Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sandbagging Statistics

It was suggested to me through email that I should start doing more statistical analysis on sandbagging. The emailer said I should take lap/finish times of the riders and then do a Z-Test to find out who falls out of the Gaussian distribution

WHAT? Did I lose you? Yeah, I kinda lost myself too. I took stats in college but I never did like that class.

I suppose I could to statistical analysis of the finish times but that would involve A: Finish times provided by the ref/promoter, B: Me or someone else taking times, C: The timing actually be accurate, D: Me doing more work. Doesn't seem like a lot of fun on my part.

Sure I can punch in the numbers into Excel and it would do it all for me. I would still have to put in the times (unless it is provided on a website), run the tests, do analysis, and write about it.

Then this site will just be another boring stats page. Where is the fun in that? I would just rather point the finger and see what happens. I mean, if Zdenek Stybar showed up to a Cap City race, we wouldn't need to use statistics to figure out that he would simply crush us with one leg.

No offense to you the emailer, but I think most of the readers want to see more point the finger, see what happens, rather than a cut and dry here are the numbers blog.

But hey if someone wants to be my statistician, you are more than welcome.

What are your thoughts?

6 comments:

  1. new favorite website. It would be cool to see lap times. You could clearly see who is "sitting in" and saving and just unleashes an ungodly crush effort. Not so sneaky any more.

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  2. Good to hear. Pass the word on.

    I guess I did forget to mention that a rider can obviously sit in, though sitting in at a cross race takes way more effort than sitting in at a road race or crit. Then the standard Z-test can't really work cause they aren't going all out all the time

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  3. I feel it would take away from the thrashing you hand out and this is not what it is about.
    Who cares about the stats or what people wear or how hard someone trains. It s all about the ride and the fun of cyclocross.
    I feel roadies are going to make cyclocross as boring as their sport.

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  4. Judi,
    You sure got a pretty mouth!
    I love your choice of words. Keeping it real

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  5. Couldn't agree more with Judi and Tom

    Judi's favorite basket ball coach??
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0od7spyth_I

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  6. Yeah I was never going to do all the stats work. It makes it too blah and like every other website. Much rather point the finger and push buttons.

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