Question:

Does silk screening not work on technical fabrics?

With the correct ink it works. Apparently all inks won’t, though.   — Robert, who has it arranged to do just that for an upcoming race and is now concerned that he’s wasting his money.

Don’t worry, our club has had them made and they have lasted.  But it’s the ink, apparently. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Operating Traffic Lights Crossbucks Special Effects Lighting http://www.ironpeng.com/ipe

Response:

Hi, Mike, 1) Do you take computer images and screen them onto shirts? (One shop used an iron-on that they called a "heat transfer system" and it took a while for them to say that.) The heat transfer method is probably the least desirable, though probably the cheapest. They wash out fairly fast and the colors usually aren’t as bright to begin with. However, you can also do these yourself at home with a computer and a color printer.  I’ve done two Ironpenguin shirts that way and they’re really not all that bad.

I’ve done a few home-grown t’s but I thought the failure was my fault. So, I’ll blame it on the technology! Screening is the next most desirable, with sublimating <sp the most permanent and expensive. Most race t’s you get are silk screened. Sublimating is what you see on the really fancy bike/triathlon jerseys. It’s permanent and works on Coolmax and other wicking materials.

Neat stuff. Thanks! None of the t-shirt shops talked about sublimating. You learn something new every day. I’d also like it if they could put the r.r stuff over the manufacturer’s logo. I don’t know why but it lights my candle to buy something AND do their advertising. The good news is that the way I run, it’s not going to do their sales any good. Thanks, Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

Response:

Most race t’s you get are silk screened. Sublimating is what you see on the really fancy bike/triathlon jerseys. It’s permanent and works on Coolmax and other wicking materials.

Does silk screening not work on technical fabrics? — Robert, who has it arranged to do just that for an upcoming race and is now concerned that he’s wasting his money.

Response:

Hi, Chrystal, Layne you are hard on yourself, those are great questions to start with. Thanks for looking into this…

Thanks but I counted it as part of my manditory face to face time with other humans (after I got in a good run by myself <G). Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

Response:

Hi Layne, Just one small comment: All of them could take computer images. The image formats that all of them could use were GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and MS or Apple BMP (but not any other type of BMP). Four could handle PNG and PCX. A few could handle proprietary formats. I must have forgotten to ask if their software could handle GIFs legally. None of them knew their maximum file size but the two that let me see their systems were limited to 2G images or smaller. GIF and PNG are best for enlarging while JPEG and PCX are worst (converting a JPEG or PCX to GIF or PNG doesn’t help – it needs to start out as GIF or PNG).

When choosing an image format for "digital image transfer", you should prefer TIFF over anything else. TIFF is _the_ standard among DTP people, and can be read by _any_ program on the marked. It’s far the best format when comes to details, since it’s not compressing the image. It can contain true colors as well as lower numbers of colors (I guess it’s not really a problem since 3-6 colors is the target). The drawback is that a TIFF file gets really big, since it’s having _everything_ in it. I have some 600 dpi true color scanned 4×6 (10×15 cm) pictures, and they are about 25 MByte. Jpeg is "not good", since it’s a loosy compression scheme – you save the file and you loose parts of the information. PCX and GIF have they disadvantages. PNG – I can’t say, but for few colors "people" say it’s a good web format – not being a graphic professionals I haven’t found of a "web format" is less good than a "generic format"). Anyway, if you want to stay on the safe side – use TIFF. If you want to save space use Jpeg/Gif/Png … and forget most other formats. These 3 (4 minus gif) formats is basically supported by everyone on the planet, and there should be no real reson to coose among others. My 2c,   Martin

Response:

Hi, Martin, When choosing an image format for "digital image transfer", you should prefer TIFF over anything else. TIFF is _the_ standard among DTP people, and can be read by _any_ program on the marked. It’s far the best format when comes to details, since it’s not compressing the image. It can contain true colors as well as lower numbers of colors (I guess it’s not really a problem since 3-6 colors is the target). The drawback is that a TIFF file gets really big, since it’s having _everything_ in it. I have some 600 dpi true color scanned 4×6 (10×15 cm) pictures, and they are about 25 MByte.

