Bidons - Aero vs. Weight?

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

When riders approach the finish of a race, they
can often be seen throwing away their bidons.

From memory, the analyticcycling site said that
bottles should be left on the bike for better
aerodynamics.
If that is really the case, wouldn't it make more
sense to leave the bottles on or just empty them?
I realise coming up to a sprint, chucking them is
going to be much easier than pouring them out,
but I thought there would be more benefit from
better aerodynamics at sprint speed?

When you are drafting behind your lead out train, it makes no difference
if you have a bottle or not.
-------------
Alex

In article <[email hidden]>,

hippy said:

When riders approach the finish of a race, they
can often be seen throwing away their bidons.

From memory, the analyticcycling site said that
bottles should be left on the bike for better
aerodynamics.
If that is really the case, wouldn't it make more
sense to leave the bottles on or just empty them?
I realise coming up to a sprint, chucking them is
going to be much easier than pouring them out,
but I thought there would be more benefit from
better aerodynamics at sprint speed?

The main reason they toss the bottles is to prevent them from falling
out during the sprint and becoming a hazard. One bottle shaken loose
during the run-in can quite happily wipe out a substantial number of
riders if one of them is unlucky enough to run over it.

Safety, not speed,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

"Ryan Cousineau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

The main reason they toss the bottles is to prevent them from falling
out during the sprint and becoming a hazard. One bottle shaken loose
during the run-in can quite happily wipe out a substantial number of
riders if one of them is unlucky enough to run over it.

That sounds like a tactic to me.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 10:24:46 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

The main reason they toss the bottles is to prevent them from falling
out during the sprint and becoming a hazard.

Who told you this?

JT

Ryan Cousineau said:

The main reason they toss the bottles is to prevent them from falling
out during the sprint and becoming a hazard. One bottle shaken loose
during the run-in can quite happily wipe out a substantial number of
riders if one of them is unlucky enough to run over it.

I can't remember EVER seeing a bottle launched in a sprint. Especially
as a RESULT of the sprint. How would it get shaken loose? The bike
isn't moving that violently during a sprint so as to launch a bottle.

Only place I ever see bottles launched is on really rough roads.

So I don't think that's the reason.

Bill Lloyd said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

The main reason they toss the bottles is to prevent them from falling
out during the sprint and becoming a hazard. One bottle shaken loose
during the run-in can quite happily wipe out a substantial number of
riders if one of them is unlucky enough to run over it.

I can't remember EVER seeing a bottle launched in a sprint. Especially
as a RESULT of the sprint. How would it get shaken loose? The bike
isn't moving that violently during a sprint so as to launch a bottle.

Only place I ever see bottles launched is on really rough roads.

So I don't think that's the reason.

I'm skeptical too. But ya know, it wouldn't have to happen too damn often for it
to become "the LAW."

Ron