Hudson-to-Highlands (H2H) Mountain Bike Racing Series Rules & Regulations
Hyperlinks to Sections in this Document:
Number of Races and H2H Series Overall
Individual Series Points
Payout Schedule
USAC Rules
Upgrade Rules
H2H Series Overall
- There are four (4) races in the series.
- For Cross Country, Endurance & Junior Categories, all races will count for the overall series ranking.
- Endurance racers must complete at least one (1) lap to be scored for that specific event.
Cross Country and Endurance NJ State Championship Race
Cross Country (XC) & Endurance Championship Race
- The New Jersey State Cross Country Championship Race will be held at ONE of the H2H Series Races. Check the current schedule for this event.
- You must be an New Jersey Resident & hold an annual USA Cycling License in order to be eligible to be awarded 1st, 2nd or 3rd place overall at this race.
- Top three (3) in each category receive USAC State Championship medals.
Individual Series Points
- If a racer starts but did not finish (DNF) a race, they will earn one (1) point.
- If a racer did not start (DNS) a race, they will earn zero (0) points, even if they are pre-registered.
- Finishers will earn points according to this table:
Points
Place | Points |
1 | 40 |
2 | 35 |
3 | 31 |
4 | 27 |
5 | 24 |
6 | 21 |
7 | 19 |
8 | 17 |
9 | 15 |
10 | 13 |
11 | 12 |
12 | 11 |
13 | 10 |
14 | 9 |
15 | 8 |
16 | 7 |
17 | 6 |
18 | 5 |
19 | 4 |
20 | 3 |
>20 | 2 |
Note: Categories may be combined for the start, but will be scored separately for points and payout.
Rankings will be available on www.h2hrace.com shortly after the promoters send their results to the series score-keeper.
Payout Schedule
Cat 1 & Pro Open
Payout is at the discretion of each promoter. Promoters are required to publish the payout amounts and depth of payout online (race website and bikereg) and prior to the start of each race.
H2H Rules
Following the USA Cycling Mountain guidelines, it is up to each competitor to make themselves aware of all USA Cycling Mountain and H2H rules.
https://usacycling.org/resources/rulebook
Riders found in violation of any of the rules may be disqualified and/or asked not to return to the series.
Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
- Any Cat 3 racer who registers and competes in a Cat 2 race will now be considered a Cat 2 racer, and must race Cat 2 from that date forward. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, racers who "miss" the start of a Cat 3 race and want to do the Cat 2 race. This also includes racers who just want to "try" Cat 2. Once a racer registers and competes in a Cat 2 race, that racer is Cat 2 unless they apply for and receive a downgrade from USA Cycling in writing.
- Racers may upgrade for the final race of the year and maintain their overall ranking from the previous category for the overall. For example, if a racer already has the series locked up after the completion of the penultimate race as a Cat 3 racer, that racer may enter the final race as a Cat 2, but will still be the Cat 3 champion. However, that racer is now Cat 2 for all future races, until an upgrade or downgrade is approved.
- Racers must be self-sufficient and may not receive outside mechanical help or replacement parts. This includes, of course, bike changes. All racers must start, race, and finish on the same bike. This also includes help from any neutral support that may be available on site. A racer who is currently racing is NOT PERMITTED to utilize neutral support.
- Feeds are allowed only in the designated "feed zones."
- Any rider found cutting the course will be disqualified.
- Any rider found littering on the course will be disqualified. This includes, but is not limited to: gel wrappers, bar wrappers, punctured tubes, and CO2 cartridges.
- A certified helmet must be worn at all times while riding your bike at any H2H events. This includes pre-riding and riding to registration.
- All bicycles must be in good working order.
- Bicycles must be sufficient to meet the demands of the course. This is up to the discretion of the race promoter and/or official on site.
- Racers are responsible for knowing their race number. If a racer loses their number off of their bike, they must shout their number to the score keepers as they cross the line to complete a lap or finish the race.
- Unsportsmanlike behavior such as profanity, throwing your bike, etc. may lead to disqualification.
- Racers who are riding their bikes have the right of way over racers who are running their bikes, even if the runners are passing the riders. A racer running their bike may pass a racer riding their bike as long as it does not interfere with the racer riding their bike.
- Racers passing another racer must yell an appropriate term such as "Passing on your left" or "Track left." "Get out of my way" is not an appropriate term. A racer being passed must yield at the first reasonable opportunity, but does not need to endanger themselves or others.
- A racer being passed may not intentionally "block" the racer coming up from behind. This is unsportsmanlike behavior.
- Any sort of headphones or earbuds may not be used during competition.
- Results protests must be made during the fifteen (15) minute protest period upon the completion of the race. Protests should be submitted in a calm and mature manner. Results become final once the protest period is complete.
- Waiting until you get home to check the results on the Internet is too late.
- Results will be posted on the individual promoter's website and the H2H Race site within one week of the completion of the race. Please give the promoters time to enter all the information and post the results.
- Riders should upgrade upon meeting the upgrade criteria or sooner if they wish. (See upgrading information below.) A racer who upgrades mid-season will transfer the actual value of points earned to that next category.
- Cat 1 and Cat 1/Pro Open points are non transferable. Racers can't flip-flop between the two categories and take their points back and forth.
- Violation of any of the rules may lead to disqualification, suspension, or removal from the series. Remember, we all do this for fun -- let's keep it that way!
- The race director will have final say on all rules and rulings.
Upgrade Rules
Mountain bike racing is a challenging and fun sport, and the H2H promoters will do the best we can to keep it that way. This responsibility does not fall on the shoulders of the promoters alone, however. Racers should continue to challenge themselves and upgrade to the higher categories.
The H2H Series will be following the USA Cycling Mountain Rules (www.usacycling.org) when it comes to upgrading situations. Simply stated riders must advance to the next skill level as determined in the USA Cycling Rule Book. Racers may also voluntarily upgrade if they meet the criteria stated in the USA CYcling Rule Book.
The upgrade rules can be found here:
https://usacycling.org/about-us/governance/policy-viii
If a rider wishes to stay in his or her current category in pursuit of a series title, that a rider must obtain a wavier from the H2H Series which will allow the rider to finish a series in the original category. However, if a rider is finishing consistently in the top 3 of any category, it is strongly suggested that they upgrade to continue to challenge themselves and keep the racing fun.
It is the rider’s responsibility to keep track of their status. If a rider is found in violation of the class advancement rule, then they will be subject to the consequences, which will at the very least mean instant advancement. It may lead to disqualification and loss of series points and may even result in suspension from the series.
If someone has a good basis to believe that there is a rider in violation, please research the rider in question by first checking the Series Results (www.h2hrace.com). If your suspicions are true, a series promoter or the series coordinator and we will look into the matter and take action if necessary.
In the event of a category downgrade granted by USA Cycling, it is the rider’s responsibility to report this to the H2H via the Contact Form on the Home Page, sent to General Enquiry.
Any change in category should be immediately reported to the series scorekeeper. Their e-mail address will be located on any series results page. This is the rider’s responsibility.