Thoughts on bike handling
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Thoughts on bike handling
I've picked up a lot of tips on handling from the forum, as well as Mike Birner's free sessions at the beginning of the year. I won't blame any of the following on them, but I thought I'd post my current understanding here for further comment and/or (especially) correction:
Descending off camber to turn back across face of hill – weight on outside pedal; weight towards front tire (better to have rear tire slip around than have front tire give way); I find this hard to do, but when I get it right, man it works
Riding through mud – do not hesitate pedaling when hitting mud, if anything gear up and keep going; sitting, weight towards rear, let front find it’s way/light grip on bars; if you're gonna run it, well run it
Up hill – weight back far enough to prevent wheel slippage, but beware of pulling up on handle bars lest one pop a wheelie
Moderate descents – even weight distribution; out of saddle a bit, like riding a horse
Sharp descents – weight back; out of saddle to smooth out shock of flattening out
Tire pressure - seem like low is good (30-35psi) unless you are on a dry, flat, relatively smooth course, then splurge on 40-45psi.
Descending off camber to turn back across face of hill – weight on outside pedal; weight towards front tire (better to have rear tire slip around than have front tire give way); I find this hard to do, but when I get it right, man it works
Riding through mud – do not hesitate pedaling when hitting mud, if anything gear up and keep going; sitting, weight towards rear, let front find it’s way/light grip on bars; if you're gonna run it, well run it
Up hill – weight back far enough to prevent wheel slippage, but beware of pulling up on handle bars lest one pop a wheelie
Moderate descents – even weight distribution; out of saddle a bit, like riding a horse
Sharp descents – weight back; out of saddle to smooth out shock of flattening out
Tire pressure - seem like low is good (30-35psi) unless you are on a dry, flat, relatively smooth course, then splurge on 40-45psi.
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#2
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Brake prior to a corner and not in it. You should not be breaking while turning in most turns unless it is super technical.
Plant your wheel on steep uphills by getting your butt in more of a time trial like position on the seat. You also can increase traction by pulling down and back on the bars in a somewhat like rowing motion.
Plant your wheel on steep uphills by getting your butt in more of a time trial like position on the seat. You also can increase traction by pulling down and back on the bars in a somewhat like rowing motion.
Last edited by 45suited; 12-03-09 at 12:49 PM.
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I always drop to a harder gear before a mud section and build up some speed, then sit and churn. Spinning in mud just doesn't work, at least for me. I find that in deeper barely ridable mud it's faster to run it, plus I feel that I use less energy.
Tire pressure depends on mud conditions and course bumpiness. I find the lower pressure helps smooth out the bumps; too low and you'll bottom out your rim on harder hits.
Tire pressure depends on mud conditions and course bumpiness. I find the lower pressure helps smooth out the bumps; too low and you'll bottom out your rim on harder hits.
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i shift down before mud to keep my cadence high. i expend much less energy riding through something than running.
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I'm convinced that higher pressure is good for a really muddy course.
Who's going to compile these tips and put them in the sticky thread?
Who's going to compile these tips and put them in the sticky thread?
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I agree with everything you are saying. A little different from your post, but here are some of the key lessons I learned this year:
1. pre shifting is key
2. don't brake in a corner and gun it coming out
3. never give up, keep pushing, everyone's hurting
4. first wheel on the corner owns the corner, 'it's my line, you react to me'
5. play to my strengths - e.g if I get gapped on a straight, I'll catch him in the chicane's
6. be patient, pass smart, but pass
7. lean back, loose grip in sand, gun it coming out
8. high cadence, lot's of power through mud, gun it coming out
You see a trend here - gun it after technical features of the course. It seems guys in the 4's get a little lax right after something tricky and for me, if I focus on the next step, I can create gaps or pass at these points in the race.
1. pre shifting is key
2. don't brake in a corner and gun it coming out
3. never give up, keep pushing, everyone's hurting
4. first wheel on the corner owns the corner, 'it's my line, you react to me'
5. play to my strengths - e.g if I get gapped on a straight, I'll catch him in the chicane's
6. be patient, pass smart, but pass
7. lean back, loose grip in sand, gun it coming out
8. high cadence, lot's of power through mud, gun it coming out
You see a trend here - gun it after technical features of the course. It seems guys in the 4's get a little lax right after something tricky and for me, if I focus on the next step, I can create gaps or pass at these points in the race.
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This is so true. Thorne (cyclocrossworld.com) will have his racers (TJ, JD, et al) run different PSIs and widths depending on mud consistency. I read this. The point being, in some mud you need to get through the top layer to the sweet, hard stuff for good traction.
