JOHN'S CYCLING SITE |
From Allan Van
Park Roads official style policeman
Since I have returned I have noticed a distinct fall in standards around Park Rd.
Even
Mountain Bikers are sitting with us.
The Style Police have rechecked the rules
and we are forwarding them to every cyclist in the hope this will raise the
standard.
Billy Crystal and his alter ego Fernando Llamas said it best when he mugged, “It is better to look good than to feel good, dah-ling.” The cyclist’s version goes something like, “It is better to look good than to ride good.” We can’t all be world champions or even win the sprint on the local club ride, but at least we can look cool going off the back. Although I couldn’t possibly sum up every unwritten rule of cycling etiquette in just one article, below are the 13 most important rules to remember. Some will actually improve your riding, others will simply make you look good and the rest are just down right snobbish. Helmets. Face it, helmets just aren’t cool. Nothing looks more pro than the tour rider cruising down the boulevard wearing nothing but a broken-in cycling cap. However, concussions and drooling out the side of your mouth are really lame, so wear your helmet. But for heaven’s sake, take it off when you walk into the coffee shop! Are you afraid of slipping and hitting your head on the counter? When worn, the helmet should be tilted as far forward on your head as possible and never at an angle. Cockeyed helmets are a sure sign of an amateur. To look cool, take off the helmet and slip on your cycling cap the moment you arrive at your destination. To look Euro-cool, make sure to always wear your sunglasses on the outside of your helmet straps so the television cameras can see the brand logo on the ear pieces. And please, no neon colored helmets! White is the only acceptable helmet colour. Legs. We’ve all been asked a million times, why do cyclists shave their legs? Our answers range from aerodynamics to massage to wound care. But we all know the real reason. It makes us look smooth (in more way than one)! So whip out the shaving cream and the Bic and mow the lawn. ( Also The chicks love shaved legs) For the ultimate in cool, roll up the cuffs of your shorts for that extra 1/4 inch of tanning space. To look Euro-cool, always wear a pair of the ultra-cool Pez cycling socks. And please, no gym socks! The Kit. Your jersey must match your shorts, which must match your arm warmers, Retro wool kits are sometimes acceptable, but even that is iffy. To look cool if you don’t belong to a club or a team, wear a stock Castelli or Assos kit but don’t mix and match. To be Euro-cool, wear the kit of an obscure European amateur team, but only if you have a story about how you spent the winter riding with them in Majorca to go along with it. Please, no century jerseys (I’m going to take some heat on that one), nothing with cartoon characters on it and never, under any circumstances, go jersey-less. Especially if you are wearing bibs. * And a special note for women. As much as the guys on the group ride might like it, a jog-bra is not an acceptable substitute for a jersey. Wear the bra, but please throw a jersey on over it. It’s hot. You’re hot. But shorts and a jog-bra is just not. iPods. I should say MP3 players, but let’s face it, an iPod is the only cool on-board music system. Of course legally, I have to recommend against wearing headphones out on the road, but since you’re going to do it anyway, here are a few guidelines. Never wear headphones on a group ride. Headphones on a group ride say two things. 1) You people are good enough to ride with, but not good enough to talk to or even listen to and 2) I’m not concerned with my own safety and I’m even less concerned with YOUR safety. There’s no faster way to become disliked by a group of cyclist than by showing up on a group ride with headphones, even if the music is off. To look cool, remember that the smaller the headphone, the better. No 1985 walkman ear muff headphones please. Ear buds are the only acceptable iPod accessory. To look Euro-cool, make sure you are listening to an obscure independent British punk rocker or electronic group. And please, no Kraftwerk! Clipping out. Hard to believe, but this one actually deserves its own paragraph. One of the easiest ways to determine the experience level of a cyclist is to see how early they clip out before coming to a stop. A novice rider will clip out as much as a block before a stop sign or red light. A real beginner will clip out a block before a green light, just on the off chance that it might turn red by the time they get to it. To look cool, let the bike come to a full stop before clipping out. To look Eurocool, never clip out. Track stands are the only acceptable way to wait at a red light. And please, no basket-clips and no mountain bike shoes on the road bike! Wearing sneakers or mountain bike