Fantastic biking event starts in EC on Dec. 1
Of the many cool things people are doing around town, this is one of the coolest I've heard of lately. The local biking fanatic Derek Parr (of the EC Velo Club) has rigged himself up a Goldsprints setup to be debuted on Wednesday, December 1, 5-8pm at The Mousetrap in downtown Eau Claire. It’s a free event.
For those that don't know, Goldsprints is an electronic timing system for roller racing. Two identically set up bikes are setup on roller racing stations. The rollers are in turn attached to a device that measures distance and can display the progress of the riders. The activity is getting pretty huge across the country – it's pretty sweet to have it in Eau Claire.
Parr plans on doing 250m qualifying sprints for the first two hours (riders can go multiple times). The best four times with compete in a 500m sprint in the last hour. Derek says, “All equipment is provided, just bring yourself. Spectating is encouraged but at least give it a shot.” He hopes to make this a regular event all winter long – details to come.
Of special note: this particular Goldsprint set up – 2 bikes, 2 roller sets, crossbars, and a computer – can all be towed behind a bike. Nice work, Parr.
Below you’ll find a flyer for the event, a sweet video showing people having a blast on a Goldsprints setup, and more details on what this is all about ...
EC Goldsprints Debut
Wednesday, December 1 • 5-8pm • @The Mousetrap • FreeFrom our good friends at Wikipedia:
A Goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of spectators. ... As opposed to traditional roller racing, where riders have to balance, Goldsprints use forkstands so that the riders don't have to balance, only pedal as fast as they can. This provides an easy way for anyone to try Goldsprints. As with roller racing in general, the rollers are in turn attached to a device that measures distance and can display the progress of the riders. Goldsprints can also feature modern 2D and 3D visualizations. The event was named after a beer called "Gold-Sprint".
