splin-@aol.com
Having accumulated somewhere around 50,000 miles driving motorcycles in
bicycle races (much of that in Colorado at altitudes above 6,000 feet where
there is even less air) I have come across this argument before. There are no
easy solutions -- motors are needed for many jobs in cycling that are not
amenable to cars or other non-internal combustion vehicles. And, there are
cyclists who are extremely sensitive to exhaust fumes due to allergies, etc.,
and the exhaust can be a problem for everyone at times. Jeannie Longo and
Alexi Grewal are both very sensitive to exhaust (among other allergens).
There are a few things I have picked up through experience that might be
helpful to Gregg and the other driver. The first would be that two motors at
the front at Mt. Tabor is overkill unless they are acting as true
marshals/escorts and leapfrogging the race after stopping to control and
intersection like a police escort for funerals or a true rolling enclosure
for a road race. In that case the second bike should be a minimum of 500 -
750 meters out in front. The second bike is the actual marker for the race
and needs to be close enough to discourage people, kids, dogs from trying to
cross after the motor and before the cyclists. The motor driver should be
aware of where the wind is coming from and as much as possible stay to the
downwind side of the available road. Sometimes actually staying closer to the
riders keeps the exhaust closer to the road until the field passes rather
than allowing it to disperse by being farther out in front. Also, keeping the
engine revs high will keep the engine running more efficiently (and cooler)
than lugging. This often means riding in first or second gear for the entire
race, lots more revs than you would usually tolerate when just riding.
Running at higher RPMs also allows the bike to react faster in both braking
(controlling speed through compression) and accelerating to jump away from an
attack or sudden change in pack speed.
If the motors would like to talk to me at some point, I would be happy to
talk about ways that we could have both breathing and motors at the races.