Commuting - Do you coast?

The things we think about while riding. My mind goes everywhere. Last night on my way home (in 102 deg temps and 76%Rh) I was coasting down a shallow grade, still sweating. I started thinking about how nice it is to coast!

In the commuting forum I know we have Roadies who commute, MTBers who commute, Urban Assault riders who commute, BMX bikers who commute, and probably some other catagories I can't think of!

For me, I'm a long time (over 30 years now) long distance tourer. Hundreds of miles and several week trips are awesome. For years I paid close attention to my cadence. Touring, commuting, cruising, it didn't matter. Cadence was everything. Back then, NO COASTING.

Now that I'm a little older, I enjoy coasting. Slowing down to smell the flowers (sometimes literally) :D

So how about you? Do you coast?

Jerry H

When I'm not riding my fixed gear.

When I'm not riding my fixed gear.

+1

I never coast while commuting since I commute on my FG.

I coast. My commute has a long stretch with an ocean view, and sometimes it's just too pretty to go speeding by it.

I coast. But we just bought a place in Fl. and it is flat as a board. You don't coast much here.

I live right in the middle of miles and miles of steep winding canyon asphalt so there are always ample opportunities to coast. There's no point in pedaling once you get up to 20mph sitting upright on a 32 pound mountainbike with 2 inch wide tires!:roflmao2:


Greg

This season I did a little coasting on my 100 mile ride because I was concerned about lactic acid buildup. I think the next time I ride 100 miles I won't back off on the gas so much. The past few weeks commuting in the rain I've coasted to keep my speed down. I can't wait to kick it again. I miss flying.

sometimes, although I try not to.

Of course I do. When I crest the top of a long hill, I'll coast a bit to just relax. When I'm feeling good and in no hurry and just want to enjoy the ride, I coast. The ride isn't always about speed. Those of you who think it is are missing one of the biggest benefits of commuting by bike. Look up, look around, and enjoy the ride.

I coast. My commute has a long stretch with an ocean view, and sometimes it's just too pretty to go speeding by it.

My commute is in the middle of a city, and I'm the same way - if I've got to get a wiggle on and get to work I ride at a steady cadence, but when I have time I like to go exploring. When I'm in a new neighborhood, I'll often coast as I look around and see what's there to be seen. Also, traffic sometimes dictates that you coast...or that you don't coast.

I do when I'm coming to a stop and need to unclip. My Satellite has 27 speeds ( do I know at any given time which gear I'm in? hah!) and that allows me to still pedal efficiently on the downhills.

coasting is my fav part, but as the earlier poster said florida doesn't give you many opportunity to coast.

Often, but especially when I'm looking ahead and timing red lights. Coast, Coast, Coast, HAMMER!

I coast to give my legs a break. By day 3 of 23 miles each way, they need a little rest.

Sure I do. When a traffic light goes red and I have to stop anyway, I coast a bit. Otherwise, not so much.

I easily hit 30+ Mph on several downhill sections of my morning ride into the city, and I tend to cost and tuck these sections. My Nexus-8 is more or less maxed out at that point, and I see it as an opportunity to just enjoy gravity doing its work.
Other than that, I discretionarily coast in the city - approaching lights, assessing stuff affecting the bike lane up ahead, etc.

I rarely ever coast. About the only time I ever coast is when I ride my single speed because there's no point pedaling when you are totally spun out. I'm an old schooler as well, and I think it's bad form to coast, particularly on group rides. Nothing irks me more than someone supposedly taking a pull in a paceline and coasting down the hills. You're supposed to work when you're at the front.

Only at down hill sections where I've already maxed out my yumpy MTB on 2" of knobbies. No point wasting energy.

Yeah I coast into red light - on my FG

I coast when i can

I coast on downhills where pedaling would put me above safe speed.

GREETINGS Jharte/ when im spinning 100 revs min. ill try to prepare for comming grade but its nearly impossible on the hills in Maine to keep from coasting./Kenneth

I rarely ever coast. About the only time I ever coast is when I ride my single speed because there's no point pedaling when you are totally spun out. I'm an old schooler as well, and I think it's bad form to coast, particularly on group rides. Nothing irks me more than someone supposedly taking a pull in a paceline and coasting down the hills. You're supposed to work when you're at the front.

