Tim Henry (Project 5) sends along this tip: When pinning your own number, start by pinning the center. “This helps because it allows me to lock the number into a desired spot and makes pinning the corners a afterthought. Pinning the center also aids in preventing my number from billowing in the wind when I am tucked low.”

This relates to the age-old cycling schism of number crumplers vs. non-crumplers. Some people think that wadding a number into a ball before pinning will make them more aerodynamic. These are the same people who will fling empty bottles at hapless spectators because they think 100 grams will make a difference in their sprint. I, however, side with the Wisconsin Cycling Association, which discourages crumpling because it makes numbers harder to read. No use winning the race if you’re going to be illegible to the race cameras.

(WCA cites an anti-crumple provision in the 2004 USCF rulebook, but I cannot find any such reference in the current edition.) Besides, crumpling is against the rules: “Numbers may not be folded, trimmed, crumpled or otherwise defaced.” (Thanks, Matt, for pointing us to the correct rule book.)