Professional Cycling For the Fans - Sandbags?

This is a noob question, although I didnt think I was a noob. Whats the story with the sandbags the TDF riders carry in their jersey pockets?

i have never noticed this before. I assume that if you saw it right, it's used on a descent for added weight. I am reading "Uphill Battle" and it talks about a small spanish or italian climber, whose name i can't remeber ,that filled his water bottle with lead and got it passed to him at the top of a climb. He ditched it afterwards. I would also think this would be against the rules. Who had one and when was it?

This is a noob question, although I didnt think I was a noob. Whats the story with the sandbags the TDF riders carry in their jersey pockets?

Never heard of this one.

Can you elaborate?

Are you talking about Phil refering to sandbagging? He did mention that today. To sandbag means to downplay or misrepresent your ability in order to deceive.

They do not carry sandbags.

Are you talking about Phil refering to sandbagging? He did mention that today. To sandbag means to downplay or misrepresent your ability in order to deceive.

They do not carry sandbags.


Maybe Cioni was sand-bagging when The Chicken was treating him like a rent-a-car on the Grand Ballon...

:D

I'm sure I have heard Phil and Paul refer to riders throwing away sandbags, which they take out of their jersey pockets. I was thinking it had something to to with meeting minimum weight requirements, or as pearcem said it could be used for extra weight on a decent. We get the tour late at night here, but I'm still sober when I watch it. :)

Are you talking about Phil refering to sandbagging? He did mention that today. To sandbag means to downplay or misrepresent your ability in order to deceive.

They do not carry sandbags.


as in kloden. that f'er was sandbagging all season, or just had miracle happen.

only the bike has a minimum weight, not the lump riding it.

No sandbags.

as in kloden. that f'er was sandbagging all season, or just had miracle happen.


ROFL....:D :D

no i think sandbagging is "bluffinf" giving the oppenent the wrong information. remember the look lance gave ullrich. before that he was looking tired and stuffed.

This is a noob question, although I didnt think I was a noob. Whats the story with the sandbags the TDF riders carry in their jersey pockets?

What are you talking about?

It's to lighten up the bikes on climbs.

From Krabbe's The Rider: "...Anquetil always moved his water bottle to his back pocket during climbs, so his bike would be lighter..."

In more recent years, riders switched to using small sandbags, because they are heavier for their size than water bottles, and can be more precisely calibrated. This is most popular among old-school riders (you may have noticed a little seatbag under Voigt's saddle, for instance) but now the bags are fabricated from carbon fiber and contain titanium shavings.

It's to lighten up the bikes on climbs.

From Krabbe's The Rider: "...Anquetil always moved his water bottle to his back pocket during climbs, so his bike would be lighter..."

In more recent years, riders switched to using small sandbags, because they are heavier for their size than water bottles, and can be more precisely calibrated. This is most popular among old-school riders (you may have noticed a little seatbag under Voigt's saddle, for instance) but now the bags are fabricated from carbon fiber and contain titanium shavings.


Not sure if you're extracting the urine i.e. taking the p*** (and if you are, well done), however I will watch intently over the next few days and prove I am of sound mind.

It's to lighten up the bikes on climbs.

From Krabbe's The Rider: "...Anquetil always moved his water bottle to his back pocket during climbs, so his bike would be lighter..."

In more recent years, riders switched to using small sandbags, because they are heavier for their size than water bottles, and can be more precisely calibrated. This is most popular among old-school riders (you may have noticed a little seatbag under Voigt's saddle, for instance) but now the bags are fabricated from carbon fiber and contain titanium shavings.

ahem, bullsheot

This is most popular among old-school riders (you may have noticed a little seatbag under Voigt's saddle, for instance) but now the bags are fabricated from carbon fiber and contain titanium shavings.

The bag under his seat contains a transmitter that provides things like heart rates.

When Phil says "throwing out the sandbags", he's just saying that the sandbagging is over and the rider is going to now get serious.

The bag under his seat contains a transmitter that provides things like heart rates.