Old schooler here too, and I generally agree with your take (although it is probably more applicable to the racing forum than the commuting forum). One noteworthy exception to the "coasting is bad form" comment is that it is quite common for racers to put the pedals horizontal, and tuck on big descents - largely due to the sipin-out factor, but also to conserve energy for the next portion of the race.

Coasting is one of the simple pleasures of cycling, even 40+ years after I first took off the training wheels.

As far as group rides, if you wussies could keep a consistent pace, I wouldn't have to coast when sucking your wheel. :D

Coasting to me is a nice reward after a long climb or hammering hard to pick up some extra speed. Bad form or not, coasting makes my ride more enjoyable and that's the major reason I commute to work on a bike.

too flat on base.. theres a huge downhill with a nice view right before I hit the next base I usually coast on. still hit ~30mph too lol.

but yea otherwise, too much wind to coast

Yes! and if I can figure out how to do it all of the time,I'll be a rich man.

I coast on downhills where pedaling would put me above safe speed.

:thumb: +∞ !!!!!!

Of course, what would be an unsafe speed for me might seem like poking along to the paceliners among us. I was quite pleased with myself yesterday afternoon, as I managed to stay in top gear on most of my descents on my ride home. This extended spell of wet and windy weather has made that sort of dicey lately. Between the wet spots, potholes hidden by puddles and fresh road debris, especially fallen branches, coasting downhill rather than hammering is only prudent.

What I've got to work on is getting the legs going on the bottom third of the hill, so I have some momentum on the following ascent, and can keep it out of granny gear.

Kevin

Only when I can. I'm not in any hurry. I certainly coast down any hill, and often on level ground if I'm already up to over 20 MPH anyway.

I've coasted in the past. I made it a goal not coast this year if I could help it. Even down hills at 30+mph I still pedal, just to maintain a steady rythm in my cadence. I also feel more in control of my bike when I keep pedaling while riding downhill.

If my legs need a break, I usually just shift to a lower gear.

Ya, I'm not down with the pedal-nazis saying coasting is bad form. I enjoy coasting whenever possible unless I'm in some kind of hurry.

It's not bad form. More that you are a wuss. :D
Just don't ask me if I coast on my geared bike descending a mountain.

That's what i do in my daily commute.

since i do a 1.5 hrs ride 45km each way.
i'm not gunning my bike down the road as i used to anymore.

for a 90km round trip commute, i need to conserve as much energy in my muscle as possible.

So, coasting is the best way to enjoy commuting.
I usually pedal fast until i attain a comfortable coasting speed, then i just let it free ride until it slows back down to like 25km/h, and i again pump it up to about 35km/h

This way i keep my phase steady for longer period of times, without burning out. :thumb:


The things we think about while riding. My mind goes everywhere. Last night on my way home (in 102 deg temps and 76%Rh) I was coasting down a shallow grade, still sweating. I started thinking about how nice it is to coast!

In the commuting forum I know we have Roadies who commute, MTBers who commute, Urban Assault riders who commute, BMX bikers who commute, and probably some other catagories I can't think of!

For me, I'm a long time (over 30 years now) long distance tourer. Hundreds of miles and several week trips are awesome. For years I paid close attention to my cadence. Touring, commuting, cruising, it didn't matter. Cadence was everything. Back then, NO COASTING.

Now that I'm a little older, I enjoy coasting. Slowing down to smell the flowers (sometimes literally) :D

So how about you? Do you coast?

Jerry H

I rarely ever coast. About the only time I ever coast is when I ride my single speed because there's no point pedaling when you are totally spun out. I'm an old schooler as well, and I think it's bad form to coast, particularly on group rides. Nothing irks me more than someone supposedly taking a pull in a paceline and coasting down the hills. You're supposed to work when you're at the front.

