Bike Racing

[Marco]

Thank you.

I don't have this new fangled system...so what do you think the problem with MC's bike was?

High torque, relatively slow cadence, and desperate 'to hell with the style, just give me the power' technique leads to jerky forces on the chain rather than the smooth forces you'd get in a time-trial.

Couple this with a bumpy road, and the chain could easily jump sprocket

[Graham Breeze]

High torque, relatively slow cadence, and desperate 'to hell with the style, just give me the power' technique leads to jerky forces on the chain rather than the smooth forces you'd get in a time-trial.

Couple this with a bumpy road, and the chain could easily jump sprocket

"A small speed bump at the start of his sprint had knocked him off his line enough that his rear wheel momentarily went into the air and when it hit the ground again, slightly diagonal to his direction of travel, the combined force of that not-quite-straight impact and the torque he was putting through his cranks shifted his chain one gear. He slowed as his gears ground..."

This is Edward Pickering of Rouleur. No mention here of twisted chains thwarting Cavendish.

I rate Pickering as one of the finest writers on cycling - calm, considered and eloquent.





,

[Witton Park]

He had had a rear wheel change at 60K to go but assuming the mechanic had done something odd one would have thought in the next 59K the rider would have noticed something was wrong.

CPs words were good. Although cynic that I am I don't believe much that is said to a camera.

Incidentally I have just re-watched the interview Mr Cavendish gave after he outrageously got Sagan chucked off the Tour following his idiotic attempted passing manoeuvre when there clearly wasn't room for him to get through to pass Sagan. At least over his fumbling mumbling "nothing to do with me" words his face displays his shame.

Can't agree with you on this Graham.
It was Sagan's fault. Griepel agreed, the commissaires agreed.

[Graham Breeze]

Can't agree with you on this Graham.
It was Sagan's fault. Griepel agreed, the commissaires agreed.

Greipel?

"Sometimes I should watch images before I say something," the German from Lotto Soudal wrote on Twitter. "Apologies to @petosagan as I think that decision of the judge is too hard."

See also McEwan, Millar, Voigt, Cooke.

The commissaires got it wrong in the face of a screaming Cavendish - never known for humility after causing crashes.

[molehill]

From what I have seen of sprint finishes on tours, it is no place for gentlemen riders.

[Witton Park]

Greipel?

"Sometimes I should watch images before I say something," the German from Lotto Soudal wrote on Twitter. "Apologies to @petosagan as I think that decision of the judge is too hard."

Too hard, but not wrong.

[PeteS]

I keep coming back to the chain with this Cav Bordeaux sprint. If it's jumping between 11 and 12, then it's a badly adjusted derailleur but from what Ralf Aldag has implied, it was a chain issue?

[Graham Breeze]

I keep coming back to the chain with this Cav Bordeaux sprint. If it's jumping between 11 and 12, then it's a badly adjusted derailleur but from what Ralf Aldag has implied, it was a chain issue?

Ah but what is truth?

[Marco]

I keep coming back to the chain with this Cav Bordeaux sprint. If it's jumping between 11 and 12, then it's a badly adjusted derailleur but from what Ralf Aldag has implied, it was a chain issue?

The modern fashion for using the big ring and large rear sprockets means that the chain tension will always be a little bit slack when using the smallest sprockets. Add to this the fact that when sprinting at maximum power, which can exceed 1000W for the biggest sprinters, it is a case of stomping on the pedals in a piston like action, which results in huge tension on the chain followed, briefly, by very little. It does ask a lot of the chain, and the slightest bump at the wrong time is likely to jump the chain.

A very long way down the talent levels, I once unshipped the chain whilst standing up and sprinting on the smallest sprocket (a 13) at over 30mph. Hitting neutral, as the chain went between the smallest sprocket and the frame is pretty scary, but probably everyone who's sprinted at maximum power on the road has done it at least once. I checked the bike afterwards, and it was correctly adjusted so in theory it wasn't possible. But it happened.

[mr brightside]

The modern fashion for using the big ring and large rear sprockets means that the chain tension will always be a little bit slack when using the smallest sprockets.

It beggars belief for me. I can't understand people who fear the little ring like this, i'm on it quite a lot, and one of my bikes won't safely engage 53-25 due to me deliberately setting the chain length so as to limit me to 53-21. I think people just see stronger riders, mostly on TV, living on the big ring and think it's the way to go. I once saw someone grinding his way up otley chevin on the big ring at the front and what looked to be a 32 at the rear; his rear mech was as straight as a 6" rule!