Towing during the race
Something all of you contemplating an adventure race need to consider is what will happen if someone on the team is bonking or moving more slowly than the others. You should be prepared to assist the person as much as possible because the team can only go as fast as the slowest person.
The principal behind towing is that a strong person slows down and the slower person speeds up a bit. The net result is the team moves faster. The problems I've either experienced myself or have seen countless times include not having a tow system set up, a poorly functioning tow system or too much ego involvement. I will outline a setup that I've used in the past. In terms of the ego issue, you need to address that before the race.
The team should have a clear understanding that if someone is moving slowly, they will be towed regardless if it is 30 minutes or 5 days into a race. There should be no arguments, resentment, etc.; just relief knowing that the team is going to get to the finish line faster.
Some teams are happy with pushing a teammate from behind on a bike or while walking. I've never found that efficient for longer periods of time, so I rig something up to a bike.
NB: You need to set everything up and test it before the race.
You will need
- 7 feet of parachute or 3 mm accessory cord (available at climbing store)
- 5 feet of surgical tubing
- A hollow vertical blind rod or cheap fishing pole
- Industrial strength zip ties
- Strong 'S' hook or old carabiner with a permant open gate
Towing Instructions
 | Attach the 'S' hook to the towee's (the person getting towed) head tube of their bike. The head tube is where the shock goes through the frame where the top tube and down tube meet. Use 2 of the zip ties to tightly secure the hook making sure the opening of the hook that will hold the tubing is facing skyward. Also the hook should be closed enough so the tubing will not work itself off when there is slack in the tow. You may also want to put some duct tape on the head tube where the hook will be so it doesn't scratch your frame. The tower (person doing the towing) first needs to cut the fishing pole or blind rod so that it can reach from under the seat to 2"-4" past the rear tire (make sure you use the top half of the pole). Affix the pole to one of the rails under the seat with zip ties and duct tape. The fishing pole isn't weight bearing so it doesn't have to be bomb proof. Next, take the cord and attach it to the seatpost and run it through the eyelets of the pole. Use a figure 8 knot at the seatpost and the cord should be about 5" longer than the end of the pole. Tie together the end of the cord with an end of the surgical tubing. The length of the tubing should be about 18" including the knot on the other end (put a square knot with a loop on a bite on the other end). Try to make the loop as small as possible. There should also be a way of attaching the tubing to the pole while the tow is not in use. You are now set to tow. The way it should work is that when someone needs a tow, they pull up along side the tower's bike, take the loop and attach it to their 'S' hook. When finished, take off and reattach it and you're good to go. |
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