"You can keep your nice, your leisurely and your convenience" Mike Hall 2016
The North Star Bicycle Race is a contest of endurance and sportsmanship. Riders must act in the spirit of self- sufficiency, equal opportunity for all racers and, to be done, with integrity and gratitude. The NSBR is an old fashion solo, unsupported road race with no cause nor commercial angle. It is a battle! And whether riders wage that battle against time, mother nature, friend, foe, or innocent stranger... it's all good here. Celebrate yourself, keep it clean and let's all come out pedaling.
Etiquette
1. Act with class.
2. Check emotions before responding to bystanders and especially cars. Consider the next cyclist and how your behavior will affect how they are treated. This is a matter of life and death.
3. Take a moment to enjoy the unique out & back experience by cheering for your fellow savages and taunting your friends. Whether an across the road rolling high five or a trail side hangout it's cool to be out there both solo and all in it together.
Understandings
Understand that solo & unsupported are intertwined. Racing without assistance is ancient and the aim.
1. Support allowed from commercial businesses open to the general public. It's good to support these local businesses. Tip well.
2. Support allowed from friends, family and dot watchers via encouragement and cheers.
2. Race to protect yourself and honor all unsupported races.
3. Racers alone are responsible for their safety.
5. Racers alone are responsible for communicating with their people.
6. GPS trackers must always be on and tracking...this is how we race. Bring back up lithium ion batteries. Online GPS tracking is not intended to ensure rider safety. It is for racing, validation of course compliance and entertainment. If bad luck strikes and your tracker breaks or is lost... you are no longer competing fairly with the other racers and will not be included within the ranked finishing order. However... keep photos, receipts and/ or data to verify course completion and finishing time. Providing this proof will guarantee that you and your time are included as a honorable finisher in the overall results. Honorable finishers are not eligible for course records.
7. Racers are responsible to self report, in writing, violations to the expected NSBR behavior. Reporting must be done within 72 hours of finishing and include a timeline of the incident emailed to the NSBR. Racers who entered as Solo but finished not solo must report. Racers who fail to report will be disqualified and denied entries to future NSBR's.
Solo & Unsupported
1. Complete the full route, out & back, under your own power.
2. No material or physical support, no private intelligence, no accepting handouts from "trail angels", no professional coach communication,
3. No caches. No dropping off of anything while traveling North with the intent to be picked up again on the return South. No unloading of anything onto Dot watchers with the intent to be regained after the race.
4. No drafting other racers for efficiency either by sitting in a slipstream or shelter from the storm.
5. No windshields or air foils.
6. Do not put other racers in an awkward position or encourage trail angels by begging in private conversations or social media.
7. No riding with others for comfort or convenience.
8. Racers will, at times, find themselves riding alongside others. Racers cannot commit to riding with others. Racers must separate themselves either by attack or by agreement before the finish.
Minimum Racer Safety Requirements (Racers are encouraged to go above and beyond like wearing glasses and reflective ankle bands.)
1. Helmet
2. 2 front white lights. 2 rear red lights. Both front lights must have separate power, both rear separate, one front and one rear may share a power source. At the minimum... 1 front & 1 rear should be on at night.
3. Upper body reflective vest or "vest." "Vest" example: Amphipod Xinglet. Vest designed to be worn over any other garment. (Battery aided reflective vests must remain reflective absent batteries. Any pack/s that may cover a portion of the vest must have reflective features.)
4. Reflective tape on back of both sides seat stays, front of both sides fork, 3 pieces tape each side of rim or cranks in rim brake situations.
5. Sticker or marker writing on bike stating your name & state of residence AND name & phone # of your emergency contact. Emergency contact must read and understand entire NSBR website.
NSBR 2022 Finishing Divisions
Ranked Finisher
Full solo and completely unsupported. Through perseverance and luck these racers did not accept support and raced in the spirit of solo. Ancient stuff. These racers set the standard and the records.
Honorable Finisher
Honorable Finishers are everything a Ranked Finisher is but unfortunately required support to finish. Honorably, they reported their support including a time line of the incident to the NSBR email within 72 hours of finishing. These finishers may also be racers whose tracker failed or was lost.
Not Solo Finisher
Not Solo Finishers ordered the NSBR but held the solo. Other races might call this a word that sounds like pears. At the NSBR it's the yin to the Solo yang. These racers are using Not Solo as a stepping stone to full solo, prefer it or were placed here by finishing not solo.
They are allowed to ride with others for comfort and convenience. They can commit to riding together. They can share hotel rooms with other racers. They are allowed to finish not solo.
Scratched
Racers who reported throwing in the towel.
Disqualified
Racers can be disqualified for not reporting support, intentional violations or poor sportsmanship.
Tolerated not encouraged:
- Making lodging reservations before start.
- Racers sharing room with family or friends in a hotel type arrangement. Racer must make reservation and payment.
In the event of a life and death emergency abandon all notions. Survive.
Above borrowed, adapted or otherwise inspired from; Transcontinental, Indian Pacific Wheel Race, Race to the Rock, Vendée Globe and #bemoremike.
All may be amended as needed and without notice. But let's try to keep it simple and with honor.
QUESTIONS? NorthStarBicycleRace@gmail.com
