The Wave

A wave of the hand has to be one of the most simple and yet basic of human gestures.

A wave can say, “Hi,” or it can say, Thank you.”

Most important a wave to a stranger is saying “I acknowledge your existence, I am not ignoring you.

The wave immediately says, “I am friendly towards you.” Even the most hostile and aggressive of drivers, will give another driver a thank you wave, if they slow and let them in.

In fact if you don’t get a thank you wave, you feel slightly offended, somehow deprived, “Hey, I let you in and I didn’t get a thank you wave, where’s my thank you wave?”

Some cyclists will not return a wave to another cyclist, or will not do so unless they are wearing Lycra like them. Total bull-shit. I know it must be terribly hard if you are lying down comfortably on those aero bars, to struggle up to give a proper wave, but at least raise a finger or even the whole hand; make the effort.

Unless you are a serious time-trialist, or tri-athlete, it might be a good excuse to dump the aero bars. Set yourself free to sit up and wave to the whole world.

I wave to everybody when I am riding; not just people who look like me, other people on any kind of a bike, those walking, running, or on skate-boards; even ladies pushing babies in strollers. They are all people like me, out getting some fresh air, and exercise. Most times, I get a wave back but not always; I don’t feel deprived or offended if I don’t.

There are many low-income black people where I live; they ride bikes as their only means of transport. (They mostly ride on the wrong side of the road, unfortunately, so I get to greet the head-on.) I always wave and usually get a smile and a greeting back. One guy went in to hysterics and I could hear him still laughing from some distance after I passed him.

I guess my gesture was a huge source of amusement to him; at least it made him laugh, so I guess he was happy. I can hear him telling his friends, “One of those crazy white people on a bike, waved at me.”

If I see a driver waiting to turn in front of me, or pull out from a side road, I give a wave. This time it is more of an attention getter, “See me, I’m over here.” Rather like the wave to a waiter in a busy restaurant.

However, it is still a friendly gesture, and the driver may interpret it as, “Thank you for waiting, and not pulling in front of me. Often they will wave back, which is very nice; it means they have seen me, but more important they acknowledge my existence, and my right to be on the road.

A wave costs me nothing, and yet it gives so much. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure, makes my ride a better experience.

If you are not in the habit of waving, I can recommend it. It is good for the soul, yours and your fellow travelers.

Cyclists live longer

Here is a link to a humorous TV ad from Holland.

Statistics actually confirm the statement made in the ad is true; that is, with the exception of one. When comparing the fatality risk by miles traveled, every one million miles cycled, (1.6 Million Kilometers.) produces 0.039 cyclist fatalities, compared to 0.016 fatalities for motorists.

Both figures are very low but it would seem in this straight up, mile for mile comparison, that cyclists are more than twice as likely to die on a bicycle than in an automobile.

However, this statistic is flawed to the point that it can be ignored, for the simple reason it would take a cyclist riding slightly under 385 miles per week, 50 years to ride one million miles.

Most of us will never come close to that kind of cycling mileage; 500,000 miles in a lifetime would be very good. Compare this to driving, and we all know how relatively easy it is to put 100,000 miles on our car speedometer, two million miles in an automobile in a lifetime is not unreasonable.

When you consider the lower mileage covered in any given year, the chances of a bicycle fatality are greatly reduced. This is confirmed in another statistic that compares hours cycling with hours driving.

For every million hours spent cycling the fatality rate is 0.26, compared to 0.47 deaths per million driving hours. Therefore, driving a motor vehicle has nearly twice the risk of fatality as riding a bike for a given duration.

If you rode your bike non-stop for 114 years, which is one million hours, your chances of being killed on the road would be roughly 1 in 4. In that same period, your chances of dying of natural causes would be at least 99.999%.

Another statistic compares fatalities per million people. According to the US National Safety Council, for every million cyclists in the US, 16.5 die each year, whereas for every million motorists, 19.9 die each year.

How about the chances of dying as a result of injuries from a bicycle accident? One would suppose that crashing on a bicycle has a higher risk of death than crashing in a motor vehicle, but according to the NHTSA, bicycles compare rather well.

The odds of dying from a bicycle crash are 1 in 71. This compares to 1 in 75 for an SUV, truck or van, 1 in 108 for a car, 1 in 26 for a motorcycle, and 1 in 15 for a pedestrian.

In other words, the odds of dying in a bike crash are about the same as the odds of dying in an SUV crash. The false sense of security that comes from driving an SUV tends to produce far more dangerous driving behavior.

