USAT ruling on live tracking during events

Ref:  Mr. Moats is that is that smart phone going to remain in your jersey or saddle bag to passively provide location info to family and friends.

Moats:  Of course!

Ref: Mr. Moats is that smart phone you are using in conjunction with your bike computer on your handlebar going to be used for one-way traffic only? And this is outbound signal only?

Moats: Of Course!

I don't think Charlie is hiding behind it.  He just doesn't have a way to enforce that those phones in 1 and 3 are not being used to cheat.  And as we know, this sport has a few losers found within the ranks that cheat.  So this is the route he's got to go.

10-4 its a horrible spectator sport.  Your location based ideas are right on!  I'd take it a step further and add spatial autocorrelation algorithms used to determine temporal period within bike separation to assist in the enforcement of drafting penalties.   

Second poster... variable time penalty.  not dq. 

Later!

damn. i did it again.  thought of something else after the 30 minutes to edit a post..

bill you mentioned wtc events,  "i think" jimmy riccitello will stand behind the unauthorized equipment rule.  he specifically calls it out in all of his messages from the head ref.  and i'm pretty sure he spoke about just this over on st some time back.  so its not just charlie. 

bottom line, cheaters suck. 

ok... later!

I remember reading basically the same ruling on the main forum last year: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=447699&posts=10&start=1

I wonder if the review of the rule mentioned in that thread has taken place. Given the current language I can see how smartphones are prohibited, but I wonder how much thought they're giving to modernizing the rules.

One of my friends is a USAT official and they cover this every year, so it does get reviewed. 

I agree with the ruling because people will use it in a wide variety of ways.  Music, texting, GPS, pictures, etc.  None of which needs to be done during a race. 

I even think it's crap that they let you have a cell phone period.  There are no "safety" concerns that require you to have a cell phone during a race.  Sprint or Ironman. 

What they tell the officials is this:  If you see the phone, it's a penalty.  Period. 

Several good points made above.  Good to hear that the officials are continuing to discuss this every year as technology is changing fast.  

In a few years you'll have a wristwatch which does everything, and more, than an iPhone (Dick Tracy watch), and they'll require us to run an app as our onboard referee - monitors space between cyclists, monitors for two way communications, etc.

The issue I still have, given our current technology, is I see nothing wrong with putting a device - SPOT GPS, iPhone w/ find friends, Strava, - in your seat bag to transmit location data to friends and family.  I get it that this is technically illegal.  I'm also realistic that this is very unlikely to be caught and penalized.  Purists against it call it 'cheating'.  Golfers for it call it 'winter rules'.  

Personally I'm ok with carrying a phone which transmits location and time (not actively using it, no music, no texts, etc.).  I don't see any advantage to me.  I would only do it as a benefit/entertainment for my friends and family.  I'm interpreting the rule, based on the spirit of the rule, as 'ok, as there is no direct benefit to the athlete'.  And I don't have an entourage - maybe one sherpa, maybe 2-3 online fans, on race day.

If I hired 100 people to line the course and post my location and time to a website as I passed, this would technically be allowed, right? (absurd, I know)

I appreciate your comments, for or against, as I'm thinking through this issue.

I still think it would be very cool to have an event and require everyone to carry a device running an app which uploads their location, time and HR.  You could replay the results, by age group, minute by minute, and see where you got beat, or where you moved up.