midsomer cycle murder!

[archy sturmer]

In Midsomer Murders on ITV just now, a racing cyclist is killed when someone sticks a spanner in his spokes - but his bike was on rollers, with wheels spinning but therefore not actually moving. Would this really throw off the rider? I'm baffled!

[foxyrider]

Try it and see.

Of course it would chuck him off, the wheels have to be rotating to retain balance.

[freiston]

Yeah but it wouldn't catapult him forward with deadly force! If anything, I reckon he'd go backwards on account of pushing on his pedals; most likely, though I reckon he'd fall sideways with about as much force as falling off a chair.

[Vorpal]

A racing cyclist could be going very fast on those rollers.

IMO, it's a bit unlikely, but not impossible.

[andrew_s]

The cyclist would lose balance and fall off sideways.
It's just the same (for the rear wheel) as turning the bike upside down, hand cranking the pedals to get the rear wheel spinning, then sticking the spanner in the spokes. I doubt anything other than a bit of paint chipping would happen.

Not to mention that the spokes would probably knock the spanner aside before it had got in between them. Rollers aren't like a moving bike, where the spokes at the bottom of the wheel are more or less stationary.

[nosmarbaj]

The cyclist would lose balance and fall off sideways.
It's just the same (for the rear wheel) as turning the bike upside down, hand cranking the pedals to get the rear wheel spinning, then sticking the spanner in the spokes. I doubt anything other than a bit of paint chipping would happen.

Not to mention that the spokes would probably knock the spanner aside before it had got in between them. Rollers aren't like a moving bike, where the spokes at the bottom of the wheel are more or less stationary.

This sounds about right.

If he was going fast on the road and the rear wheel was stopped very suddenly, he'd have a massive rear wheel skid; if very unlucky he might be injured/killed but probably just fall off (front wheel is a different matter).

On rollers the only thing with momentum is the wheel, so the wheel would stop, he'd fall off sideways and not much else would happen.

[Vorpal]

On rollers the only thing with momentum is the wheel, so the wheel would stop, he'd fall off sideways and not much else would happen.

But there's potentially quite a lot of energy there, even if it is only going into spinning wheels and rollers.

[Paulatic]

If you watch repeats you may as well read repeats

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=103225&hilit=Midsomer+murders+cyclist&start=15

[Brucey]

it'll vary with the rollers in use but if the rollers have any significant inertia, stopping the wheels suddenly can throw the bike backwards. This is unlikely to be dramatic, but it could be enough to unship the bike.

If you want to see what this is like, just put the brakes on hard whilst riding the rollers. You will likely at least feel the bike climb up the rollers backwards a little. IIRC I've seen people use this as part of a trick dismount from rollers.

BTW I agree with the OP's comment, as described it is a wildly implausible method of murder; but then again, when did practicalities, realism etc have much bearing on the plot of 'Midsomer Murders'....?

cheers

[archy sturmer]

If you watch repeats you may as well read repeats

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=103225&hilit=Midsomer+murders+cyclist&start=15

Ah, the Tea Shop! - I couldn't find that when I posted this, but I see it's now tucked away at the bottom of the board index (I haven't been around these parts for a while!)

[Vorpal]

BTW I agree with the OP's comment, as described it is a wildly implausible method of murder

yes, while I think it's plausible that the scene described could cause the rider to have been thrown off the bike, I agree that as a method of murder it is wildly implausible.

At best, it is wildly uncertain, and much, much more likely to cause injury than death.

[landsurfer]

I don't think the programme would work as;

"Midsomer Slight Back Strain"

LOL

[Brian1946]

I've come off my rollers at high speed, just a lack of concentration and rode off the side, nothing much happened, a jolt as the bike dropped and the wheels stopped and me flailing arms and legs to stand/grab hold of anything. End result... wife shouts what going on? Are you ok? result = bike ok, i'm ok, but red faced. Back on the rollers and pay more attention.

[Vorpal]

Coming of the rollers is possibly a little different to having someone stick a spanner in your spokes.

[MartinC]

Coming of the rollers is possibly a little different to having someone stick a spanner in your spokes.

Yes, but the scenario still makes little sense. Jamming the rollers not the wheel would cause a far more spectacular result.