Mike Murray
Support point of view:
Many of you already know this, but for those of you that don't, here's how
the support thing works. Before the race, riders or their team mates give me
wheels and request that they are just for them. I tell them I can't do that
in a timely fashion and explain that if they want to get back in the race
quickly, they don't want me sorting through 26 wheels to find just the right
one while the pack slowly disappears over the horizon. I have a bunch of
wheels in the back and 3 "jump" wheels in the passenger seat next to me, one
front, one 9 and one 10 with the quick release levers on the left. As the
jump wheels are used, they are replaced by the supply in the rear. At that
time, any cardboard or paper sign in the wheel is removed so I have one less
thing to do when I jump. Regardless of what hand the afflicted rider holds
up, I grab all three wheels because half the time they are wrong. Often the
unfortunate cyclist will remove the flat or broken wheel and try to hand it
to me. I tell them to drop it. I'll get it later. Other times they will
try to take the spare from me. I'm not going to stand there while they
re-adjust the QR to fit their drop outs. In the case of a rear wheel, they
will almost never have shifted into the small cog. Shifting to the small
cog will speed things up. Don't worry about being too high a gear to start
because I'm going to give you a huge push to get started. Most of the time
a rider just stand over the bike with one foot clipped in for a fast get
away. If they just let me do my job, things will go faster. If everything
goes right, I can get a rider back in the race in under 10 seconds.
Don't expect other support people to know or to have practiced any of the
above.
Putting your spare wheels into the support pool is a risk. But it's the
only way short of being a pro anybody will have a chance at spare wheels.
Consider it part of the cost of road racing. You might get them back flat,
broken or on someone else's bike...somewhere. If you get a wheel from
support, make a giant effort to return it to it's owner in good condition.
It may be your wheel someday.
Seth, you know what you have to do. Make it right.
Stage race promoters, call me about support for your race.
www.bicyclerepairman.us
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Murray" <mike.m-@obra.org>
To: "OBRA Remailer" <ob-@topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 8:35 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Seth Wilkie
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At the Rehearsal Road Race Seth Wilkie placed a set of wheels in the support
car evidently giving instructions to the driver that these wheels were to be
only given to him and not to anyone else who flats. As people who have read
my prior notes know, and for that matter any reasonable thinking person
knows, this is not how neutral support could possibly work. At the
conclusion of the race Mr. Wilkie went to the support car and found that one
of his wheels had not yet returned. As a response he took one of the OBRA
wheels. I guess that it was his plan to hold the OBRA wheel "hostage" until
his wheel returned. In actuality his wheel was left at the race site and is
now in the possession of Brian Witty. Mr. Wilkie told us of this during the
Mt Hood Stage Race. He did, however, not have the wheel with him at that
time. Candi made it clear to him that this was not acceptable and that the
wheel was to be returned as soon as possible. He promised to do that at the
State Championships this weekend. This did not occur. We have not heard
from him since that time.
I find this whole episode fairly remarkable. Over the last 30 plus years
that I have been racing bikes I have seen considerable self centered and
egocentric behavior but this tops anything that I have ever seen. Having
your wheel go missing clearly does not give you the right to steal one from
someone else. At every step this episode demonstrated a disregard for other
people.
We have informed Mr. Wilkie that he is suspended from any further racing
until this issue is resolved by return of the wheel. Should this not occur
rapidly we will take further action which could include suspension of Mr.
Wilkie's team, McKenzie Cascade Cycling Team (Hayden Homes, Frontier
Mortgage, Barhart Assoc), notification of the team sponsors, suspension of
the individual team members and legal action against Mr. Wilkie.
I am writing to this list in the hope the response it creates will not only
motivate the return of the OBRA wheel but also discourage this type of
behavior with regards to the OBRA wheels or any of the other OBRA equipment
in the future.
Mike Murray
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