Wheel trucks and lead cars

[Tuckervill]

My husband and I volunteered for a road race that my team is putting on. We have been volunteered for driving a wheel and lead vehicle.

We don't quite understand how it all works. (www.arkansasstateroadrace.com)

The course is about 24 miles, and I guess there will be different groups on the course at the same time. I have some questions.

What do you do if your group encounters a slower group that left earlier? Does that happen?

How far ahead or behind do you stay?

Wheel trucks: It doesn't say on the website what the policy on wheels is--I'm guessing we just carry the wheels and the racers flag us down if they need one. They change them themselves, right?

What else?

I'm pretty sure the organizers will cover this, but it's their first race to organize, and I want to be as prepared as possible so they are not overwhelmed with my petty questions. I'm sure they will leave stuff out, and that it will be common sense once we get going. Also, my husband does not read cycling forums so I have a leg up on it just by reading here. I want to be able to inform him, too, if I can. I don't want to make a mistake that causes someone to lose or not finish, or god-forbid, get hurt.

Karen

[Eden]

My husband and I volunteered for a road race that my team is putting on. We have been volunteered for driving a wheel and lead vehicle.

We don't quite understand how it all works. (www.arkansasstateroadrace.com)

The course is about 24 miles, and I guess there will be different groups on the course at the same time. I have some questions.

What do you do if your group encounters a slower group that left earlier? Does that happen?

If you're group catches up to an earlier group they slower group will be "neutralized" - this means they all stop racing, maintain their places in the pack and move over as far as they possibly can to make room for your pack to pass. As soon as your lead car thinks it is safe your pack will pass the slower pack. This does sometimes happen, more often if the course is a short loop done several times.

How far ahead or behind do you stay?

Follow car just needs to stay close enough to observe the race. Usually the follow car will have an official riding along in it and the official will tell you exactly what they need to have done. Sometimes there are two cars, one for follow and one for wheels. Sometimes wheels and follow are in the same car.

If you are the lead car you have to be more careful. You want to stay far enough ahead of the racers that they aren't catching you or drafting you, but close enough for them to follow you and close enough that it is clear to other traffic that they should not try to get in between you and the pack. I'd say this is probably 2-3 car lengths? You need to be especially careful when going down hill to anticipate the descent and get a larger gap on the racers as often they can descend and corner faster than you can. You don't want them to have to brake for the lead car. You also need to listen carefully about what to do for the final sprint. Sometimes the car will pull over before the sprint, sometimes you just need to go fast enough to be out of the way.

If a break away gets off of the group the lead car stays with them unless told to do otherwise by an official.

Lead car usually also has the responsibility of informing the corners that the race will be arriving so that they can stop traffic in time (you will be give a radio). If there are enough people to have 2 people in the lead car - a driver and a radio person, that is ideal as it can be difficult enough to just drive the course, without also having to look at the map, keep an eye on the riders, and radio the corners. Also, from a racers perspective.. encourage the organizers to NOT use diesel vehicles for lead...

Wheel trucks: It doesn't say on the website what the policy on wheels is--I'm guessing we just carry the wheels and the racers flag us down if they need one. They change them themselves, right?

Riders who need a wheel change should raise their hand and move to the right hand side of the road - you are never supposed to get service on the left or middle of the road. If you can change a wheel that's certainly a bonus, but if you cannot the racers *should* be understanding that you are just a volunteer and any racer should be able to change his/her own wheel. Generally the level of tantrum throwing will correspond with the level of racer... sometimes the higher up guys get a bit spoiled...

The type of support depends on the organizer and the number of participants. If the turnout is small then it might be "wheels in, wheels out", which means you can only get wheels that you personally (or your team) put in the car. If you get a flat and you haven't put in wheels you are SOL. If there are enough wheels it will be "neutral wheels" which means anyone who gets a flat can have a wheel change. (sometimes it is totally "neutral support", where no one has to put in wheels - they are all provided by an outside company, like FSA around here, but that is usually only in the higher category races and usually those cars will be driven by their mechanics)

In general wheel support is all a racer can expect to get. If something bigger breaks on the bike you are only lucky if the wheel car is prepared to fix it for you. [/QUOTE]

Hope that helps!

If this brings up other questions or you think of anything else, feel free to ask.

[Tuckervill]

It's really informative. Thanks, Eden.