Yep, I agree that TIFF is excellent for sports pics and that the size can be a problem. I’ve done a few layouts (no shirts) with digital pics taken with 3.3M and 5M cameras where GIF and PNG worked well. We even did one 8" x 10" using JPEG from a 5M Nikon and it wasn’t bad. It seems that the problem arises when we try to enlarge an image since, as you said, JPEG loses information when it’s enlarged while GIF, PNG, and TIFF and retain the info up to their max size. Thanks, Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

Response:

1) Do you take computer images and screen them onto shirts? (One shop used an iron-on that they called a "heat transfer system" and it took a while for them to say that.)

The heat transfer method is probably the least desirable, though probably the cheapest. They wash out fairly fast and the colors usually aren’t as bright to begin with. However, you can also do these yourself at home with a computer and a color printer.  I’ve done two Ironpenguin shirts that way and they’re really not all that bad. Screening is the next most desirable, with sublimating <sp the most permanent and expensive. Most race t’s you get are silk screened. Sublimating is what you see on the really fancy bike/triathlon jerseys. It’s permanent and works on Coolmax and other wicking materials. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Operating Traffic Lights Crossbucks Special Effects Lighting http://www.ironpeng.com/ipe

Response:

I talked to people in 5 local t-shirt shops today (yes, talked to strangers face to face <G). This info is definitely local and will certainly vary from area to area – country to country. I know absolutely nothing about screening or clothing materials (but I learned a bunch today) so I’m sure that I missed some questions I should have asked. All of them could take computer images. The image formats that all of them could use were GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and MS or Apple BMP (but not any other type of BMP). Four could handle PNG and PCX. A few could handle proprietary formats. I must have forgotten to ask if their software could handle GIFs legally. None of them knew their maximum file size but the two that let me see their systems were limited to 2G images or smaller. GIF and PNG are best for enlarging while JPEG and PCX are worst (converting a JPEG or PCX to GIF or PNG doesn’t help – it needs to start out as GIF or PNG). The pricing for all shops was based on the number of colors and ranged from $10US to $20US per color for a one-off shirt. None of the shops would talk about their maximum number of colors (weird since most shops I’ve heard of will do 5 or 6) and recommended nothing more than 3. Three suggested 2 colors and two suggested 3 colors. All had software that would reduce colors automagically (they would also allow user override). None of the shops wanted to talk about bulk pricing until the colors and the quantity had been discussed. All would provide cotton t’s/sweatshirts and would do shirts that were brought to them. None of them had heard of CoolMax but would be glad to look at the material (I should have taken a singlet with me). Two shops were not sure that the colors would last on some kinds of materials. For those who will be looking for a shop, here are the questions I asked. If people would like to add to them, please do. 1) Do you take computer images and screen them onto shirts? (One shop used an iron-on that they called a "heat transfer system" and it took a while for them to say that.) 2) Do you accept shirts I provide or do you require that I use your shirts? 3) Can you handle wicking types of materials like CoolMax? (I should have come up with a better way of phrasing this but nothing came to mind.) 4) What is your pricing policy for bulk screenings? 5) Do you screen text separately from images? (This was a really, really dumb question since the text would be part of the image. Duh.) It’s a start. Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

Response:

Layne you are hard on yourself, those are great questions to start with. Thanks for looking into this…

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I talked to people in 5 local t-shirt shops today (yes, talked to strangers face to face <G). This info is definitely local and will certainly vary from area to area – country to country. I know absolutely nothing about screening or clothing materials (but I learned a bunch today) so I’m sure that I missed some questions I should have asked. All of them could take computer images. The image formats that all of them could use were GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and MS or Apple BMP (but not any other type of BMP). Four could handle PNG and PCX. A few could handle proprietary formats. I must have forgotten to ask if their software could handle GIFs legally. None of them knew their maximum file size but the two that let me see their systems were limited to 2G images or smaller. GIF and PNG are best for enlarging while JPEG and PCX are worst (converting a JPEG or PCX to GIF or PNG doesn’t help – it needs to start out as GIF or PNG). The pricing for all shops was based on the number of colors and ranged from $10US to $20US per color for a one-off shirt. None of the shops would talk about their maximum number of colors (weird since most shops I’ve heard of will do 5 or 6) and recommended nothing more than 3. Three suggested 2 colors and two suggested 3 colors. All had software that would reduce colors automagically (they would also allow user override). None of the shops wanted to talk about bulk pricing until the colors and the quantity had been discussed. All would provide cotton t’s/sweatshirts and would do shirts that were brought to them. None of them had heard of CoolMax but would be glad to look at the material (I should have taken a singlet with me). Two shops were not sure that the colors would last on some kinds of materials. For those who will be looking for a shop, here are the questions I asked. If people would like to add to them, please do. 1) Do you take computer images and screen them onto shirts? (One shop used an iron-on that they called a "heat transfer system" and it took a while for them to say that.) 2) Do you accept shirts I provide or do you require that I use your shirts? 3) Can you handle wicking types of materials like CoolMax? (I should have come up with a better way of phrasing this but nothing came to mind.) 4) What is your pricing policy for bulk screenings? 5) Do you screen text separately from images? (This was a really, really dumb question since the text would be part of the image. Duh.) It’s a start. Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at

