Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Top Ten Ways to Abuse LDers

On Tue, 24 Dec 2002 19:36:39 -0500, "Howard Bramhall"
<howard9732@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>                                                    Top Ten Ways To Abuse LDers

Howard, get a life.

>1)  Don't give them a finish line.  Only true endurance riders have a finish line; the LDer is not worthy of such a thing.  And, make sure they know this.

You keep telling them this, for some reason, even when you should
certainly know better by now.

>2)  At the vet checks, make sure you allow 50 milers and 100 milers to pass all LDers in line.  At a crowded ride with this rule an LDer can spend an eternity waiting to see a vet.  And, the completion, well, you might as well just forget about the completion.  We will get to you after we've seen everyone else.

So if there are two riders and one vet, you think the rider who's time
is about arrived to return to the trail should have to wait on someone
who's completed the trail, and is not going back out? Why?

When I ride an LD, I expect 50 mile riders to have precedence if a vet
check backs up.  When I ride a 50, I expect 100 mile riders to have
precedence.  To me, it's just common courtesy to expidite the rider
with the most distance left still to go.

>3)  When you have your new rider's meeting make sure that you only talk about the LD ride, because, as we all know, only beginners ride in the LD.

A separate, additional meeting for LD is mandated by AERC due to the
facts that 1) most beginners DO start with an LD ride and 2) there are
a few different rules (appropriately, IMO).  BTW, Howard, that
separate meeting is an LD meeting, not a "new riders" meeting.  That's
why they talk about the LD ride!

>4)  Make the completion rule so confusing that the head vet doesn't even understand it.  As he tries to explain the difference between the 64 pulse mid way, but, hey, don't forget you need to get to 60 to finish an LD ride, and yes, this is the only place where you will have to have a 60, so, try not to get confused, you don't have a finish line, take the tack off, and, since there is no finish line you won't know when you're really finished so, just think of it as you're not done till I say you're done.  Any questions?

Howard, if you REALLY can't understand the very simple LD finish, you
show some real courage admitting that in public.

>5)  Put letters on their horse's butts instead of numbers.  You use numbers for the 50 milers and numbers for the hundred milers, because they're true endurance riders, but since we've decided to treat LDers like grade school kids, let's have them practice their ABC's, just for fun.

Good Grief!  How much time do you spend looking for this stuff?  Who
besides somebody *looking for* something to complain about gives a
damn if there's a number, letter, or smiley face on their horse?

...

>9)  Don't allow the LDer to volunteer anywhere after they're done their ride cause, since they're not really clear on endurance rules anyway (we've made sure of that), we don't want them to get confused and muck things up for the real endurance riders.

I've never heard of this, and when I'm a ride manager or official I'm
tickled pink to have LD riders volunteer.  Has anyone except Howard
EVER seen a ride manager turn down a volunteer?

>10)  Just kind of skip over the LDers at the awards banquet.  They all race way too fast and don't deserve anything anyway.  Save the best awards for the true endurance riders.  AND, let's make sure not to really count their horse's mileage as endurance miles.  Those LD miles don't really count.

Funny, the rides I've been to (and I've been to a LOT) usually give
out the LD awards first.  Uh, Howard, rides less than 50 miles in
length are not endurance rides, by definition in our Bylaws
(correctly, IMO).  LD miles do count, but they are not endurance
miles, cannot count as AERC endurance miles, and your wishing won't
make it so.

>You really think we don't walk all over the LD rider in this sport?  Take off your blinders; we do, and it's time for a change.

Well, maybe you do.  I don't.  Most ride mangers, volunteers, and
other riders don't.  The AERC does not.  I'm sorry you feel so
put-upon but I won't let that serve as a reason for renouncing a
sound, proven policy (the current LD finish) and returning to
"crash-and-burn" 25-mile sprints.

Howard, please note:  that "crash-and-burn" reference is not a dissing
of LD riders.  The vast majority of LD riders did not simply run like
hell before we developed the current LD finish.  But enough did that
it was a real problem, and the current LD finish, while not a
cure-all, has helped a great deal.  If you had more experience with
the sport you'd know that.

>MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL, ESPECIALLY YOU, THE LD RIDER, WHO PUTS UP WITH MORE CRAP DURING AN ENDURANCE WEEK-END THAN I DO OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD HERE ON RIDECAMP.  AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, THAT'S A LOT OF CRAP.

Merry Christmas, Howard, without qualification.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxx
http://www.rnbw.com




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