Forums >Gears and Wears>Ankle vs Bib timing chip
Joggaholic
My googling failed. I'm just curious, what are their differences functionally? (aside from cost) From my limited experience I see the bib ones used in big road races, and the ankle ones in smaller and trail races. I'm guessing that the ankle ones are probably more reliable and durable, but not very scalable/practical for tens of thousands of runners, is that why? Or are there more reasons to it?
vs
It's mostly just cost/convenience. The B-Tags and other bib timing systems are much easier but become less cost-effective the fewer runners you have.
Ankle (and other re-usable) chips are a pain the ass but because they are re-usable they can be more cost-effective for smaller events.
Runners run
The one on the left is reusable, but lots of man-power associated with distributing and collecting them before and after races. That wouldn't be practical for large races. I've also seen the ankle ones used in triathlons. The bib wouldn't work in the water.
Thanks Mikey and Tom!
Bacon Party!
And ... if one has invested in ankle chips, it'd be silly to just cast them aside before it's necessary
Liz
pace sera, sera
Thunder Road used another type. Looked like a piece of tape that went on shoe lace. Disposable and eco friendly.
The original chip timing was the Champion chip that was laced into your shoe, but was returned after the race - unless you purchased your own. Now there are three commonly used types: B-tag - affixed to the back side of the bib; D-tag - a disposable paper loop that you put on your shoe laces in the shape of a D; Ankle timing chip - usually a chip on a strip of Velcro that is attached around your ankle.
an amazing likeness
Ahh...harking back to one of the more interesting volunteer gigs -- sitting on a milk crate at the end of finish chute taking sweating velcro chip straps off runner's sweaty ankles while the runner tried to hold up their foot and not tip over.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
not bad for mile 25
Mainly this. I presume the RFID technology has improved to the extent that it now works reliably at waist-height rather than shoe or ankle height.
Several years ago the Twin Cities Marathon did an experiment with the bib chip. They put on a half marathon on the Fourth of July with about 3000 runners, and one year they had the disposable chips that goes on your shoe and they also had the chip on the bib. I don't know the results of their test but since that race the marathon and that half marathon has stayed using the chips that goes on shoe. I don't know the cost but I would guess the shoe chip costs more than the bib chip but they stayed with the shoe chip. I would guess the shoe chip might be more accurate, but these are just guesses.
Best Present Ever
I have always wondered about the bib chips. One anecdote - the year Boston went to bib timing, a friend of mine was counted only at the start and finish. None of the 5k mats picked her up. The BAA threatened to disqualify her. Fortunately, we train with a coach who wrote a letter on her behalf, she runs lots of marathons and the finish time was well within the range she usually runs, and she was in multiple course photos along the way. (The only time she was happy with all her race photos!) That was enough evidence to make the BAA decide it was a technical error. Probably a fluke but it's made me worry about those bib chips.
The same thing has happened plenty of times with foot chips. None of the systems are perfect but I suspect bib chip rfid technology has advanced to to the point its about as good as any other system. And certainly its less susceptible to user error. Almost every race I've run the last few yearyears (including Boston) used b-tags. haven't noticed any increase in misses.
Kalsarikännit
Back in the olden days of those chips, about 10 years ago, I was in a porta potty line at a local 8k when I overheard a conversation that was taking place between two young ladies behind me.
"What did they do before chips?"
"I don't know. I don't think they kept time."
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
Feeling the growl again
Except all of the large races DID use reusable chips, before disposable became available.
I'm sure they were all happy when the alternative was developed.
I've had one case each of a shoe-mounted chip falling off during a race (I now use TWO of those little plastic zip ties if the race goes disposable and doesn't want it laced in) and a disposable bib failing to register (if I had not won outright I likely would have been SOL). Tomato tomaato...
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I ran a mud run once, and for some reason they used bib chips. it ripped off on a wall and I didn't notice right away. They made me return to the wall to find it, which resulted in going over it a second time and digging through the mud. After finding it I had to go over a third time and continue. Luckily the safety pins, (and pieces of the bib) were still atached to my shirt, so I made new holes and reattached it. A mile later I was doing an army crawl through some mud and avoiding overhead "barbed wire" (twine). When I stood up, all the mud that worked between my bib and shirt, weighed it down and it ripped off again. I put it in my pocket for the remainder of the race. At the finish line, we stepped on the sensor, then had to grab a rope-swing and swing out into a lake. (Origonally the finish line was AFTER the swam across and exiting the water). I managed to lose my bib in the water. There was a 7 minute difference between the chip time and my watch, and it is EASILY the slowest 5k I have every ran. Somehow, I still ended in the top 10% of runners with a time of 1 hour and 9 minutes, LOL. I can't imagine running that race with a bib timer again.