many, but the number one reason is to prevent your injury or death.

We take the mirror rule seriously. Each one of the Directors uses a mirror every time we ride. Disregard for the rule will get you DQ’d. Don’t test us on it.

We race on roads open to traffic. It is often windy, which limits your ability to hear vehicles coming up from behind. There are a number of left hand turns on the route. Most of them are on quite country roads with little or no traffic. There is one left hand turn off the State Route 42 that one of our racers was killed while making the turn. There is a slight bend and hill right before the turn. From the time you turn around and look to see if it clear, the situation can change by the time make your turn. This limits your sight line to vehicles coming up from behind and their ability to see you until it is too late.UMCA racing is much different than other forms of racing that you may come from. First, we don’t have categorized levels of skill, such as Cat 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1. You may be lined up to a RAAM winner or next to someone that this is their first mass start. Add to the mix tandems and recumbents of all shapes and sizes and you’ll have a busy time keeping track of who is where. It is just good to be able to watch the wheel ahead of you and be able to see what is on your wheel without having to turn around. In that split second of you looking back could have you in a crash.I think it is just a great racing tool. I can easily see if I’ve got a gap or that the group in closing in. Do I go or sit up and wait? All without tipping my hand with the “Look Back”.The same arguments we hear about mirrors are the same we heard about helmets (other than they are hot). The mirror is the cheapest and simplest way to improve your safety on the road.

Stay tuned for more information once we get this thing up and running