Age Standards: Various Charts Generated

In order to give plausible age standard times for the various Australian pursuit road races in the BCMCA schedule it is necessary to use a set of different charts. The principles behind each chart remain the same. As base time estimate the time the hypothetical ‘average’ 35 year old male would take who can do a 10 mile individual time trial in 24 minutes (VTTA standard) Then derive the standards for 45, 55, 65, etc, by adding on the traditional BCMCA starting gaps, viz. 3, 4, 5, minutes respectively. Following my suggestion add 7, 9, and 11 minutes respectively to derive the standards for 75, 85, and 95.

For the current (2005 – 2010) BCMCA road races in range of distance/duration a set of 5 age standard charts for group racing is necessary and sufficient. The basic chart is that for approximately 64 k (40 miles) - Maple Bay, Cedar/Yellow Point N. – i.e. a duration for Derek Tripp (age 60) or David Mercer (age 67) of about 1-50-00. Some courses will be about 5% shorter (distance/duration), e.g. Metchosin – Derek Tripp (age 60) time circa 1-45-0. Some 5% longer, e.g. 2010 Cobble Hill – D.T. (D.M.) time c. 1-55-0. Some 10% longer – D.T. (D.M.) time c. 2-0-0. Some 15% longer, e.g. Penticton – D.T. time c. 2-5-0. Call the basic Maple Bay chart B. The 5% shorter chart is A, the 5% longer, 10% longer, and 15% longer charts are C, D, and E respectively.

Charts A, C, D, and E are derived straightforwardly from the basic B chart. Take the appropriate percentage of the B 35 year old, 45, 55, etc. times. Take the appropriate percentage of the B yearly increments for each 10 year age group. (34 – 30 years have progressively less increments than 35 –39 in keeping with VTTA standards.)

Outside the range of 5% shorter than 64 k Maple Bay/ D.T.Time 1-50-0 – 15% longer it is no longer reasonable to employ the customary BCMCA 10 year start gaps of 7 minutes (70s after 80s), 6 minutes (60s after 70s), 5 minutes (50s after 60s), 4 minutes (40s after 50s), and 3 minutes (30s after 40s). Outside the range 5% shorter – 15% longer than base it is necessary to use different 10 year start gaps.