Weight Divisions

[renegade12@juno.com]

From the time I began serving on the Board, about 10 years ago, I have
heard the phrase, "we need to make it a level playing field".  In most
cases I have argued against that logic because it is not really possible
to make each and every ride the same...even the same ride in the same
location will differ each year due to variables such as weather,
humidity, temp, experience and number of riders, Vet interpretations ,
etc.  However, one thing that can and should be a level playing field is
how points are calculated.

Overall Points are based on a level playing field.  It takes a minimum of
eleven riders to get full Top Ten Points.  However, Weight Division
Points differ from ride to ride.  If a ride has eleven riders in the same
Weight Division, then all those riders are competing against their fellow
Weight Division riders, ONLY!  In the same region, a ride can have eleven
or more riders, but only ONE rider in a Weight Division, and that ONE
rider can get 1st place Weight Division Points and still just walk thru
the ride because our rules allow that rider to use all the other Weight
Division riders to count as their competition.  In the first example the
1st Place Weight Division Rider (and Top Ten  WD Riders) had to compete
against their fellow Weight Division Riders..COMPETE is the key word.  In
the second example, the 1st Place Weight Division Rider only had to
finish the ride to get the same number of Weight Division Points..without
COMPETING against anyone but the trail.   I understand how those who
object to a change feel, but I fail to understand how this is fair and
how this is a "level playing field".  What about those FWT, LWT, MWT, and
HWT riders who do compete against a large number of same WD riders, and
lose out at the end of the year to someone who seldom Competes against a
number of same WD riders?

I don't agree with the argument that small rides will die off if we
change the point calculation.  I truly believe that most of us ride for
the fun and camaraderie, and for the personal challenge.  To me, being
the 1st Place (And Only)  FWT, LWT, MWT, or HWT in a ride and getting
full Weight Division Bonus Points is no different than those show people
who talk about winning the Blue Ribbon in their show class and forget to
tell us they were the only one entered in the class. 

I hope we keep this dialogue going till the Annual Board Meeting in March
because it represents what I have always preached...AERC functions best
as a team..Members and the Board working towards a common goal that
benefits the majority.  

Randy Eiland 


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=