ABILITY OR AGE-BASED CATEGORIES???

The recent MIVA Masters' stage race was run as an ability-based event. Usually, the BCMCA runs it's races as age-based events. Our experiment worked very well as there were riders from 5 different age groups, including a woman, in the top eight places. Thus the ability-based route seems to be a good way to go in the future. Cycling BC, the Alberta Bicycle Association and the Ontario Cycling Association are all running many of their events as ability-based ones, with the opportunity for riders to move to higher or lower categories, based upon results.

However, there are complaints coming from some of the BCMCA members about moving away from the traditional age-based grouping.

we would like our readers to comment on this, citing their reasons for going ability-based or age-based. It should be noted that the main concerns were from riders who finished at the rear end of the field in last weeks stage race.