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[RC] LD BC...again - katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxPeggy Eaton said: You're keeping this discussion on the right track - STANDARDIZATION is what it boils down to - that's the ONLY problem. This is a bullshit argument. The form for earning points towards an AERC LD BC Regional Championship IS standardized. What is not standardized is the number of ride managers putting on rides where such points can be earned. However, this is true for all of the awards that the AERC provides, not just the LD BC Championships. Yes it is true that there are few rides in the West region where points towards an LD BC Championship can be earned. However it is also true that last year there were no (as in NONE, ZIP, NADA) rides in either the Northeast or Central Regions where riders could earn points towards Pioneer Awards and only one in the Midwest. While the West, Pacific South, and Southwest had many such rides. On the other hand, the Pacific South had but a scant two rides where points could be earned toward the National 100 Mile Championship, while the Northwest had seven. And these are National Awards, mind you, not just Regional ones. So in order to compete for these awards, members in regions that don't offer many rides where points can be earned for them have to compete against people in regions where they do. While the Regional LD BC Championship only has to be competed for against people who are equally as limited by the number of rides in the region that offer the opportunity to earn points toward it. The AERC simply cannot require ride managers to put on all the forms of rides where points towards any awards can be earned, nor can it standardize the number of rides across the regions. If few ride managers in the West region elect to put on rides where LD BC points can be earned, so what? Few ride managers in the Pacific South elect to put on rides where National 100 Mile Award points can be earned. Nobody is suggesting that the AERC make a rule about this. If the AERC would really like to get more ride managers to use the AERC's LD BC form so that more riders could earn points toward the Regional LD BC Championships, then what the AERC needs to do is find a form that more ride managers are WILLING to use. After all, this is what they have done with respect to BC for other distances (they have come up with a form that virtually everybody is willing to use, even though they don't have to, Tevis being the notable exception). If, instead, the AERC starts telling ride managers that they HAVE to use the form if they put on an LD ride, whether they are willing or not, then the unintended consequence of this may be that these ride managers will stop putting on LD rides entirely. In the West region, from what I understand, there is no shortage of rides or riders, what there is a shortage of is vets. So if vets in the West region are philosophically opposed to judging BC using the AERC's form as currently defined, cramming it down their throats is likely to exacerbate the shortage by making them refuse to vet rides at all. What riders who want to earn AERC points for LD BC need to do is attend rides where the ride managers choose to offer this format and avoid those rides where they do not just as, if I want to earn points towards the National 100 Mile Award, I need to go to rides where the 100 miles in one day format is offered. I can also let ride managers (at rides where the one day 100 is not offered) that were they to offer it, I would come. Then these same ride managers can decide for themselves if they care enough about me (or if there are enough people like me) to put on a one day 100 as well. What the AERC should NOT do is tell ride managers that if they want to put on an LD ride for people who will come even if it doesn't offer LD BC that they can't; any more than the AERC should tell ride managers that if they want to put on a 50 mile ride for people who will come to that even if it doesn't offer a 100 miler that they can't. Arguing that the AERC should do this in the name of standardization and to make it "fair" because ride managers should be required to put on more rides where I can earn points towards my award of choice is just plain absurd. kat Orange County, Calif. -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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