Many cyclists fear being hit from behind. This type of accident only accounts for slightly over 10% of all bicycle accidents, and half of these occur at night when the cyclist does not have lights.

In 90% of cases where a cyclist is hit from behind, injuries were minimal. In explaining the high death rate when pedestrians are hit. A pedestrian hit by a car doing 40 mph, the pedestrian is practically stationary, and the 40 mph impact is directly on the body.

Whereas, a cyclist traveling at 15 mph, hit by a car doing 40, the impact is 25 mph if hit from behind, and it is often not a direct hit on the body.

The most common accidents occur in front of you, and by defensive riding, many can be avoided. These are, vehicles coming towards you and turning in front of you. Vehicles pulling out from side roads and driveways in front of you. Drivers passing you then turning right in front of you (The right hook, or left hook in the UK.)

Statistics confirm that you can also reduce your risk of an accident if you don’t do the following: Don’t ride on the sidewalk and suddenly appear in front of motorists at intersections, especially if you are going the wrong way.

The same goes for riding the wrong way on a one-way street. Motorists are looking one way and not expecting traffic from the other direction. Don’t ride at night without lights or reflectors is another obvious one that will greatly reduce your risk of an accident.

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of some of these statistics, and individuals must draw their own conclusions. For example, in a risks per million hours of an activity comparison, scuba diving is 7 times more dangerous than cycling; however, a person is likely to spend far more hours cycling per year than scuba diving. How do you compare the two?

However, I think the figures are generally positive for cyclists. You can get out and ride your bike knowing the odds of survival are in your favor, and if you ride smart, your odds are even greater. Here is another one.

According to a study by the British Medical Association, the average gain in "life years" through improved fitness from cycling exceeds the average loss in “life years” through cycling fatalities by a factor of 20 to 1.

So you see, cyclists really do live longer.


Further Reading

Adult Bicyclists in the United States
Bicycle Almanac
Comparative Risk of Different Activities
Cycle Safely (RTH)
General Background on Bicycle Risks
Ken Kifer's Bike Pages: The Risk of Bicycle Use
Toronto Bicycle/Motor-Vehicle Collision Study (2003)

What to wear

The picture above is from 1952; the year I started racing and riding seriously. The photo taken at a British Hill Climb; typically an end of season event taking place around October when temperatures were falling slightly.

Notice what the spectators are wearing; regular everyday clothes. (Click on the picture for a larger image.) These cyclists probably rode a considerable distance to the event; the only special equipment is the cycling shoes. Cords or heavier tweeds were popular in the colder months, being warm, comfortable, and hard wearing.

The person in the center is wearing jeans; he is probably a newcomer to the sport and would soon be advised, or figure out for himself that jeans were neither warm or comfortable. The thing is these are regular pants or trousers, worn in conjunction with bicycle clips to keep the bottoms from being caught in the chain.

On the upper body you will notice a mixture of sweaters and light jackets. I always wore a woolen undershirt next to my skin, wool stayed warm even when wet from sweat or outside elements. Often when setting out on a ride in the early morning hours, I would place a sheet of newspaper under my top sweater, to keep the cold wind off my chest. Later as the day warmed up, this was discarded.

In the summer everyone wore regular shorts. (Picture left.) Racing clothes were made out of wool, they were expensive, needed to be hand washed, and took forever to dry. You could not throw them in the drier, or they would become matted and shrink.

No one wore racing gear on a training ride. I do remember that when I did put these clothes on to race, they felt so comfortable and unrestrictive that I automatically rode faster.

The shorts had a real chamois leather insert inside, and I would smear a handful of Vaseline on it before a race. It felt extremely weird for about the first minute, but then kept me comfortable throughout the race, with zero chaffing.


Even the pros did not wear racing gear for training rides. The picture above is of Fausto Coppi (Left.) with his brother Serse. (Right.) and a few other riders about to set out on a training ride.

The trousers they are wearing would be specially made for cycling, but they are styled after regular street clothes with the exception that they fit just below the knee, and are worn in conjunction with knee length socks. On the top they are wearing a variety of woolen sweaters.

My mother was an expert at sewing, and I would take an old pair of trousers, and have her cut them off just below the knee. She would sew some wide elastic on the bottom to fit under my knee. The material cut from the bottom of the leg, she would make a double seat, which added comfort and made them wear longer.