http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

Question:

This is from Sunday’s (20 May 2001) North (San Diego) County Times newspaper… Competitor dies in bicycle accident during grueling Ironman event ERIN WALSH Staff Writer OCEANSIDE —- An international triathlon that brought 10,000 spectators and 1,700 competitors to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base on Saturday ended in tragedy for one competitor who died in a cycling accident in the middle of the race. Triathlete Perry A. Rendina, 45, of Shalersville, Ohio died Saturday afternoon competing in the Ironman California Triathlon.  Most spectators and competitors did not know about the accident until witnesses crossed the finish line in the evening. More at http://www.nctimes.com/news/2001/20010520/64153.html

Response:

Very tragic news.    When accidents like these happen to fellow Triathletes it brings reality home.   Please never forget that what we do in training and racing can be dangerous.   I know that after miles and miles of training some things are taken for granted.   Equipment safety and riding caution must be an integral part of every day for all of us.  Let Perry’s tragic ending be an unforgotten lesson .   Check every inch of your equipment with a magnifying glass on a regular basis.   Train and race within safe limits what ever they are.   Placing high in your age group is secondary,  Safety is paramount. My sincerest condolences to Perry’s family.   May he rest in peace and help provide direction for the rest of us.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is from Sunday’s (20 May 2001) North (San Diego) County Times newspaper… Competitor dies in bicycle accident during grueling Ironman event ERIN WALSH Staff Writer OCEANSIDE —- An international triathlon that brought 10,000 spectators and 1,700 competitors to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base on Saturday ended in tragedy for one competitor who died in a cycling accident in the middle of the race. Triathlete Perry A. Rendina, 45, of Shalersville, Ohio died Saturday afternoon competing in the Ironman California Triathlon.  Most spectators and competitors did not know about the accident until witnesses crossed the finish line in the evening. More at http://www.nctimes.com/news/2001/20010520/64153.html

Response:

Question:

Daniel Thoughts as they came to me. I’d suggest looking at other sites which have e commerce facilities. Look at the layout and use of colour. Try www.amazon.co.uk although you’re aiming for a different market with triathletes. A lot of sites are using non serifed fonts like verdana. Easier to read on a screen. Think about reducing the size of the "logo". 30K??? Divide the text into shorter, narrower paragraphs. Use more hyperlinks. Have links to all pages on all pages. Adjust the scanned images in Photoshop. They’re rather "dull" (Check your mailbox) Have thumbnails, it’s a pain to wait for a page of 30kb plus images to dl. No everyone has a T1 Put the kit on models? Use a web design bureau? Well, you did ask. Nice to see TF online at last. Philip Squire MCP IM http://w1.116.telia.com/~u11602093/home.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi I have helped setup a new triathlon online shop called Total Fitness. It supply’s a full range of triathlone equipment. As this shop is aimed at the people using this newsgroup I was wondering if some of you could have a look and comment on the products, prices, structure, etc. The link is :- http://www.smarte.net/triathlon_online_shop.htm Thanks for your help Daniel Embleton

Response:

Hi I have helped setup a new triathlon online shop called Total Fitness. It supply’s a full range of triathlone equipment. As this shop is aimed at the people using this newsgroup I was wondering if some of you could have a look and comment on the products, prices, structure, etc. The link is :- http://www.smarte.net/triathlon_online_shop.htm Thanks for your help Daniel Embleton

Response:

