Discussion: Bummer

I didn't find it either. Yes, I think today suited you immensely, sorry that this won't make you feel any better.

Tomorrow.... do it Craig,

Saw your trace before you posted and wondered what had happened. My last MTBO in Qld I got to the first control on the long course and realised my SI was missing but felt in my back pocket and it was there. I'd taken it off at the start line to readjust my map board and forgotten to put it back on! Given I'd been through a gate soon after the start I thought it may have flown off. Many people are always telling my to secure it to my wrist with a strap.

Looks as though I was leading by just over a minute at 6.

Watching the live feed from WA it looked like it would have been a good area for you. Hope there’s no more misadventures tomorrow.

Are you using your own SI tomorrow?

Are you going to put a wrist string on your new SI?

It was a hired SI Air card that I lost and I just went back to my old card.
I haven't ever used a wrist string and didn't add one on Sunday. I always felt a wrist string would be more likely to catch on something and pull the card off than stop it from coming off. I haven't ever had one come off before but the air card is a bit more bulky which meant I didn't have it between my fingers the way I usually do. I suspect that made it easier to pull off and also made me less aware of it coming off.

Agreed on the wrist string. I started using one after the 2016 French 5 Day when I lost my SI, but it kept getting snagged on branches so I stopped after a few events. (Then I lost my SI in the 2019 French 5 Day - but I'm still not going to wear a wrist string).

I'm sure you're right about the bulk of the SI Air increasing the risk of it coming off. Almost never have my regular stick come off but twice had to retrieve the SI Air off branches on the first weekend.

I don't wear a wrist string for MTBO either but if that were to get snagged on something, well I think the handlebars will hit first and I'm in trouble anyway.

Use hat elastic, keep it short. I also have it on my compass, and have never snagged either. How did you carry your control card in pre-SI days? Bet you had it on a string.

I always use a wrist string (elastic) on both SI and thumb compass - after losing my compass in a race in 1983. Never had a problem with the string catching on anything. The string is short - just long enough to reach from wrist to SI - no slack to easily catch on anything.

In big relays like 10Mila/Jukola for some serious teams it is considered compulsory to put a string on your SI - no letting the team down by losing it.