Bike tossing

[mvrider]

Some amusing clips from CXHairs:
http://vimeo.com/89125093

[tiretrax]

Every time I see a pro toss their bike, tennis racket, etc., I think there's is an a-hole.

[bewheels]

Great video!!

I respectfully disagree that anyone in the heat of competition that throws something is an a-hole.
Testosterone, stress, competition, and highly driven people are a strong mix. I would find it hard to believe that a large majority of people (athlete or not) have not thrown something at the height of frustration.

When you think about all the racing, all the racers over the years, and all the trails and tribulations that go on during races - there were not many clips of riders tossing their bike.

BTW - this does not mean that I think it is a good idea...

[Bstone]

Those of us that pay for our bikes have a hard time understanding when somebody trashes $15,000 worth of wonder-bike

[chengher87]

We can't all be as graceful as a more experienced Wiggo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJXc7OoRMeE

[tiretrax]

Great video!!

I respectfully disagree that anyone in the heat of competition that throws something is an a-hole.
Testosterone, stress, competition, and highly driven people are a strong mix. I would find it hard to believe that a large majority of people (athlete or not) have not thrown something at the height of frustration.

When you think about all the racing, all the racers over the years, and all the trails and tribulations that go on during races - there were not many clips of riders tossing their bike.

BTW - this does not mean that I think it is a good idea...

Well, I disagree that it should be accepted. Once people saw Connors and MacEnroe throwing their rackets and having fits, some took that to think of tantrums as acceptable behavior. It's not; leave it in the nursery. In most sports, it would get the player tossed. It should happen in cycling, as well. ATMO, the only thing worse than that in the world of sport would be race car drivers intentionally crashing their cars into others. Dangerous and wasteful.

[David Kirk]

I used to do this mountain bike race in Vermont that had a bike toss as an event. The pile of bikes left there was impressive - I remember there being a Colnago, a Serotta, a sachs, as well as lots of walmart level stuff. It's a BIG pile.

I remember one bike that someone was going to toss that was some walmart bike painted up red, white and blue and it had disc wheels front and rear. The catch was that the discs were made of concrete. They tied chicken wire to the spokes to make a form and then filled the damn things with concrete and painted stars on them. They weighed a bit and made the bike pretty tough to toss.

Good times.

dave

[FlashUNC]

Well, I disagree that it should be accepted. Once people saw Connors and MacEnroe throwing their rackets and having fits, some took that to think of tantrums as acceptable behavior. It's not; leave it in the nursery. In most sports, it would get the player tossed. It should happen in cycling, as well. ATMO, the only thing worse than that in the world of sport would be race car drivers intentionally crashing their cars into others. Dangerous and wasteful.

You've basically described NASCAR.

[tiretrax]

You've basically described NASCAR.

It happens in F1 and other classes, too. But, yeah, it's the stupid side of NASCAR, especially at 200+mph.

[tiretrax]

I used to do this mountain bike race in Vermont that had a bike toss as an event. The pile of bikes left there was impressive - I remember there being a Colnago, a Serotta, a sachs, as well as lots of walmart level stuff. It's a BIG pile.

I remember one bike that someone was going to toss that was some walmart bike painted up red, white and blue and it had disc wheels front and rear. The catch was that the discs were made of concrete. They tied chicken wire to the spokes to make a form and then filled the damn things with concrete and painted stars on them. They weighed a bit and made the bike pretty tough to toss.

Good times.

dave

That's a different story - I'm talking about getting angry and abusing the equipment as an anger release.

[bewheels]

Just to clarify, I am not condoning the behavior.
My comment was around labeling someone an a-hole because they threw something. I am also pointing out that this is not common in the cycling world when put in context of the amount of racing that happens.
Connors and MacEnroe (there are more) are outliers in the world of sports when it comes to this.

[Ti Designs]

I used to do this mountain bike race in Vermont that had a bike toss as an event. The pile of bikes left there was impressive - I remember there being a Colnago, a Serotta, a sachs, as well as lots of walmart level stuff. It's a BIG pile.

I remember one bike that someone was going to toss that was some walmart bike painted up red, white and blue and it had disc wheels front and rear. The catch was that the discs were made of concrete. They tied chicken wire to the spokes to make a form and then filled the damn things with concrete and painted stars on them. They weighed a bit and made the bike pretty tough to toss.

Good times.

dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozMw1d6_cPc

Grand prize was the coveted Wald groupo which was zip tied to a bike box, and a bowling trophy with a wire guy throwing a bike. The massive bike was Captain Crunch, Gary Halfrich's entry for that year. One year he showed up with a bike catapult in his truck, and launced a huffy over the target, thus was started the "bikes AS bombs" program...

[Ahneida Ride]

Those of us that pay for our bikes have a hard time understanding when somebody trashes $15,000 worth of wonder-bike

Good point !!!!! :banana:

but that 8K frame to us .... is probably 400 to the manufacture.

Either way ... it's weird :help:

[nebraskacycling]

Wonderful vids. Very odd about going out in the woods to destroy bikes. Reminds me of office space.

[11.4]

Then, for those of us with a track bike fetish, here's another version of the bike toss:

http://deadspin.com/race-abandoned-after-cyclists-horrifying-crash-into-st-1543863247

[David Kirk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozMw1d6_cPc

Grand prize was the coveted Wald groupo which was zip tied to a bike box, and a bowling trophy with a wire guy throwing a bike. The massive bike was Captain Crunch, Gary Halfrich's entry for that year. One year he showed up with a bike catapult in his truck, and launced a huffy over the target, thus was started the "bikes AS bombs" program...

Wow - that video is fantastic. I was there that year and never thought about the possibility that the event was video taped. I can be seen, from the waist down anyway, hopping up and down on a pile of bikes while on my bright green and yellow Fat City Trials bike - it's at the 2:45 point of the video.

There were a lot of guys there who shaped the industry and left a real mark and it's cool to see them all having fun and playing without worry.......I shouldn't say without ANY worry as a few of the tossing bikes where so heavy that if they tipped over on you you'd be really hurt.

I remember the Helfrich bike weighed so much (more than the 500 lbs the scale went to as i recall) that when it fell on it's side the pedal hit the dirt and bent the crank arm in so it could no longer be pedaled. I guess what they say about steel bikes is true!

Thanks for posting that Ed. I think I recognized you there.......was that indeed you?

dave

P.S. as I recall the first place prize for the race that same weekend was a 'Wald 17th Anniversary groupo'. Second place was two wald 17th Anniversary groupos.........the idea being that it's better to only have one of them!

[Ti Designs]

I have that on VHS, but I did a youtube search and there it was... I had the bike with two offset wheels. We tried building square wheels but they just didn't roll. I remember when they took Captain Crunch off the truck with an engine crane, one of the guys yelled "hey, that bike weighs more than Gary!"