Wedding bells ringing. Where’s Frank ? >> Gawler Wheelers Group Ride Report: Saturday 18th August 2012
Gawler-wheelers-route31-gawler-lyndoch-williamstown-warren-res
http://www.bikemap.net/route/1326511
No. of Riders Friday : 20
No. of Riders Saturday : 30
TO JOIN GAWLER WHEELERS Group click >>http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/GawlerWheelers
*** TODAY's PHOTO GALLERY BELOW ***
Ride Summary
Frank had ‘Other Duties' today: Fancy planning his Daughters wedding on a Saturday…
In keeping with Frank's love of youtube, here is a clip from the wedding that took place today !
( Frank must be a wizz at this Blogging thing, as I can not find how to embed the video...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vBadGJp1hQ
Firstly, last night 20 riders took to the boards again & attempted to defy gravity, by riding the 40° banks of the Adelaide Superdrome.
For some it was their first time, and reading the comments left on the track night events page, it was thoroughly enjoyed.
Here is a snippet:
Since our last visit to the Superdrome, several of our riders have invested in their own Track Bike. These are quite a bit cheaper than our roadies, and can start from just a few hundred dollars, but you can still end up spending thousands for the super fast Carbon framed bikes. (Can’t you Michael !)
During the evening, riders participated in organised events such as the “Whistle Sprint”, and the “Team Pursuit”. The last event was the individual “Flying 200” ie only one cyclist on the track doing a 2 lap warm up and then going flat out for the last timed 200 metres We have a new leader on the leader board which I am sure will be posted later by Wilson.
Tell us about your night out on the tiles boards…
HOT NEWS:
NEW PHOTOS ADDED OF TRACK NIGHT ! See Below
Onto Saturday, and many backed up a hard night at the Superdorme, with a ride up to Gawler Wheelers HQ ( Jaspers ) for our 7.30am ride up to Warren Reservoir. In fact 30 riders braved the near Freezing conditions to ride route #31, in what could have been a very wet ride, but as luck would have it, when the Sun popped it's head out, the wind and rain decided to do a 'No Show', and gave us near perfect riding conditions once again.
All went well on the leg up to Lyndoch, but then Disaster Struck when Michael W clipped wheels with Dale & Michael took a head first dive onto the bitumen!
Lets not get into a helmet debate, but my guess is that you would rather crack you helmet than your head (check out the photo below)
Luckily, other than a sore head and back, no real damage was apparent, but he decided to cut his ride short, and return to Jaspers. Four other riders rode with him on his return leg, while the remainder of us took on Kangaroo Gully Summit on the assent to Warren Reservoir.
From then on, it was down hill all the way to Jaspers (well nearly), where we were back by 10.30am to do what Gawler Wheelers is really all about: Socialize !
Michael was drinking coffee by the time we arrived, but took the offer of a lift, rather than an extra 15km ride home from Jaspers.
Along for the ride were 2 newbies, Michael and Scott who were made welcome, as we do all our new riders
NEXT WEEK:
With an end to an era, Gawler Wheelers will be farewelling Jaspers, by converging on our favourite flat ride Route #1 SOB
Details of this ride have been posted for some time, and can be found on this link:
Gawler Wheelers-ROUTE01-Gawler-SOB-Edinburgh-SOB-Gawler-FLAT
All AC members, including YOU, are most welcome to attend.
TODAY’S PHOTO GALLERY FOLLOWS:
Michael listens closely as Wilson starts the night↓
Carmen with his new Track bike (16th birthday present)↓
(Track photos, thanks to Juz)
Carmen testing out his news wheels ↓
Wilson going for the High Overpass↓
Michael turning left for some reason↓
Saturday Morning...
