Comments on: 07/31/2010 – Into the Spokes

By: Opus the Poet

Opus the Poet — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 06:02:55 +0000

Yes, the bike in my avatar was stolen in May. I have a bicycle chain flogger ready for the day the police catch the thief, but I probably won’t need it. I placed a curse on the bike so that the thief will be miserable until my bike is returned. Bike doesn’t get returned, bike thief continues to live a miserable existence until he doesn’t, live that is.

By: Opus the Poet

Opus the Poet — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:55:39 +0000

Of course I accept you, with all your faults. Including using the correctly spelled wrong word. Except.

By: Agribob

Agribob — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:30:22 +0000

Here is a page of stills from "Breaking Away" where that nasty Italian rider sticks his pump into Dave's spokes causing Dave to crash out of the race and ending Dave's fascination of all things Italian. Figaro, Figaro, Figaro! http://picasaweb.google.com/DiabloScottsBikeBlog/BreakingAwayCinzanoRoadRace#

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:44:00 +0000

If someone were standing still as a bicycle passed by, the best place to aim to get an object between spokes would be just above the rim at its lowest point. That’s where the spokes are moving slowest. For a moving assailant, it’s not so obvious, but it might be easier because it doesn’t matter when he makes the attack. Of course, as CliftonGK1 points out, it doesn’t have to penetrate the spokes to stop the bike.

Also clear to me is that the thief should engage the brakes. Despite his superior skills, there’s no way Stokeley could stop as quickly.

By: Widsith

Widsith — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:37:11 +0000

I’d think that trying to hit the rider would be more likely to result in legal problems. Disabling the bike can be protrayed as stopping a crime in progress; if the thief gets hurt, that’s just an “unfortunate,” unavoidable consequence. But deliberately striking the rider (unless in self defense) might be considered assault. Even if no charges are filed, there’s always the possibility of a civil lawsuit.

By: CliftonGK1

CliftonGK1 — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:38:39 +0000

Nope, the Cinzano technique is pretty effective. You don’t actually aim for it in between the spokes. You jab it at the wheel just behind the fork blade and let physics take over; it gets crunched up in one side of the wheel and it’s game over for the rider.
Another quickstopper is to zip up beside someone on the left and grab a handful of their front brake.

By: mongo

mongo — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:31:26 +0000

Don’t talk to me. I’m not the one with delusions of having “supreme power”.

By: winsettz

winsettz — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:33:09 +0000

Wouldn’t it be easier to just hit the rider? A rider attempting to dodge an attack might lose control just as quickly?

By: winsettz

winsettz — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:32:04 +0000

That was with a motorcycle wheel, not a bicycle wheel.

By: George

George — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:12:09 +0000

Am I the only one with the superpower of knowing the difference between commenters who are cyclists and those who are something else? Usually the ratio is higher, but today it’s about one to one.

Get out and ride, it changes life for the better.