How many practice bridges should I build before a contest?
Why two or three practice bridges beat one perfect plan, what to change between versions, and how to use the time you have.
Updated · 1 min read
Short answer: as many as time allows, and at least two or three. The first teaches you how your bridge breaks, the second fixes that, and the third is the one you trust.
A simple plan
- Bridge 1: learn. Build a plain truss from the rules. Test it, and note where it fails first. Don't worry about the score.
- Bridge 2: fix. Change the one thing that failed. Test again.
- Bridge 3: tune. Trim weight where nothing failed, add it where something did. Test or keep it as your entry.
Rules for practice
- Change one thing per version, so you know what made the difference.
- Test the same way every time, matching the contest rig. See how contests load a bridge.
- Record every test: mass, load, first failure and photos. See testing safely.
- Don't test your entry to failure, unless the rules say to.
If time is short, build one practice bridge. It is worth more than any amount of planning. See step-by-step building.