Originally Posted by
dawg80
Okay, yes, I am a fan of bike racing. Just finished watching the Tour of Commie La La Land. But!!! I have a pet peeve re: the stupid TV guys. It is NOT possible to "thrust your bike forward." Or, "throw it at the finish line," as the silly announcers say. Can't be done.
In a close finish, in a sprint, you see the goofy riders seemingly "throwing" their bike toward the line, supposedly stealing a few inches on their rivals. It's an illusion. All that happens is the rider straightens his arm and pushes himself BACKWARDS. The bike doesn't move at all. There is ZERO movement of the bike forward.
Think about it. To accomplish this would mean the rider would have to lift his bike off the ground to be able to use his arms to "throw" the bike forward. Not possible. Try standing on a piece of cardboard, bend over, grab it, and then "throw" the cardboard forward. Amazingly it doesn't move an inch. You'd have to be able to throw your weight too. Same thing while SITTING ON A BIKE. Now, if the rider got off his bike and stood next to it, then yeah, he could throw his bike forward. But not while on it and moving 40 mph in a sprint to the line.
Sorry....just another pet peeve. Like "scoring the basketball" and "he made up for his earlier mistake."