By the 1970s, proper cycling clothes were available, but there were training clothes and racing clothes. Now it has become acceptable to train or simply ride for pleasure in racing gear.

I would not dress up in Lycra for a short trip to the post-office or store, but if I am riding for an hour or more, I love it and would not go back to wearing regular clothes for a long ride. The modern clothes are so comfortable, and the great thing is, I can throw the shorts and jersey in the washing machine, they are almost dry after the spin cycle, and air dry in a few hours.

However, in the 1950s we rode a hundred plus miles in a day in regular clothes so we proved that it can be done. You don’t have to wear special clothes to enjoy cycling, it is a personal choice; wear what you feel comfortable in.

Having said that; if you were invited to a formal dinner where everyone wore a tuxedo and black tie, you would look out of place if you showed up in casual clothes. Maybe you are thick-skinned enough that it wouldn’t bother you, but other guests would feel uncomfortable. The same would have been true if someone had shown up on a 1950s Club Run wearing racing gear.

It would also be the same today if I showed up dressed in street clothes, 1950s style for a ride with a group all wearing Lycra and helmets. Even if I was fit enough to stay with the group, some in the group would feel uncomfortable.

I know there will be others who disagree with me on this one; I can just hear the comments on “elitism.” We live in a social structure, and I feel that although we ultimately wear and do as we please, we do have a certain obligation not to offend or make others in our immediate peer group feel uncomfortable.

I use the term “immediate peer group,” because it seems when we wear Lycra we offend Joe Public, and that is not my problem, I will conform within limitations. Where Joe Public is concerned the “Gay Lycra outfits,” is just an expression of their contempt for the fact that we are on the road.

I remember in the 1950s, all the stuff you would normally carry in the rear pockets of your jersey, we carried in a small canvas bag called a Musette bag. (Tools, food, money, batteries for lights, etc.) I remember the general public, even those who used a bicycle for transport, would always ask, “What do you carry in those stupid little bags?”

Drivers delayed briefly by a group of cyclists wearing regular street clothes, the group I’m sure would be labeled, “Leftist, hippy, tree-huggers;” you can’t win that one.

Imagine the confusion that would be caused by a group or older gentlemen cyclists, dressed as the Italian Pro group above. How would they be labeled; “Old Poofters on Bikes,” maybe?

Whatever you do, don’t let the clothes you feel comfortable wearing, stop you from riding a bike.


Pictures are from Classic Lightweights, UK.
and Fausto Coppi, It.

What’s your sign?

This picture was on a Mothers’ Day card that caught my eye in a Target store. The caption inside reads, “Thanks for always covering my back.”

I started thinking, what would my sign say? Probably something like this:

“Thank you for your patience. Normal passage will be resumed when it is safe to pass. Please proceed with caution, and try to have a nice day.”

What would your sign say? In case you are wondering, this is just a little frivolity; I am not seriously suggesting we carry cardboard signs on our backs.

To make it interesting I’ll give signed copies of my book to the three I like the best. Entries will close on Monday, 28th April 23, 2008.

Keep it clean, unless it’s really funny, in which case a little obscenity will be excused. Post as a comment, and email me separately.

If you are interested, Mothers’ Day is on May 11th in the US; the date may be different in other countries.

1953 Giro d’Italia: Coppi and Koblet in an epic battle

Here is some silent black and white newsreel footage from the 1953 Giro d’Italia; featuring Italy's Fausto Coppi and Swiss rider Hugo Koblet.

When Coppi was on top form, he was unbeatable; however, Koblet was one of the few riders of that same era who could seriously challenge the Campionissimo. Filmed here is one of their many epic battles as they take on the Passo Sella in the 19th stage.

See if you can spot Hugo Koblet early on leading the peloton, as he flashes past the camera. His jersey appears white, although it is actually the “Magalia Rosa,” the race leader’s pink jersey. Fausto Coppi (5th in line.) is easier to spot in his distinctive Bianchi jersey. In addition, the camera lingers on Coppi.

There is an early solo break by Italy’s Pasquale Fornara, another great climber who took the King of the Mountains title in the 1953 Giro.

When the serious climbing starts, a three man chasing group forms. It includes Coppi and Koblet and another rider I am not able to recognize. On a brief respite from climbing, you will see the Swiss rider tighten his toe strap, a sure sign that he is about to attack.

In a classic move, as they catch Forana, Hugo Koblet immediately attacks. Again, spot him by his light jersey with no lettering; he is also not wearing a cap, whereas the other riders are. Notice Koblet’s speed, and how quickly he opens a considerable gap.

