Cycling is one of the most demanding of sports to time given the speed and volume of riders in a bunch sprint. It is also a sport that is growing in popularity and varies in type from road racing to mountain biking and down-hilling. RFID Race Timing Systems has two solutions for cycling.

HDD System

Many large cycling events have been timed using the HDD System with the transponder being worn either on the ankle or using a special bike frame clip. The HDD mats are very thin and present no discernable bump when ridden over at high speed. A main and backup line is used to capture 99.9% of riders at any speed and mats can be customised to extend as much as 12m across the road using two HDD systems. By far the biggest timed bike race using our HDD equipment is the Cape Argus Cycle Tour in South Africa that boasts a field of over 40,000 road cyclists. Our customer Racetec has ordered more HDD Systems for other cycle events in 2009/10.

Ultra System

Our new UHF timing solution is ideal for cycling where disposable or short term use transponders are sought. The Ultra System has been used at recent MTB events in Australia and passed with flying colours. The Battery Assisted Passive (BAP) tags can be placed behind the race number plate or on the seat post and have excellent read rates in wet and muddy conditions. The lifespan of the BAP also means that clubs can get into UHF technology and distribute both race plate and transponder for the season at very little cost. Stay tuned for a new RFID solution for downhill mountain biking in 2010 which gives 1/1000 timing accuracy along with the convenience of knowing instantly who is crossing the finish line at any given time.