Talk:Hairpin turn

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Contents 1 Use of "switchback" 2 'highway' 3 move to Hairpin bend? 4 Motorsports 5 Skiing

[edit] Use of "switchback"

I'm British, and a brief survey of my family found that not one of them uses "switchback" to mean "hairpin turn"; we just use "hairpin [bend]". For example, a road near Bewdley, where I live, is locally known as "the switchback", but that is because of its undulations, not its hairpin turns - it can't be, because it doesn't have any hairpin turns! Presumably this designation is actually derived from the use of "switchback" (at least in British English) to mean a fairground rollercoaster with alternating rises and dips.

I've got no problem at all with the use of "switchback" in this article being left where it is (though I'm rather less convinced about the redirect from switchback itself), but is shouldn't be assumed that "switchback" and "hairpin" are always interchangeable. As an example, see under "switchback" in this American/British dictionary.Loganberry (Talk) 23:58, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

The OED's quite informative. There are two different things involved: zigzag roads, and undulating roads. I'd rewrite this article, but I can't quite visualise its fate as anything but an intricate explanation of English/American terminology. What would we do if an Australian or South African chanced to read it? The sentence or two on their function are conjecture, which I'm not qualified to replace. Njál 21:12, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

It's interesting that in Britsh England "switchback" refers a road that undulates up and down. That wouldn't make much sense to an American. We use swtichback mainly for trails, I'd say more for the segments of trail than for the turns that connect them. Here's a picture. Dicklyon 21:36, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 'highway'

A 'highway' is a big road, isn't it? It makes me think of long, wide, straight roads going for miles through empty American desert. Not a very good choice of term for an article illustrated by three pictures of European mountain roads.

Actually, in America a highway is a road that goes a long distance. Many old US highways are still 2-lane roads, and some have switchbacks. Probably even more true for state highways. Dicklyon 21:41, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

What is this supposed to mean: "An alternative in trail-building is the stairway"? One moment we're talking about highways and the next we're talking about *looks up American use of trail* paths, and the linked article leaves me with an image of grand Viennese spiral staircases in the middle of the forest. Njál 20:43, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I reworded things a bit. I hope it helps. The lead sentence makes it clear that hairpin turns are also known as switchbacks, especially when applied to trails instead of roads. If it's not clear, work on that. Dicklyon 21:28, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Dicklyon. I've rewritten it to make all the different uses clearer — could you check that the American bit's not misleading? (Oh, and I'm still not clear what it meant by 'stairway.' Something like a ladder?) Njál 22:03, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know that "by analogy with switchback railways" is correct. Quite possibly the term went the other direction. In a railway, by the way, switchbacks involve reversing the train, not turning it. Dicklyon 00:18, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] move to Hairpin bend?

I don't agree with the move that was done without discussion. In US at least, hairpin turn is much more common; I've never heard hairpin bend, in spite of what the OED may say. Dicklyon 00:18, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

• Agreed. Preferably this should have been discussed first. --Nebular110 00:36, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

I moved it back. Dicklyon 02:12, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Motorsports

I added a section on motorsports since hairpins are a common feature on road racing tracks. I also linked to the illustration of Riverside Raceway found on the hairpin article. A suggestion might be to replace it with a photograph of an actual racetrack hairpin if a suitable free one can be found, instead of the track map. Nibios 21:24, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Skiing

"Sections known as hairpins are also found in the slalom discipline of alpine skiing. A hairpin consists of two consecutive vertical or "closed gates" which CV==Skiing== Sections known as hairpins are also found in the slalom discipline of alpine skiing. A hairpin consists of two consecutive vertical or "closed gates" which must be negotiated very quickly. (Three or more consecutive closed gates are known as a flush.) . (Three or more consecutive closed gates are known as a flush.)"

Well, hmmmm, "which must be negotiated very quickly"... Well no... You,ll negociate them as you like as long as you win, is in'it ? Ericd (talk) 15:33, 23 January 2008 (UTC)