How RFID Technology Can Aid Organise Timing For Your Bike Race
If you help organise a running or biking race, you have doubtless considered the right way to make your timing methods more efficient. At little or large races, timing can be done by people with stopwatches standing at the finish line. Except for high visibility races, there are too many finishers too near together, making it awfully difficult to record all finishing times correctly. Electronic timers are vital for giant races and the devices provide correct timing and address weaknesses found in normal timing.
Electronic timing systems are favorable for a considerable number of reasons. Finishing times can be available pretty much instantly, without any mistakes due to mystifying multiple-chute finishing areas. There will certainly be no mistakes due to runners wearing the incorrect number, or any due to runners who did not register for the event. There is totally no possibility of misidentifying runners who get out of order in the chutes. Last of all, the finishing area will be much less crowded.
There are 2 popular strategies for electronic timing : chips and the D-tag. These can be used by bicyclists, runners, tri-athletes, and even skiers.
A tiny, lightweight chip is worn by the sportsman on their shoelace or as an ankle bangle. The chip identifies each runner as they pass over a mat placed at the finish line of the race. More advanced chip timing systems will have strategically placed mats across the race. These systems can also forestall against cheating, compensate for slow start times due to crowded starting lines, and record split times correctly . The best thng about using a chip is that there are no batteries, the devices can be used repeatedly with highly correct timing.
D-tag is a more recent technology that is comprised of a light-weight throwaway timing tag that comes attached to your race number. You then peel the D-tag off your race number and loop it around your shoelaces, where it is fixed in position by adhesive. As you pass over cleverly placed mats, your times are recorded. It’s convenient ; the tag is thrown out when the race is completed.
Both timing systems are terribly accurate and work well – particularly when comparing to manual stopwatch timing. Depending on your race and what is crucial to you and your athletes, you might want to think about employing a chip or the D-tag.






