Wheelchair Road Racing Tips:
-
Basics:
1. BEFORE LEAVING HOME CHECK ALL OF YOUR EQUIPMENT:
- Check tires; replace if old: There's nothing worse
than a flat midway through a race
- Tighten spokes
- Inflate tires
- Tighten all screws and wheels:
- Ensure the steering mechanism is
tightened properly and
- Ensure wheels are on chair tightly.
2. Drive or roll the course so you know what to expect.
3. Arrive at competition venue at least 1 1/2 hours early.
4. Pick up your numbers and/or electronic chip
- attach them properly to your chair,
- ask where to place your numbers on your chair/helmet.
5. When possible, meet with the Race Director/starter before you get
to the starting line. Clear up the following issues and have a
dialogue about the race:
- Has s/he or the race had wheelchairs before?
- Can s/he instruct the road marshals before the race to remind
them that wheelchairs are low to the ground so racers need more
time to react to a curve coming and could be served better with
race officials verbalizing commands as well as using their arms.
- Is the course well marked? Tell race director about any concerns
you saw in the drive through.
- Can there be a lead vehicle (car or bike) for the chairs (a vehicle
for both males & females)? Most times the 2 groups separate
and the second group has no clue where the course is.
- Ask that the chairs start first before runners. Depending on the
slowest chair's per mile pace, set the difference between the
chairs and the runners by at least 30 seconds (elite racers) and
a safe period should be 2 minutes. If the slowest racer is at or
over 8 minute miles try to get a 5 minute lead for chairs or go
after the runners.
- Ensure that the course is going to be closed to cars when the
chairs start. There have been many races that the course was
open to traffic because the police/course marshals didn't know
that the chairs started before the runners.
- Ask if s/he can post the results for the chairs on the event
website along with the runners' results.
6. If someone is at the race with you have him/her time the chair
athlete(s)....
In the heat of the race many timers have
forgotten about the chairs. Usually
they forget the time difference between the chairs and the
runners or forget to hand time the chairs, If you have a watch on
the chairs then you can clear up many potential issues over time.
You can make the Race Director happy and save the chit for
another race that you need a favor.
7. Try to feel out the race committee and speak to
the issues around Wheelchair races are athletes just
like everyone else and should get the same reporting
of results exactly the same way.
8. Follow these rules and 90% of the races will go
well.
9. Pump your tires. Every time you race.
Remember if you go wrong on the course and you have not done a run through part of the blame is yours. -
Bib Pins - A simple way to attach your bib to the back to the racing
chair is to permanently attach 4 pins at where the corner points
for the bib would be on the chair. Then use 4 additional pins to
pin the bib to the first pins. Then when you need to pin on a bib
just open the second pin and attach it to the bib in each corner.
This technique allows for quick attachment of the bib without
tearing the upholstery. Remember when removing old bib leave
the 8 pins on the chair.