What's with the little flaps on the race numbers?
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packtrisam posted 15 weeks ago.
I've always wondered what those were for. My only idea was for medical staff to pull off if you got pulled out of a race, so they would be able to know who DNFed and who was still out on the course at the end of the day, but that's just speculation on my part.
"It never gets easier, you just go faster" -Greg Lemond
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fpugsley posted 15 weeks ago.
I always tear mine off.... about 5 or 6 years ago i did a 5k where they had people at the finish with a long thin rope that they were putting all those things on (since they have a hole) Cant imagine that it is an accurate measure of finish order!
I even see people who cut just the number out and pin that on.
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831 days
tsilcyc posted 15 weeks ago.
I've seen them used to determine what place you've finishedl. They funnel the finishers into a chute and pull them off in order.
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1674 days
beads1985 posted 15 weeks ago.
The numbers are made to handle a wide variety of races.
If a race is smaller they may not have the money to spring for sophisticated timing equipment.
If you have a timing chip it won't make a difference.
Nothing to it, but to do it
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360 days
ChunkyB posted 15 weeks ago.
All valid points. So, basically, I'm not going to get DQed if I pull it off. I guess there probably are still races that don't use timing chips. Heck, I did one last year because Lotoja was monopolizing all the timing chips. And I figured the hole in the end was for sliding it on a rope or something to determine finishing order, but that seems so flawed.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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484 days
theShiba posted 15 weeks ago.
Personally, I'd leave it on, Chunky. I've had to use them at a lot of races. A tri that I did last weekend that had a chip asked for them at the end of the swim.
I'm assuming that what they would do is look at anyone who DNF and cross-check that with the physical tags they had to make sure that there wasn't an error with the timing chip. Likewise, if there was a chip that crossed, but no tag, they may want to look into things further.
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deepbluex posted 15 weeks ago.
It's probably a backup system now in case the timing chip computers stop working. At that point they can always fall back to the collection of those tags.
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big 3 posted 15 weeks ago.
I've seen them used as your ticket to the post race food tent.
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360 days
ChunkyB posted 15 weeks ago.
theShiba wrote:
Personally, I'd leave it on, Chunky. I've had to use them at a lot of races. A tri that I did last weekend that had a chip asked for them at the end of the swim.I'm assuming that what they would do is look at anyone who DNF and cross-check that with the physical tags they had to make sure that there wasn't an error with the timing chip. Likewise, if there was a chip that crossed, but no tag, they may want to look into things further.
Yeah, I don't think I'll be ripping it off. It's not really any different than having just the number part anyways. And I know that if I did, then I'd have some amazing race and beat all the other clydes, and then they'd go to give me my medal and huge cash prize, and they'd be like "oh, hold on. It looks like you tore off your tag. Sorry".
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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TriMyBest posted 15 weeks ago.
They were used in my first tri this spring. It was a small race with only about 250 people in it, so they didn't have the money for chip timing. They tore them off as you crossed the line and wrote on your finish time then did the fancy math using that and your start time to calculate your total race time to determine your finish place. Even with such a small number of racers, it still took them about 2 hours until after I finished before they posted my results.
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swimbec posted 15 weeks ago.
The sprint tri I went to last weekend used the info for a ton of raffles at the end of the race. If only for that reason, I will leave mine on from now on. I know I am one unlucky girl, but the idea of one day winning a prize because I finished a tri makes me a little giddy.
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1564 days
macker posted 15 weeks ago.
It is for races without chips as another person noted. They do pull them off and put them in order and somehow, not sure how, can determine your time/pace based on when they pull it off (guessing they have some scanner vs the timing machine)...but in the road races i have done, it is very accurate..so if you have a chip, you probably don't need it unless they use it for post-race food etc.
Macker
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miner06 posted 15 weeks ago.
I did a 10k run a month ago that used the tags for times. It was a small charity run and the first year it was put on, so I don't think they wanted to spend the money on chips. They managed to do pretty well with the times though, within 2 secs of what I clocked on my watch. I do agree that they could be used as a back up system if the electronic dies.
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Clyde S. Dale posted 13 weeks ago.
Why do you have to be such a nonconformist. Just leave the flap alone.....why do you always need to question authority? I think they should give you a DNF just for being so dang obstinate!
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Captain Mal posted 13 weeks ago.
Either for that or for your clothes. Too bad you are too young to get the jokes about your "Hammer pants."
"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-
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jtrimom posted 13 weeks ago.
Clyde S. Dale wrote:
Why do you have to be such a nonconformist. Just leave the flap alone.....why do you always need to question authority? I think they should give you a DNF just for being so dang obstinate!
So what's the family connection, b/c I am sure you wouldn't be so mean if you weren't related
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brittda posted 13 weeks ago.
jtrimom wrote:
Clyde S. Dale wrote:Why do you have to be such a nonconformist. Just leave the flap alone.....why do you always need to question authority? I think they should give you a DNF just for being so dang obstinate!So what's the family connection, b/c I am sure you wouldn't be so mean if you weren't related
I am glad you said it first. My first thought was "who are you and why would you be so rude?"
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jtrimom posted 13 weeks ago.
chunky defends us from spam, the least we could do is defend him from rude (hopefully) family members
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Captain Mal posted 13 weeks ago.
jtrimom wrote:
chunky defends us from spam, the least we could do is defend him from rude (hopefully) family members
Oh no you don't! As his older brothers, Clyde and I have a divine right to make fun of ChunkyB at all times and in all places!
"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-
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ChunkyB posted 13 weeks ago.
HAHA. Thank you all for defending me. Clyde S. Dale is another one of my brothers, perhaps more misguided and angry than Cap'n Mal, but he's family nonetheless. They make fun of me, but they'll still always ride with me because I'm pretty awesome to draft behind.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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kylie posted 13 weeks ago.
Your family sounds fun ;)
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jtrimom posted 13 weeks ago.
I wish my brothers would tri with me- at this point there's only the teasing part
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Clyde S. Dale posted 13 weeks ago.
Ouch....misguided and angry. I don't think that is fair nor accurate.
However, you are right. You are the best draft I have ever had!
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kylie posted 13 weeks ago.
Yup. The worker horses. My desktop that does all the heavy lifting at work is named clyde after them :)
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theShiba posted 12 weeks ago.
So... are there just three of you? Because I think there should be a brothers category at the Trifuel Man-Tri...
It could be the Dukes vs. the Lietos... You guys have got your work cut out for you.
So, I'm wondering if any races ever actually use the little flaps on the bottom of the race numbers where you're supposedly supposed to write your name and stuff, and then tear it off and give it to the peeps as you cross the finish line. Are there really any races nowadays that don't have an electronic registration system, even if it is same-day registration? Does anyone actually use these, or can I tear it off before the race? The main reason I want to know is that I want to tear it off and cut a few milligrams, as many of you know I'm a total weight weenie. But I'm also just curious.
Discuss.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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