shoes on the road indicates that you intend to spend more time with your feet on the ground than in the pedals. You’re a cyclist, darn it, not a pedestrian! The Friday Ride Hero. Although getting dropped on the hard Saturday group ride isn’t cool, there are actually more ways to look un-cool on the easy Friday recovery ride. The best way to look un-cool is by pushing the pace over 19 mph or by doing your intervals off the front of the ride. Friday rides are for recovery and socializing. You’re not going to impress anyone by ramping up the pace. Unfortunately, messing up the pace is just as easy to do on the hard group ride and this is where things get really complicated. Sprinting at the wrong moment, setting the wrong pace up a climb or pushing the tempo at the wrong time can draw just as much scorn as pushing the pace on a recovery ride. Get to know the etiquette of a group ride by doing it at least two or three times before even thinking about getting to the front. To look cool, show up to the Friday ride with a cup of coffee from an independent bohemian coffee shop and sip on it throughout the ride. To look Euro-cool, skip the coffee and blueberry muffin after the ride in favor of an espresso and a croissant. And please, never order any drink that has whip cream spilling out over the top of the cup. You didn’t ride hard enough to burn off 20 grams of fat and 600 calories. Group Ride Etiquette. Have you ever seen a pro team on a training ride? Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, quietly zipping along. Then, there is the club ride. You actually hear it before you see it. Slowing! Right Side! Stopping! Rolling! Hole! Then you see it. 25 riders spread out over an entire city block, three, sometimes four, wide. Weaving, swarming cars, running stop signs. Keep your group ride cool with the following four rules of thumb. 1) Never ride more than two abreast. 2) Never allow more than six inches distance between your front wheel to the rear wheel of the rider in front of you. 3) Maintain a distance, no more than 12 inches from your shoulder to the shoulder of the rider next to you. 4) It only takes one person to call things out. This should be the person at the front of the pack. Ideally, a little point of the hand is all it takes to indicate obstructions or turns. It shouldn’t take two dozen people yelling at the top of their lungs to make a ride run smoothly. To look cool, keep the group tight, wheel to wheel and shoulder to shoulder. To look Euro-cool, only ride with other cyclist wearing the exact same kit. If this is not possible, make sure there are no more than three different kits in the pack and that there are at least three riders wearing each kit. And please, never swarm cars at stop lights or steer a large group of riders through a red light. It’s just not cool. Carbon Wheels. Carbon wheels are for racing! Never under any circumstances should they be brought out on a training ride. Training wheels should be strong and heavy with lots and lots of spokes. Carbon wheels say to the group, I’m not strong enough to do this ride without my $2,000 feather weight wheels. If you have the money to tear up a carbon wheel set on the road, then you’d be better off spending it on a coach who will get you fit enough to keep up with the group ride on regular training wheels. To be cool, ride with Bontrager flat proof tubes. They’re about four-times as heavy as regular tubes and they just about double your rolling resistance. To be Euro-cool, don’t tell anyone you’re riding with them. It’s enough to know for yourself that you can keep up with those weenies even on a 22-pound bike. And please, no deep dish carbon clinchers. Carbon wheels are race wheels and clinchers are for training. Tubulars are the only way to go on your carbons. Ornaments and Accessories. This one is simple. No stuffed animals or figurines mounted to your handlebars no matter what it signifies to you. No mirrors on your helmet or your glasses. No reflector strips taped to your bike. No giant flashing lights (LEDs are ok). To look cool, ride without a saddle bag. Put one small tube, a tiny pump and a tire lever in your middle back pocket. To look Euro-cool, ride without a saddle bag and with nothing in your pockets. This is cool because it means you must have a team car following you with all your supplies. And please, don’t plaster the stickers that came with your shoes or your glasses all over your bike unless your sponsorship contract with those companies specifically dictates that you must. Cat 4 Marks. Otherwise known as a chain tattoo, this is what we called them back in the day before Category 5 existed. Nothing gives away a rookie faster than a black streak of grease on their calf. The experienced rider can actually get through an entire ride without rubbing up and down on their dirty chain. To look cool, CLEAN YOUR CHAIN! To look