I’ve been waiting for TF to go online, off for a look at the site. Oops "couldn’t connect to server" at 18:25 CET Philip Squire MCP IM http://w1.116.telia.com/~u11602093/home.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi I have helped setup a new triathlon online shop called Total Fitness. It supply’s a full range of triathlone equipment. As this shop is aimed at the people using this newsgroup I was wondering if some of you could have a look and comment on the products, prices, structure, etc. The link is :- http://www.smarte.net/triathlon_online_shop.htm Thanks for your help Daniel Embleton

Response:

Question:

Hi, I’m looking for a pink running short. It seems very hard to find. I would prefer a satin short, but everything else would be ok. I’ve been in all the sport shops around here and have been surching the internet to find a shop which would sell it, but with no success. A pink short looks so common, but … Maybe pink isn’t "in" anymore. Does someone have the address of a shop (on internet would be easier) that sells them ? Thanks in advance.   Floris.

Response:

They have a hot pink short. Their mailing address is: Florida Running and Triathlon, 8640 Tansy Dr., Orlando, FL 32819 USA and the phone number is 407-352-9131. Good luck and good running! You won’t be missed in these shorts! Chuck

Response:

Question:

RST,    Here’s the e-mail addresses for Triathlete magazine & subscription. Take one step beyond flaming them here in RST and bitch to’em directly about how the magazine comes later than on the newstands. I am. Chaz

Response:

RST,    Here’s the e-mail addresses for Triathlete magazine & subscription. Take one step beyond flaming them here in RST and bitch to’em directly about how the magazine comes later than on the newstands. I am. Chaz

I’ve been trying to hold back on adding my 2 cents but I couldn’t resist any longer. If you think YOU get the magazine late, I wouldn’t even want to begin to tell you how long it takes to get paid. AND I have been writing since 1994 and I’m still NOT on the comp subscription list. I go to the newstand on campus and stand there to read my own articles to make sure it came out okay. I refuse to buy a magazine I contribute to. However, in defence for the mag, I know they moved operations to LaJolla and I believe that is the reason the Oct issue was delayed. I think things are moving forward. Perhaps they can get that Public Relations person to respond to the concerns of the triathlon public instead of releasing info telling us how subscriptions are up.                                              o Lisa Lynam                                  < /           / TRI IT Communications               –0    /          /     48 Longwood Rd. S                (*)/ (*)             /  TRI   Web: http://www.retailbiz.com/lisa.html "Our greatest glory consists NOT in never falling, but in RISING each time we fall."         Olympic Rower Silken Lauman’s favorite quote

Response:

Question:

I’ve never done a triathlon before, but plan to try one in June.  I’m a pretty good swimmer (good form at least) in the pool, but I’m afraid I’ll have problems with the waves in open water.  I don’t want to practice in the lakes because I know a girl that was hit by a boat and paralyzed.  What’s the best way to prepare myself for the open water while practicing in the pool.  (i.e. Should I always lift my head and look straight ahead to practice sighting the finish?  Should I wear something to increase the drag to improve my strength?) Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks.

One thing I have those I coach do is swim head-up as a drill every other workout.  It helps especially those who usually don’t have high head position, but it also builds strength and gets you used to the mess that the initial start can be. I always used to be surprised how much head-up swimming I do in the first 200m of tris.  Now, I’m more comfortable, though getting kicked in the face at Chicago (requiring stitches) keeps me from ever being too content.   One thing to keep in mind: with a wetsuit, head-up swimming isn’t as hard, so practicing sans wetsuit will be more difficult. If you are a good swimmer, the head-up practice might allow you to clear the mess quickly and make the first pack. One more thing: try to practice in 50m pools if you can.  Halving the turns exposes all your weaknesses, which is a good thing . Good luck, Vaughn — Vaughn Cooper PSSB A364 Michigan State University E. Lansing, MI 48824

Response:

I’ve never done a triathlon before, but plan to try one in June.  I’m a pretty good swimmer (good form at least) in the pool, but I’m afraid I’ll have problems with the waves in open water.  I don’t want to practice in the lakes because I know a girl that was hit by a boat and paralyzed.  What’s the best way to prepare myself for the open water while practicing in the pool.  (i.e. Should I always lift my head and look straight ahead to practice sighting the finish?  Should I wear something to increase the drag to improve my strength?) Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks.