Tired from his long solo effort, Pasquale Fornara holds on briefly, but finds the pace too hot and is dropped. As they near the summit, Fausto Coppi has now left the remaining rider and is chasing alone.

There is a great shot of a motorcycle race marshal, kicking at the crowd to keep them back. You will also notice that Coppi is now wearing a “leather hairnet” helmet, in readiness for the descent. He reels in Koblet at the top of the climb.

Had he not closed the gap before the summit, he may never have caught the flying Swiss rider; Hugo Koblet was well known for his long solo break-aways. He earned the nick-name "Pédaleur de Charme" for his smooth pedaling style, and his ability to maintain a high rate of speed over a distance.

There is some great footage of the two working together as they dash towards the finish. Coppi easily out sprints Koblet to win the stage.

On later stages, Coppi would take the lead from Koblet to win the 1953 Giro d’Italia by 1 min. 29 sec. Pasquale Fornara was third, and King of the Mountains. Gino Bartali was forth that year.

Wasting Space

The two most bicycle friendly countries in Europe are Demark and Holland. (Netherlands)

It is not so much that these two countries developed a bicycle culture, they never really opted out of it, while the rest of Europe followed the United States and gradually switched to a society dependent on automobiles.

Up until the 1960s even Britain still had a bicycle culture. Not only did the majority of the population not own cars, but most had never learned to drive. People rode bicycles to work, children rode to school. and ladies did their shopping on a bicycle with a basket on the handlebars. There was also a good public transport system.

So why did Denmark and Holland choose not to opt for an automobile society? When you look at the size of these two countries it is easy to see why. Denmark’s area is a total of 16,629 sq. miles while Holland is 15,892 sq. miles. Both these countries could almost fit into my current home state of South Carolina, at 31,113 sq, miles. Then compare this to California with 158,706 sq. miles.

If there is one thing the automobile needs it is a large amount of space, and these two small countries do not have that luxury. Car parking is as large a problem as an inadequate road system. Improving the road system encourages more people to drive creating more congestion and parking problems.

Most European cities were built hundreds of years ago, long before the automobile was conceived; houses were built in terraced rows with no space in between. They have no garages, and there is only enough frontage to each house to allow one car to park for each residence. Often the streets are so narrow that parking is not possible anyway, or sometimes on one side only.

Here in the US we have an abundance of space, but the more space we use to accommodate the automobile, the more people are forced to live further and further away from the city center, and more space is required for roads to get people to and from work.

I wonder how many thousands of acres are taken up in Southern California to accommodate the auto, when you consider the five and six lane freeways in all directions, the wasted space between and around those freeways. To say nothing of the acres of parking lots associated with every business.

It then gets to the situation you have in Los Angeles where it is not unusual for people to commute 80 miles each way to work, because the only home they can afford is out in the desert somewhere east of that city. Six lane freeways still fail to move the volume of traffic, and become parking lots during rush hour.

When I last lived in Southern California in 1994 (After I left the bike business.) I commuted 25 miles to work from Corona, near Riverside, to Anaheim. The trip took me anywhere from one and a half to two hours each way; I could have ridden that distance quicker on a bicycle. The problem was, the only direct route was the freeway, and the route that could have been ridden by bicycle was more like 50 miles.

Going back to 1980 when I moved to San Marcos, some 60 miles north of San Diego, there was mostly undeveloped semi-desert brush land south from San Marcos to San Diego; the same if you went north to Riverside. Then around the mid 1980s the Int.15 Freeway was extended from San Diego to Riverside, and by the time I left in 1994 the whole area from San Diego to somewhere north of Los Angeles was just one huge suburbia.

This area would be about the size of either Denmark or Holland, so there is no need to wonder why they still have a bicycle culture. Why build freeways when on the roads you already have you can drive across the entire country in a matter of hours. And if you accommodate more cars where will they park when the get to their destination?

One of the biggest issues I see with the automobile is not just that it burns fossil fuel and emits greenhouse gasses; in time, technology will fix those problems. The problem is the waste of space.

Understanding other cultures

Probably one of the main causes of problems between the nations of the world is a failure to understand the difference in each other’s beliefs, customs, and general way of life.

When I wrote an article last September called “Womankind,” linking to a blog from Denmark called “Copenhagen Girls on Bikes,” I received a lot of criticism by way of comments.

In fact, the criticism is ongoing both for me and the Copenhagen blog.

