wheel change

[Tom Anderson]

Have been watching the TdF for the last couple of days. How do they
drop out a rear wheel and replace it so quickly when a rider has a
pun*t*re? They seem to do it without, as I do, fiddling with the chain.

Cheers Tom Anderson

[Sam Salt]

Tom Anderson wrote:
> Have been watching the TdF for the last couple of days. How do they
> drop out a rear wheel and replace it so quickly when a rider has a
> pun*t*re? They seem to do it without, as I do, fiddling with the chain.
>
> Cheers Tom Anderson

Thanks for asking Tom,I wondered the very same thing last night.

Also they don't seem to bother *truing* the wheel either.

Must be magic wheels.

Sam Salt

[POHB]

Tom Anderson wrote:
> Have been watching the TdF for the last couple of days.

I watched last night. What is that rule that they don't lose any time
if they crash in the last few Km ? How does that work?

[Pete Biggs]

Tom Anderson wrote:
> Have been watching the TdF for the last couple of days. How do they
> drop out a rear wheel and replace it so quickly when a rider has a
> pun*t*re? They seem to do it without, as I do, fiddling with the
> chain.

Or putting the bike upside down ;-)

Selecting a high gear first helps.

~PB

[Simon Bennett]

POHB wrote:

> What is that rule that they don't lose any time
> if they crash in the last few Km ? How does that work?

Any riders held up by a crash within the last 3 km automatically get the
same time as the peleton (though not necessarily the same time as the
leaders or the winner). This is because there's no chance of anyone 'getting
back on' (catching) when the leaders are going like the clappers up in
front.

[John B]

Simon Bennett wrote:

> POHB wrote:
>
> > What is that rule that they don't lose any time
> > if they crash in the last few Km ? How does that work?
>
> Any riders held up by a crash within the last 3 km automatically get the
> same time as the peleton (though not necessarily the same time as the
> leaders or the winner). This is because there's no chance of anyone 'getting
> back on' (catching) when the leaders are going like the clappers up in
> front.

With the proviso that they must still cross the line, even if bloodied and
dragging the bike behind them.

John B

[Simon Brooke]

in message >, Sam Salt
') wrote:

> Tom Anderson wrote:
>> Have been watching the TdF for the last couple of days. How do they
>> drop out a rear wheel and replace it so quickly when a rider has a
>> pun*t*re? They seem to do it without, as I do, fiddling with the
>> chain.
>
> Thanks for asking Tom,I wondered the very same thing last night.
>
> Also they don't seem to bother *truing* the wheel either.
>
> Must be magic wheels.

Sorry, don't understand the problem. Derailleur gears, quick release,
engage highest gear, stop, open the quick release, drop the wheel out,
nae bother. Chuck in a new wheel, close the quick release, go. The only
problem is that you're in your highest gear, which is why you see the
mechanic pushing them up to a speed at which they can pedal.

It only works with either vertical drop outs (which all race bikes have
these days) or else dropouts with adjustable stop screws (which were
universal on race bikes in the seventies and eighties.

The team mechanics will have trued all the spare wheels - if they needed
it - before they left their home base. I should be very surprised if
team mechanics at TdF level now bother to true a wheel that's been
damaged in a day's racing - I imagine they throw any buckled ones away.
Having said that, MAVIC had a technical stand at the Fort William World
Cup last year, where they were trueing wheels for the teams with some
pretty impressive kit.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

-- mens vacua in medio vacuo --

[Don Whybrow]

John B wrote:
>
> Simon Bennett wrote:
>
>
>>POHB wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What is that rule that they don't lose any time
>>>if they crash in the last few Km ? How does that work?
>>
>>Any riders held up by a crash within the last 3 km automatically get the
>>same time as the peleton (though not necessarily the same time as the
>>leaders or the winner). This is because there's no chance of anyone 'getting
>>back on' (catching) when the leaders are going like the clappers up in
>>front.
>
>
> With the proviso that they must still cross the line, even if bloodied and
> dragging the bike behind them.

The 3km rule doesn't apply to individual or team time trial stages, if
you come off you get whatever time you can make.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

If you're happy and you know it, clunk your chains.

[Rob Morley]

In article >
Don Whybrow > wrote:
> John B wrote:
> >
> > Simon Bennett wrote:
> >
> >
> >>POHB wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>What is that rule that they don't lose any time
> >>>if they crash in the last few Km ? How does that work?
> >>
> >>Any riders held up by a crash within the last 3 km automatically get the
> >>same time as the peleton (though not necessarily the same time as the
> >>leaders or the winner). This is because there's no chance of anyone 'getting
> >>back on' (catching) when the leaders are going like the clappers up in
> >>front.
> >
> >
> > With the proviso that they must still cross the line, even if bloodied and
> > dragging the bike behind them.
>
> The 3km rule doesn't apply to individual or team time trial stages, if
> you come off you get whatever time you can make.
>
>
Obviously - there isn't a peleton in a time trial.

[Don Whybrow]

Rob Morley wrote:
> In article >
> Don Whybrow > wrote:
>>
>>The 3km rule doesn't apply to individual or team time trial stages, if
>>you come off you get whatever time you can make.
>
> Obviously - there isn't a peleton in a time trial.

ISTR last year a rider came off in a team TT within the 3km and this
prompted a discussion about it amongst the commentators.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

Change is inevitable...............except from a PhotoMe
passport booth

[Rob Morley]

In article >
Don Whybrow > wrote:
> Rob Morley wrote:
> > In article >
> > Don Whybrow > wrote:
> >>
> >>The 3km rule doesn't apply to individual or team time trial stages, if
> >>you come off you get whatever time you can make.
> >
> > Obviously - there isn't a peleton in a time trial.
>
> ISTR last year a rider came off in a team TT within the 3km and this
> prompted a discussion about it amongst the commentators.
>
>
I thought in a team time trial it was the time of the fifth man that
counted - everyone in the team gets that time as long as they finish.

[Clive George]

"Rob Morley" > wrote in message
t...
> In article >
> Don Whybrow > wrote:
>> Rob Morley wrote:
>> > In article >
>> > Don Whybrow > wrote:
>> >>
>> >>The 3km rule doesn't apply to individual or team time trial stages, if
>> >>you come off you get whatever time you can make.
>> >
>> > Obviously - there isn't a peleton in a time trial.
>>
>> ISTR last year a rider came off in a team TT within the 3km and this
>> prompted a discussion about it amongst the commentators.
>>
>>
> I thought in a team time trial it was the time of the fifth man that
> counted - everyone in the team gets that time as long as they finish.

Time of the fifth man for the first five or group - anybody lagging gets
their own time.

IIRC it was Zabriskie (sp?) last year who lost yellow as a result of the
crash, hence the discussion.

cheers,
clive