I think you’ll find it easier than you imagine. Since you’ve been concentrating on form, you’ll go relatively straight, reducing the need for navigation. (Every 6-10 strokes might be reasonable.) And good body position stroke allow one to look forward without raising the head too much. That said, a wetsuit would be a real confidence builder. You float so much higher in the water that waves are less of a problem, and looking forward becomes very easy. About the only thing I’ve found it worthwhile to practice in the pool is breathing on either side. (I don’t bilateral breathe; it’s too long between breaths for me to stay relaxed and well oxygenated.) With the ability to breathe on either side, you can adapt for wave direction and course markers. Other than that, I train until I can comfortably do 1-1/2 times race distance. That way, I know on race day that it’s no problem. The nice thing about the swim leg of a triathlon versus practicing in open water is that there’s so much company. (Well, that can be a negative if overdone.;) The trick (occasionally realized) is to find someone who goes straight, navigates well, and swims about your speed. Then just hang about a foot behind his or her toes. The final, and maybe most important, thing to remember about the swim is that the race is _never_ won there. I think of it as a warm-up for biking and running–the goal being to get through without expending much energy. (This is probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, since I’m a slow but dogged swimmer–as opposed to being a slow but not dogged runner.) Anyhow, good luck, and keep us posted. David Schoonmaker

Response:

Could you get somebody with a boat or a canoe to ride next to you in the lake? It would make your swimming there safer. I made the jump without too much problem. Lifting my head up every 30 seconds or so is what I do in a race, I already swim looking forward, so just picking up the head isn’t too bad. Also I try to (when possible) orient myself with the course and shoreline distance and try to keep that about the same, and check on it every breath or so. I never realized how much looking around I could do while doing normal breathing until I was forced to. Getting a tri-wetsuit helps immensely, the extra floatation is wonderful, and when you get people grabbing at your feet you need every bit you can get. The worst for me is the crowds at the start. Try starting in the back if it’s not a wave start, and out to the side. You can swim outside the "pack" and avoid most collisions with other swimmers. I hate swimming over top of others, but truthfully it’s usually others swimming over top of me. I also notice in an open water swim that I’m crampy/sore at the beginning for 6-8 minutes, then it goes away. I never notice this in the pool. I’m sure it happens, I just don’t notice. Always have this temptation to start looking for the safety boat, then realize I must be a loser and go on. Good luck. It’s not that bad. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’ve never done a triathlon before, but plan to try one in June.  I’m a pretty good swimmer (good form at least) in the pool, but I’m afraid I’ll have problems with the waves in open water.  I don’t want to practice in the lakes because I know a girl that was hit by a boat and paralyzed.  What’s the best way to prepare myself for the open water while practicing in the pool.  (i.e. Should I always lift my head and look straight ahead to practice sighting the finish?  Should I wear something to increase the drag to improve my strength?) Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks.  

Response:

To go from the pool to the open water, some factors need to be addressed: 1) Less-than-perfect conditions of open water vs. perfect conditions of the pool; 2) Sighting and navigating in open water 3) Keeping your stroke straight in open water vs. relying on lane lines in the pool. 4) Fear factor of open water swimming. For #1, strength training in the pool is a must. I’ve discovered that a good, strong, sound stroke in the pool translates well in open water. I’ve have some pretty big waves slamming me in some races, but it didn’t affect my stroke. Strength is key. For #2, the sighting requires you to lift your head out of the water to look. This does require more energy expenditure, so you need to practice this. In the pool, I place two brightly colored kickboards on each side of the lane I’m in. On every 4-6 strokes, I lift my head out of the water and try to focus my sight on the boards. Focusing is just as important as lifing the head; sometimes, when my concentration lapses a little, I just lift the head and nothing else. That is wrong. You will need to focus in a race, so try to do it in the pool. For #3, like I said, lifting your head requires some effort. So, the result is that you want to sight as little as possible. That means you need to stay straight for those times that you are not lifting your head. This was a problem of mine in my early years as a triathlete. without the lane line on the bottom, if you favor one arm, you can literally swim in circles. I took advice from an early issue of Triathlete Magazine got splendid results. The trick is to close your eyes in the as you push off the wall. Keep them closed as you swim. Put tissues in your goggles if you tend to "cheat". You know you’re not swimming straight when you get tangled up in the lane lines! After repeating the workout over and over, you start to compensate little by little until you’re actually swimming straight. For #4, a lot of people have this innate fear of swimming. This is emphasized in the open water. If you do go open water swimming, bring a buddy with you always. It’s much safer. Aside from that, the only way to alleve yourself of this fear is to just go out there and do it. After a number of open water swims, the fear should subside. Hope this helps. — "Iron Pete" Priolo IMC’96: 10:36:37 IMC’97: 10:42:53 ‘98 Gulf Coast Tri, IMC’98

