Runners, hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers, and other trekkers be advised.  Long in development by the members of the ASMBCS, it is my honor to release The RSCI to the public domain.

(Just a second—my beloved wife Marsha is looking over my shoulder and is telling me something.  What? Oh.  Okay.  She says I should not use obscure acronyms.)

The ASMBCS, as every serious athlete knows, is the Albion Saturday Morning Bicycle and Coffee Society.  And, the RSCI is the long-awaited Rimanian Short Cut Index, used to rank the value of short cuts taken on any non-motorized trek. (It should be noted that even the name “Rimanian” is a short cut derived from the nationality of a distant relative of Dr. Ciderman, in whose honor the Index is named.)

Here is how the index works: 

Dr. Routemeister is leading a bike ride. Along for the ride are Dr. Reagent, Dr. Megahertz, Dr. Loggerhead, Dr. Ciderman, Dr. Cyclotron and yours truly, Dufus.  We leave Ourtown at 8:15 a.m. and head directly for Othertown, which is 15 miles away.  There, we will drink coffee and eat breakfast in a restaurant, and then return using Dr. Routemeister’s First Rule:  Never return via the same road.

But, halfway there, Dr. Ciderman says, “Hey, guys, I know a shortcut!”

One must know this about Dr. Ciderman--He has a remarkable memory for maps, routes, landmarks and is a fantastic navigator but he also has a strange sense of humor.

Thus was born the need for the RSCI---the Rimanian Short Cut Index. 

So, let’s apply the RSCI to this particular adventure.

First, this short cut adds 3 miles to the mileage from Ourtown to Othertown, which is +20%.  This is the Dividend, so keep it in mind. The next four items will be the Divisor.

Second, it takes us off the road and up a dirt path through a woods---we have to dismount and walk our bikes—and for part of the way up a hill with a 25 degree slope.

Third, the trail is deeply rutted and has roots and rocks, scoring 30 out of a possible 50 points for difficulty-of-footing.

Fourth, we are forced to climb over a fallen log (10 points) and a guard rail (10 points) for a total of 20 points.

Fifth, because part of the trail requires us to suck in our guts and hold our bicycles high to avoid electrocution as we skirt a power company substation, we earn 28 of a possible 50 points on the Perversity Scale. The Perversity Scale could also be called the terror factor.

To calculate the RSCI, one simply takes the First number, the Dividend---which in this case was +20, and divides it by the sum of the other four numbers, the Divisor.  Let’s do the math.  20/ (25+30+20+28) or 20/ 103=.2  if we do a little rounding.  So, this particular shortcut has a Rimanian Short Cut Index of +.2.

On the way home, we take another shortcut. This one requires us to climb down a slippery and muddy river bank and to walk across the raging torrent on wooden planks because the highway bridge has been removed to be rebuilt.  On the other side, because Dr. Reagent is suffering a knee injury, we all have to provide assistance to pull him through the mud and to haul him, bicycle and all, up the bank to the road on the other side.  The Perversity Scale on this short cut came in at 35, and, because the short cut actually added 30% to the distance, the RSCI computed to a remarkable +.4.

Because none of Dr. Ciderman’s short cuts have ever actually SAVED us any mileage, our particular group, the ASMBCS, has never experienced a negative RSCI, but it would certainly be possible, and we’d like to hear from any group who does find such a route.   

                                         © by Jim Whitehouse

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