why do the TdF rider have pinned-on numbers?

maddog 2

You spend thousands of pounds on aero improvements then use safety pins to attach the numbers....?

Why not just print the number directly onto the shirt?

Okay, there are times when the colour might change - eg. red background for the previous days most attacking rider - but most of the time it's just (the same) black number on a white background.

It would be much tidier, aero and easier just to print a set of tops for each rider.

Cressers

Tradition I think, so they can be ritually removed if a rider abandons.

geoff_ss

Not just the Tour de France - all cycle racing numbers seem to need attaching with old fashioned safety pins. When I look at all the advance in bikes since I started taking an interest (indexed gears; clipless pedals; tri-bars; carbon frames etc) I'm sure someone could have come up with a more elegant method of attaching numbers but safety pins it is.

There's got to be a fortune ready for whoever thinks up a better solution - Velcro?

MountainMonster

For most races it's because they are cheap and easy to produce for the masses, but in the case of TdF, that is a good question, never thought about it!

Pross

I'm not sure what cycling teams do kit wise but I'm guessing that they wear the same stuff at more than one race so having a number as part of the kit itself is a non starter. Now that several teams have started having the riders name put on their shirts maybe races should just do away with numbers altogether and just have the rider's name on their jersey as the number is only really there to identify the rider.

mrushton

Nothing to stop them having a number/name on the shirt as they do in football/rugby as long as the kit sponsors get their name on. Only things that change are coloured numbers (dossards?) for most aggressive rider, leading team.

kieranb

I can't see them getting rid of the number - nice and easy for the media to ID riders etc (especially from the helicopter pov). Surely there must be a tacky adhesive they could put on the back of the number that will not totally bond to the jersey - like reuseable labels.

ride_whenever

Or a see through pocket front and rear so you can easily swap them in and out.

a_n_t

I wish someone would hurry up and invent something. Sticking safety pins in a 100 quid skinsuit is not good!

LangerDan

I could be wrong but I think that the TdF numbers are self adhesive, but many riders prefer to use pins as the numbers don't actually stick very well - the numbers were peeling off the jerseys on the wet days.

Ron Stuart

ride_whenever wrote:

Or a see through pocket front and rear so you can easily swap them in and out.

Your getting close with see through pocket. Not on front though (can't be seen) two at back with velcro closers outside normal pockets for road race, for time trial one central rear pocket with velcro closer. Numbers should be water/sweat resistant, job done.

izza

maddog 2 wrote:

You spend thousands of pounds on aero improvements then use safety pins to attach the numbers....?.

Same reason F1 teams spend millions on getting their carbon fibre masterpieces down to the exact gram and then let the drivers suits all have pockets.

Pross

We've got a guy at our club who is a bit of a mad inventor type. He has fitted plastic poppers to his skinsuit and then has a plastic pocket that holds the number and pops on them. If done in a commercial way it would be quite a good solution although the sizes of numbers tend to vary considerably from event to event.

DF33

As the aerodynamic loss is the same for every rider I can't see the problem.

Pross

DF33 wrote:

As the aerodynamic loss is the same for every rider I can't see the problem.

It's not though - was it the Tour of Switzerland where one of the riders had their numbers flapping all over the place in a TT? You'd think they'd have had someone pin it as taut as possible, even the lowest club TTer makes sure they have the number pinned on in their riding position.

maddog 2

As the aerodynamic loss is the same for every rider I can't see the problem

But your logic actually works both ways....

...if one team printed the number rather than using silly pins they'd have an advantage, especially so in the TTs.

I just can't see why they do it. Contador must have his own tops, in his size, so just print a big number 1 on the back of them. Sorted.

winterdancer

a bit OT, but not completely so... I was thinking something similar when watching the TT on Saturday, the Schlecks both had chains with pendants hanging outside their skinsuits... now, I understand wearing something that might have sentimental value, but surely tucking it inside would be more aero???

andy46

Would it really make that much difference?

I'm not being funny or sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested.

winterdancer

I've no idea if it would make any difference whatsoever - I doubt it - but some of the stuff that they do do seems so insignificant that it made me wonder... it was a slightly tongue-in-cheek comment tbh :-)

stigofthedump

A few years ago i saw a documentary - The Science of Lance i think. There was a section on design of skinsuits wher they had moved a seam from the bottom of the back down to across the buttocks to improve the airflow when in a crouch. At the time i wondered why thy bothered if they were going to stick a number on in almost the same place during a race

MichaelW

If they issued every professional rider a permanent bar-code, readable by camera from helecopter or roadside, they could automatically identify any rider within the peleton. They could assign different race number to riders for different races,but just use the same, unique bar code.
Presumable, each bike or rider is chipped to help with timing or doth I assume too much?

One Man And His Bike

QR image on the top of their helmets.

DIESELDOG

a_n_t wrote:

I wish someone would hurry up and invent something. Sticking safety pins in a 100 quid skinsuit is not good!

But sticking pins into the arse that's wearing one is...

Love n hugs

DD

Escadrille Ecosse

izza

maddog 2 wrote:
You spend thousands of pounds on aero improvements then use safety pins to attach the numbers....?.


Same reason F1 teams spend millions on getting their carbon fibre masterpieces down to the exact gram and then let the drivers suits all have pockets.

That's different, they need somewhere to keep their keys and sunglasses

izza

MichaelW wrote:

If they issued every professional rider a permanent bar-code, readable by camera from helecopter or roadside, they could automatically identify any rider within the peloton. They could assign different race number to riders for different races,but just use the same, unique bar code.
Presumable, each bike or rider is chipped to help with timing or doth I assume too much?

If every rider had a unique code, Operation Puerto would have been too easy.

a_n_t

I've done it that often I do my own.

No more, "YOU'VE GOT ME SKIN!!"

DIESELDOG wrote:

But sticking pins into the ars* that's wearing one is...

berliner

Maybe because theyre sponsored by a safety pin manufacturer. Maybe BluTac or Selotape or Snot Ltd need to get involved.

graeme_s-2

I remember reading an interview with one of Cav's old mentors from the IoM. He was recalling an incident when Cav was a kid, he had come out to race with his numbers pinned on using tonnes of safety pins, with the pins on the inside of his jersey for maximum aero. This guy balled Cav out about it and told him to go and redo it with them on the outside because he'd be skinned alive if he crashed. He said when Cav won his first Tour stage he got a text from him saying "safety pins on the inside, who's laughing now?"

Omar Little

endura do a popper/button alternative to safety pins

rodgers73

When running 10km events all runners pin their number on using 4 safety pins. I do too but I put a strip of duck tape over the top of them - seems to smooth the number down a little and stop it flapping about as much. Never seems to stay stuck down if it rains though!

White Line

Four beer bottle caps and four 2p coins. Simple.