What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

General cubmobile related topics.
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

Gosh! i hope your not sorry you ask...i just sent you a bunch of info. of what i have!!

Send me the ticket, and i'm on my way! LOL!

A good pointer...Start up a Cubmobile Committee...You may still do all the work, But a little help here adn there is soooooo welcome!

And the straw bales...i can't say enough of...thanks to all of those before me for all of your advise! This last year we even offered and paid a little, to get it hired out! ...For the pick up and delivery... thank God for Scout Parents!!!!
TRE-357
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by TRE-357 »

Got it all! Big thanks. and I am all over the CM committee. Already got feelers out, and some interest.

Hiring out the hay bales is a great idea. that way we are just 'renting' them and do not have to dispose of them. Another big thanks!

Sounds like my town is going to suggest a sled hill/park, which is really wide open and has good parking. Not sure if that is better as I live on a hill that would be really nice for it (and it is not an required street for traffic) I would be really handy to be so close to home.

Has anyone run these cars on grass? any thoughts or feedback would be helpful.

cheers!
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by TRE-357 »

TRE-357 wrote:To Shipnson, thanks for the offer to share your information and home depot list. I just sent an e-mail.

My cub scout pack here in Northern IL, is looking into starting Cubmobile racing and I may just sign you to run it. Our street would make a perfect track. Also my son and I enjoy racing of any type. Seems like a natural fit.

Cheers
Oops, I see why you said 'just send a ticket.'

I meant to say; I might just sign up to run it.... :P
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

Oh Man!!!! And i had my bags packed an all!! LOL!

I'm the current Committee Chair here for our District of some 20 or so Packs and Troops...We wnt District wide with it last year...and we are looking to have our first meeting of this new season soon so i can hand over the Chair Position to a new member that is enthused in it all as well.
Also,I am hoping we can find the time and incorprate the All American Soap Box affiliation with our local stuff...have talked with the nice folks there at AASBD and the only hold up is us doing the foot-work...we'll see!

Talk again soon!
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sporty
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by sporty »

Hills are okay, as long as they are not too steep to create more speed than what the Cubmobile or driver can handle.

The basic design of the Cubmobile will not handle speed over 10 miles per hour safely.

The brakes in the standard design do not work very well and has a short life span on the track/ hill.

I recommend better safety and steering & brake set up.

For anyone wanting to use a hill that is steep.

Please read alot of the previous posts. There our some very good tips on Brake set ups and safety, ramps, hills.

Sporty
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

Who wants Safety!!

We have our Scouts Where Helmets, elbow and shin gaurds, long pants. Gloves (for sliding accross the pavement), and shoe with no open toes!!

We have a nieghboring town that did the Races with too steep a hill, and their boys seem to have gotten carried away with a drop of on one side of the road!! Heard some ruff stories about that! So when we hunted down our "Track Site"...the perfect hill...we were looking for some excitement, yet we wanted the boys that made the "grade", so to speak, to be able to wollow in their glory so we chose a road that had a nice long landing that they could "ride out" before putting the brakes to the test...

After a good start, Their speed gathers...
...then they enter the "Wipe Out Zone"!

Here they either make it or hit the straw bales...Yes, we had a couple boys even tip over and get scraped up a bit...one went home crying...the other two got band-aids, and made a comment simalar to, "...I'm going again!" So, If we make it too safe, we take away their chances for memories... and yes, not all our memories or perfect... but last July 2006 they were!

Safety is like our government. We need some basics to keep order.
Yet, least government is best government...or something like that.

Happy Cubmobiling!

PS. Cubmobile kits! Cubmobile kits!
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sporty
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by sporty »

Thats a pretty good idea.

Elbow and knee pads and gloves & long pants.

Sporty
Smell of pine
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by Smell of pine »

Extra safety gear helps, but the design of the car can also help keep things safe. One simple change to the "normal" design is to mount the frame BELOW the front and rear crossmembers. This keeps the weight low and makes it much harder to roll over the car. I believe it would be pretty near impossible to flip our car last year at the speeds they are driving.

Just an added thought.
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

I like that!

It's simple...
Yet, considering the several boys that took a "Jhonson and Jhonson" break, i could see how it would be a worth while change!

