Mark J. Ginsberg

I agree with all Mike says, as for labeling your wheels, try writing your name, obra # and team on the side of the tire and even the rim, with a sharpie.
With your team name one there, sometimes a found wheel will be given to some person whose jersey matches yours and the chance of your getting your wheel back just went up, a lot.

Sharpie works pretty well, even on $700 wheels.

Mark Ginsberg

Mike Murray wrote: We have again had a person contact a race organizer trying to collect money
from him for wheels that were not collected back from a follow vehicle.
This is not a reasonable request. In fact, the issue is specifically
addressed in the race waiver that you sign before each race:

"Bicycles or bicycle equipment, wheels or other components may be loaned or
borrowed for use in this event. ... I accept responsibility for damaged or
lost equipment."

It seems that it is time again to point out that placement of wheels in a
follow vehicle is voluntary and that all risk is assumed by the owners of
the wheels. It is not reasonable to expect that a race organizer will
compensate you if the wheels are stolen, not returned, damaged or lost.
Think it though. Follow vehicles are driven by volunteers many of whom know
little about bike racing. Wheels are often not labeled or otherwise
identified. They must be given to a rider quickly. Often the person giving
the wheel out does not know who he gave the wheel to and they will almost
always not know who the wheel belongs to. The tired rider off the back may
not make it back in until long after the finish of the race, may forget, or
be too tired, to look for the wheel owner or may out right steal the wheel.
It is possible that wheels and/or follow vehicles will be switched from one
race field to another before or during the race. To expect race organizers
to create a system that will safeguard against the possible loss of wheels
and insure their return is to ask them to do a lot more work than is
practically possible. If faced with such a requirement most race organizers
would have to just do away with follow vehicles providing wheels and
everyone would have to carry a pump and spare and figure that after they
flat they are done for the day (every time rather than most of the time).

To minimize this risk you should do the following:
- Only put cheap wheels in a follow car. In the particular case that
spawned this note the rider is looking to be compensated $700+. The follow
vehicle is not the place for your expensive wheels. Buy a cheap set for
this purpose and use them for training.
- Make sure that your wheels are well labeled with something that will not
come off so the rider who gets your wheel can figure out how to get it back
to you.
- Make sure there is a card in the spokes with your info on it. The person
handing out the wheel might grab that so he can tell you who got the wheel.
Don't count on this happening but maybe it will. Do not expect that the
card in the spokes will stay in place until after the race so that the guy
who got your wheel can use it to find you.
- Do not expect that all the wheels put in the cars will make it to the
finish at the same time you do. Expect that occasionally there will be a
several hour delay.
- If you do not find the wheel after the race is over do not expect that
there is someone else who will be looking for it for you. This is all your
responsibility.
- Do not expect that wheels you do not collect will go in the OBRA truck for
you to collect some time later. There is not enough room in the truck for
that and OBRA does not have personnel to provide that service.
- Do not expect that you will get your own wheels if you flat. In fact,
don't even expect that you will get a wheel that will match your gearing
system. Hope that you will get a wheel that will allow you to limp back to
the finish. Be happy if it will allow you to try to catch back on (most
often you will not).
- If you get someone else's wheel make every possible effort to find them
and return it ... With a "thank you". If you, God forbid, damage the wheel
you were given do everything you can to make that right with the wheel's
owner. Remember, what goes around comes around. Sometimes you will be the
guy looking for your wheel and sometimes you will be the recipient of
someone else's wheel.

All this makes it sound as though putting wheels in the follow car is not
such a good idea ... Until you get a flat. If you do get a flat don't
expect that you should get a spare wheel if you did not put one in the pool.

Mike Murray

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Mark J. Ginsberg
Attorney At Law
621 SW Morrison St., Ste. 900
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 542-3000
Fax (503) 227-2530
markjginsberg@yahoo.com
www.bikesafetylaw.com

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Mike Murray

We have again had a person contact a race organizer trying to collect money
from him for wheels that were not collected back from a follow vehicle.
This is not a reasonable request. In fact, the issue is specifically
addressed in the race waiver that you sign before each race:

"Bicycles or bicycle equipment, wheels or other components may be loaned or
borrowed for use in this event. ... I accept responsibility for damaged or
lost equipment."

It seems that it is time again to point out that placement of wheels in a
follow vehicle is voluntary and that all risk is assumed by the owners of
the wheels. It is not reasonable to expect that a race organizer will
compensate you if the wheels are stolen, not returned, damaged or lost.
Think it though. Follow vehicles are driven by volunteers many of whom know
little about bike racing. Wheels are often not labeled or otherwise
identified. They must be given to a rider quickly. Often the person giving
the wheel out does not know who he gave the wheel to and they will almost
always not know who the wheel belongs to. The tired rider off the back may
not make it back in until long after the finish of the race, may forget, or
be too tired, to look for the wheel owner or may out right steal the wheel.
It is possible that wheels and/or follow vehicles will be switched from one
race field to another before or during the race. To expect race organizers
to create a system that will safeguard against the possible loss of wheels
and insure their return is to ask them to do a lot more work than is
practically possible. If faced with such a requirement most race organizers
would have to just do away with follow vehicles providing wheels and
everyone would have to carry a pump and spare and figure that after they
flat they are done for the day (every time rather than most of the time).

To minimize this risk you should do the following:
- Only put cheap wheels in a follow car. In the particular case that
spawned this note the rider is looking to be compensated $700+. The follow
vehicle is not the place for your expensive wheels. Buy a cheap set for
this purpose and use them for training.
- Make sure that your wheels are well labeled with something that will not
come off so the rider who gets your wheel can figure out how to get it back
to you.
- Make sure there is a card in the spokes with your info on it. The person
handing out the wheel might grab that so he can tell you who got the wheel.
Don't count on this happening but maybe it will. Do not expect that the
card in the spokes will stay in place until after the race so that the guy
who got your wheel can use it to find you.
- Do not expect that all the wheels put in the cars will make it to the
finish at the same time you do. Expect that occasionally there will be a
several hour delay.
- If you do not find the wheel after the race is over do not expect that
there is someone else who will be looking for it for you. This is all your
responsibility.
- Do not expect that wheels you do not collect will go in the OBRA truck for
you to collect some time later. There is not enough room in the truck for
that and OBRA does not have personnel to provide that service.
- Do not expect that you will get your own wheels if you flat. In fact,
don't even expect that you will get a wheel that will match your gearing
system. Hope that you will get a wheel that will allow you to limp back to
the finish. Be happy if it will allow you to try to catch back on (most
often you will not).
- If you get someone else's wheel make every possible effort to find them
and return it ... With a "thank you". If you, God forbid, damage the wheel
you were given do everything you can to make that right with the wheel's
owner. Remember, what goes around comes around. Sometimes you will be the
guy looking for your wheel and sometimes you will be the recipient of
someone else's wheel.

All this makes it sound as though putting wheels in the follow car is not
such a good idea ... Until you get a flat. If you do get a flat don't
expect that you should get a spare wheel if you did not put one in the pool.

Mike Murray