Pacelines? Group rides? Old School-Bad Form?
Huh? This is a commuting list, not a Hammer Boy Shout Out. :roflmao2:

i need to conserve as much energy in my muscle as possible.

So, coasting is the best way to enjoy commuting.
I usually pedal fast until i attain a comfortable coasting speed, then i just let it free ride until it slows back down to like 25km/h, and i again pump it up to about 35km/h

This way i keep my phase steady for longer period of times, without burning out. :thumb:

This will take more energy than riding at a steady, but same average, speed.

Yes! and if I can figure out how to do it all of the time,I'll be a rich man.

Look up Mr. Harley or Mr. Davidson

Pacelines? Group rides? Old School-Bad Form?
Huh? This is a commuting list, not a Hammer Boy Shout Out. :roflmao2:

Sorry, I forgot that I was in the wussy-boy, coast-down-the-hills forum. One of my main reasons for cycling is exercise. You don't get much exercise coasting. Plus you go a lot slower. One of the things that coasters overlook is that speed and momentum are your friends when it comes to climbing. So if you pedal down hills and get going as fast as you, it's much easier and faster going up the other side.

So if you pedal down hills and get going as fast as you, it's much easier and faster going up the other side.

......... that is, unless the hill bottoms out at a busy intersection, stoplight, etc.........;)

Sorry, I forgot that I was in the wussy-boy, coast-down-the-hills forum. One of my main reasons for cycling is exercise. You don't get much exercise coasting. Plus you go a lot slower. One of the things that coasters overlook is that speed and momentum are your friends when it comes to climbing. So if you pedal down hills and get going as fast as you, it's much easier and faster going up the other side.

dam...I'm a wuss. :o I'm glad that your brought up this point, but I'd like to suggest that there are other great opportunities when coasting is just fine. Yes, attaining optimum efficiency is great if that's your thing, but I don't think it's always necessary. Isn't the exercise attained from pedalling up the hill good for you even if you don't pedal down the hill? :thumb:


......... that is, unless the hill bottoms out at a busy intersection, stoplight, etc.........;)

LOL, very true.

Generally speaking, the more you cycle, the less you coast, because its less efficient than pedalling a constant speed. As your fitness and experience levels improve, your body naturally seeks out efficiency.

The only exceptions to this, of course, would be when decelerating or descending.

But I'm with IL2B on this one...who cares, you're commuting.

Sorry, I forgot that I was in the wussy-boy, coast-down-the-hills forum. One of my main reasons for cycling is exercise. You don't get much exercise coasting.

Yeah, and I find that if I remove my seatpost I can do pushups on my bars it works my pecs and my triceps. Grrr!

~~~~~ sigh~~~ :rolleyes:
Lighten up, Francis*. This is the commuting forum.

*(It's a movie reference, btw.)

My legs tend to stiffen up easily. Hence the reason I minimize coasting on my geared bikes as well.
That is until I hit around 40mph. Clamping down on my top tube with my knees makes it difficult to pedal.

(in 102 deg temps and 76%Rh) I was coasting down a shallow grade, still sweating. I started thinking about how nice it is to coast!

My cyclocomputer read 103.3 yesterday so coasting was mandatory whenever I could. Same story for todays ride home.

Under normal weather conditions I rarely coast.

Sorry could someone explain what "coasting" means? Is it anytime you stop pedalling, like even after grinding up a hill to let your muscles relax on the way down, or more the technique of pedalling for a while then just rolling on flat stretches, before pedalling again? thanx :)

It is when you stop pedaling for whatever reason.

It is when you stop pedaling for whatever reason.

^^^ That's how I define it, so ^^ x2

Rarely.

only when i have to stop for a red light

If you like a fun time try to coast on a fixed gear. This is especially fun when going from standing to sitting. Weeee!

I coast on the way to the train fron my house, not so much on the other end. The trip from the station to the house is all either uphill, taking the lane on a 4-lane road (e.g., 2 lanes in each direction), or dealing with traffic lights.

Coasting is fun... except when you need to brake going downhill for miles and miles. My poor hands!