Response:

Question:

Right you are. Spending more time on your bike vs. getting a new bike. I did my second tri this past weekend and I’m spending this first tri season on a converted mountain bike that weighs about 20 pounds. It doesn’t seem to matter what the type of bike is, but the rider instead. I can’t tell you how many Roos, Softrides, Felts, etc. that I passed, but every time I passed one of em’ I made sure to give it a little extra speed. I’m thinking of putting a little sign on the back of the seat that says "MOUNTAIN BIKE". Next year I’ll have a Kestrel. Wonder if any mountain bikes will pass me? Probably. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello everybody, I just thought I would let everyone know I finished my first triathlon yesterday. Need to spend more time on my bike as I was rather slow Rather depressing when mountain bikes are passing you. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me with replies to my questions that I posted. BTW, does anyone know of where I can get the book "Triathlons for Women" (I think that is what it is called) in Atlanta, GA, or of a good book shop that stocks triathlon and other sport training books. Looking forward to my next tri.  Thanks in advance. Alison. —

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello everybody, I just thought I would let everyone know I finished my first triathlon yesterday. Need to spend more time on my bike as I was rather slow Rather depressing when mountain bikes are passing you. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me with replies to my questions that I posted. BTW, does anyone know of where I can get the book "Triathlons for Women" (I think that is what it is called) in Atlanta, GA, or of a good book shop that stocks triathlon and other sport training books. Looking forward to my next tri.  Thanks in advance. Alison. —

Congratulations!  I too am quite slow on the bike and get routinely passed by mountain bikes.  Check out http://www.amazon.com.  I recently ordered "Paula Newby-Fraser’s Peak Fitness for Women" and "Time-Saving Training for Multisport Athletes" from them.  Haven’t read through the books yet, so I can’t comment on them but Amazon was an easy way to find the books.  They can also do a search on related topics after you’ve found a book so this may lead you to some other titles. It is a great feeling to finish your first tri though, isn’t it? Nancy

Response:

Hello everybody, I just thought I would let everyone know I finished my first triathlon yesterday. Need to spend more time on my bike as I was rather slow Rather depressing when mountain bikes are passing you. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me with replies to my questions that I posted. BTW, does anyone know of where I can get the book "Triathlons for Women" (I think that is what it is called) in Atlanta, GA, or of a good book shop that stocks triathlon and other sport training books. Looking forward to my next tri.  Thanks in advance. Alison. —

Response:

Hello everybody, I just thought I would let everyone know I finished my first triathlon yesterday. Need to spend more time on my bike as I was rather slow Rather depressing when mountain bikes are passing you.

Don’t worry about those mountain bikes, some of those riders are darn good!  I’ve given up hope of matching some of them.  I used to pretend all the riders are younger than me but those grey beards keep passing me by. Aim to do the best that YOU can do and let the rest of the field do their own thing.  This way you will progress up the result sheet just as quickly, without the depression on the way up. Well done. Jeff — |At work:        Phone: +64-9-424 5388      Fax:    +64-21-785 097 | |   Program Development/Client Support      Mobile: +64-21-635 185 | |   Aspect Systems Ltd                                             | |   Specialists in software for Real Estate and Human Resources    | |At home:                                   Phone:  +64-9-424 0336 | |   Husband, Dad, Grandad                                          | |   Enthusiastic but slow triathlete                               | |   Justice of the Peace                                           |

Response:

Question:

I am sure that there were a number of corporate/sponsor problems that led to the demise of the race. However, the bottom line is that cycling just like triathlon and just like any sport other than baseball, football, hockey, basketball, golf and possibly tennis, is a very tough sell in North America. "Show me the Money"!! Steve Fleck

Response:

Is it because the chairman/owner of Du Pont is in jail for the murder of the US Olympic wrestler??