Euro-cool, take your chain off once a week and soak it in degreaser along with the bearings from your bottom bracket and your headset (you old timers know what I’m talking about). And please, it’s one thing to get grease on your leg. It’s another thing to get it on your hands, your jersey, your face! Shorts. MEN: there are many rules regarding shorts. First of all, they don’t exist. Forget about them. The only acceptable garments to wear are bibs, no exceptions. But please, throw out your bibs when they start to wear out. Enough anatomy is revealed by the skin tight Lycra, we don’t need to see a transparent butt panel. And this may seem obvious, but the jersey goes over the bibs! To look cool, wear bibs, enough said. To look Euro cool, wear bib knickers or even bib tights. And please, don’t wear underwear under your shorts! How to Dress for Weather. If the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you must wear knees or better yet, full leg warmers. If you go out of the house in 50 degree weather with bare legs, it doesn’t mean you’re tough, it just means you’re an idiot. In the summer, no matter how hot it gets, you must never wear a sleeveless jersey. Tan lines are the proud mark of a real cyclist. If you must get some additional ventilation, cut a vertical line along the inside seam of your sleeve with a pair of scissors. Not only will this help you stay cool, but it says, “my sponsors give me so many jerseys, I don’t mind wrecking one.” To look cool, if you need to keep the sweat out of your eyes, wear a cycling cap, not a sweat band or a bandana. To look Euro-cool, just don’t sweat. And please, no arm warmers with a sleeveless jersey! When to Dress. Believe it or not there are a whole bunch of rules regarding when to get dressed for a race or a ride. In general, the less time you spend in your chamois, the cooler. If you are riding to the start, you should get dressed just before you leave the house. Don’t eat breakfast or walk the dog in the morning in your full kit! The neighbours think you’re goofy enough for cycling as it is! If you are driving to the start and it is less than a 45 minute trip, it is ok to wear your bibs under a pair of regular shorts, but not your jersey or your gloves and especially not your helmet. Also, make sure the suspenders on your bibs are hanging down, (preferably on the outside of your street shorts) and not over your shoulders. If it is longer than a 45 minute drive to the start, you must bring all your cycling gear in a cycling specific duffle bag such as a Specialized or Rudy Project bag. Brown paper bags or shopping bags are never acceptable. To look cool, wrap a towel around your waist when you change. Changing skirts are practical, but not very cool. To look Euro-cool, make sure it’s a white, thread bare towel taken from the cheap motel room that you and five teammates crammed into at your last stage race. And please, no bare butts in the parking lot. Once again, we see enough through the skin tight Lycra. Once last time, if you can’t ride good, you might as well look good. And please remember, I don’t write these rules, I only live by them.
Regards One for the big ring riders " 44 year old Manfred Nüscheler has set a new speed record for riding on stationary rollers, clocking 164.1 km/h in Berne, Switzerland on September 16, 2000. The record was set using a 54x11 (10.49 m) gear on a standard bike (Moser frame with Campagnolo gear) on Minoura rollers. The old record was 160.4 km/h.
VICTOR CYCLING CLUB AND BRONCOS CYCLING CLUB TO MERGE Two of Brisbane's leading
cycling clubs are to merge forces. HOW WILL IT WORK ? The merger will result in a very strong club with an experienced management team and a great depth of available coaching talent. Byron Humphries from
Victor Cycles and Harry Copeland from the Broncos team are hugely supportive of
the merger, claiming that the new club will bring to the sport of cycling a
greater range of events and activities for track, road and training. They state
that their aim is to make Broncos Victors the best club in Brisbane. A launch function to
present the new club structure will be held at the Broncos Leagues Club on
August 24th. Entry is not limited to club members only. Any other interested
parties should contact Byron Humphries before Aug 19th on: I've spent my life racing my bike, from
the back roads of Austin, Texas to the Champs-Elysees, and I always figured if I
died an untimely death, it would be because some rancher in his Dodge 4x4 ran me
headfirst into a ditch. Believe me, it could happen. Cyclists fight an ongoing
war with guys in big trucks, and so many vehicles have hit me, so many times, in
so many countries, I've lost count. I've learned how to take out my own
stitches: all you need is a pair of fingernail clippers and a strong stomach. If
you saw my body underneath my racing jersey, you'd know what I'm talking about.
