Every once in a while I’ll see a pro eat a gel/bar and stuff the wrapper under the saddle so they can discard them quickly in the green/trash discard zones. Are they using a strap? Or something else? Just curious.
I’ve seen little boxes you can strap onto a bike that are designed to hold used wrappers and packets, although I don’t know if this is what they’re using.
HideMyWaste - CloseTheGap - Reinventing bike parts I suppose you could fit this onto a seat post or a saddle…
I think they might just stuff them above their saddle rails
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Exactly this, I assume there is a “I don’t give a …” attitude about it falling out in a race from under the seat rails.
I would really really like it if everyone else didn’t do this though, it’s not great storage solution.
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It could be I suppose. The footage I’ve seen it looks like they just reached under and stuck it to the bottom of the saddle. No taking time/effort to jam the wrapper under a rail. No folding or wadding them up so they wedged in place. With all the penalties and fines for littering and throwing bottles I thought they had a device/trick to help keep trash in place until they wanted to discard in the designated zones.
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I think their plan is to claim they put it under their saddle to discard later and “aw shucks, it must’ve fallen out?” if they get questioned or fined.
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I thought that too.
I only ask as when recently watching a stage of either the Tour of Britain or Luxembourg a rider in the break consumed something in what looked like a Capris sun type looking “container”. When finished he just (what looked to me) like he simply stuck it o the bottom of the saddle. In just a few seconds. No fiddling what-so-ever. Didn’t see it drop away either. Not saying it didn’t later. Just didn’t see it.
I swear the Eurosport guys were talking about this at the TdF this year. I wasn’t paying attention and really all I mostly see are guys trying desperately to unload the waste out of their jersey pockets in the zones. Only in breaks have I seen the under the saddle thing.
No clue what they are using, but makes me think there is an opportunity for someone to make a tiny, under saddle, slit opening style container/bag. No zipper or Velcro, similar to this style of top tube bag.
Alaphillipe was just sticking the wrapper between the rails of his saddle.
I suspect this is a way to throw wrappers away without getting fined, because they’re going to tend to fall out of the rails.
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Sad, but true.