Road Cycling - um...rear wheel lifting

Today when I was sprinting my rear wheel lifted off the ground a few times so that I was only riding on my front wheel. This happened a little later when I started accelerating uphill as well. Is this the result of bad cadence technique or too high a gear while accelerating? What can I do to stop this?

Rear wheel off the ground sprinting on the flats is common. You are leaned way forward. Try to be a little smoother. Now, climbing you must have been to far forward, hanging over the bars. Try to be a little more upright. I would guess you were geared high, standing and mashing up the hill? That’s OK, but try this with your hands on the hoods, not the drops so that you are centered better. I have the opposite problem... I pull front wheelies when climbing seated up a steep hill!

Ah ha! I have a tendency to lean over the handlebars doing that stuff. Thanks for the advice man!

the key is stopping with the rear wheel off the ground. Cover 50' like that and chicks will swarm to you. I've seen it happen. I tried it once and the only woman that came up to me was a paramedic.

AHAHAHAHAAAAHHHAAAA! Great.

Yeah I have the wheelie problem on steep hills. I've been told I have a pretty upright and "quiet" upper body when sprinting.

Ah ha! I have a tendency to lean over the handlebars doing that stuff. Thanks for the advice man!


.....yep, to far forward....given that bikes are '1 wheel drives', everytime you lift the back wheel you are losing distance to guys with proper technique....try some 'form sprints'....this exercise involves sprinting at about 85 to 90%, concentrating on technique rather than speed. Try to 'feel' the front of the saddle between your thighs, bottom of your arsse (sic) area. Once you establish the correct technique, increase the tempo until you are at 'full gas' in the sprint. Sprinting is a learned skill, the same as other stuff in Cycling. Practice it regularly

Hitchy.

Yeah, happens to me. I thought it was called "skipping". I go way too forward. It obviously happens heaps more on the slightest bumpy road when traction is slightly reduced. I think that's also one reason I hate ergo bars, because when you're way forward the angle on the drops becomes useless.