That Guy at the Airport

Sunday at the USAC conference was the day of the chip. There was a presentation by AMB (who just bought Champion Chip) and another by Winning Time. I liked Winning Time's presentation better. They seemed a little more approachable for some reason, and their presentation got right down to business, homing in on the main issues for bike race chip timing. AMB started out with a bunch of chest-pounding about how they were so big and how they were the choice of NASCAR, and then justified the price of the system and its $100 chips by pointing out that bikes are expensive. No kidding? Apparently my own bike racing expenditures fall far short of the norm. Somehow their pitch didn't ring true to me, although I have little doubt that their system will reliably capture chip codes and times as needed, especially if you buy the extra $3,000 worth of software that they forgot to mention. It would be great if LAMBRA could buy one of these systems, where the starting price is in the $7,000 neighborhood (not counting the chips), but the idea of forcing our promoters to use the system, training people to use it properly, and of course passing the cost along to the riders in the form of higher entry fees (and chip purchases or rentals) still seems a little harsh for the smallish races we have around here. Having someone start up a business doing chip timing for bike races would eliminate the initial cost, but I'm having a hard time seeing how it would break even considering the number of races and riders we have in LAMBRA. Anyway, it was interesting and I came away convinced that in a few years these timing systems will be the norm in cycling. Which one? I dunno. What will they cost? I dunno. Will the chip that works for LAMBRA races work for Florida races? I dunno (but I doubt it). Gotta admit, though, the gee-whiz factor is pretty high. Maybe in a year.

So by 4:30 I was back in the air heading for a long layover at Dallas-Ft. Worth airport. As we flew southeast I looked back at the sun setting behind the Rockies after a fine weekend of clean air and blue skies. Good weather even by Colorado standards. The flight, though, was packed and uncomfortable, and by the time I hit Dallas that Rocky Mountain High was fading fast. I found a TGI Fridays, got a seat in front, and ordered a big glass of Sam Adams and had a relaxed but lonely dinner. You know that guy you always see sitting by himself at the airport restaurant? He was I. On the plus side, the flight to New Orleans was on time.

Monday it was back to the old routine, although I was a little bit surprised to find the levee so deserted. I had gotten out there a few minutes late and was hoping I'd run into some of the regulars. I didn't. Just as well, I guess, since I wasn't in the mood to go hard anyway. Maybe tomorrow.