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What is a sweep?

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
I am looking at local group rides online and a lot of them say "18-20 mile an hours pace, if you can't keep up you may be dropped, no sweep." What is a sweep?
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
laura said:
I am looking at local group rides online and a lot of them say "18-20 mile an hours pace, if you can't keep up you may be dropped, no sweep." What is a sweep?
A sweep is typically a rider that rides with the last rider in the group to make sure that they don't get lost or left behind.

If you can't keep up you're on your own.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
So what came first the "broom wagon"* or the "sweep"?






*The broom wagon follows a race and any riders it catches get swept up and must abandon the race.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
btw, in TdF, the broom wagon is the vehicle which picks up riders who quit. They actually attach a broom to the van, but I can't say if the phrase sweep was used before the invention of the broom wagon.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
sanjuro said:
btw, in TdF, the broom wagon is the vehicle which picks up riders who quit. They actually attach a broom to the van, but I can't say if the phrase sweep was used before the invention of the broom wagon.