Half Wheeling, Who Knew?

It was brought to my attention by a good friend that I have a tendency to half wheel. Before he mentioned it I didn’t even know what it was let alone it was something I did.

So you ask, what is half wheeling? Half wheeling is when you constantly stay a half wheel in front of who you are riding with. It has a tendency to increase the pace unintentionally.

So why does one half wheel? I think for me there are several reasons. I am competitive for one. After I lost that 30 pounds 2 years ago and my riding began to change I found myself riding with a different caliper of rider. I almost felt it was expected of me to push like that to ride with these faster groups.

I would be curious to hear others experiences with half wheeling both from the perspective of doing it to having it done to you.

Is it true that friends don’t let friends half wheel?

Spectrum Bob

[dirtdigger88]

I consider half wheeling when someone behind me has their front wheel over lapping my rear- that give the lead rider no option of moving left (you hit the other rider) or right (you run off the road)

If someone is half wheeling me to the front- I just ride harder

Jason

[Ozz]

didn't we just discuss this a week or so ago???

I think csb asked the question....

Look what I found:

From:

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=4100

Half-wheel - To ride hard enough to keep the front wheel just ahead of the wheel of the rider next to you.

--Very annoying habit when two riders are riding side by side. Normally both front wheels would be aligned on an imaginary line. Half wheeling consists of the annoying rider advancing his/her wheel halfway up the road, so his/her front hub will be aligned to the front of the annoyee rider's tire. Half wheeling comes from either bad riding form or just plain obnoxiousness.

--A potentially dangerous situation if the rider in front does not know the rider behind is there because if the front rider moves to the side and hits the wheel of the rider behind, a crash is imminent!

--a) riding just ahead of another rider, as opposed to riding evenly together; this is not good etiquette in group rides; b) a yoga position; or c) a moderately large cheese.

--The bad habit of slightly pulling ahead of your partner when riding side by side. This continues to escalate the pace until your companion whacks you with a bike pump.

--To continually pull-ahead of the rider next to you in a double pace line, causing the other line to accelerate, then you to accelerate again, etc.

--To ride next to, but just ahead of someone. This is particularly irritating when riding in a double pace-line. If a girl does it to you it's called being "half-chicked".

--A very dangerous way of drafting too closely behind someone, liable to cause a crash (or the bicycle on board Heny Hudson's Half Moon on the famous 1609 voyage).

--When you overlap the rider in front of you, or slow down to cause a similar condition to the rider behind. a dangerous place to be for the second rider. Part of a book title, Half-Wheel Hell.

[Big Dan]

Originally Posted by dirtdigger88

I consider half wheeling when someone behind me has their front wheel over lapping my rear- that give the lead rider no option of moving left (you hit the other rider) or right (you run off the road)

If someone is half wheeling me to the front- I just ride harder

Jason

I'm with DD. The rider behind you is actually not behind you but, half way next to you.........
I move to the left and let them pull............

[flydhest]

Ozz is right about deja vu all over again, in part because the same discussion about different meanings of the phrase came up there, as well. One thing I love about cycling is the terminology, but I have noticed a lack of consistency. All of my terminology comes from my old coach. An interesting example, for me, is that some people refer to a paceline as simply a single file of people drafting each other and make a distinction of a rotating paceline to mean one where the leader keeps changing. In my world, a paceline and a rotating paceline are the same thing.

I agree with Spectrum Bob's definition of half wheeling. I would call what dirt calls halfwheeling bad drafting technique



Say, what kind of bike does csb ride?
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=8495

whatchew'talkn'bout willis?!

[rePhil]

Spectrum Bob, Thats quite a friend who is comfortable enough to tell you to knock it off. While respecting your competitiveness, and complimenting your weight loss, it's poor group ride etiquette. It's expected that you hold your speed on group rides. Save your energy for the sprint.
On the group rides around here there would be some grumbling in the pack(behind your back) about the guy who halfwheels, then one person would have a friendly chat with the offender.

[vaxn8r]

Originally Posted by flydhest

In my world, a paceline and a rotating paceline are the same thing.

Maybe in your world but they are not the same thing. Sometimes a stronger rider will tow another group for miles at a time..in a pace line. But there is no rotation. A rotating paceline is a double line by definition and typically the right side rotates forward and continually replaces the lead rider who then backs off speed just a bit as he moves to the left (regressing) line.

As far as half wheeling, Bob, I think you fall into the trap a lot of newer riders find themselves in and that's once you get "good" you feel like you have to prove something, or have to keep the pace up to show you can. It's also fun to feel the fastest. But it makes the other (competitive) rider feel like you're racing or competing. The pace gets jacked up and pretty soon your not talking anymore.

If you're riding side by side, by definition the pace is not "balls out". If it is you ought to be pacing anyway (one drafting, one pulling).

this is also called overlap. half wheeling of the "half wheel hell" variety is when you cannot hang tight and catch so much wind your problems with providing enuff output to propel your substantial frontal area through the wind is sorely tested...you need to be closer than that to be inna good draft, especialy when in over your head.

if you mave off to the side intentionally with the good and true aim of obtaining luxurious shelter from a sidewind, just avoid overlap. if you are wary enuff and are on a good wheel, you can overlap with less peril, it can be worth the risk if you need to just to hang.

but whaddaya do if contact is made? go down? i think maybe not.
here is the drill: ya gotta turn into the wheel ahead you just contacted until release. this is perhaps couter-intuitive, but if you follow what may be you innate instinct to turn away, you will only fail to refute the laws of gyrosopic cause and effect. kinda sounds like aluminum lawn furniture getting dragged down the road.
once release is made you will spring violenly to the side and wobble about, no big, just retain composure and jump back in.
if you see someone recover from this and other kinds of contact, just offer this compliment : "nice recovery".

Originally Posted by dirtdigger88

I consider half wheeling when someone behind me has their front wheel over lapping my rear- that give the lead rider no option of moving left (you hit the other rider) or right (you run off the road)

If someone is half wheeling me to the front- I just ride harder

Jason

Thanks every one!

Sorry I brought this subject up again so soon, I have not been on the forum much these last few months and it is something I wanted feed back on since I really want to understand it better as well as wanting to improve my riding style.

Vaxn8r I think you hit the nail on the head for me. Though I have been riding for a long time it took a long time to get to this level. It is amazing what getting the right bike that actually fits my body, dropping the excess weight and the support and help from many of the folks that participate here can do.

Thanks again to my friend (you know who you are) who was willing to point my half wheeling ways out to me. I also give permission to anyone that ever rides with me to start throwing things at me (pumps, tire irons, water bottles……) if I start half wheeling.

Remember, friends don’t let friends half wheel!

Spectrum Bob

[tch]

Originally Posted by Spectrum Bob

I also give permission to anyone that ever rides with me to start throwing things at me (pumps, tire irons, water bottles……) if I start half wheeling.

Yeah, but a pump won't work because the vandals stole the handle....

[Too Tall]

Buddahbugsplatbob, you can half-wheel me anytime.

Thanks Too Tall