Hello again. Hope you all had a good weekend. The holiday almost made me forget it was monday and not sunday. John Jorgensen was really close on his answers. Thanks to all of you so far that have taken the time to answer back and have some fun with me on these terms of trade. John's half- wheel was/is a form of training exercise, but right on for a tough workout. A long time ago it was more pernicious. Guys used to get on the good wind side and then ever so slightly start to come by but ever so slowly so the guy in front didn't realize what was taking place. Gently applying pressure you would nudge the pace and try to get the guy to increase the tempo without getting caught, and see how long you could goad him into staying out there before crying uncle. If you were astute and awake, you would know the guy was trying to do a number on you, and just let him go by. Hey, you want to set pace, go for it. Then it got put to more practical workout use and John's is right on. He's good on wheel also, and you can see how the previous terms of sitting tight, in, on, etc., all still have these close but subtle differences. It wasn't fair, and I apologize, but I thought the clue of wheel then machine would tip you off that I had 100 year old meanings in mind. When the old timers in my dad's shop were gassin' they referred to their wheels and machines. It finally dawned on me what the difference was. The term wheel was really a friendly term for their old bike, but directly taken from the old high wheeler. It was in fact a big wheel, direct drive originally. Simple, basic. When the chain and in effect a transmision was installed on the bike, then IT in effect became a machine! Like Mr. Ferris and his wheel! These terms were interchanged through the generations as the guys talked lovingly about their old trusty irons, steeds, as they were. But, as I listened and talked with them the variation of meaning became obvious. This was not too long ago, as we came in and through the machine age to where cars were named after the horse carriages, and machine came to be known in earlier part of last century as an automobile, then car. The bike use was all but lost except to those who kept the bicycle lore alive. This week's quiz: 1) Team Race. 2) Jam. 3) Jamming Tool 4) Wireless Pickup
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 7:18 PM Subject: Re: [CR]CR term of the week
>I had a great time helping out at our bike club's monthly 10 mi. TT. today.
>That and my ride put me in a good frame of reference for today's terms of
>enbicyclement.
> Let's start with sitting tight. This is close to saddle tight.
> But, in sitting tight I mean stuck to the wheel you're sitting on/behind
> like glue. No gap, No dayight. Period. Exclamation Point, as Victor Borge
> would say.
> Two main ways to execute this: One: If I tell my team mate to sit tight
> then I expect him to be RIGHT ON my wheel, almost touching. ALL antenni
> and sensors on high alert! If I go through a hole he's got to be so close
> he goes right through with me, no thinking, sheer reflex action! The third
> guy usually doesn't get through because he's not expecting that intensity
> and the hole closes up. TOO BAAD.
> Another interpretation is to sit tight so that no one gets you off the
> wheel. You protect your position and your team mate's like the wind up
> line in the TDF coming to the sprint. If someone wants to get in you have
> to sense and see it to angle yourself so that the impact drives you into
> the ground like a wedge and the opposition bounces off. A great feeling
> indeed - f'd 'em fair and square.
> You have noted that sitting in, on, tight, and saddle tight are very
> closely related. I hope I have been able to impart the subtleties to you
> so you will be be able to put yourselves in the situation and feel the
> nuances.
> Next time you are riding try to live the sensation WHILE
> paying full attention to the riders around you. Don't get lost in dreaming
> and do something below and under the call of duty.
> Closing the gap is quite simply put staying on the wheel in front of you
> and riding smooth and steady. Even pedal pressure responding to the pace,
> wind, terrain, and road condition. The constant distance your front wheel
> to the rider's back wheel in front of you is critical to your success in
> becoming respected in the paceline or field.
> It's a great feeling to be told you ride well. You will be able to go
> anywhere in the world, go for a group ride and be accepted. Being a yo-yo
> in the line is dangerous and may elicit unkind and rude invectives upon
> you, your riding style, and heritage.
> Daylight: We must be nearing the end of the tunnel. This happens when the
> gap gets too big, so that other riders can cut in front and get in,
> putting you and those behind you further back and perhaps in a worse
> strategic position. It's similar to gap position but usually so far that
> the slipstream effect is getting neutralised and ineffective. The old
> timers at the turn of the century used to say," Once I get daylite between
> my back wheel and your front wheel, you'll never see me again."
> If you want to be naughty, you can let the gap open. Most of the time the
> riders behind will go around and close the gap. You then have to increase
> speed as they come by, catch the back end of the last rider and let them
> do the work to catch up. If done properly it's a way to drop riders, when
> several team mates change the chore while (wile) working the same guy(s)
> over.
> Manys the time I heard guys, myself included yelling to guys to "close the
> gap." It's a good way to see if the guy is really corked or doggin' it.
> You'll know soon enough when you jump by if he can hang on or gets shook
> off. Sleigh riders do run the risk of being thrown a hook or run off the
> road.