Nick and Wilson stand by the Fire Place to keep Warm↓
Juz & Michael discuss the best way NOT to fall off their bikes! ↓
Riders on the Lyndoch to Williamstown Leg↓
Michael licks his wounds after head butting the road↓
Michael's cracked his helmet. from his crash↓
Time for a rest at the Warren Reservoir, and to meet newbie Scott ↓
Todays other newbie Michael enjoying Hot Chocolate & a chat at Jaspers↓
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Wetherley on -
+1
My accident had nothing to do with "record settings" it was mid pack and the "non fast pack" was at the front. No one was trying to set the world on fire. something happened up the front dont know what. Andrew did say he had to brake quite hard, what caused this I dont know. I was doing 32 when hit the road, well so says my bryton data(32-then-0)so not going crazy.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew M on -
This was nothing more than 'one of those things'. It happens and I don't think it needs a lot of analysis.
The only thing I will bother saying is that I think riders in groups need to keep in mind how dangerous braking can be. On Saturday, I was probably a full wheel behind the rider in front, and the quick riders had yet to make any moves towards the front. The pace was totally pedestrian. All of a sudden, the rider in front had (for some reason) stabbed on the brakes, leaving the rider immediately behind him (me) with no option but to do the same. As I'm so aware of how dangerous that is, I actually turned my head to the right, knowing Nick was behind me, and said "sorry" -- even though I wasn't the rider who started the 'accordian effect'. After saying sorry, I heard a 'woah' from I think Nick, and then the crunch of the crash.
I think the only thing I want to say is that, if at all possible, braking in a group should be avoided at all costs. If you get too close to the rider in front, stop pedalling and, if you have to, jink gently to the right, past the next rider. It gives those behind a chance to see what's happening, and the ripple effect will most likely not occur.
For the record, I don't draft in the middle of a big GW pack. I prefer to get at the front, surrounded by riders whose behaviour I know much better, and then of course some drafting does occur now and then. I feel very comfortable doing it with guys who I know are experienced and predictable. And crashes will always occur. It's just part of the game. And after almost a year of riding with GW, I have seen very, very few moves that I would consider dangerous or reckless.
Having ridden with Michael every single week (including heaps of non-GW rides including my SOB weekly rides), Saturday's crash was 0% his fault. During that year, I have crashed twice (in the wet), he has crashed once (in the wet). Saturday was the fault of whoever braked in front of me. By the time that 'Chinese whisper' got to him, it was a crash destined to happen.
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Permalink Reply by Dale (rouleur) Riggs on -
Yeah, I wouldn't analyse the accident too much either. The pace was pretty pedestrian when we left Lyndoch but very uneven, as it was leading into Lyndoch as well. The more experience you get as a cyclist you get a sense for uneven pace and remain vigilant, but even as such, I thought I was a goner as well. I sailed underneath Nick toward the road verge, the pack came back on me so quickly. As I passed underneath Nick I shouldered him which took more speed off than I had anticipated; I was just waiting for someone to clock me from behind. Predictably someone did, unfortunately that someone was Michael.
I think in future, all things considered, I will be taking off from regroups at pace, that is, no hanging back waiting for the natural order to sort itself out. That was, in my opinion, the cause of the issue here; some of the faster guys were caught behind and the pack didn't string out quickly enough, hence the uneven pace. As the overall ability of the group improves there now seems to be a lot of guys latching onto wheels as well. Just a reminder to be careful, if you clip me (or anyone else) while your getting a free ride at 50+ I'm pretty sure it's not going to end well.
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Permalink Reply by Nick on -
Jeez, reading this reminds me how close you and I came to grief! Nontheless, I still enjoy riding in a group and accept the responsibilites, and the risk.
PS Michael, hope those headaches ease up soon.
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Permalink Reply by john mills on
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I see no problems with people wanting to push themselves Darren. I love doing this myself. Whether it be with maintaining a high speed for as long as possible, or trying for longer and longer rides.