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That's a great tip. I hadn't thought about it before, but I think you're spot on.
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In other words, energy should be expended strategically (i.e. what will give me the best overall time) rather than tactically (i.e. what will temporary place me ahead of this guy).
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Depends on what you mean by "gunning it". Mid-race gaps or passes are pretty meaningless, unless you are trying to demoralize/drop a specific opponent. Also, you say to gun it coming out of mud or sand; better to gun it beforehand, to lead your group in, avoid traffic, and choose the best lines. You also wrote "if I get gapped on a straight, I'll catch him in the chicane's". Better to grab his wheel on the straight, and have him pull you to the chicanes.
In other words, energy should be expended strategically (i.e. what will give me the best overall time) rather than tactically (i.e. what will temporary place me ahead of this guy).
In other words, energy should be expended strategically (i.e. what will give me the best overall time) rather than tactically (i.e. what will temporary place me ahead of this guy).
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Here's a book you should buy:
Last edited by flargle; 12-03-09 at 06:28 PM.
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And I'll add the lower speeds in cyclocross make drafting much less beneficial: aero drag wattage goes with the cube of speed, so e.g. the benefit of drafting at 20mph is less than half that at 30mph.
Last edited by meanwhile; 12-07-09 at 06:09 AM.
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About handling a crosser off road: learn to use the front brake. It's where the power is, because almost all the traction shifts to the front under heavy braking. You can brake faster without skidding with aggressive front brake, so you can leave braking until later. No, you won't go over the bars - not if you keep your weight where it should be.
#15
Overacting because I can
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The only variation I'd put on that, is that the mtb guys were doing some pretty cool power slides down a difficult hill today. Not something I could pull off.
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Otoh it's worth mentioning that you can use a little too much rear wheel brake to skid the rear for a skid turn.
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Back to specifics, dadoe wrote: "roadies gap me every time on paved straights". It's a rookie mistake to give up that wheel; instead, you shift up a couple cogs, put in a few hard pedalstrokes, and then enjoy the ride. Ignore the fact that I'm a snarky ass and try it some time.
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Back to specifics, dadoe wrote: "roadies gap me every time on paved straights". It's a rookie mistake to give up that wheel; instead, you shift up a couple cogs, put in a few hard pedalstrokes, and then enjoy the ride. Ignore the fact that I'm a snarky ass and try it some time.
Last edited by dadoes; 12-09-09 at 12:16 AM.
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i don't draft someone...i just follow...it helps me find a pace while i figure out my stamina level (still new to this)...then when the time comes and i sense my ability to do so, i pass...
yeah, the flats get me good....but i gain it seems (being a mtbiker) on the technical stuff, barriers, run-ups, off cambers. how to get speed and stamina and pure power altogether is the trick!
yeah, the flats get me good....but i gain it seems (being a mtbiker) on the technical stuff, barriers, run-ups, off cambers. how to get speed and stamina and pure power altogether is the trick!
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#22
Overacting because I can
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All depends on the course, the conditions and the level - at Hyattsville, it was dry and there was a gently curved, flat grass section followed by a straight, flat asphalt stretch were even the Cat 4s could really go hog wild if they had the legs. I'm sure drafting matters there, especially for the A and B races (and all you sandbagging Cat 2 roadie bastids riding in the C race). But at the Winchester Apple cross? You were in technical turning sections, going up or going down, all on wet/muddy ground - very few places where it really opened up.
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“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." (Churchill)
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“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." (Churchill)
"I am a courageous cyclist." (SpongeDad)
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in just about every singe race ive ever done you could almost always draft through the start finish line at least.
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All depends on the course, the conditions and the level - at Hyattsville, it was dry and there was a gently curved, flat grass section followed by a straight, flat asphalt stretch were even the Cat 4s could really go hog wild if they had the legs. I'm sure drafting matters there, especially for the A and B races (and all you sandbagging Cat 2 roadie bastids riding in the C race). But at the Winchester Apple cross? You were in technical turning sections, going up or going down, all on wet/muddy ground - very few places where it really opened up.
here is a slightly antiquated chart, but it gets the idea across
https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2221
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if there are cat2 road riders in a c race you should let your local officials know that they should be checking all licensing for each rider as cat2 road riders should be racing cat2 for cross as well
here is a slightly antiquated chart, but it gets the idea across
https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2221
here is a slightly antiquated chart, but it gets the idea across
https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2221