[CR] Names ... - now Gentleman's Race

(Example: Framebuilders:Rene Herse)

To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:19:44 -0700
From: donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca>
Subject: [CR] Names ... - now Gentleman's Race


I think a Gentleman's race is one where you team a stronger rider with a weaker rider. I read somewhere that 100 years ago in france they would team a man and his wife on a tandem with the man steering (said tandem might have been one with both the steering column and the male in the stoker position.)

The article below mentions combing a young racer with a retired pro racer on a team, with a handicap based upon average age.

http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=internet-bob.10810.1413.eml

I don't know why Super Champion made a rim specifically for Gentleman's racing, perhaps they were just paying hommage to a bit of terminology (like Mount Ventoux) that became famous due to cycling.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA