5 ms·
They should install Bluetooth sniffers before steep sections, it would be cool to see a little ping on the radio and then watch one of the racers magically pull
by shpx 11y ago
They should install Bluetooth sniffers before steep sections, it would be cool to see a little ping on the radio and then watch one of the racers magically pull ahead.
- chinathrow 11y agoOr Bluetooth jammers.
- DINKDINK 11y agohow would you filter out Bluetooth signals that are and aren't cheating signals?
- r00fus 11y agoBy cross-correlating with performance shifts (ie, the pulling ahead comment above). It's not a smoking gun, but it could be evidence perhaps to do more thoroughly audit that bike, for example.
- cmurf 11y agoThe rider's strategy may be merely maintaining relative positioning with the top riders, save energy, and use that small reserve for a better chance in a sprint finish or whatever. It's no way certain someone just starts going faster using one of these.
- methehack 11y agoWhile they're at it, they should make better humans.
- methehack 11y agoMy point here is that I have always found it so completely unfathomable that someone would spend so much time on an activity -- any activity -- and then cheat. Cheating is about looking better, not being better. At the same time, it robs others, equally devoted, of a fair basis of comparison. That it ever happens is amazing to me; yet, it happens all the time at the highest levels of competition. And it happens in academics too! Same shit, different day. And in politics. Ok, I'm stopping now before I give up on us as a species. Again.
- r00fus 11y agoPartially because we as society likely reward "results" better than "good effort" or "team playing". I'll leave it an open question whether the money involved in these activities is an influencer, or whether it's just rotten ol human nature (addictiveness to winning). Perhaps the reality is that cheating happens everywhere and only in the highest-stakes competitions do we notice and punish it?
- recursive 11y agoPro athletes aren't just motivated by an intrinsic desire to do the best they can. There is an external pressure to win. It's a real pressure with money behind it. In the case of cycling, teams are supported by sponsors out of their marketing budget. They would like to see their names in the press. (associated with a win obviously, not a cheating scandal)
- seanp2k2 11y agoApparently there may also be an aspect of gambling and/or mafia involvement in cyclocross as well: http://fittish.deadspin.com/professional-cyclist-gets-six-year-ban-for-using-an-ill-1773134563 http://fittish.deadspin.com/professional-cyclist-gets-six-ye...
- dpark 11y agoThere was a paper shared on HN a month or two ago about this. Winners cheat more. Not just cheaters win, but winners turn to cheating. The high from a win is addictive. It feels good, so you want it to continue. Winners also pick up the feeling that they deserve to win and so cheating is somehow justified. Add to this all the external pressure and the monetary rewards and cheating isn't really surprising at all. I bet if you did a survey of cheaters in pretty much any field, you'd find that the biggest offenders are not people who had no chance without cheating, but people who had significant success and then turned to cheating to continue or to increase that success.
- omonra 11y agoYep. Same applies to rogue traders. They usually start faking profits after a run of success ends and they need to keep up the appearances. Nobody (that I heard of) just started rogue trading from zero.
- fahadkhan 11y agoCyclist also (legally) use wireless candance, speed, power, gear ratio, heart rate sensors, etc. Though they're normally ANT+ and not Bluetooth.
- joezydeco 11y agoCheaters will also find a loophole. Jammers and etc aren't worth talking about.
- matthewowen 11y agoBTLE is becoming increasingly popular (eg Polar has moved entirely to using it).