Steve Tilford

Disc brakes are back in the headlines. The UCI decided to allow their use again this year. Marcel Kittel and Tom Boonen were two of the most prominent riders using them so far. Then Kittle got caught up in a crash with Owain Doull, Team Sky, and Doull claimed he was sliced, at least his shoe was sliced, by Kittel’s disc rotor. I think he was wrong.

SInce then, the CPA has called for them to be disallowed. And lots of websites have done experimental videos showing if a disc rotor can cut things. Velonews did a couple videos that showed, if someone is powering the wheel, then it could possible cut through a cycling shoe.

The only problem with that experiment is that when someone has their cycling shoe up against someone’s brake rotor, no one is pedaling that bike. That bike is most likely going to hit the ground very soon, riderless. And the time they held the pig’s skin and shoes against the rotor was so much longer than a person could ever be touching a brake disc in a crash scenario.

I very much doubt that brake disc rotors are dangerous. Just because they are rotating doesn’t make them into meat cutting blades. They are pretty dull and I’ve never come close to being cut by one. And I’ve fallen a fair amount of times on bikes with disc brakes. And I’ve been run over by a fair amount of times by guys riding disc brakes.

Think how many crashes, mass pile ups have been at the start of MTB races since discs have been used. I’ve never heard of anyone getting sliced by a rotor. Add cross races too, now that disc brakes are becoming commonplace. I’ve never seen someone in MTB or cross cut by a disc rotor.

I’m not big on the disc brake switch. It is a huge change and makes exchanging equipment, especially on the road, very difficult. When the manufacturers get their shit together and make the calipers more adjustable, maybe make the pads retract further, then the wheels might be interchanged much quicker. Until then, maybe they are only good for individual racers where riders have their own equipment, in pits, available.

If you gave me a choice between touching a rotating brake rotor or having a guy run into me with a chainring, I’d take the rotor everytime. I’ve been hit by chainless chainrings and those things are very dangerous. An exposed chainring is so much more dangerous than a brake disc connected to a hub. I very much doubt the CPA is lobbying to get rid of those.

***Okay, I just went out to my garage and spun a MTB rear wheel up to speed. I could stop it very easily with my thumb. I do realize that hand skin is tougher than other skin on a human’s body. I’d think if a leg or arm came in contact with a rotor, from the top, where it would cut you, then the same leg or arm would make contact with the spokes of the wheel too, so it would not only be the rotor stopping the wheel.

Today it is “only” going to be around 60 degrees. Then it is supposed to get nice. I think that 60 is going to be the low high for the next two weeks. So much for March still being winter here in Kansas.

I know a bunch of friends that can hardly wait until daylight savings time starts on March 12th. So that is a week from this Sunday. That is the day that all the guys that work can actually get out and ride, with having to use lights. I understand their anticipation. According to the forecast below, it is only going to be 69 here that day.

I’ve been riding some. Not huge miles but okay miles considering. The problem here is when it is so unseasonably warm in the winter is that it is nearly always pretty windy. And Kansas can be windy.

Kansas is one of the windiest states, either 2nd or 3rd highest. If you click here, there is an active map of where the wind is currently blowing today in the whole US. A big whoosh of wind is blowing from Texas right up through Kansas, to Canada. It shows it as in the 30 mph range. I think it is closer to 20 here, but that is still enough.

Like I said, I’ve been trying to ride more. Still have a little sickness thing going on, but I’ve been better than most of the people I ride with here. Topeka got some flu thing bad and so many people have really been down and out. I heard they had to cancel a high school basketball game because of lack of players.

The wind is hurting me riding solo so often. Yesterday I decided to ride mostly tailwind first, thinking I could shelter myself on the way home. It was on gravel both directions. It sort of worked, but I was still pretty much done after only 70 miles.

I’m not sure if it was lying around for 10 weeks in bed or what, but my endurance, not just in cycling, but in everyday life, has taken a hit from this traumatic brain injury.

I thought, initially, that traumatic brain injury was way too harsh of a description for smacking your head, but there are different severities to whacking your head and somewhere it changes from just a hit or concussion to something that “earns” the name TBI. I’ll try not to step over that line again if I can help it.

Anyway, I don’t know how I’m going exactly. My power, according to historical data saved at Strava, seems okay. But I have no change of pace or top end. I would love to race a couple short races, just to start getting a some top end form.

Okay, enough of this.

Strade Bianche is tomorrow. That is a super cool race I wish I could have done once, at least. WIthout Cancellera around to dictate the end, it is going to be more interesting.

Hope it is good weather where you might be.