Biker Speak: Difference between revisions

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This is running your bike hard to try to get out whatever has been building up, usually from sitting for a time. Not necessarily guaranteed to work. This is what Bill Cosby used to call "getting the guck out". More in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_tuneup Wikipedia].

====What are "Chicken Strips"?====

Chicken strips are just unused rubber, indicating a lesser lean angle. "Chicken" implies that you're too scared to lean the bike over farther. That depends as much on the tire as the rider...

If you look closely at different brands, models, and sizes of tires, you'll realize that they don't all have the same profile. In fact, no two are alike. Some have tread that wraps all the way around to the vertical part of the sidewall, while others have a relatively narrow tread area.

Therefore, some tires will scuff all the way to the edge with a pretty conservative lean angle, while others won't get anywhere near the edge, even on a bike with no centerstand and racing rearsets.

What's more (and now we're talking about the rider) there are riders out there who are hugely fast, and still manage to use less lean angle than everybody else. Having a bit of chicken strips does not indicate you are a chicken, but a good safe rider who values his or her bike. Prudent riders prefer the term 'safety margin'.

So, if you get someone who comes up to your bike, and makes comments about your "chicken strips", just smile and know that all he's doing is showing his own ignorance.

Examples

Chicken strips, about 3/4 inch

[[image:chicken strips 1.jpg|150px]]

No chicken strips; burned up on the track

[[image:chicken strips 2.jpg|150px]]

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 This is running your bike hard to try to get out whatever has been building up, usually from sitting for a time. Not necessarily guaranteed to work. This is what Bill Cosby used to call "getting the guck out". More in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_tuneup Wikipedia].
+====What are "Chicken Strips"?====
+Chicken strips are just unused rubber, indicating a lesser lean angle. "Chicken" implies that you're too scared to lean the bike over farther. That depends as much on the tire as the rider...
+If you look closely at different brands, models, and sizes of tires, you'll realize that they don't all have the same profile. In fact, no two are alike. Some have tread that wraps all the way around to the vertical part of the sidewall, while others have a relatively narrow tread area.
+Therefore, some tires will scuff all the way to the edge with a pretty conservative lean angle, while others won't get anywhere near the edge, even on a bike with no centerstand and racing rearsets.
+What's more (and now we're talking about the rider) there are riders out there who are hugely fast, and still manage to use less lean angle than everybody else. Having a bit of chicken strips does not indicate you are a chicken, but a good safe rider who values his or her bike. Prudent riders prefer the term 'safety margin'.
+So, if you get someone who comes up to your bike, and makes comments about your "chicken strips", just smile and know that all he's doing is showing his own ignorance.
+Examples
+Chicken strips, about 3/4 inch
+[[image:chicken strips 1.jpg|150px]]
+No chicken strips; burned up on the track
+[[image:chicken strips 2.jpg|150px]]