Most of the critics are from America and label the site as sexist, voyeuristic, and demeaning to women. I have looked for, and not found complaints from Danish women. One would think if the women pictured on the Girls on Bikes blog found it offensive, they would at least protest by way of a comment or two.

On the other side of the coin, Mikael Colville-Andersen, one of the people responsible for Copenhagen Girls, in his effort to spread bicycle culture is often critical of American cyclists.

Known to speak out against the wearing of helmets and Lycra, he posted a comment on my recent post that highlighted a “California Cycling League Safety Video.”

This was his comment”

“That video is the work of the 'Vehics'. The Vehicular Cyclists are the Flat Earth Society of the cycling world. Strange, outdated beliefs with little science to back them up. I thought it was satire when I first saw it.”

I feel obliged to respond, and my reply is too long for a simple counter comment. Mikael, you are living in a country that has a definite bicycle culture; cyclists in America are riding their bikes, and doing the best they can, in a definite automobile culture.

This is a left turn signal in Copenhagen. (Picture left.) In the US, it is entirely possible that the cyclist is not even seen, (We are invisible.) let alone such a nonchalant hand gesture.

The cyclist must place themself in the center of the lane, forcing drivers to slow then give a clear signal and move over when it is safe to do so.

On my ride last weekend, I did this maneuver on a three-lane highway, taking one lane at a time, to get to the fourth left turn lane.

I doubt there are many such roads in Denmark, and if there are, I am sure there is special provision made for cyclists to turn safely.

I wore Lycra and my helmet. Bright colored Lycra because in the interest of my own safety, I want to be seen. A helmet because it is my choice; I view it, as a very last line of protection should all else fail. In addition, it keeps my head cool in the very hot climate here. The temperature in South Carolina where I live was 85 F. (29.4 C.) on Saturday, to ride in street clothes would not have been practical.

The picture at the top of this piece is of a woman riding at night in Copenhagen. Even though she is dressed entirely in black, she is safe and obviously feels she is safe. This would not be the case in any large American city, even on a bike equipped with good lighting.

Mikael, I admire what you are doing; spreading the word of a bicycle culture. However, I doubt your message is reaching mainstream America, and those it is reaching think your site is sexist, voyeuristic, etc. etc. (Probably in part because of mainstream America’s puritan culture.)

My advice would be, not to alienate the few fans you have in the US, namely the bicycle enthusiasts. I would love to see more people riding bikes to work than driving cars, but realistically this is not going to happen anytime soon in the US.

People ride bikes in Demark because it is the normal thing to do. The country is tiny compared to the US; distances traveled are much shorter. Riding a bicycle in America is not considered normal by the majority of the population, and the people riding bicycles in the USA are mostly enthusiasts, doing so for the love of riding a bicycle.

Let us all try to understand the differences in our separate cultures, and realize what works and is acceptable in one country, will not necessarily be the same in the other. I suspect the Danes do not view Copenhagen Girls on Bikes as sexist.

In the Scandinavian countries, there is more equality and tolerance for differences, not just between the sexes, but in all walks of life. Whereas, in the US there is a constant ongoing battle of the sexes, as well as intolerance for anyone seen as a little different and outside the mainstream.

And so Mikael, try to understand what it is like to be a bike rider in a car culture country. Vehicular cycling, far from being some weird science, is for the most part following the rules of the road. Ease up on the criticism; we are doing the best we can under very difficult conditions.

Cyclists Gone Wild

Taking the lane is one thing, but taking the whole lane for no reason other than you can if there is enough of you in the group, as I see it is just plain wrong.

After complaints from motorists, police in Winter Park, Florida were out with video cameras. What they filmed made to the news on an Orlando station.

At the start of the piece, I saw cyclists three or four abreast; at least one rider completely over the double yellow line. About twenty cars backed up behind the riders.

Then I saw the entire pack blow through a stop sign, and make a right, at a very high rate of speed even though there was other traffic passing.

It looked to me that this was an unofficial race, rather than a group-training ride. Here is the link, view for yourself and be your own judge.

Actually, in a large group like this it is often safer to ride two abreast. They can do so taking up half the lane, which gives motorists a chance to see around the group to determine if it is safe to pass.

Riding single file a group is twice as long, and takes twice as long to pass.

Stronger riders can stay at the front if they wish and change off by having one line constantly moving forward, and the other dropping back. Wind direction usually decides which line moves forward. (Picture left.)

Going through stop signs and lights, the whole group stops, and then moves off as a group, as if they were one vehicle.

