Roger tells me that towards the end of last summer one of the OBRA follow
car wheels did not return. These are distinctive blue rim Mavic wheels with
OBRA written on them. If you have it please return it to us, no questions
asked. If you see someone riding on one please take possession of the wheel
and return to us.
Mike Murray
It has been suggested to me that I could point out that the wheel could be
anonymously returned to us at:
4318 SE 8th Ct.
Gresham, OR 97080
I have also been contacted by other riders who lost personal wheels at CP.
If you went home with wheels that were not yours, even if they were not OBRA
wheels, you can send them to the same address. We will try to get them to
where they belong. You could also take them to any OBRA race and we will
find a way to store them and try to find their owners. All this is a big
PITA however and it would be much better if people just made sure that they
did not take off with wheels not belonging to them. That is, after all, the
definition of theft.
Mike Murray
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Murray [mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 16:01 PM
To: OBRA Remailer; Nwcycling
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Lost OBRA wheel
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One of the OBRA neutral support wheels was given out but not returned at
Columbia Plateau. It has not been found despite the efforts of the manager
of the wheel program, Roger Banvard, the efforts of the race organizer and
publicizing that it was missing on both the ob-@topica.com and
nwcyc-@topica.com list. Undoubtedly someone took this wheel home. These
are distinctive wheels. They are Mavic wheels with blue rims. They are
clearly marked as OBRA wheels. These are not "free" wheels. OBRA pays for
them just like anyone else. Money spent on the OBRA wheel program is money
that can't be spent on other programs. If you, or anyone you know, has this
wheel make sure that, at a minimum, you get back to us as soon as possible
to let us know where it is. Preferably make arrangements to return the
wheel. Keep an eye out for anyone that has a wheel with a blue rim,
especially if it is just one front wheel. If it appears to be an OBRA wheel
please take possession of that wheel and let us know. If the person riding
on the wheel at the time were to be forced to walk home or were to suffer
some type of injury I don't think that it would really bother me all that
much.
Given the tenuous nature of the funding of the neutral wheel program if
there are more expenditures, like having to replace this wheel, I am
inclined to discontinue the program and liquidate the wheel collection.
One further note; the behavior with regards to support wheels at Columbia
Plateau was evidently reprehensible. Not only did OBRA lose a wheel but
there were individual riders that lost wheels that they put into support.
At least one of them is now attempting to claim that the race organizer
needs to reimburse him for the non-returned wheel. Tires and tubes were
stolen from neutral wheels. Neutral wheels were returned with flats or
otherwise damaged. No one identified themselves as responsible for these
things. I am apprehensive about what this will mean to the practice of
having neutral wheels provided by riders. Certainly the thought that the
wheel that you put in might be damaged or worse stolen without even an offer
of compensation will make people less likely to put wheels in support. If
riders don't put wheels in there will not be adequate numbers of wheels. An
adequate supply of wheels to cover the needs is beyond the resources of OBRA
and well beyond the resources of individual event organizers. If event
organizers are held responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of
wheels given to support it will stretch their financial risk even more
thinly. Fewer people will be willing to take that risk, which will mean
that there are less road races and that some races may not provide support.
Everyone needs to realize that what goes around, comes around. If you don't
want to be forced to carry a pump and spare, if you don't want to be stuck
in the middle of nowhere with a flat, you need to look at how the whole
system works and help police it. Officials will often say that support is
"wheels in/wheels out" but this is just not practical and never occurs.
When you put wheels in support make sure that they are clearly labeled with
your contact info; name, address, phone number, e-mail, team, category, race
you are competing. This is NOT so that you can get your own wheels should
you flat. After all, is it reasonable to expect that your wheels will end
up in the car behind the group that you are in AND that the support person
will take the time needed to rummage through all the wheels to find your
wheels? This info should be attached to something that will stay on the
wheel when it is given out; written on the rim or tire or printed on a card
which is firmly affixed to a spoke or a band around the hub. This will make
it much easier for the person who gets the wheel to figure out where it
should be returned. There should be a second card wedged in the spoke that
can be removed by the support person that lists the same info and has space
to record the number, race, location, etc. for who, where and when the wheel
was given out. The support person can then keep this info. If you are given
a wheel by support and it flats or is damaged it is YOU and no one else that
is responsible for fixing this. This is even true if the tire was in truly
awful shape. Fix this by giving the wheel owner a new tire and tube or
enough to money to cover the purchase of a new tire and tube. If you fall
or bend the wheel, even if it was a poorly built wheel that collapses, make
sure you get it fixed. Any other system really won't work. If you see
someone treating the support wheels like they are there for them to raid for
their own personal needs make sure you straighten them out by whatever means
necessary.
