Good call. This a great picture.

Just tuck in as much as possible. Bent elbows, go to the drops if you're on a road bike and swear loudly. This one doesn't help much, but at least gives you something else to do. Loudly singing the Internationale helps too, at least for me. Random, I know, but none the less true.

Chant, The wind is my friend....the wind is my friend... the wind is my friend!

Yep, I ride my FG a good bit but when the wind is howling from the North as it is this AM I pull out a road bike and proceed.
Riding FG on the road isn't a hair-shirt evangelical calling for me, it's just one way to ride a bicycle and sometimes 19th century technology isn't appropriate.

-Bandera

It was easy for Eddy; he had 10 speeds on his bike.

Not on this one, 52X14 FG for an hour. But not into a strong headwind.......

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=411368

-Bandera

Also, he was riding at an altitude over 7000 feet, where the wind resistance is much lower.

He picked the right tool for the job. That saddle height doesn't look quite right, though.

Must have forgotten to bring the Retul equipment & fitter, power meter, heart rate monitor, skinsuit, aero helmet, disc wheels, aero frameset, clipless pedals, shoe covers, aero bars and visor. :eek:

-Bandera

I ride 48x19 on my fixie, which is a low gearing, so wind isn't like it is for you 52X14 people. That and I put my head up, laugh in the wind "HA HA HA!", put my arms out in crucifix position and just make love to mother nature.

Muster as much a** gas as possible. Tail wind.

There is a scene in A Sunday in Hell where he gets out a tape measure and makes millimeter by millimeter adjustments to his saddle and bars. I have a feeling he has his saddle height where he wants it.

(just letting this soak in, you are critiquing a photo of Merckx doing the hour record)

Why don't you tell Eddy Merckx that cause it would be cool to have a vine of Eddy slapping the **** out of someone

Knee a little behind pedal spindle as was his preference, slight bend at the bottom of the stroke... looks pretty good to me -- are you thinking it should be a little higher? ;)

Eddy had a back injury that made him very finicky about saddle and handlebar position. For that hour record picture, you can be quite certain that they're exactly where he wanted them to be.

Eddy Merckx always fiddled with his saddle height. More of a joke than a criticism. I'm not sure how you criticize the position of the greatest rider of all time in any case.

Yep, that was my point. He was always fiddling with it. And I don't have any doubt he knew exactly what he was doing.

+ 1.

as do I

Maybe it's just me, but I don't find getting aero on the hoods or stem a very comfortable position compared to the drops. The hoods (although I do it sometimes for a short distances) require more muscular effort to maintain a aero position and tires out my arms. The stem just seems unstable and too far from the brakes.

Even if the hooks and drops aren't the "ultimate aero" they seem more comfortable and more stable. Or my positioning is totally off and no one else has a problem maintaining a low hood position.

It's interesting how those of us who are of a certain age, myself included, bristle at any hint of criticism of Merckx.
The Cannibal was certainly the greatest cyclist of the century and earned our admiration and loyalty the hard way, by beating everyone else repeatedly and soundly.

I doubt that any of the current generation of pros will engender any such admiration. Times have changed and the delicate finely tuned GC riders today can't take the stress of multiple Grand Tours, racing the track in the winter and assaulting the Spring Classics as Merckx did despite advances in technology.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=411466

Now back to how to ride a FG, or not, in windy conditions........

-Bandera

OK, glad we're on the same page. I agree that other's may glaze over that part.

Also +1 those are some good points.

Hahaha! So true... It's funny because all that stuff really adds up, as I'm sure you're aware. If anything, it gives you more admiration for old school cycling.

but you're saying you would?

So you're saying there's a chance...

http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/Ms7KbMfXHp8/mqdefault.jpg