When Phil says "throwing out the sandbags", he's just saying that the sandbagging is over and the rider is going to now get serious.

Laggard, I'm surprised at you! Surely you of all people should know the little sandbags are especially favored by the Spanish sprinters? In their case, however, they jettison the bags entirely before going for intermediate sprint points. ;)

That's right. As part of the UCI spanish sprinter rule, they can get rid of their bags for those pesky intermediate sprints. Of course the prohibition that they may not sprint for the final is still in effect.

Silly me!

The guys with tight chinstraps have their helmets filled with helium. Helps lift 'em over the mountains.

Not sure if you're extracting the urine i.e. taking the p*** (and if you are, well done),

Thank you! Just a bit of fun.
Since no one else mentioned it in the thread, I think "sandbags" referred to those used to lighten a hot air balloon during a flight. Like when you think you are going to go down (or slow down, in this case) you start throwing weights overboard so you can make it. IIRC, there were hot air balloons along the route around the same time, so it was a handy metaphor. ;)

i always thought it was related to baseball for some reason, but what do i know.

The guys with tight chinstraps have their helmets filled with helium. Helps lift 'em over the mountains.

Oh, I thought that they put helium in their wheels cause it's lighter than air. Saves them almost 300 grams. You can calculate the amount of wieght you'll save when using helium by using the Jurgenheilburgener formula. Just divide the circumfrence of your wheel by 3.14, mutiply that by e^0, and then mutiply that number by pi.

Interesting note, Dr. Jurgenheilburgener was acutally paralized from the hips down in a freak teaching accident involving a peice of chalk and a ladder he had to use to reach the top of his unreasonably large chalkboard, and had to pedal his bike by his hands. He however refused buy a new bike, so his wife had to cut away his top tube to allow room for his head when he was reaching above his head (down from our view) to pedal with his hands.

ADA, when are you bringing this product to market? I would be interested in purchasing some sandbags.

Thanks

Phil has used the trem "sandbags", when riders throw out anything they have in the pockets for the final climb etc. to lighten the load.

Phil has used the trem "sandbags", when riders throw out anything they have in the pockets for the final climb etc. to lighten the load.

all true, phil joked about this in stage 8, when Pieter Weening was jettisoning just about everything that wasn't attached to the bike, as kloden charged him with about 2 kms to the top of the Col de la Schlucht.

Oh, I thought that they put helium in their wheels cause it's lighter than air. Saves them almost 300 grams. You can calculate the amount of wieght you'll save when using helium by using the Jurgenheilburgener formula. Just divide the circumfrence of your wheel by 3.14, mutiply that by e^0, and then mutiply that number by pi.

Interesting note, Dr. Jurgenheilburgener was acutally paralized from the hips down in a freak teaching accident involving a peice of chalk and a ladder he had to use to reach the top of his unreasonably large chalkboard, and had to pedal his bike by his hands. He however refused buy a new bike, so his wife had to cut away his top tube to allow room for his head when he was reaching above his head (down from our view) to pedal with his hands.

I've been looking for a cyclocomputer that has the Jurgenheilburgener formula, because I like to keep very very accurate logs of all my rides. Closest I can find is the Katzenfugger formula, but I hate having to convert it over. Any ideas where I can find one?

all true, phil joked about this in stage 8, when Pieter Weening was jettisoning just about everything that wasn't attached to the bike, as kloden charged him with about 2 kms to the top of the Col de la Schlucht.

And the truth shall set you free - I feel part vindicated/part humiliated - I must have been half awake (or half asleep) when this happened

I will post another day - just not for a while :o

What is the bag behind the saddle that I noticed???? Is it really a transmitter???seems awfully large...does one rider carry it for the team as a booster??? It would make sense for some lighter riders to carry xtra weight for the downhills. Perhaps the reason Rasmussen only drinks downhill is to get the xtra weight???

the reason rasmussen drinks downhill is because usually downhills are after uphills which he doesnt drink on by choice and then is freaking thirsty for the decent