Time trials for 2012 have started

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.

The first in the 2012 series of time trials was held on Wednesday 25th January. The series will consist of 8 weeks of competition and conclude with a final night prizegiving. This series we are not only going to award points as has been done in previous series but we are also going to run an age based competition. So there is the opportunity for all age groups to set and break records for their age group on the course.

This weeks competition coincided with the individual time trial stage of the NZ Cycle Classic out at Massey. And for anyone who was out at Massey will know the weather was warm and by 6pm the temperature had not changed. As we were assembling at Kairanga school it appeared that there may not have been enough helpers to stage the time trial, but eventually we were able to muster a crew of helpers. Each week we need at least 4 people to help. A holder, a timekeeper, a recorder and a turn marshall. If you are a rider in the series and give up your opportunity to ride you will automatically get points for the series. So although Mark Waterland, Dave Fryer and Glenys Taylor did not ride they automatically got points.

The weather conditions this week were so good it will be hard to better the times recorded in future weeks. But we will have to wait and see. The riders who were present this week were warned that there will be no IOU’s in the future. If you do not have your $2 or $4 do not expect to ride.

So if you have never done a time trial before come out and give it a go.

It will be included in the 33 days of cycling so we expect to see a lot of new faces.