Originally Posted by Coyote!
Hint: A similar phenom can befall you if you reach down to remove a pretty little red leaf caught in your your front brake. It can catch two fingers. . .real tight. Did you know you can come to a slow stop that way? Don't ask how I know this [as I look domn at an old scarred paw].
Thus, you clean the front tire, front brake, with your hand in front of the fork not behind. And you clean the rear tire with your thumb looped around the seatstay.
I learned the latter the hard way. Cleaning debris from my rear tire with my hand behind the seat tube, but in front of the seat stay, going 20+ mph. With a little too much pressure on the tire, my hand gets swept forward caught between the tire and the seat tube, locking the rear wheel. Came to a one hand screetching halt. Fortunately I didn't fall, and I was wearing gloves. Still bruised up my hand pretty good.
Another of my bad habits is adjusting the computer sensor's relationship to the wheel magnet on the fly, just tempting traumatic finger amputation.