Old 07-25-11 | 11:27 AM
  #5  
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shovelhd
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Western MA

Bikes: Yes

What WR and CDR said.

I'm smaller than you, and not a pure sprinter, but I can hold my own. I think the key for you is going to be practice sprinting at high cadence out of the saddle. My sprint starts at 95rpm and goes to between 130-135rpm depending on many factors. At these cadences, you must have a smooth stroke to produce power. Note that smooth stroke doesn't mean no rocking from pulling on the bars, I mean your pedal stroke.

When sprinting out of the saddle, your body is like a scissor jack, or one of those telescoping wall desk lamps. Your torso is the lamp, and your knees, hips and ankles are the pivot points. To avoid hopping the wheel, your body's center of gravity has to be balanced over the bike throughout the pedal stroke. It will find it naturally with practice at high cadence. Once you know what that feels like, you can adjust your initial jump to keep from hopping the wheel.
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