Random Monday!

Newmaforma wrote,

Good advice but you mention the “cog” in the front which is actually a “chain ring” as well as “half wheeling” being “over lapping wheels”. That is, “half wheeling” happens with parrallel riders and “crossing wheels” happens with riders in front and behind each other.

While “half wheeling” is a functional description, traditionally it has been used when describing riding at the front of a group next to another rider and forcing the pace to increase as one rider continually rides “half a wheel” in front of the rider next to him/her, thus forcing the other rider to increase speed to stay next to the “half wheeling” culprit. This action repeats itself and the two riders continue increasig the pace unneccessarily.

At some point a 3rd rider might read the increasing pace as a challenge and then attack at which point all Hell breaks loose and a nice group ride turns into a race of ego’s.

Using the description of “crossing wheels” as “crossing the line of death” has been useful at track classes and is a colorful way to get the point across that overlapping one’s front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you is an invitation for disaster.

Clubs should be pressured to do skills sessions on grass to practice this mishap and how to lean one’s front wheel into the rear wheel they hit to learn how to stay upright.

Link | April 16th, 2008 at 10:52 am