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Chain gang

 
Artist: Chain Gang
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Group Members:

Mae Reyes, Dorcas Mallare, Sunny Lucero, Aye Ubaldo, Naomi Villa

Similar Artists:

Luscious Jackson, Juliana Hatfield, Color It Red, Blake Babies

Influenced By:

The Police, Janis Joplin, Bob Marley, The Pretenders, Prince
  • Formed: 1975
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Shift 87231

Biography

The all-Pinay group Chain Gang is renowned for its bold eclecticism and unyielding independent spirit. Consisting of Naomi Villa (vocals), Mae Reyes (guitars), Dorcas Mallare (drums), and Aye Ubaldo (bass), Chain Gang formed in Manila, Philippines. When Mallare's college pals opened the club Red Rocks (later called Club Dredd), Chain Gang became its house band in 1989. In the early '90s, Chain Gang sent a four-track demo to two alternative radio stations in Manila. One of the tracks, "What's Ahead," earned numerous requests; however, Chain Gang had no material available to the public. Reluctant to deal with record labels, Chain Gang recorded their 1993 debut album, Smelly Smiley Stinky Dinkies, on their own. Released only on cassette, Smelly Smiley Stinky Dinkies was lauded by critics, and copies of it became difficult to find. The group's feminist perspective and versatile musicianship separated it from the male-lead, rock-oriented Manila groups at the time. Chain Gang also rejected offers to appear on TV, strengthening their status as underground all-stars. In concert, Chain Gang often covered a diverse selection of '70s and '80s classics, everything from disco to the Police's "Message in a Bottle,"reflecting the group's vast musical range. Ubaldo left the band in 1997, replaced by Sunny Lucero. In 2001, Chain Gang released Shift 87231, delving into funk, punk, and neo-psychedelia. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Chain gang (cycling)
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A chain gang or pace line

In the sport of cycling, a chain gang is a group of cyclists in a close knit formation usually of two parallel lines.

The formation comes from the fact that it is harder to cycle at the front of a group than in the shelter of another rider. The rider behind enjoys the slipstream of the rider in front. If one rider were to stay at the front all the time, he would tire and the whole group would slow down. If the lead is rotated, the effort is distributed across the group and the speed can be higher or the individual effort less.

This effect is very significant - up to a 40% reduction in effort for the slip-streaming riders while the lead rider also benefits from reduced drag (somewhat under 10%) due to the air not closing up after him[1][2].

The name chain gang is an allusion to the formation that riders adopt. The rider in the front of the group will take his share of the lead, then swing to the side and let the rest of the line come through, led by a new leader. The first rider then eases up and drops in behind the last rider in the line, staying in his slipstream until once again his turn comes to ride at the front.

When there are enough riders, turns at the front can be so brief that there is a continuous flow up and down, in two lines, so that cyclists take on the role of links in a chain. For that reason: chain gang.

The technique is hard to perfect because it demands riders cycle close to the rider in front at speed, sometimes just centimetres from his tyre. It also demands trust in others in the group because, that close, no rider would be able to avoid hitting the one in front if the pace suddenly changed. For that reason, the leading rider takes responsibility for taking the line through the smoothest path he can and at a constant speed.

The technique is often used in training for races but it can be seen in races themselves, usually when a small group of riders gets ahead of the main field, or in team time-trials, where the chain-gang technique is paramount.

Chain gangs can also be referred to in the US as pace lines and in the UK as bit-and-bit.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Group Riding and Pace Lines". Dr. Jim Watrous, Ph. D.. http://www.inlandempirecycling.com/Cycling/group_riding_and_pace_lines.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-16. 
  2. ^ "Science of Cycling : Aerodynamics". Science of Cycling, Exploratorium.edu. http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics2.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-16. 


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