02 Aug 2011 New MTB seeding; seeding changes
The good news is: After years of talking about it, we are finally able to split road and MTB seeding and from now on, our members will have a different road and MTB PPA seeded number. To set the ball rolling and to test the new system, we are now issuing new MTB ‘back numbers’ to all paid-up PPA members who participate in MTB events on the PPA calendar; the intention being to replace the MTB back numbers with permanent PPA seeded frame numbers from 2012.
How it will work
Paid-up PPA members with a road event result in the past funride year will receive a road funride number for the new 2011-2012 funride year. Paid-up PPA members with a MTB result in the past funride year will receive a MTB funride number. If you have done both road and MTB events in the past funride year, you will receive both numbers. If you have not done any events in the past year, you will receive a road funride number.
What if you get a road number, but you decide halfway through the year that you also want to do a MTB event (or vice versa)? It’s very easy – you just come to the PPA Office in the week prior to the event, and collect your free number relating to the “other” discipline.
Which events will count? Will I have the same road and MTB seeding?
For your road funride seeding, all your results will count, as it has done in the past. For your new MTB seeding, all your results will still count, but your road results will now carry a penalty of 15%, while MTB results will not carry any penalty. As in the past, only your best results will count for your seeding (read more the seeding page).
The index calculations for road and new MTB categories also differ quite a bit. For the road funrides, we are working with 24 seeded start groups, while for MTB seeding we are working with only ten seeded start groups. This means that, in all likelihood, your road and MTB seeding will differ quite a bit and your MTB seeding could even be higher than your road seeding.
Because of the big difference in calculating road and MTB seeding and the difference in start groups, you will NOT be able to use your road number at a MTB event, or vice versa. For this reason, the new seeded numbers are different colours and also have a different numbering system.
As in the past, you will be seeded on how fit you are now as opposed to how fit you were in the past, as recent results are a better indicator of your current ability than old results. This means results older than 6 month will start accumulating a 1% penalty per month. In this way, your seeding will remain fairly constant (or even improve) if you regularly participate in events, but will slowly move towards Z if you seldom participate at events.
The 2011 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour will be used as this year’s base event and will count for up to 50% of your seeding, if it was your best event.
What about reseeding, or forgotten numbers?
Nothing is changing here – you will still be able to upgrade your seeded number (should you qualify) by paying the R50 admin fee. If you have been issued with a seeded number (whether road or MTB) and you forget it at home, you can either purchase a temp seeded number to use on the day for R30, or buy an unseeded number for R5 and ride with the unseeded groups.
How often will seeding runs take place?
We are looking at the impact of doing seeding runs after a certain number of events as opposed to on a specific calendar date, so as to assist riders who do a lot of events, to improve their seeding faster. As soon as we’ve looked at all the various pros and cons, we’ll advise you. The fist reseeding of the 2011-2012 funride year is likely to take place only at the end of September.
For more information, please see the “SEEDING” page