> Next weeks challenge:
> 1) Wheel
> 2) Machine
> 3) Half-wheel
> Ted Ernst
> Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ternst" <ternst1@cox.net>
> To: "ternst" <ternst1@cox.net>; <j.mccoin@comcast.net>;
> <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 7:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [CR]CR term of the week
>
>
>> Sorry, everybody, I'm a day late so you'll get a bonus term.
>> Last week's: Saddle tight, sleigh ride, sit in, and the bonus, sit on.
>> Saddle tight as I learned it is when a rider can ride with the group,
>> field, team and not get shook off. Does his share at the front, swings
>> off and gets back in line and comes through again. Or it could be
>> interpreted if he is alone that no matter how hard the opposition rides
>> they can't get rid of him. You can come up with your own scenarios of the
>> psyche here, and get the feeling of what it means to be jamming hard and
>> be part of the action, or withstanding the enemies' attacks.
>> Sleigh ride is when the group is racing along and a rider gets in the
>> field and gets a ride along without coming to the front and pulling
>> through. As if the horse is trotting along and the rider is sitting in
>> the sleigh getting there without much effort.This needs a field of 30+
>> riders to be able to hide away.
>> Sitting in really means in a field of riders where one can hide, never go
>> to the front and let others pass and be nice and tucked in. Like sleigh
>> riding or sitting in. Today's term is wheel sucking, very crude, no
>> romance, no imagination. Unfortunately most of today's kids / riders are
>> somewhat boring in their unrealistic expectations.
>> Sorry, you know what I mean. This would be a great topic for extra-
>> sportif discussion at a gathering.
>> Bonus: Sitting on is the term used with small group where the riders are
>> in a line changing off while setting the pace. The "sitter one" will be
>> at the back of the line and as the previous pacesetter falls back to get
>> into the line and rest in the slipstream as he goes through, the last
>> rider will feign weakness and drop back a length to allow the rider
>> coming back to swing in front of him. He's resting all the time,
>> conserving, conniving, calculating.
>> You can figure out the strategies going on as the other riders pick up on
>> this. As the riders push themselves to get to the finish, nerves begin to
>> fray, then the fun begins.
>> Please remember that these terms are from the 1900's up through the
>> '60's.
>> They are originating from amateur riding where the strategy was different
>> from what you see on TV about the TDF today. Some of the things are the
>> same as you can readily identify.
>> But, many new nuances exist today in our jargon that weren't in use years
>> ago because of our non-participation in the international events other
>> than on our tracks in the '30's and in the 6-day races.
>> If any of you have any Q's you'd like to ask about any descriptions that
>> use other old terms, don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to explain
>> the explanation.
>> For this week, how about:
>> Sitting tight
>> Close the gap
>> Daylight.
>>
>> Ted Ernst
>> Palos Verdes Estates, CA
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "ternst" <ternst1@cox.net>
>> To: <j.mccoin@comcast.net>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:14 PM
>> Subject: Re: [CR]CR term of the week
>>
>>
>>> Enjoyed your memories, These are always great.
>>> Here's the term(s) for this week. They are related.
>>> Let's see how you do.
>>> 1) Sit in.
>>> 2) Sleigh ride.
>>> 3) Saddle tight.
>>> Ted Ernst
>>> Palos Verdes Estates, CA
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: <j.mccoin@comcast.net>
>>> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 8:21 AM
>>> Subject: [CR]CR term of the week
>>>
>>>
>>>> Ted brought back fond memories, for me it was from the early 60's. Our
>>>> training rides would normally start somewhere in San Francisco and
>>>> either go South to San Jose or North over the Golden Gate Bridge.
>>>>
>>>> The top of every hill was a sprint, every city limit sign was a sprint.
>>>> I remember the nervousness in the pack the pace speeding up, the subtle
>>>> gear changes, I tried to include my gear change with returning my
>>>> bottle to its cage, it fooled some but not all. It was normal on the
>>>> way back from San Jose to cross over the Coast Range to Highway 1,
>>>> normally when you crested the hill you rode into the coast fog and as
>>>> much as a 15 degree drop in the weather. The sprint into Half Moon Bay
>>>> was always well fought, I broke a chain in one of those.
>>>>
>>>> The rides to Marin were fantastic, we normally crossed Mt. Tamalpias
>>>> and then up the coast on Highway 1.I remember the sprints in to Rancho
>>>> Nicasio being especially long, imagine fifteen or twenty riders
>>>> spinning 52/13 combinations before even beginning the sprint The major
>>>> change has been the amount of traffic on the road, you don't dare have
>>>> three riders abreast on El Camino sprinting flat out. In those days
>>>> about half of El Camino Real had no sidewalks, the same with Marin
>>>> County, it was mostly dairy ranches.
>>>>
>>>> And for those of you waiting for it most of the bikes were Italian,
>>>> Bianchis, Cinellis and the small builders that nobody ever heard of,
>>>> brought back by the guys who had raced in Europe. I remember those
>>>> having especially nice fit and finish.
>>>>
>>>> Jim McCoin, yeah stuck in the Sixty's
>>>> Fremont Ca