Originally Posted by
bulldog1935
...
it's not crazy, it's a good habit, and when you lean into your core muscles you get a burst of spin energy that will take your momentum up any grade
just think about your core muscles when you're pedaling and you'll feel it accelerate you...
The good habit is riding in your core muscles. Your bike is stable and steering is light....
I tried this out on my morning ride, and WOW, you're right, just taking the weight off your hands makes you pedal way harder. It's hard to do on the flat, 'cause you just keep going faster and needing higher gears. But on the hills, I tried to do this instead of down-shifting. It allowed me to stay about a gear higher (like I'd stay in 1-4 where I normally would have gone to 1-3).
This is a technique that deserves a lot more use. But it sure makes you appreciate how nice it feels to go back to leaning on the bars for a while.