No.  From what I remember, the DuPont corporation was ready to sponsor the race again, but the management company (the folks that actually run the race) had changed, and was unable to get organized in time to put the race together. Chuck Berghoefer

Response:

| | | Is it because the chairman/owner of Du Pont is in jail for the murder of | the US Olympic wrestler?? | No.  It was more like DuPont (the company) didn’t quite see things eye-to-eye with Mike Plant the organizer.  rec.bicycles.racing could probably give you a more detailed answer. Fred

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Velonews covered the demise of DuPont about as well as anyone.  There were several factors, including a rift between Mike Plant and Billy Packer, the events creators.  Plant left his company, Medalist Sports, the Richmond-based race organizing and promotion company, to take a job with Turner Sports related to the Goodwill Games.  Many delays and much confusion followed this and much of the structure that held the race in place began to tumble.  The final straw was when title sponsor, DuPont, pulled 1/3 of the budget money.  No single person is really to blame, it was more of a series of events that led to the demise of America’s most important cycling event.  DuPont is certainly NOT to blame.  Their sponsorship of world class cycling in this country has been tremendous and as many of us know, their development of many state-of-the-art cycling innovations helps to make us faster. At first I thought the original posting was some kind of a joke.  I almost responded with, "Yeah, and how is Motorola doing in the Spring Classics?" Dave

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Does anyone know when this race will be held this year. I thought it was usually in May. John

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| Does anyone know when this race will be held this year. I thought it was | usually in May. | | John The TDP is history …

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| Does anyone know when this race will be held this year. I thought it was | usually in May. | | John The TDP is history …

Is it because the chairman/owner of Du Pont is in jail for the murder of the US Olympic wrestler??

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Hi, Would it be possible if someone tapes the CoreStates race for the Philly area to make a copy  for me??? Last year someone was kind enough to tape the race (full race coverage) and send me a copy! I have lost that persons address and would really love to have a copy of the race when it happens! Anyone who is planning on taping the race??? Would it be possible to get a copy??? Thanks in advance for your help!  I attend this race annually and beacuse of problems I cannot attend this year! Please help a fellow fan out if possible! Clint Kronenberger Sr. 941-566-3646

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Question:

Last I heard, the kid driving did have a learner’s permit (contrary to original reports) and was not being charged with anything.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Two questions: 2)  Have the Md. police arrested the kid and/or Dad responsible for Judy Flannery’s death?  What’s the investigation’s status? Thanks.

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Last I heard, the kid driving did have a learner’s permit (contrary to original reports) and was not being charged with anything.

How can that be?  I would think that someone crossing the yellow line to the other side and then killing someone would be charge with vehicular homicide.  Just doesn’t sound right. — gil gilliland "The greatest threats to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."

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Two questions: 1)  Who won the old guys’ competition at Wildflower?  Scott?  Tinley? 2)  Have the Md. police arrested the kid and/or Dad responsible for Judy Flannery’s death?  What’s the investigation’s status? Thanks.

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Scott Tinley won, Dave Scott had a bum ankle, I think, and had to pull out.  Here are the Masters results… Wildflower Long Course Triathlon Legends/Masters 05/03/97* Race Div * Place Pl# Name Town Age Time Div Pace Bib# * 1 1 Scott Tinley Del Mar 40 4:24:45 M 99&U 3:45 50 2 2 Moats Atlanta GA 42 4:29:22 M 99&U 3:49 62 3 3 Mack Martin Pittsburgh PA 42 4:33:02 M 99&U 3:53 47 4 4 Mark Montgomery Encinitas 41 4:39:48 M 99&U 3:58 52 5 5 Don Anderson Mountain View 45 4:55:02 M 99&U 4:11 54 6 6 Michael Schlier Ogden UT 41 5:15:50 M 99&U 4:29 66 7 7 Mike Kraus Solvang 47 6:06:19 M 99&U 5:12 59 8 8 Bill Bell Palm Desert 74 7:52:19 M 99&U 6:43 48 The Carmel Group "Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win."  R.A.H.

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Question:

: Our wetsuits are advertised as 4.5mm, but are actually 5.0mm Why do you advertise imprecisely?   Just wondering.

