Sure, turn that thing upside down. (I said it ironically, so it's not bad luck.)
Gobbles already violated Rule #95 this year when he became the first rider to celebrate winning a Monument by lifting his bike over his head as if he were some kind of savage; not a Belgian road Cyclist, the most civilized of the Cycling Breed.
But Rule #49 is another matter altogether. It astounds me whenever I see a bicycle helplessly turned upon its handlebars and saddle while the pilot optimistically leverages every muscle in their face to inspect the vehicle for evidence of its mysterious ailment. (Surprise ending: It’s the rider, not the machine.)
We, the Velominati, we see the Cycling world through a different lens. We see Cycling through the rose-colored lense of our passion and our reverence for the history, culture, and etiquette of our sport.
Hence, I find myself in disbelief to find none other than The Prophet himself, cluelessly riding alongside his team car in 1976 with a spare bike on its roof inexplicably turned upside down. This was the Year of My Birth; I feel a little bit sullied knowing that such an atrocity occurred while I was in gestation. (It also might explain a few things about my temperament.)
It just so happens that 1976 was the year in which Merckx began his irrevocable slide towards retirement; perhaps his failure to spot the upturned steed was an early sign that the fire in his breath was starting to temper.
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That's one of the rules I'm not so sure about. Sure it looks weak, but when changing a flat on the side of the road it's tje safest way to keep from scratching tje paint. You might scratch the saddle and bar tape , but those are easliy replaced. Paint is permanent.
tje=the :)
@Danny shaw
If your trusty steed falls from the position with the rubber side up paint may be the absolute least of your worries.
@Rick
I used to put mine upside down when changing a rear flat but then had issues with the chain coming off the chain ring. I now carefully lay it down on its non-drive side if no one is available to hold it for me.
I'm just going to say that this is one where I observe the Masturbation Principle. Sure, it might happen, once in a while. But I'm not going to brag about it and I'm sure as hell not going to do it with anyone watching.
But I love the conjecture that the upside down bike so close to the Prophet's mighty presence somehow sucked the V away.
Every time I take my 9,5 kilogram carbon road bike out for a spin, I pack a 6,5 kg Park work stand and a 2 kg toolbox into a specially sewn, tubular canvas casing, sling it over my shoulder and bring that along for the ride. Problem solved.
But seriously - as @Philip Mercer says: lay her gently down on the grass (or, even more gently, on pavement, if that cannot be avoided) with the drive side up. (I must admit at this point that it can be quite a challenge for someone as clumsy as yours truly, to successfully re-insert the rear wheel 'with one hand' while only having the other hand available to steady the machine. Front wheel = never a problem.) Clever tips, anyone?
or find a convenient tree as was posted here somewhere last year and hang the bike by it's saddle.
Re the Photo - maybe it's a sign of distress like flying a national flag upside down?
@ErikdR
hi Erik, I was reading a book from a Dutch author, Wilfried de Jong (De man en zijn fiets, or the man and his bike) where somewhere he mentioned having met Jan Janssen who had a way of keeping his rear wheel between his legs and then sway the bike/frame over it in such a way that he kept his hands clean, ie without touching the chain. Yeah, I'd like to see that move!!! That's the gif I will put on my social media...
Umm - caption didn't appear on the above.
Anyway - point is what about the scenario in the picture?
I avoided the Rule #49 violation but broke a bunch of others (which you'll all be delighted to list).
Will I burn in the deepest pit of hell being sodomised by Pharmstrong for eternity or are there mitigating factors to be taken into account?