I’m a bit confused about how lead-in works lately - I think there have been some changes, and I lost track what changed to what.
I recently completed the new “Watts the Limit” route in New York. The route is 18.3mi plus 0.9mi of lead-in, and the spawn point is near the start pens in Central Park.
But when I rode it as a free-ride, I was spawned without the lead-in, right at the arch for the sprint in Central Park.
That’s always been inconsistent. The lead in is typically described as being from whatever start pen is used for the route for an event.
Usually the spawn point for free rides is near that start pen. Sometimes it’s at whatever line is used as the route start point.
Sometimes the spawn point is different is you choose the route for a workout or meetup, Lutscher being a notable example where doing that spawns you at the top of the mountain so avoiding climbing the Innsbruck KOM as the lead in.
I don’t think it’s got anything to do with routes being loops or point-to-point either, seems to be random.
Yeah I remember doing that climb 4x to complete Lutscher and Lutscher CCW
Now that you explained it, it seems to me that older routes tend to spawn near start pens for free rides, whereas newer ones tend to spawn near the start line.
Maybe, just maybe, this is to avoid issue of not getting route badges riding with Robopacers who don’t pass through the starting pens? Only able to do this with new routes but problematic adjusting the start points for free rides on the older ones?