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<<Why do you advertise imprecisely?   Just wondering. It’s kind of a money thing.  We technically buy and pay for 4.5mm rubber from our rubber manufacturer that we use for this specific type of rubber.  We give him specs that we want, which happen to be 5mm.  He builds us the rubber to our specs.  It’s a weird business thing that has evolved over many years with this rubber supplier.  However, since the invoices say 4.5mm, we feel it only appropriate to put this on our catalogs. QRman

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<<Seriously, what is the density range of rubber used in wetsuits?  What <<kind of tradeoff is there between density/pliability and other important <<factors ? So long as the rubber is durable there is no downside to rubber which is lighter and more pliable.  It floats higher, it stretches more, and generally yields a wetsuit more comfortable for the given amount of rubber. We designate certain parts of our wetsuit "float panels", and most of the chest, upper torso, and legs are what we wish to float.  This rubber will be about 5mm thick in our suits, and will be made of rubber which has a specific gravity of .15, which means about one-sixth the density of water.  Standard neoprene has a specific gravity of about .20 to .25, which is from one-fifth to one-fourth the density of water.   QRman

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I was interested in buying a Richard Brown hammerhead wetsuit. As this is my first triathlon wetsuit do you think their is a big difference between a 4mm thick suit and a 5mm suit. Will I notice a signifigant difference ? Note I am of average swimming ability, i do tend to drag my legs somewhat though.                      Tired of freezing my unmentionables off . — Paul Yeung                                  

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<<I was interested in buying a Richard Brown hammerhead wetsuit. As this << <<is my first triathlon wetsuit do you think their is a big difference << <<between a 4mm thick suit and a 5mm suit. Will I notice a signifigant << <<difference ? Note I am of average swimming ability, i do tend to drag my << <<legs somewhat though. depends on what kind of rubber it is.  if it is light density rubber, it would be fine.  if regular density, it’ll be warm enough but not quite as fast.  we advertise ours as 4.5mm light density rubber in the areas where flotation is greatest, but ours is really 5mm.  5mm sections in the front of the suit will really float you if the rubber is light density, however, frankly, there is only one rubber manufacturer in the world who really makes bona-fide light density rubber, and richard browne does not use it. i believe his wetsuits are made by sheiko, as are peformance’ wetsuits, and these taiwanese-made wetsuits are okay, however sheiko won’t make a wetsuit for you unless you use their proprietary rubber, which is very good rubber, but not up to the technical specs of some of the other rubber manufacturers. this does help keep the price of the richard brown and the performance wetsuit down, however.  most of our rubber is japanese, and the strength of the yen is killing us.  we are about to raise our prices by 10-15% to compensate for it, which will hit the consumers in a few weeks.  i doubt that those manufacturers who are using taiwanese rubber will have to undergo a similar price increase. qrMAN

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<<I was interested in buying a Richard Brown hammerhead wetsuit. As this << <<is my first triathlon wetsuit do you think their is a big difference << <<between a 4mm thick suit and a 5mm suit. Will I notice a signifigant << <<difference ? Note I am of average swimming ability, i do tend to drag my << <<legs somewhat though. << <<                     Tired of freezing my unmentionables off . You should first make sure your unquestionables are covered sufficiently.   Above and beyond that, you should consider where the thick rubber is, and if that suits your style of swimming.  Our wetsuits are advertised as 4.5mm, but are actually 5.0mm, and are of a lighter density rubber than the Richard Browne, so they float higher still.  You should also consider where it is you sink, which is in your case the legs.  Therefore, your particular suit should have thick rubber from your knees down.  The lighter density rubber we use is also more pliable, and so you can have upwards of 5.0mm of rubber in your ankles and the wetsuit, when wet, will still come off easily.  A standard density rubber in that thickness would be difficult to get off your ankles. I’m being so gosh darn blatant right now.  I should be flamed for this. Kazez, please flame me. QRman

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: I’m being so gosh darn blatant right now.  I should be flamed for this. : Kazez, please flame me. : QRman qRmaN, Innies don’t get flamed.  Just to be sure, we’ll make you lift        up your shirt at Wildflower. Eric

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<— blantant commercial stuff deleted  —- The lighter density rubber we use is also more pliable, and so you can have upwards of 5.0mm of rubber in your ankles and the wetsuit, when wet, will still come off easily.  A standard density rubber in that thickness would be difficult to get off your ankles.

Seriously, what is the density range of rubber used in wetsuits?  What kind of tradeoff is there between density/pliability and other important factors ? Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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