Classic Dutch Bicycle Pictures

I found these wonderful classic Dutch bicycle photos from collector Andre Koopman.

It is a mixture of photographs of this collector's bicycles, plus prints made from the old original glass plate negatives, some dating back to the late 1800s. These came from the Fongers factory, a Dutch bicycle manufacturer.

One of my favorite set of pictures is of a Gazelle bicycle; (Top picture.) it comes with a pretty amazing story that goes like this:

In 1939, a man buys a new bicycle. Soon after WWII breaks out, and with the impending invasion of Holland, man hides new bike in attic. Soon after man becomes sick and dies. Bike remains in attic for the next 64 years.

The unused bicycle was discovered in 2003 and bought by this collector.

Even the original Gazelle tires were still good. The handlebars have a celluloid covering; yes, celluloid the stuff they used to make movie film, and was a forerunner of plastic.

The bike has dynamo lighting; the wiring has rubber insulation with a woven cotton outer casing.

The bike also has a leather dress guard, and a single front brake that consists of a rubber block that pushes down on the front tire.

Pictured below is another bike that caught my interest, and is also from WWII. It is a British made, BSA folding bike that British Paratroopers carried on their back when they parachuted into Holland during the war.

There must have been a large number of these left around the Dutch countryside after the initial drop.

Another even older military bicycle is this 1898 Fongers. (Below.) Looking surprisingly like an Alex Moulton.

I am thinking that the picture got “flipped” and was printed backwards. I have never seen a bike with the chainwheel on the left side. There is no point in this as it would require a left-hand thread on the rear sprocket.

You can view the rest of the pictures here.

My thanks to Bakfiets en Meer, Netherlands who found the pictures first.

A short cycling safety video

I came across this California League Cycling Instructor's bicycle safety video via Philadelphia Bicycle News.

I had to smile at this quote:

“It's duly noted that these are very skilled, faster cyclists interacting with relatively polite Southern California motorists traveling at moderate speeds.”

I’m not sure about Southern California motorists being more polite than in any other state; they have been known to shoot at each other on the freeway on occasions. It’s been a few years since I lived in So.Cal, maybe the threat of gunfire has improved their manners.

Anyway, I digress. I think this short video is excellent and packs a lot of useful information in a few minutes. There was not much here that I didn’t already know, however, just the visual image of cyclists having some control over other road users around them made me feel good.

I realize the video has been edited to serve its purpose, but nowhere do I see the flow of traffic being hindered. The cyclists come across as polite but assertive, and viewers should note that had they just blown through red lights and stop signs, all credibility would have quickly disappeared.

There is a big difference between assertiveness and arrogance. Assertiveness is taking the lane after signaling and making your intentions clear. Arrogance is cutting in front of people, running lights and stop signs, and not only breaking the rules of the road, but breaking the rules of decent human behavior.

Why are large frames more prone to shimmy?

Over on the Serotta Forum the subject of shimmy was being discussed; this subject is probably discussed on bike forums more that any other. One member posted the following:

“Am I nuts, or do all shimmy prone bikes have one thing in common?
Large size frames.
I ride a 52cm - 53cm frame. I've never experienced shimmy in any of
the many bikes I've owned. It seems like every shimmy story has a tall person in the starring role.”

No, you are not nuts, large frames are more prone to shimmy. First of all, shimmy is a natural occurrence on two wheeled vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles have the same problem.

At a certain speed a spinning wheel will start to nutate, That is, not only is the wheel spinning about its axis, (The wheel spindle.) the axis itself is constantly moving. To demonstrate this to yourself, hold a wheel by the spindle in your outstretched hands, and move your hands in the motion of pedaling a miniature bicycle.

Even a child’s spinning top will hold steady with its axis vertical if it is spinning at speed. One would think it would spin slower and slower until it gently falls over. However, as it slows to a certain critical speed it will start to wobble then fall. In other words, it starts to nutate at a certain speed.

“Rotation” means an object spinning around a fixed axis; “nutation” means the axis is also moving as the object spins. The front wheel is not only fluttering back and forth in the vertical plane, but in the horizontal plane also. Therefore, the head tube of the bicycle or motorcycle is shaking violently from side to side.

The rear wheel does not shimmy because it is fixed withing the frame. Just as on three or four wheeled vehicles the wheels are not prone to shimmy because the axels are held in one plane. Although on older cars, for example, when wheel bearings and steering joints start to wear allowing the wheel’s axis to move, they too will shimmy or wobble at a certain speed.

