Staying Upright When You Touch Wheels

Wheel touches occur when your front wheel makes contact with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you which unfortunately happened to Tony Martin the Tour de France leader in yesterday's stage. I'm a little surprised that the commentary crew never mentioned what to do if this happens to you because it happens a lot in close contact racing. A wheel touch causes you to loose your balance. You panic, and usually fall to the left if the touch happens on the right side of the wheel in front of you. Just the opposite if the touch happens on the left. So, here's an answer that will help you avoid this most of the time.

If you loose your balance you have a "split second" of reaction time. Simply steer your front wheel into the riders rear wheel on the right side if falling to the left. Most of the time it will straighten you back up. Just the opposite if falling to the right.

Why do cyclists ride two abreast? - good article from bikewalknc.org