where to pin the number?
 

My first crit is tomorrow morning - I'm hardly prepared for it, but I think it will be a small field, and it's less than a half mile from my house. Not doing it would be crazy.

When I was registering, I heard someone ask "where do we pin the number", and the guy said "on the right". It seemed to be a satisfactory answer to the question, but I just realized I don't actually know what it means. Last time I had a number, it twist-tied onto my frame. This has safety pins, so I assume it goes on the jersey. On my right side, under the armpit?

yeah, like this (except on the right side...this is on the left).

The # on that jersey looks too high on the back. Depends on where the camera is I guess.

OP - look around at others to give you some guidance when you're getting ready to race, then find a pretty girl and ask her to pin the # on your jersey.

Check here:

http://www.obra.org/number_placement.html

Ask the official when you register. It's always different.

or look at everyone elses (they could be wrong too.. but oh well)

thanks everyone.

As a sidenote - is an old MS150 jersey kosher (no sponsors anywhere, just says MS150)? I know you're not supposed to wear anything for a team you don't actually race for, does this fit the bill?

Sorry for silly questions, since it's my first I think it only makes sense to be most concerned about my clothing, right? Actually riding will take care of itself ;)

you think? could be a tad high i guess. i just like to have access to my jersey pockets during the race, so i usually don't pin the number over the openings.

This is the right answer.

Many times race organizers will have a sample jersey showing how the number should be pinned on. You may even have multiple numbers to deal with. Don't trust other racers, who may be just as clueless as you are.

Im sure the Jersey will be fine. I would agree TimmH's looks a little high, but hey it's NYC.

I wear mine pretty high (like the one in the picture), and nobody's ever complained to me about it.

Correct, if you're in a road race you want to make sure you have access to any pockets you will be using. For crits or time trials, it usually doesn't matter so you can put the numbers a little lower.

fwiw, it's best to have someone pin your number on while you're bending over similar to the position you will be in on the bike. Pinning it on while the jersey is off often ends up with a big ripple catching wind when it's on. To the OP, if you're still unsure, you can just look at other riders when you arrive and copy them. Just be sure to check 3 or 4 riders (from different teams), because I have seen plenty of people with them on the wrong side or rotated sideways. You're not the only noob out there, most likely.

by too high I was trying to say it looks like the # is too far toward your spine and think it should probably be more under the arm so that the finish line cameras can capture it, not meaning "high" to be in relation to your jersey pockets vs. shoulders. Definitely want to keep your pockets accessible.

Ahh, I misunderstood.

Oh, yeah that makes sense. Shouldn't be a problem, though. As long as it doesn't go past the spine it's probably readable. It was fun when they had a number for each side and we were trying to figure out how to pin them on my 80 lb 12 year old brother! You weren't supposed to fold them, and any race with a sponsor printed on the number made for a corset for him to wear!!!

WHen pinning the number, it's best to have an assistant do it when you're weariing it and bent over into the cycling position. Usually testing your head on the back of a car and sticking your ass out will work pretty good. Then rest your hands on the top of the bumper.

To prevent the number from turning into a sail and catching all sorts of wind, use 5 safety-pins with one in the exact middle. Each pin should actually make two holes. One hole going down into the number, then the jersey. Then a second hole coming back out through the jersey, then the number. This forces the number to sit right next to the jersey at all times.

I prefer this, strategically placed works wonders and easy to get on/off the jersey. (still stick a couple pins in to protect loss of the number, but I've never had the number come loose yet where it relied on the pins.

http://cycleiwakuni.com/GPX/mounting.gif