Mike Murray
503 667-6220
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To respond to the whole group send to ob-@topica.com.
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To unsubscribe send to obra-uns-@topica.com
One of the OBRA neutral support wheels was given out but not returned at
Columbia Plateau. It has not been found despite the efforts of the manager
of the wheel program, Roger Banvard, the efforts of the race organizer and
publicizing that it was missing on both the ob-@topica.com and
nwcyc-@topica.com list. Undoubtedly someone took this wheel home. These
are distinctive wheels. They are Mavic wheels with blue rims. They are
clearly marked as OBRA wheels. These are not "free" wheels. OBRA pays for
them just like anyone else. Money spent on the OBRA wheel program is money
that can't be spent on other programs. If you, or anyone you know, has this
wheel make sure that, at a minimum, you get back to us as soon as possible
to let us know where it is. Preferably make arrangements to return the
wheel. Keep an eye out for anyone that has a wheel with a blue rim,
especially if it is just one front wheel. If it appears to be an OBRA wheel
please take possession of that wheel and let us know. If the person riding
on the wheel at the time were to be forced to walk home or were to suffer
some type of injury I don't think that it would really bother me all that
much.
Given the tenuous nature of the funding of the neutral wheel program if
there are more expenditures, like having to replace this wheel, I am
inclined to discontinue the program and liquidate the wheel collection.
One further note; the behavior with regards to support wheels at Columbia
Plateau was evidently reprehensible. Not only did OBRA lose a wheel but
there were individual riders that lost wheels that they put into support.
At least one of them is now attempting to claim that the race organizer
needs to reimburse him for the non-returned wheel. Tires and tubes were
stolen from neutral wheels. Neutral wheels were returned with flats or
otherwise damaged. No one identified themselves as responsible for these
things. I am apprehensive about what this will mean to the practice of
having neutral wheels provided by riders. Certainly the thought that the
wheel that you put in might be damaged or worse stolen without even an offer
of compensation will make people less likely to put wheels in support. If
riders don't put wheels in there will not be adequate numbers of wheels. An
adequate supply of wheels to cover the needs is beyond the resources of OBRA
and well beyond the resources of individual event organizers. If event
organizers are held responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of
wheels given to support it will stretch their financial risk even more
thinly. Fewer people will be willing to take that risk, which will mean
that there are less road races and that some races may not provide support.
Everyone needs to realize that what goes around, comes around. If you don't
want to be forced to carry a pump and spare, if you don't want to be stuck
in the middle of nowhere with a flat, you need to look at how the whole
system works and help police it. Officials will often say that support is
"wheels in/wheels out" but this is just not practical and never occurs.
When you put wheels in support make sure that they are clearly labeled with
your contact info; name, address, phone number, e-mail, team, category, race
you are competing. This is NOT so that you can get your own wheels should
you flat. After all, is it reasonable to expect that your wheels will end
up in the car behind the group that you are in AND that the support person
will take the time needed to rummage through all the wheels to find your
wheels? This info should be attached to something that will stay on the
wheel when it is given out; written on the rim or tire or printed on a card
which is firmly affixed to a spoke or a band around the hub. This will make
it much easier for the person who gets the wheel to figure out where it
should be returned. There should be a second card wedged in the spoke that
can be removed by the support person that lists the same info and has space
to record the number, race, location, etc. for who, where and when the wheel
was given out. The support person can then keep this info. If you are given
a wheel by support and it flats or is damaged it is YOU and no one else that
is responsible for fixing this. This is even true if the tire was in truly
awful shape. Fix this by giving the wheel owner a new tire and tube or
enough to money to cover the purchase of a new tire and tube. If you fall
or bend the wheel, even if it was a poorly built wheel that collapses, make
sure you get it fixed. Any other system really won't work. If you see
someone treating the support wheels like they are there for them to raid for
their own personal needs make sure you straighten them out by whatever means
necessary.
Mike Murray
503 667-6220
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