row2k Features
Coach Tricks
The Regatta Beater-Bike
April 4, 2012
row2k hackers

Stickers & a new paint job make any old bike a true beater.

contributed by John FX Flynn, row2k

Coaches: Ever packed your nice, new bike on the trailer for a regatta, then hoped it would still be there the next morning after you parked overnight? If so, here is simple hack to ensure you always have the wheels you need at the race course: get a used bike--the more beat-up the better.

At most race courses, bikes are really handy: you can jet from the boat yard to the finish line, scoot back to the trailer for tools and spare parts, and--of course--chase races and scout your opponents, all using the best way to follow the action since they decommissioned the IRA spectator train.

Having your bike stolen, though, can be a real drag, but the rowing hackers out there in the coaching ranks have figured this one out: if you just use an old bike, or a really cheap one found at a Wal-Mart or garage sale, then you always have wheels when you need them. (In fact, if the bike is really sketchy, you don't even have to worry about the spares or other coaches borrowing it.) A good regatta bike like this can be irreplaceable: I once had the ideal regatta bike stolen from my garage at home. It had been free, was in good riding shape, but looked like a piece of junk. The thieves made off with my mountain and road bikes that day, too (both insured), but that regatta bike, being perfect and literally priceless, was the real loss that day.

This hack borrows a bit from the theft-proof outboard hack, of course, though--truth be told--we came up with this one first. It is the same principle: when traveling with something light, portable and, in the case of a bike, really mobile, making it look old and undesirable keeps it "yours." The twist here is that a well-hacked regatta bike actually is old: a total "beater" bike that would never attract the attention of a thief, and is thus perfect for leaving outside on the trailer for days at a time at a large regatta.

Acquiring a good, old bike is part of the trick though. Craigslist and family or friends who don't ride much anymore can supply cheap-o bikes. You can also try hitting up seasonal rental outfits: once the summer ends, there are lots of beach and lake-side places are looking to unload bikes that won't last another summer but could easily handle a few regattas each spring. Here's a hacker tip: buy them for your whole staff, because getting three or four at once can net you a nice bulk discount (plus, bonus hacker points for teams with matching beater bikes).

One tip: the bike has to be good enough to handle a few dozen 2ks in the course of a weekend, so sometimes "just cheap" is not the best way to go. There is an urban legend about a coach whose found that the "cheapest bike I could find at Wal-Mart" was not really up to the task. After a frustrating day of not being able to keep up with the crews, so he just left it at the race course at the end of the regatta. Probably not a true story, but if it is, we bet that bike found its way onto another trailer and is still on regatta duty to this day, somewhere.

Of course, you may be wondering, does this hack really work? Well, it sure did the time row2k left his bike leaning against a tree at Camden, got busy, and dashed home to start uploading Stotes and Sprints galleries…without the bike. Would you believe that the bike was still there THREE weeks later when row2k returned for the IRA's? Of course it was: as a true regatta bike, it was untouched, despite having no lock and being completely unhidden, and all set for another day at the races.

So the next time you are waiting up at the start, astride your bike, stroke watch in hand, and another coach pulls up on a beat-up piece of junk whose only redeeming feature is a well-oiled chain, then you are undoubtedly in the presence of a fellow Rowing Hacker…and the crew that coach will be following is probably pretty quick, too.

Got a great beater bike in your boathouse? Tell us about it in the comments below or, better yet, send us a picture

Have a great rowing hack for future inclusion here? Send it to us!

SUPPORT ROW2K
If you enjoy and rely on row2k, we need your help to be able to keep doing all this. Though row2k sometimes looks like a big, outside-funded operation, it mainly runs on enthusiasm and grit. Help us keep it coming, thank you! Learn more.


Comments

Log in to comment
tiffer1984
04/28/2012  11:13:59 AM
Spend a little bit extra and buy a" U" shaped lock for your bike -- or buy a chain- link lock like the kind that prevent theft and they also look kind of cool.


MichaelWyman
04/19/2012  3:59:23 PM
Better yet, get a tandem. Allows coach on back to take video, and is much more efficient taking up less of the coveted space on the trailer (vs. 2 bikes). If it's a beater, all the better.


Tronix
04/05/2012  1:49:05 PM
scraper bikes anyone?


Sarge
04/04/2012  11:32:46 AM
Here's a tip to the coach in the urban legend with the bike not being up to the task: ride faster. It's not about the bike! Also, keep your head up and ride the course a couple of times and figure out where the holes are. There have been some nasty, massive pile-ups that rival any seen at the Tour.


Punisher
04/04/2012  9:55:27 AM
Great article, topic, and feature but neither of those bikes in the photos are beaters. I would steal both of them everyday and twice on Sunday's



Get our Newsletter!

Support row2k!

Tremendous thanks to our
row2k supporters!

Get Social with row2k!
Like row2k on Facebook Follow row2k on Twitter Follow row2k on Instagram Follow row2k on Youtube Connect with row2k on LinkedIn

Get the row2k app!

row2k rowing store!

Get our Newsletter!
Enter your email address to receive our weekly newsletter.

Support row2k!


Advertiser Index
Advertise on row2k