RE: LD's w/o vet checks -ITS AGAINST AERC RULES

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Teresa Van Hove  vanhove@ucar.edu
Guest wrote>>>>>>>>>>>

LD's should have Separate rider meetings, starting after the 50s 
(eliminates being run over by 50s) two vet checks with strict criteria and their 
entry fees spent on a separate vet.  I've talked with ld riders who went to rides 
hoping for a good learning experience only to find that they never even had a vet 
check during the ride.  They were hoping to experience vet check procedure, etc.  
Never happened.  

Well, if it was an AERC sanctioned LD ride they should report a lack
of vet checks to AERC - ITS ABSOLUTELY in the rules that AERC LD's
have a vet check around the middle of the ride and a pre and post
ride vet check.   Its also in the rules that a separate meeting
be offered for new LD riders. (but RM's are not immune to DIMR) As 
for separate vets -that depends onthe #'s. Often RM can and will designate 
one vet as official 25 and one as official 50, but time things so that both 
vets can work the 1st check for both the 50's and the 25's. 

Course I'm in a region with ave. of 25 folks at a ride. Here, MT region
even below 25 mile fun rides are usually handled like LD's, except for
the mid-ride check.  But all the RM's have had pre and post vet checks
for the fun rides and usually pulse down to finish criteria.  Some have even
made the criteria  stricter than AERC LD, with a pulse of 56 to finish
and only 15 minutes to meet that after getting into camp. We
have these short rides to introduce folks to the sport, and
sometimes to help the ride break even; we want to present the
sport as it is, not take folk's money and say "heres a marked
course, have fun, but stay out of the way of the offical riders"
I expect that most ride managers in most regions share this 
attitude.  

Teresa