I did spend some time thinking about what it would be like to be the lead car. You do have to get out of their way on the descents, I was thinking. We are also bringing our friend who has a motorcycle, so I'm sure he'll be leading something.

So it's okay if the people in the wheel truck help change the wheel? I think there are going to be some cat 1s who will be racing, but nobody really good who would expect to be catered to. No one will have their own SAG. And definitely this will be a low-budget affair, so no one is providing wheels, I'm sure.

It's a 24 mile course, and they all start within five minutes of each other! (except the juniors have an hour for 12 miles). I guess it doesn't take long for the groups to get stretched out with decent space between them.

Thanks! I'm getting worked up over it. I love the feeling of standing on the corner and seeing this colorful clump of humanity go by and feeling the breeze. Since I'll be driving, I probably won't get to experience that, but oh well.

Karen

[Tuckervill]

Oh, I do have a question. So the wheel truck follows the following vehicle with the race official in it? Because there's a wheel truck for each category.

Karen

[Eden]

Driving can be even more interesting - depending on which car you are, you get to see most of the race unfold right there! I think my favorite job has been follow 1 - the car with the official. You really get the scoop on what's going on if you get that job.

Certainly it is fine for the person in the wheel car to change the wheel. If the rider is on top of everything, they will get the flat one off and if you have a partner, they will jump out and make the swap. You might have to radio the officials with the number of anyone you give a change to - especially if they are unable to get back onto the pack. They like to know where everyone is. It is kind of a no-no to pace riders back to the pack, but some officials will look the other way.....

I don't think it has to be a big race for neutral support to show up. FSA does the mens cat 1/2's at a lot of our races - they are a local company though. I'm not sure if anyone actually pays them to do it or not.. it might be part of the sponsorship they give the teams. They even come to some of our early season "training" races. On the other hand actual team cars - you won't see those until you get to real serious pro level racing (NRC or UCI) and even then only for the pro fields.

A couple of other tips - use the restroom right before you go - you won't have a chance to stop once the racing starts. Take snacks and drinks too for the same reason.

[Grog]

That's exciting Tuckervill! I'm sure you'll have a blast and be a great lead car driver.

It seems from the race schedule that the racers that are theoretically the faster are going first. It is not impossible that the second group catches the first, but the schedule is built to avoid that.

Good luck and don't forget to report!

[Eden]

Oh, I do have a question. So the wheel truck follows the following vehicle with the race official in it? Because there's a wheel truck for each category.

Karen

Yes - if you have both a follow car and wheel car, the wheel car follows follow 1... (or in other words, comes last )

Sometimes the wheel car will also be the follow car.

[Tuckervill]

Well, the whole day turned out to be a lot of fun! (For me, anyway!) I ended up carrying wheels and an official for the Cat 5 men and they only did one lap, so I was a little disappointed in that. Hubby and son got to do Cat 1, 2 men which started with the Cat 3s. They shortened the race to 3 laps because of the heat, but they got to go the whole distance, which is what I wanted to do.

There were only two racers in his category--one Cat 1 and one Cat 2. They quickly pulled away from the Cat 3s and stayed together for most of it, until the last big hill, where the Cat 2 got cooked and told them to pass. So hubby/son went the whole course following just one or two guys. (One of them was a gold medalist in the Pan-Am Games and an Olympian, and one is on the Olympic team--or was--I can't remember.)

The hills were widow-makers for most of the Cat 5s, but amazingly the stragglers regrouped right before the end and caught up to the main peloton and almost all of them finished together. One guy got dropped in the first 2 miles and we never saw him again. How sad for him! I didn't get to honk my horn for any of them crossing the yellow line. One guy dropped his chain TWICE going uphill but still caught up. There were a couple of guys that led the whole way, and of course, they won.

I got to ask a lot of questions about bike racing while we were following, so that was fun. There were only 2 sets of wheels and two seat bags in my car! One guy asked me what to do if he doesn't have wheels, and we both came to the conclusion that he'd be SOL changing a flat with only one lap.

The other thing that was fun was getting to hand out cold water bottles as they rode by after the finish. They were so grateful cuz it was f'ing hot and we all got splashed and that felt good.

It was the first time for these guys to put on a race (the Arkansas State Championship), and I thought they did a really good job. Everyone wanted it not to be in August, and to start earlier in the morning next year!

Thanks for the education gals! I managed to not feel like a total moron!

Karen