27 October 2009

Who needs to upgrade?

Here's a hot topic!

I did some number crunching with the crossresults.com points list.

Here's some basics:

For the Open Men:
Mean: 338
3rd Quartile: 388

For the B Men (combined Cat 3 & Cat 3/4)
Mean: 438
1st Quartile: 408
3rd Quartile: 466

For the Cat 4 Men
Mean: 530
1st Quartile: 474


What does it all mean? I would suggest that any Cat 3 with lower than 388 points should seriously consider moving up. It would appear you could ride mid-pack in the Open class. Similarly, if you are Cat 4 with fewer than 466 points, it could be your time.

This would essentially shift 10-15 guys from the 3s to the Open race and shift 25-30 guys from the 4s to the 3s. This shift would change the fields sizes to: Open: 30-35, Cat 3: 40-45, Cat 4: 25-30. Seems reasonable.

Here's the full rankings: http://sites.google.com/site/kccrossrankings/home
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16 comments:

  1. Shad S.October 27, 2009 at 7:47 PM

    I'd vote for a 30 man open field! Speaking of that, is our small field the reason we didn't get any points from this last weekend?

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  2. UnknownOctober 27, 2009 at 8:08 PM

    We don't show points for Sunday because crossresults.com updates on Friday. If the field is 10 or less, no points.

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  3. SlimenUndGrossen RacingOctober 27, 2009 at 8:40 PM

    Jeez jeff...all your hard work and research is killing me.
    the peer pressure to get me to race open race is making my legs sore.
    I figured i would 'hide out' in the masters....which means i get my rear smoked and punished by stdnicki, lucas, songer.....

    I also heard a rumor you and Bill M. were gonna make a guest appearence in the masters races in the near future......OUCH! whatever doesnt kill you makes you faster, right???

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  4. UnknownOctober 27, 2009 at 9:52 PM

    Sorry Josh, the numbers don't lie. In the long run it'd probably be better for you and more fun because you'd have a battle every week.

    Of course, the Masters field is pretty high quality too. Lucas & Songer could be riding in the Open race too. And, of course, Studnicki already does.

    I don't know for sure whether Bill & Tom are going to ride Masters. I don't think I will. If all the old farts bailed on the Open race there wouldn't be too many guys left!

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  5. SlimenUndGrossen RacingOctober 27, 2009 at 9:57 PM

    old, my ars!!!! yeah, u r right. i should...but masters for now. its amazing what a little peer pressure can do to me though.

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  6. JBOctober 28, 2009 at 7:34 AM

    My plan was to finish top 3-4 in the Master's this season then race Open next year.
    We- SKCross will have a number of guys ready to go Open next year and I would love to see more teams in the Open as well.
    This is an honest unbiased way to actually show who needs to make the jump.

    Jeff- thanks to you and Andrew and anyone else for compiling the data and spitting it out.

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  7. ScottyDOctober 28, 2009 at 8:32 AM

    Cat up Josh your one of the biggest sandbaggers out there!

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  8. bellavitaOctober 28, 2009 at 12:42 PM

    Here's the scoop on Upgrade points. They are impossible to get in Kansas or Missouri because the field sizes are too small. KCA does have a 1/2 point system in place but even those field sizes are often not met. When I was going for my cat 2/uci elite upgrade, I had to travel around to to get bigger field sizes and any shot at upgrade points.

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  9. UnknownOctober 28, 2009 at 12:51 PM

    I don't know. Crossresults.com is showing upgrade points that are based on the USAC system. It would appear to me, without looking at in detail, that people racing locally are earning upgrade points.

    Take a look at Mark Cole (http://www.crossresults.com/?n=racers&sn=r&rID=19477) he's earned enough points to upgrade from 4 -> 2.

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  10. andrewOctober 28, 2009 at 3:17 PM

    I thought that as long as there were more than 5 racers in the field than points were awarded.

    We certainly have that many in the KS Cat 3 races.

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  11. SlimenUndGrossen RacingOctober 28, 2009 at 9:36 PM

    Bella Vita, u need to read new upgrade rules at usa cycling website. cx upgrade is broken down differently than road. our fields (in our kc area)in cx categories like the 4's and 3 field are plenty big enough to score points. usacycling has used a 'prorated' point scale for fields sized 10 and higher. just not as many finisher score points.

    And...Damn u dunsmuir for calling me out. I am trying to stay on the downlow here....hahhahahahah.....however, i havent raced in a 3's race in 4 or 5 weeks. Ive just been getting my ars handed to me by the fast 'old' guys.

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  12. UnknownOctober 29, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    Josh I hate to tell you this you should have catted up before I did. Points don't lie buddy

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  13. G-LoveOctober 29, 2009 at 3:58 PM

    At what point is a Cat3 just a Cat3?

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  14. Volker Bicycles of KCOctober 30, 2009 at 12:40 AM

    To me, a cat3 is just a cat 3 when you ride clinchers, don't have time to train, and don't have a pit bike. If you're a cat 3 and trying to get faster, put time and into training and your equipment, eventually you'll realize that you are getting slower in the 3's and need to cat up.

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  15. JoshNovember 10, 2009 at 1:37 PM

    Jeff,

    Good number crunching.

    I think it is important that racers remember Cat 4's, in cyclocross, is for beginners.

    If it's not your first season racing move on up.

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  16. UnknownNovember 10, 2009 at 1:40 PM

    I agree Josh. I think there are probably more than a few riders in the 4s that have too much experience.

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