Massey Study – Participants required

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

clip_image004 It is well understood by the cycling community that there is an added demand placed on an athlete while descending during XCO-MTB. It is also well understood that an increase in performance down a hill could help a rider save energy and reduce time taken to complete a given course.

While many enthusiasts and athletes feel this is important, the degree of this importance and how it relates to performance is not well understood. Specifically, this study aims to determine the metabolic and physical cost of descending on trails typical of an XCO-MTB race and how this will affect subsequent efforts. This will be compared to the same information while descending on a road. Information gathered from this study will help coaches, athletes and enthusiasts determine how to most effective allot training time, determine race strategy and maintain safety.

We require 10 male participants ≥16 years of age who are free from injury for the last six months and competed in a National-level race between 2012 and 2014.

Testing will include one laboratory fitness test and two separate sessions descending a singletrack trail typical of XCO-MTB and a road descent. Each test session will take up to 90 minutes. Participants will have access to their own results and group mean data.