White-Lining on a Bike

cmjc · Mar 26, 2009

Ease up coke-heads this is not for you.

Both climbing and descending my local mountain TT today ( in a PBT

) I noticed my tyres made much less noise when I deliberately rode on the white line at the edge of the road. Presumably due to less rolling friction.

So is this a useful tactic for roadies, in TTs at least. ie. Try to spend time on the road edge white line if there is one.

And since road markings are more slippery...

I recall Mick Doohan had a career ending crash when his Honda slid from under him due to riding on a white line.

Do the pros avoid hitting the white lines on descents for fear of sliding off on bends?

Bear with me, I'm new to this roadie lark.

Iwasgoodonce · Mar 26, 2009

Lines and drain covers are to be avoided in the wet. I remember a story about a Chinese chap staying in the UK who kept crashing into things because he was trying to keep between the yellow no parking lines as apparently where he was from cycle lanes are denoted by yellow lines.

cmjc · Mar 26, 2009

Iwasgoodonce":2q26gi9b said:
Lines ... are to be avoided in the wet.

But on the flat straights, it'd give a slight speed advantage. So over a 20km TT, the saving could be significant. This is the first point I'm getting at.

Do the pros do this deliberately?

Iwasgoodonce · Mar 26, 2009

I suppose there would be a theoretical advantage. On the other hand, would you be concentrating on the line to the detriment of your speed? Advantages are so easily lost. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that most of the aerodynamic advantage of a rider wearing one of thos 'alien helmets' is lost if they look down at the ground even once.

pigman · Mar 27, 2009

the edge of the strewn with litter - glass, metal bits, flints, grit etc. Road racers deliberately avoid the edges to avoid the punctures.

orange71 · Mar 27, 2009

I ride the white lines when I'm riding my MTB on the road sometimes as to my mind there seems to be less rolling resistance with knobblies.

retrojon · Mar 27, 2009

Most seem to ride a good metre from the kerb to avoid the drain covers etc.

If you had a nice flat line then perhaps, but they are all wobbly, bumpy and go straight over the drains by me.

Old Ned · Mar 27, 2009

I too used to find that the white line seemed 'smoother' than the road but hard to concentrate on keeping on it.

There used to be some top riders in the past who used the white line a lot - but it was generally the one down the middle of the carriageway not the one on the inside!

White-Lining on a Bike

cmjc

Old School Hero

Iwasgoodonce

Old School Grand Master

cmjc

Old School Hero

Iwasgoodonce

Old School Grand Master

pigman

Old School Grand Master

orange71

retrojon

Retro Guru

Old Ned

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