On a bicycle, most of the rider’s weight is towards the rear. The rider’s weight on the saddle and the rear wheel in contact with the road provide two anchor points holding the rear of the bike steady, while the front end can start to shake violently.

Because the seat tube slopes rearwards, as the frame gets taller the rider’s weight is more directly over the rear wheel. On a large frame this makes for a near vertical pivot line between the rider’s weight on the saddle, and the rear wheel’s point of contact. (See picture below.)

It is about this pivot line that the bike will start to shake, and if the rider then grips the handlebars tighter, his body will also start to shake along with the bike and a crash will probably ensue.

When nutation and the resulting shaking starts, it will only get worse unless speed or weight distribution changes; especially if the rider becomes part of the shaking mass.

On a motorcycle shimmy, (Or tank slapper, as they are called.) they are often so violent the rider is thrown from the machine. In this motorcycle tank slapper video, you will notice the front wheel is not just fluttering side to side about the steering axis, but the wheel is also moving side to side about a horizontal axis, throwing the whole bike and rider side to side.

On a smaller bicycle frame, the rider’s weight is more forward and the pivot line is less than vertical. (See picture below.) This means that even if the rider is riding “no hands” there is still a certain amount of weight on the front wheel.

This is a clue to avoiding shimmy if you are tall and ride a large frame. When descending at speed, move your weight forward and keep your back low so that air pressure on your chest is not forcing more weight to the rear.

Transfer weight from the saddle to the pedals, thus breaking one of the solid anchor points. Often a knee pressed against the top tube will dampen a shimmy. A loose headset may not cause a shimmy, but tightening a headset very slightly may have a dampening effect. Don’t over tighten a headset, or this in itself will make the steering erratic.

This is the third time I have written on this subject, and I don’t want to keep repeating myself. However, it is a subject that will always be around and so will continue to be discussed, and continue to surprise those who experience it for the first time.

In my first article “High Speed Shimmy” I called it a design flaw. This may have been a little strong, but frames I built did not shimmy as a rule, even the larger sizes; so, design and construction do play a role. The only time I was told a Fuso shimmied was when rear pannier bags were fitted, and the frame was not designed for this purpose.

I built my frames with slightly more trail than most other bikes; maybe this factor was enough to prevent shimmy. It doesn’t take much to alter a bike’s handling characteristics. Sometimes different wheels or a slightly heavier tire is all that is needed to stop a bike from shimmying.

I went into the subject in depth in my second piece called “Shimmy Re-visited.” I am now of the opinion that this is not so much a flaw, but a natural phenomenon inherent in any two wheel vehicle. Simply because the front wheel’s axis is free to move in any direction.

All the years I built bicycles, I never gave this subject much thought; I didn’t have to because I never had this problem. I do not have an engineering or science degree, and those who do will no doubt correct me if I am wrong.

I have not written about harmonic vibrations and the reasons why wheels start to wobble, what is needed is not more theories as to why this happens, but ideas to minimize the problem.

Bicycle designers and manufacturers should be concerned, and be looking for a cure. In the mean time, all an individual can do is get to know the limitations of their bike, and ride within those limitations.

An old friend comes home

In 1982, soon after I started building my own custom frames, I built a 58cm. frame that was somewhat of a showpiece. It was dark blue with lots of chrome.

I am pretty sure this was the frame I posed with in the Masi shop, and was used in one of my early ads. (Left.)

The frame was eventually sold to Bud’s Bike Store, in Claremont, California, and built up as a display model. This bike brought in many other orders, including this one built in 1983.

Then around 1984 this display model was sold, and bought by Lorin Youde. In his own words he told me, “I rode the heck out of it, then for some unknown reason, sold it in 1994.” He added, “Even my wife told me not to sell it, and it was not long after I realized I had made a big mistake.”

Lorin tried to fill the void with other bikes I had also built; he bought this John Howard two years ago.

Then he bought this Recherché in near new condition; it was the one I featured in this post.

Last year Lorin decided to track down the bike he sold. The person he sold it to had resold it, and the bike was in now Spokane, Washington. The new owner had just had knee surgery and so was willing to sell.

A price was negotiated, and the bike returned to it’s original owner at the end of last year. Lorin just sent me pictures. In an email he told me, “I replaced the 8 speed Dura Ace components with period correct Super Record and while not quite in pristine a condition as Chuck Schmidts' it still looks pretty good and is a pleasure to ride.”