With our Classes, that i had discussed with some others, it would have to go into an "Open" Class Race, as it isn't a duplicate of the model on page 207 which we held mandatory for an attempt at fair competition...wanting this event to be an ongoing and annual race event with the soap box derby for the older scouts. Our local District Race classes have been so far: CM Non-Bearing (BearScouts and Webelos Only)
first year BoyScouts included.
CM Bearing (BearScouts and Webelos Only)
first year BoyScouts included.
HomeBuilt Soap Box Derby (BoyScouts Only)
Official Kit Soap Box Derby (BoyScouts Only)


But who knows what will come about here as i hand down the CM end of it all to the next chairman to come... (?) Good things i think, no matter what the choice are to be!!
An easy change would be to do away with our Non-Bearing Class...We had it last year 'cause there were so many CM's left over from the year before where we got free wheels from our local recycle place (they said its hard to recycle the wheels so hundreds at our finger tips!) and we didn't want to make every one go buy new bearing wheels...although most did!
Boys having Scout Fun!!
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sporty
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by sporty »

The foot safety board and the seat support sides have been a real saver to preventing injuries.

The foot safety board has prevented riders from getting there feet stuck or dragged on the ground.

The seat sides, have kept the riders arms and elbows inside the Cubmobile. In event a rider runs into another Racer or when the car tips on it's side.

When the previous even holders of the Race did away with the plastic wheels. That added alot of safety. As the plastic lawn mower wheels were breaking on the kids during the race or coming off the ramp.

the steering limit blocks, going from 1/2 inch into a 1/4 of a inch and even a 1/8th of a inch also reduced mis haps on the race track. By preventing over steering and under steering.

Adding a seperate lane divider after the finish line, prevented the cars from running into one another also. Until they were at a dead stop.

The safety stop barrier also works very well. In the event a child forgets to use his brake or the brake does not work well.


Sporty
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

i agree on most all of that... 'cept the floor and side boards...then it's not what i consider an Official Cubmobile...right outa the book.

I know, i know... i"ve heard most all the arguments, and most of them between my own ears before i decided on the basic rules that we went with.

It's just that To me, it it's not the exact Model outa the BearScout Handbook, then it's a "Coaster Car" and not the Cubmobile.
I wouldn't have a problem with it as a class at out local races...Yet, there would be as i've previously stated, the "Cubmobile class" and the "Open Class", to which the open class could have the racers with added side and floor boards...Heck, i've seen kit's available to which they looked half way in between a Cubmobile and a Soap Box Derby! This is a Coaster car...Gravity powered Racer. So, and this is just my opinion...Cubmobiles Built as Page 207 in the BearScout Handbook, Period.

The rest are Coaster cars or Gravity Race cars.
Build them and race them as you wish, and with all the fun that we might dare to have!!!!

Yet, If we could get an Official Set of Rules going, it'd be a less steep but long hill...and the Model Cubmobile on the page 207...

We have a rule of if anything is not considered safe then the car is disqualified until made so... And our rules of keeping the car as the specs per the Page 207 of the BearHandbook holds everyone accountable to presenting a safe and "By The Books Racer"...like i said before, i like the idea of building them anyway the boy wants, but that opens up a can a worms that puts safety out of reach and to try and control the safety at race day, well, would just be setting things up to disappoint the boys and get parents all in a tizzy telling them to go change this and that...
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sporty
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by sporty »

The rule book is vague also on the open class.

I have made attempts and sent info and had talks with people at BSA to incorporate those suggestions in regards to safety.

I personally feel the rules and outline guide for the Cubmobile in the book is missing information and needs to be updated.

On rules and guides for conduction a race and also better safety measures.

The book is only updated every so many years. At the time I was speaking with someone there. The book has just been updated and it would be a few more years before it was truly updated again.

I can only hope they update that section in the book.

Sporty
shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

"THE BOOK" ! Oh My!

Your telling us that there is an Official Cubmobile Rule Book!?

And how, where is it available...? I truly had no idea!

Our Local Rules Were Made up simply out of neccesity, common sense, safety, and as much simplicity as possible mixed in there! LOL!

If it is in another section to which i might search for it, could you please direct me to it! That would be Fantastic...

Even our local Race Committee Could use it and as we did with our local Un-official Homebuilt Soap Box Derby Race Class rules, they could black out the parts that we chose not to use and added parts (penciled in) ones that made sense for us at our particular event to have part of the rules (usually from a question someone had, and we voted on the issue with a decision so there wouldn't be a problem later...sometimes after the vote, we would find it had already been covered in the Official soap box derby rule book, and we kept it with our local unofficial race event... whew! had to take a breath there! chuckle...

Yes, this "Rule Book", if from BSA, would be most helpful...
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sporty
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by sporty »

I can only tell you that it's in the Cub Scout book.

Not the same book as the one the kids have.


I forget what pages is it on. I no longer have one.

But I think If I recall like either page 63 or 38 I foget.

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shipnson
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Re: What do you think ? rules / regs/ building

Post by shipnson »

Thanks! i'll look it up!
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