I've got marbled scars on both arms and discolored marks up and down my legs,
which I keep clean-shaven. Maybe that's why trucks are always trying to run me
over; they see my sissy-boy calves and decide not to brake. But cyclists have to
shave, because when the gravel gets into your skin, it's easier to clean and
bandage if you have no hair.
Dear Sir,
A recent accident I suffered in the Adelaide Hills
reminded me of the January/February 2003 Bicycling Australia article by John
Hardwick on safe helmets with its conclusion that you "don't skimp on your
head".
Last month, while looking forward to watching
another stage of the Tour Down Under, a few Queensland mates and a couple of
locals were trying out Nortons Summit before the temp rose above 40 degrees.
On the way down at 70km/hr+, a rock jumped out of nowhere and blew my front
tyre. Well, I did the right thing and up-ended and used my head as a battering
ram against the bitumen. The end result - my helmet was mashed but my head was
OK.
Even though the helmet didn't stop me receiving
multiple fractured ribs and a punctured lung, it did save my (arguably) most
valuable asset. It was worth spending a bit more on quality head protection,
in my case a Lima F11 (as shown on page 76 of your article), with its
adjustable head harness and padding. My local bike shop even replaced the
busted Lima with a new one at half the usual cost.
The moral of this story is to treat your head
to something decent and learn to bunnyhop rocks!
John Brannock
Thanks John, I'll
be including your letter in the May/June issue. I agree, helmets save lives.
Sad news about Kivilev and he was not wearing a helmet, Maybe it would have
helped him, maybe not, but there is no doubt that helmets save lives.
Martin Vedris
Paceline and Group Ride Etiquette: The Untold Story By Gregg Stepan Most cyclists have ridden in some type of group ride or paceline formation. Usually, each person in a paceline takes a turn riding in front, breaking the wind. Many cyclists, however, overlook the most important principles of riding in a paceline, simply because those principles remain untold. Many of those principles also apply to a less formal group ride situation. So, this article is designed to tell the "untold story" of paceline and group ride etiquette. The principles of paceline etiquette are designed to keep the group's speed consistently high and to avoid accidents. The essential purpose of the paceline is efficiency. In other words, the group is trying to keep its speed consistently higher than any single member of the group could maintain on his or her own. This efficiency is possible because it is as much as 30% easier to ride behind someone, where the wind resistance is considerable lower. A secondary but important goal is to avoid the accidents that can arise when cyclists ride within inches of each other. Many cyclists, however, seem to forget that the essential the purpose of their formation is efficiency. To illustrate some common mistakes, consider whether the following scenario sounds familiar. Imagine that you are riding along in a single paceline, and you are the third rider in the line. The rear wheel of the rider in front of you is about 12 inches from your front wheel, and you are enjoying the draft. Suddenly, you notice that the rider in front of you, who has just taken the front position in the wind, is now 5 feet ahead of you. This front rider's sudden increase in speed has caused a gap, and when you notice the gap, you put forth a hard effort to close the gap, and so does each rider behind you, like an accordion. Then, this same front rider moves very gradually to the side. You wonder whether it is your turn to pull or whether the front rider is just wandering a bit. After a long pause and a bit of a slow down, you decide you are supposed to pull. When your turn pulling on the front is done, you want to move to the side so that the rider behind you can assume the front position, but the rider who was previously in front of you in the line is still right there on your side; he has not yet moved to the back of the line. You now begin to tire of pulling and gradually slow down. Finally, it is safe for you to move to the side. The rider behind you accelerates rapidly (because of the previous slow downs), and the entire scenario starts over again with closing gaps . . . Here are three principles of paceline etiquette that often remain “untold”: 1. KEEP YOUR SPEED STEADY WHEN YOU ASSUME THE FRONT POSITION. In the scenario above, the riders in the paceline were constantly closing gaps. Their paceline looked like an accordion. Eventually, this gap closing effort wears down the riders in the paceline. To avoid this problem, the front rider must watch the speed on his computer just before his turn at the front, and then maintain that speed within one-half mph or one kmh. If the speed of the paceline needs to be increased, wait until you have been pulling on front for several strokes, and then SLOWLY increase the speed. A gradual increase in speed will avoid gaps and help keep you (and everyone behind you) fresh. 2. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED PULLING ON THE FRONT, MOVE OFF TO THE SIDE WITH A CRISP AND SAFE MOVEMENT. In the scenario above, the front rider very slowly wandered to the side, making it unclear whether he was finished on the front. A more deliberate movement to the side (after checking your path to be sure it is safe) will keep the paceline flowing smoothly. 3. AFTER YOU HAVE PULLED OFF OF THE FRONT, SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY. This principle may seem intuitive, but it is amazing how often this principle is ignored. After moving to the side, you must immediately slow down (soft pedal) so that the next rider can move off of the front without bumping into you and/or without waiting for you to get out of the way. Of course, you also must make sure that your decrease in speed does not cause you to “back” into a rider behind you who has not yet rejoined the line. There are a few other principles of paceline etiquette, but the three principles discussed above will give you an excellent start. Robin Williams: Lance's Friend, Tour de France Fan Robin Williams, cyclist, comedian, actor, director, friend of Lance Armstrong and Tour de France ambassador, attended cycling's grand event for the fourth time last July. He doesn't purposely draw attention to himself, but the word spreads quickly when Williams arrives at the race. He obliges requests, and gives of his time willingly. For the 100th anniversary event in 2003, Williams arrived in Bordeaux on Thursday night July 24. The next morning, he was seemingly ready to join the peloton for the 18th stage to Saint Maixent-L'Ecole. Always enthusiastic and his quick-wit, rapid-fire persona ready, he was escorted to The Village, the area set up in each start city for race officials, team, media, VIP and local dignitaries, by Jim Ochowicz, former director of the Motorola Cycling Team. Williams appeared close to he fitness level of some of the riders. He was trim and tan. As an avid amateur cyclist, Williams participates often as the cyclist on triathlon teams and he appears regularly at charity cycling events. He knows the nuances of the sport well. Williams and Armstrong have been friends for several years, and
they ride together as their respective schedules permit.With two other
reporters, I interviewed Williams for about 20 minutes on the morning of the
18th stage. Wearing a faded T-shirt bearing the image of Jacques Cousteau, the
legendary French oceanographer. Since the image on the shirt was faded, I asked,
"Robin, are you wearing a Jerry Garcia T-shirt? Williams replied: "Are The interview, in part, follows: Reporter: Have you been watching the race a lot? Robin Williams: Yes, there have been so many things between crashes and great moments. I think people in the last few days have seen two great things - the crash and then Ullrich waiting and also seeing Tyler (Hamilton). It's been a double bill. Reporter: Are you watching on OLN? RW: Yes, my wife has been waking me (Williams feigned like his wife was shoving him out of bed.) I actually yelled at the TV when Lance crashed. LOOK THEY GRABBED HIM! (Williams then went into a 30-second impression of a French child. "I had the musette and he (Armstrong) tried to grab it from me." Reporter: Have you had a chance to chat with Lance yet? RW: No, not yet. I just got in last night from Vancouver. I was finishing a movie. Reporter: Oh, what it's called? RW: It's called Final Cut. It's about circumcision. Reporter: Are people watching at home just for Lance or do you think it's now more for the Tour? RW: I think it's both, but I think now it's The Tour. Because you have Tyler, and Lance and Ullrich and something everyday. And they don't just get to watch the 'Greatest Hits.' They can see it and watch the whole thing. They can pick up the strategy. They're picking up on Tyler and Ullrich and other things and that it's the endurance race of all endurance races. And they're getting it. Reporter: What do you think will happen in the great final showdown? RW: I think Brother Lance is ready for it. If he has hydrated, he'll be OK. He needs it, like water, something non-alcoholic. If he's hydrated, I think it will be great. I think he's ready and loaded for bear. I think it will be one of the great time trials. You've got two different kinds of riders -- Big Gears, Spinning. Be There. WWW. Full Contact Cycling. Reporter: What have you made of Ullrich? RW: I think he's been amazing. Yes, he broke away that day and then he was hanging in, and then that time trial, well that's when he made his big break. With all these different stages, there has been something for everybody. Reporter: Have you bothered to explain to friends why Ullrich waited? RW: Yes, but it's very difficult. They're like, 'Why didn't he just step on him?' I say, 'Hey, Tommie. It's not like Jersey.' "
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