Actually, I think the original paint looks pretty darn good for a bike that has “Had the heck ridden out of it.” There are more pictures here.

A new cycling hazard

There is a new hazard for cyclists that has been brought to my attention.

The chances of anyone experiencing this is remote, but never the less it would be remiss of me if I didn’t pass on this information.

It is a strange phenomenon known as Spontaneous Cyclo Combustion. (SCC.) It is similar to Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC.) but is relatively new.

The first recorded case took place in Southern Italy in 1985, whereas SHC has been around for hundreds of years.

Since the late 1990s there has been a rapid increase in the reported cases, last year (2007.) there were four incidents in the US alone. Two in Arizona, one in Nevada, and one Southern California. SCC seems to be more prevalent in hot, dry climates.

Unlike SHC caused by the melting of body fat known as the "Wicking effect," the cause of SCC is unknown. The end result is the same, the body burns completely, but cyclists have very little body fat, which has scientists somewhat baffled.

Prior to last year, in all known cases, the victims of SCC for some unknown reason, had all been riding alone. In each case the cyclist’s charred remains were found, usually a short distance from their bicycle, as if they had dropped their bike and tried to run from the source of heat before being totally consumed by fire.

However, in one of the Arizona incidents last year there was a witness. Two cyclists, let’s call them Tom and Brad. Tom is deceased; Brad wishes to have his name withheld for reasons that will become apparent. The two were riding in the desert somewhere north of Scottsdale, when Tom the stronger rider dropped Brad on a long climb.

By the top of the hill, Tom was some 300 yards ahead. Brad looked up and saw a bright glow ahead. At first he thought it was a trick of the sun on the hot asphalt, but then he heard cries for help from his friend. By the time Brad reached his friend, his bike lay by the roadside and Tom was fully engulfed in flames some thirty feet away.

Brad grabbed his water bottle and ran to help his friend. However, the heat was so intense he could only get within ten feet of the fire, and in less than a minute all that remained of Tom was a heap of smoldering black ash.

Brad called 911 and while he waited for the police and EMS he took pictures with his cell phone. When the police arrived Brad was promptly arrested on suspicion of murdering his friend. He was held for several days then interviewed by the FBI. After the interview, he was allowed to go home but never told that he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Which is why Brad wishes to remain anonymous.

On arriving home he discovered the pictures he took had been erased from his cell phone. It appears in such cases where some strange phenomenon occurs; our government becomes secretive, and suppresses information.

In the California incident, also last year, it is believed a cyclist who spontaneously combusted accidentally started one of the more serious wild fires that plagued that state. California fire investigators denied it, in what appears to be an official cover up. However, they did say if anyone should catch fire, to resist the urge to run into the surrounding chaparral.

So why the increase in cases of SCC in recent years? Scientists believe it is directly related to carbon fiber frames. It is believed that it is triggered by a build up of static electricity caused by the friction between the plastic saddle, and the polyester fibers in the shorts.

The padding in the shorts is usually highly flammable which adds to the problem, and may even be the primary key in this whole SCC issue. It's like the cyclist is sitting on a fuse to a potential incendiary bomb.

With the old steel frames this static electricity was constantly dispersed throughout the frame. A spokesman for Brooks Saddles in England said, " We have known about this for years, but were afraid to make it public because.......well......we might have appeared a little cuckoo."

He added, "It's the reason we increased the size of the copper rivets in our saddles. (Picture right.) Copper, as you know, is an excellent conductor of electricity and it directs the static electricity away from the danger zone."

So what can a cyclist do to avoid this slight but definite hazard, besides riding a steel frame with a Brooks saddle. Well help is on the way; manufacturers of plastic saddles and shorts are getting together to find which materials do not cause static build up.

It will be necessary to buy the correct shorts to go with a certain saddles. Each will have a warning label, and a code letter. (A, B, or C.) A type “A” saddle must be used with type “A” shorts, and it is not recommended that you mix code letters, or you may be actually be placing yourself at an increased risk.

These new saddles and shorts will not be available probably until early 2009. So what can a concerned cyclist do in the mean time? The incidents are so rare that I am not suggesting cyclists should become paranoid to the extent of carrying a fire extinguisher.

However, there are any number of proprietary flame retardant materials available, that you can use to treat the padding, and make your shorts fire proof. Or, you can simply keep the padding damp throughout your ride with water from your bottle.

There is a website with more information at BlazingSaddles.org