Overview

The BUMPS (Bike Up the Mountain Points Series) is the only series of its kind in America – a series that recognizes the talents of riders who do the hardest thing in cycling, climb steep hills. The series comprises nine races on eight mountains of the Northeast, on courses of varying lengths and pitches. Any rider who enters a BUMPS event will automatically be entered into the overall series points standings. There is no need to enter a separate BUMPS category. Riders will be scored according to their accumulated points in up to five races, and the totals of riders who enter more than five races will be determined by their best five scores.

As the season progresses, a leader’s jersey will be awarded to the overall series leader after each event. At season’s end, age group series winners, both men and women, will receive awards or prizes acknowledging their achievements as well.

The new series will not change the way in which each event has been run in the past. Each event will continue to be run by an independent organizer, and event formats and prizes will continue to be determined independently. BUMPS simply wants to bring added acknowledgment to riders who enjoy the challenge of climbing, especially those who do it well.

2011 was a great year for the BUMPS series and Hillclimb community.

We want 2012 to be even better.

****Points Scoring System changes for 2011.****

After much input from the racers the directors have reworked the scoring system to reduce the impact of the difficulty multipliers and associated costs.  Please note the changes below.

Mt. Washington Auto Road Race Hors Cat       1.2 multiplier*
Newton’s Revenge (Mt. Washington) Hors Cat 1.2 multiplier*

All other races will have no difficulty multiplier!!!

While recognizing  The Mt.  Washington Auto Road Race and Newtons Revenge as the respective King and Queen of the BUMPS series  the BUMPS committee has decided to change the awarding of points concerning the Washington events.

Beginning in 20011 racers participating in both Mt. Washington Events will only receive points for their best finish.  To be clear, only one out of two possible Mt.  Washington races will be counted in your best five out of a possible nine race scores.

Mary Power, the director of the MWARBH, has generously offered a 50% reduction in the entry fee for Newtons Revenge for all those riders already registered in the Mt Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb!  Thank you Mary and The Mt. Washington Auto Road for your continued efforts.

Points System

The points scale is set for each race by the slope of the line intersecting the fastest and average finish times for that race; where the fastest rider earns 100 points and the average finish time receives 50 points.  Any finish time twice the difference between the fastest and average times, or slower, will not receive any points.

Scoring Equation: Your points = 100  - 50* [(Your Time - Fastest Time) / ( Average Time – Fastest Time)

Example: In a race where the fastest time is 1:00 and the average finish time is 1:30: Finishing in 1:15 earns 75 points, 1:30 earns 50 points, 1:45 earns 25 points, and finish times of 2:00 or slower do not earn any  points).

This scoring system values fast times, like a time trial, not your place. Two riders crossing the line at the same time will be awarded the same points. So ride fast and don’t just beat the guy next to you – hammer them into the ground!

In addition, to recognize the varied terrain and associated difficulty of each event, we will use a multiplier to increase the points awarded for those racers who participate in either of the Mt.  Washington events.  Each event will be graded in the same manner that climbs within stage races are categorized.

Series Scoring & Results

As noted each event will use their own timing system to establish winners in each category and provide their individual event awards. The race results will then be applied to the BUMPS scoring system using the 5 highest race scores for each rider. Every racer (excluding unicycles and tandems) competing in any of the series races is automatically entered into the BUMPS series and will be scored. In addition to awarding overall male and female series leaders the following age categories will be scored:
Male: Under 20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Female: Under 20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+

** Please note age categories are assigned based on a riders age at the end of the year.  So if your age category would change sometime during the year (for example turning 39 to 40, or 59 to 60) you would be assigned to the higher age category for the entire series.  In this instance it is possible that your age category in individual races is different than for the BUMPS series.

** Note that competitors in Clydesdale and Filly categories in individual races will be included in the BUMPS results but they will be assigned to their appropriate age category in the BUMPS scoring.  BUMPS does not have a Clydesdale or Filly category.

Results for the overall and category standings will be listed on-line after each event. Check back here on the BUMPS website for results. The overall winners for the series – the King and Queen of the Mountains – will be presented at the final event of the year along with age category winners.

Leader Jerseys

After the first race has taken place we will award an overall male and female points series leader jersey at the start of the next event.  In addition, at the start of each race the male and female leaders for each age category will be identified with special pin on tags for the back of their jerseys. With each successive race ONLY the points leaders at the start of that event would be allowed to wear the leader jersey (for overall leaders) or pin on tags (for age category leaders). In the case that the points leader is not competing in the event no jersey/tag would be awarded at that event.