This is a change that ECTRA made this year at their Feb
meeting. As it was told to me the LD without the CTR was only
a pilot and ended after 2 years. While some respondents have talked about
the fun of a CTR, it is subjective. What I find refreshing about endurance
is that subjectivity is limited. you meet P&Rs , aren't lame and
complete within time you've done it!. I understand ECTRA wanting to keep
judges and all that stuff for their CTR's, what I don't understand is why the
mileage you ride won't count unless it's a CTR. Mileage is mileage.
Skip
The reason there are no or very few LD rides in the New England and most
of the NE region is that ECTRA, the sanctioning body in the NE, has not
sanctioned the 25 LD's as they consider them novice rides.
I believe
that ECTRA is now sanctioning a very few LD's but they must be ridden in a
CTR time frame to count towards ECTRA's programs.
I lived in upstate New
York for several years and found it very frustrating. I tried banging
the drum, but at the time even some of the 50 mile rides were treated as
novice rides.
You'll need to work on ECTRA and the ride managers if you
want to see this changed.
I read a great t-shirt once that said
"evolve or die." hmmm.....
