"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Number gluing

So do any of you glue on your number for TT'ing? If so, what products do you use? Spray-on adhesive?

have a teammate who uses 3m spray adhesive, I'm going to try it in the next TT

diablo rojo will suggest gorilla tape (or something with a name like that).

guitar wizard will mention that he tried that, and his number came off.

i'll suggest this: pin your number, with 7 pins* (for the over kill effect). one for each corner, and one in-between the top, and each side.

ymmv.





*don't forget that it's paper, cloth, cloth, paper.

Sometimes I get crazy and use 8 pins. Watch out!

Spray adhesive works well on regular jersey fabrics. 3M Super 77, in a black can, you can get it at Home Depot or auto places - I paid $12 for a huge can that's lasted me and whoever asked for some for many years so far - and as a race promoter sometimes there are 10 or 15 races lining up to get their number sprayed.

Spray a light layer on the back of the number, wait about 15 seconds, stick on. Much easier if someone else does the sticking and you have your gear on already. Push down on corners - if you waited a bit too long, it might lift. Remove number, repeat. You'll see how easily the number peels off, hence the importance of checking the corners.

Better to wait too long as too much adhesive or very wet adhesive will not come off your jersey.

I found out that this doesn't work on wind vests or other shiny type materials.

If in doubt, do a teammate's number first :)

I use it whenever I remember the adhesive. I don't do TT's, pretty much crits or non-hilly circuit races.

On pins - go through the number twice with the pin, not just once. Much less parachute effect.

hope this helps,
cdr

diablo rojo will suggest gorilla tape (or something with a name like that).

guitar wizard will mention that he tried that, and his number came off.

i'll suggest this: pin your number, with 7 pins* (for the over kill effect). one for each corner, and one in-between the top, and each side.

ymmv.





*don't forget that it's paper, cloth, cloth, paper.

I usually do something like this. I've seen people using as many as 9, arranged in a 3 by 3 grid. That's a novel approach.

I just make a number out of pins.

i'll suggest this: pin your number, with 7 pins* (for the over kill effect). one for each corner, and one in-between the top, and each side.

*don't forget that it's paper, cloth, cloth, paper.

+1. I have no earthly idea why people get all creative with adhesives, tapes, etc. Just pin the # on as instructed above and worry about important things.

*don't forget that it's paper, cloth, cloth, paper.
sometimes paper, cloth, skin, cloth, paper, So don't piss of your teammate!

Agreeing with MDcat, it's never been an issue with me as long as the leading edge was nice and flat. I have lost pursuits by hundredths of a second and still don't think the way my numbers were pinned had anything to do with it.

+1. I have no earthly idea why people get all creative with adhesives, tapes, etc. Just pin the # on as instructed above and worry about important things.


from the MIT windtunnel:

ANY OTHER TRICKS OF THE TRADE YOU'D CARE TO SHARE?

Cote: Most people don't realize that a nonaero helmet creates four times the drag of a nonaero wheelset. So you can spend two thousand dollars on a wheelset, or spend two hundred on a helmet and be faster. How you put your race number on matters more than having an aero wheel; today, we glued on our numbers to get them to fit flatter. Then there's water bottle placement: On a round-tubed frame, having a bottle on your seat tube is more aerodynamic than not having one at all, and it's much more aero than putting it on the down tube. And wearing gloves in a time trial will slow you down more than using a nonaero front wheel.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-12-14995-1,00.html

For those of us that don't have aero wheels. Call it placebo effect for the bling challenged.

I fantasize about the day when these little things will actually make a difference in my placings. lol.