If you are aware of reaction time and reaction distance concepts, is there any less effort involved in trying to keep up with the likes of Dale or Wilson, or Pete, or who-ever, by maintaing a safe gap behind them - what I would call a safe following distance. If you can stay roughly 5 metres behind the likes of these guys at say 35km/hr, for say 20km or more, then I would say you are pushing yourself pretty well! If you think you can do better than that, then overtake, and let them try to keep up with you instead. Of course there is no drafting assistance at 5 metres. So you can actually boast that you kept up. Rather than having to admit that you were dragged along in their slipstream. No real achievement there. Accept to say how sorry you were for risking their safety, as well as your own safety of course.
When I said 5 metres, that number was what I just worked out on the spreadsheet. I found the results of a few calculations quite sobering in fact. The 5m reaction distance is for a speed of 35km/hr and a reaction time of 0.5s.
Before I said that anyone sitting about half a wheel diameter would be probably sitting right on their minimum possible safe reaction distance ( safe following distance) if their reaction time was an extremely 'fast' 0.2 seconds. How wrong I was! At 35km/hr, and with a reaction time of 0.2s, the reaction distance is actually 1.94m! So anyone at half a wheel length is about 1/5th as close as they should be! Of course 0.2 seconds is an extremely low reaction time. Even a rider with vice like powers of concentration couldn't maintain that for more than a minute or so!
For someone like myself who prefers hard riding now on the SOB, and more relaxed rides with the GW, I now reaize that I have been tailgating on most of these rides. At 25km/hr say, and with an acceptabel 'concentrating on the rider in front plus a few sideways glances at the scenery' reaction time of two seconds, the safe following distance is actually 14m !! I have usually been a lot closer than that, at about 5m. Three times too close.
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Permalink Reply by Darren on -
John, you can continue analysing this to death if you want. My beef was painting the lead bunch (where I ride fairly frequently) as risk takers.
Riding in the bunch isn't so much about trying to keep up with the fast riders than the bunch working together in synergy. I have a lot of faith in this particular group. I've ridden in less experienced bunches, seen the half wheeling and tyres being clipped, and found myself taking a completely different line to reduce the risk!
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I see where you are coming from. The feeling of being in a group - "working in synergy" as you say. A very powerful emotional effect - to feel part of a group. Especially when you are up close to others, and having a good time. That's why a lot of people love going to a rock concert! Or a gig at the Gov. Or a footy match with 40,000 roaring fans. Lot of psychology happening in these situations. Lot of 'feel good' emotions.
Nothig wrong with all that, as long as you are aware of the basics of motion. Or at least are aware of the risks and are happy to take them. What is not so good is when other people who do not understand that there are inherent risks with tailgating and drafting are inadvertantly encouraged to be part of that behaviour. Whether it be in reading these ride reports and seeing how much fun people had being 'sucked' along by the rider in front. Or maybe how good they felt to be part of a team effort in getting to Two Wells with an average speed of 38.954 km/hr.
All good if you know the risks and are willing to take them. Not so good for the newby who hasn't had a chance to think about it all, or even a long time member like myself who hasn't stopped to do the calculations until this morning, hits the rider in front, and bounces under the wheels of one of those passing trucks, or cars.
I am not trying to blame anyone at all. This is not a 'whose fault' witch hunt. Never was. Never should be. We are not here to make enemies or do put downs. It is about knowing the risks, making sure others know the risks, understanding what the human brain is capable of in terms of reacting to situations, and maybe understanding a bit of simple maths - distance = speed x time.
After then it isevery man/woman deciding on what 'turns them on' (synergy, team work, Strava records, frseh air in the face and lovely views, heart thumping and legs working hard, . . . . ) and deciding whether they want to take on risk and how much risk. Thinking about how to minimize the risk and still get your fun. After that, accidents will always happen. As long as we know why they happen. And then people can make better decisions as to how they ride. Let's leave the blame game out of it hey?
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Permalink Reply by Mick Adams on
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Joys of being TEC, allows me approx 20-25 mins to brake before hitting anyone up front. I would need to be a 1,000 tonne train to collect anyone.
As the breif says "Ride at your own risk", only becomes an issue if someones else causes an accident that cant be avoided and collects you eg clipstack.
Accidents do happen, lets learn from it and enjoy the ride.
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Andrew you said "Saturday was the fault of whoever braked in front of me. By the time that 'Chinese whisper' got to him, it was a crash destined to happen."
I disagree. Any rider has the right to use their brakes if they think necessary. This is the problem of tailgating. The police always blame the driver behind who runs into the back of the car that braked suddenly. The car in front is never at fault. They have the right to hit the brakes if a kid runs across the road.
A bike rider has the right to hit the brakes if a car suddenly comes out of a side street, or a kangaroo from behind a tree, or a stray sheep or calf (like on the Riesling Way on Saturday). If you keep a safe gap in front of you then the rider in front can hit the brakes as hard as they like and you will be able to first react, and then do the same, and come to a stop without a collision. Provided your reaction distance is less than your following distance.
Whenever you decide, or accidently cause, your following distance to be less than your reaction distance then you are at risk. If a line of riders are all doing this, then the risk increases down the line. If you are at the back of a long line of tailgaters its your choice to stay in that heightened risk situation, or back off and increase your following distance.
This apparently was Michael's situation. I am not blaming him at all. It certainly was not his fault. Neither was it the fault of the rider at the front that used their brakes. Michael had either deliberately decided to ride in a high risk manner - close behind the rider in front and with the same all along a line of riders - or had inadvertantly eneded up in that situation without noticing what was going on. Easy to do.
A lot of people do not understand the concepts and just end up in these risky situations, not because they have decided to 'take on that high risk', and take any consequences, but just because they were not aware of the realities of 'time and motion' and the associated risks.
You also said you were "a full wheel" behind the rider in front. Well, that's what I used to think too - a full wheel should be a safe distance - NOT. Unless you are crawling along at 6km/hr!
Amazing isn't it! At 6km/hr, and with a really fast reaction time of 0.5s, you would not stop behind the rider in front if they hit the brakes hard. Of course our 'out' is that they might only hit the brakes gently, and then we can save ourselves by hitting our brakes harder than them. All OK if there are only two riders! But in a long line, each rider hitting their brakes harder and harder, it is not long before all the gaps are used up and BANG!
Our other 'out' is that bikes are faily narrow compared to cars. So we have our 'escape route' up our sleeve. We can just move sideways and go past the slowing rider if we have to. In many cases that's OK. But what about on a narrow road with cars passing close by. If you are really close, drafting, I suppose there you have a fifty/fifty chance. If you just happen to be slightly left of the bike in front - down the left you go. But if you are just slightly right . . . .
If you want to accept these risks - your choice. If you have an accident - don't blame anyone else. It was your choice to tailgate.
By the way, if you were doing a pedestrian pace of say 20km/hr, and still reacted at 0.5s, then you will use up 2.8m of road before your brakes start working - about 4 bike wheels.
Michael says 32km/hr. Safe following distance (if using an 'eye bulging' 0.5s reaction time) is 4.4m - a bit over two bike lengths.
If using a more relaxed reaction time of 2 seconds - 17.6m - about 9 bike lengths.
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Permalink Reply by Craig on -
RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK and RIDE WITHIN YOUR ABILITIES come to mind. If someone wishes to lead a pack (at any speed) has to be aware of what's going on around them. Braking is not a good practice. If one must, pull out of the line first. Things will happen from time to time. That cycling. My 2c over.
Time WE All move on!!!
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Permalink Reply by Corey Busbridge on -
great route.. never actually been on this one but cant wait to do it again.. as for the ongoing helmet debate.. its about safety and saving lives not fashion statements, glad to see Michael was ok but when you look up and a rider that was infront of you is suddenly laying on the road it puts into perspective how easily accidents can happen.. MIssed the famous "rolling" call from you Frank, but hope you and your family had a fantastic day.. Look forward to the Jaspers ride this weekend, bringing the father in law and possibly wattsy gonna make the trek from Aldinga for the ride if possible. The more the merrier..
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