Not triathlete or bicycle related, but at a hare scramble a few years back I chanced upon a buddy who had overheated his CR500 Honda and was filling the cooling system with anything he could think of. When I caught up to him, he was aiming into the radiator opening.
So later in the race he had destroyed the clutch (it had aluminum separator plates instead of steel, way to go Honda!). About the middle of the week he called me and asked me to help him replace the clutch. We put the bike on the workstand, he popped the radiator cap and I fled. AUUUGGGHH the smell was AWFUL. I guess he fixed it by himself.
Lesley
SuperDork
7/28/09 6:37 p.m.
I've heard of pouring Coke or Pepsi into a clutch to fuse it in gear, or eggs in the radiator to seal leaks. But pee?
Please don't tell us he pooped on the clutch...
Luke
Dork
7/28/09 7:34 p.m.
What a disgusting phenomena . Surely one would save any peeing for the swim.
I've just started working in a bike store, but so far nothing gross to report .
Per Schroeder
Technical Editor/Advertising Director
7/28/09 7:37 p.m.
the swim is first. biking second...
Luke
Dork
7/28/09 7:43 p.m.
Well, maybe they could try to urinate in the final leg of the swim instead.
mel_horn wrote:
Well, now I don't feel so bad pooping at a (thankfully no spectator area) corner station during a hillclimb with NO break in the action...*
* "Two past Six..."
Your in good company, I just stood there and did and number one while the cars whizzed past.
(someone may have some interesting in car video )
Apexcarver wrote:
mel_horn wrote:
Well, now I don't feel so bad pooping at a (thankfully no spectator area) corner station during a hillclimb with NO break in the action...*
* "Two past Six..."
Your in good company, I just stood there and did and number one while the cars whizzed past.
You should pardon the expression...
Carson wrote:
[Carl the assistant groundskeeper]
It's no big deal.
[/Carl]
Lesley wrote:
I've heard of pouring Coke or Pepsi into a clutch to fuse it in gear, or eggs in the radiator to seal leaks. But pee?
Please don't tell us he pooped on the clutch...
The bike had no cooling fan and he was in a long slippery muddy section where he had to keep the RPM up but the forward motion was slow. This meant minimal airflow which made the bike overheat and boil over. No recovery tank so it was low on coolant but there were no hose etc leaks. When he popped the rad cap in his garage all we could smell was mixed antifreeze and pee.
No, he didn't poop on the clutch. That was just plain clutch abuse, slipping the clutch trying to keep the rear tire from spinning. But knowing this guy, he would've pooped on the clutch if he thought it would help.
I don't know how anyone could pee without being still. I can't even pee on an airplane unless it's flying smoothly. Movement triggers my emergency pee cutoff
Anyhow, I imagine the end of the swimming part would be their best bet, and if they must pee on their bikes, can they not clean them before handing them over to other people! Geez! X_X
Mental
SuperDork
7/29/09 4:23 p.m.
Guy in my office just started doing Tri's, and I have to admit, the racer in me was getting intrigued....
...until now. I am sticking to my rule that if I am on wheels, I am burning fossil fuels and keep on running.
Thanks again GRM!
I often pee in an empty coffee cup when on the road, I have deadlines and lots of open roads, but never just let it rip in my seat......that is a mental picture none of you needed.
aussiesmg wrote:
I often pee in an empty coffee cup when on the road, I have deadlines and lots of open roads, but never just let it rip in my seat......that is a mental picture none of you needed.
yeah, I travel a lot too, but I just cannot pull this trick off.
And I ain't drinking coffee at your place. EVAR.
or touching anything inside your DDs interior...
what the hell is that on your floormat?
Lesley wrote:
Me either...
And Top Gear comes to the rescue...
My career as a bicycle mechanic/service manager overlapped the growth of the tri-weenie community in the mid-late 80s. I hated working on their bikes. They were universally filthy and undermaintained, and the owners had no mechanical sensitivity, ever. One guy brought his bike in "cause the last event seemed extra hard" and I immediately pointed out that he'd not bottomed either of his wheels in the dropouts and ~both~ brakes had been dragging for 112 miles or whatever hellish distance they pound on these poor misbegotten bikes...I got in trouble for telling an elite woman triathlete that should treat her $2500 full Dura-Ace Kestrel "better than patio furniture" when her internally routed derailleur cables rusted solid in their sheaths and broke inside the frame.
Legendary US national cycling coach Eddy B (long, unpronounceable eastern European name) when asked about the impact that triathletes would have on bicycle racing in America said:
"Good motor - no driver"
Yeah, the local bike shop runs a neutral support van at the local bike races. The wrench hates going to tris because the free support is the only time they ever have any maintenance performed.
I don't get it. Most of them have way more in their bikes than I have in mine (none of mine cost more than $1300), yet they treat them like crap.
Most triathletes consider their bike to be an appliance. They don't have a passion for cycling, they have a drive to compete.
Duke
SuperDork
7/30/09 12:06 p.m.
...and therefore a smart competitor would do whatever was required to gain a legal edge, like lubricating the chain once in a while or making sure their brakes aren't dragging.
But hey, I'm just sayin'.
Carson
Dork
7/30/09 12:10 p.m.
Oh when they lube their chain they lube it well. Too well. Some use used motor oil. It's a blast!
I didn't realize that triathletes had such a different attitude towards bikes than the roadie crowd did. Hey, I mostly ride mountain bikes. All them skinny tire weenies look the same to me. They're almost never bleeding
Carson, in your place, my cleaning fee would be at least three digits. Your stories are disgusting.