Freezing Saddles 2015

[elwbikes]

@Arlingtonrider 100263 wrote:

If it turns out that Cap City can’t accommodate us this year, (for their reasons or ours), we will need a volunteer to lead a venue search.

I volunteer!!! This is what I get paid to do, so I volunteer.

As for the minimum type things, did Cap City Brewing require a minimum? Then we just make sure everybody spends x amount?

[rcannon100]

@dasgeh 100286 wrote:

Some of us have stopped futzing with Strava while there has been no reason to futz with Strava (i.e. no NBC or BAFS)

Also, some of us have predictable changes in our mileage between now and next year (change in work location). Wanna be on my team?

The concern is not that your self reported mileage will be higher than Strava. That is not sandbagging. The concern is that your self reported mileage will be less than what you are showing in Strava. THAT is sandbagging (makes you appear weaker than you are, for the purpose of giving your team an unfair advantage).

While no benchmark is going to be perfect, we need a benchmark.

[jrenaut]

More importantly, when is the kickoff happy hour?

[cyclingfool]

@rcannon100 100295 wrote:

The concern is not that your self reported mileage will be higher than Strava. That is not sandbagging. The concern is that your self reported mileage will be less than what you are showing in Strava. THAT is sandbagging (makes you appear weaker than you are, for the purpose of giving your team an unfair advantage).

While no benchmark is going to be perfect, we need a benchmark.

While overreporting miles may not be a nefarious plot to try to boost one’s team’s peformance in the standings, the point of handicapping is to produce teams that are all at least “in the same ballpark” statistically speaking. So, if Rider X’s fall mileage suggests he’ll be doing 80 miles a week, but he ends up only doing 40 due to unforeseen or unpredictable circumstances beyond X’s control (change in commute, e.g.), X’s team is in effect being given an unfair disadvantage, so it is not without consequence if the goal is to balance the teams.

In the end, the contest is about having fun and riding bikes during the colder weather months. If the contest is not perfect, it’s not the end of the world. I’m in no matter what. I even threw my hat in for randomized teams, so I don’t care all that much. Even a poorly performing handicapped system has the potential to level the field more than a randomized one. But “reverse unintentional sandbagging” is not a victimless occurrence.

[Anonymous]

@rcannon100 100002 wrote:

Someone else can volunteer to do late registrations or be the substitution czar.
B

I would be willing to be the substitution czar if one is needed. I am also thinking I’ll be one of the lame slackers* this year and thus will have no personal investment in the outcome of team building and management.

@rcannon100 100279 wrote:

* There will once again be a slacker team for people who want to compete but are too lame to compete.

[sleeplatekate]

@rcannon100 100126 wrote:

We can always give people the option of being geographically segregated or not.
…
So then we return to handicaps. And I guess one thing we can do is simply use Grumpy Cat to stare people down and say “Dont Sandbag – I will be checking your strava numbers – if you Sandbag, I will put you on Steve O’s team”

And you REALLY do not want to be on Steve O’s team, speaking from experience. It is not fun.

[Greenbelt]

@acl 100301 wrote:

I would be willing to be the substitution czar if one is needed. I am also thinking I’ll be one of the lame slackers* this year and thus will have no personal investment in the outcome of team building and management.

Onward slackers! Or is that rearward? Backward?

Our motto: attacking off the back since last year.

[KayakCyndi]

@acl 100301 wrote:

…. I am also thinking I’ll be one of the lame slackers* this year and thus will have no personal investment in the outcome of team building and management.

I don’t believe you! More like getting an early start on the sandbagging.

[Mikey]

My wife is in for participation this year. She has started biking about 3 days a week from home to work (14mi round trip) and she loves it. She wants to participate to help motivate her.

[ebubar]

I’m in but i’m feeling rather slackery in light of the heavy snow rumors.
I like the idea of using last winter’s miles for the handicap rather than September-November. I put in some decent miles
(30 a day, 5 days a week commuting) in the fall, but once the snow starts don’t have the time to bike my usual 30 miles a day.
Basing my handicap on the cold (but not snowy) fall would be a disservice to my team…unless I join with the Slackers. In that case,
whatevs!

[KelOnWheels]

On the other hand, if I base my handicap on my COMPLETE LAZY-ASS LACK OF RIDING since the clocks changed, I will get ALL THE POINTS!

Or something.

What was my point again?

[rcannon100]

@ebubar 100329 wrote:

I like the idea of using last winter’s miles for the handicap rather than September-November.

Would that be for everyone, or just those who did Freezing Saddles?
For those who did not do FS, what mileage would we use?
If some did last winter, and some did this fall, will we be comparing apples to oranges?

It really doesnt matter which miles we use. Its a handicap. It is a comparison of riders as against riders, with the hope of creating relatively balanced teams. We could use last winter. We could use this fall. The key is not that it is an accurate reflection of how many miles you will do – the key is that it is a somewhat accurate reflection of how strong a cyclists you are relative to the other cyclists in the game.

So….. thoughts????

[rcannon100]

@Greenbelt 100324 wrote:

Onward slackers! Or is that rearward? Backward?

Our motto: attacking off the back since last year.

[Rod Smith]

acl and Greenbelt on the slackers team. :roll eyes: Get Dirt, Hozn and Dickie on there too.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@rcannon100 100333 wrote:

Would that be for everyone, or just those who did Freezing Saddles?
For those who did not do FS, what mileage would we use?
If some did last winter, and some did this fall, will we be comparing apples to oranges?

It really doesnt matter which miles we use. Its a handicap. It is a comparison of riders as against riders, with the hope of creating relatively balanced teams. We could use last winter. We could use this fall. The key is not that it is an accurate reflection of how many miles you will do – the key is that it is a somewhat accurate reflection of how strong a cyclists you are relative to the other cyclists in the game.

So….. thoughts????

Miles from May and June. Since we are trying to encourage cycling through the winter, why not use many riders’ peak months as the basis for the handicap?

[Author]

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