James Elvery, a former professional triathlete, has been developing RaceRanger since 2021, with a bit of help from his dad Robin and his dad’s mates.
The RaceRanger anti-drafting device was trialled on 24 cycles during the Tauranga Half Ironman race last weekend and it will also be trialled with professional athletes competing in Challenge Wanaka on February 18.
Robin Elvery said he had agreed "in a heartbeat" to volunteer the WannaCoffees, who regularly ride out to any of the cafes found between Wanaka, Tarras, Cromwell and Lake Hawea.
"This is a gadget that he has come up with to eliminate drafting in long distance triathlons, cos that is called cheating. It has been very difficult to measure ... so this is taking the guess work out of it ... Absolutely, it has been great, seeing what’s going on, seeing it not working, sometimes," Robin Elvery said.
WannaCoffee team member Ed Taylor said it was a no brainer to test the technology.
"[James is] a young guy who has come up with a great little invention and to be able to help him out and see it come to fruition and potentially be used all around the world by top athletes — to be involved in a very, very small way at the beginning of that process has been a lot of fun.
"We are all about having fun, just getting out riding. In years gone by some of us have dabbled in triathlon so we know exactly what he is trying to achieve. To play a small part in that is pretty cool," Mr Taylor said.
Neil Woodrow agreed it was great to see the device was now over the line despite the "trials and tribulations" to get it there.
Athletes at the Tauranga race reported they were comfortable using it and referees had not given any drafting penalties.
"It’s been great using the WannaCoffees. Previously all the development was up in Christchurch but it is nice to have it tested on these guys here," he said.
Another advantage from using the WannaCoffees was that they were riding segments of the Challenge Wanaka course most of the time and would be able to test it over the whole 90km course.
"And it has been great to have Dad helping. He’s my chief financial officer, helping with books and invoices and helps take the load off ... It has been quite frustrating for them because it hasn’t always worked — until now," James Elvery said.
James Elvery’s goal is for RaceRanger to be available for everyone competing in a triathlon.
RaceRanger is a set of small devices that fit discreetly on a bicycle and operates a traffic light system for each rider.
Orange warns the approaching cyclist that they are in a ‘buffer zone" but not breaching drafting distance rules. Red is a final warning that the zone is about to be breached, and blue indicates the cyclist is "in the dark zone and must make a pass".
A report on Triathlete.com on January 23 describes the technology as a "techy witches brew of Ultrawideband, Bluetooth, GPS/GNSS and LoRa-less Garmin".
