Speed tips?

I've always been one for cross country, distance and (when going for it)
sustained briskness rather than all out speed.

However, I'm going through a bit of a "let's see what it will do" phase
at the moment, and I wonder what the fastest riders do when sprinting.

Do you ride with the balls of your feet on the pedals, or your
insteps?

Do you Keep upright for better balance, or crouch for reduced wind
resistance?

Do you hold the seat/handle for stability, or keep both hands free
against the possibility of a sudden UPD?

Do you have your seat higher or lower than for more general riding?

Any tips?


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You're getting the right idea Mike: faster = better

Balls - always, not just when going fast. It gives a better angle to
push from.

It's hard to get much of a crouch without a road handle like a T7 or
GB4. It doesn't make a big difference unless you have a headwind, but
I do like to have a fairly low-shoulder position. Getting my top
speeds down hills I often come back up slightly, as I feel more
vulnerable tucked right down (in aerobars etc.) and have less control
to correct for bumps. Sometimes I get a magic uphill feeling on
rolling roads where it seems to be the perfect tiny gradient and I can
spin up to 30kph (18.5mph) without any tuck (I usually straighten up
uphill).

Both hands on the handle in a whiteknuckle deathgrip. Possibly with a
finger or two on the brake level too. Holding a handle further out
form the seat reduces a lot of the wriggle and helps me go in a
smoother line at speed. I'd be scared to ride hands-free much above
25kph (15mph) - it's too wobbly. Using a gentle drag on the brake can
improve downhill speed as it helps take the pressure out of your legs
and lets them spin rather than fight gravity.

I have the seat as high as possible to still have a comfortable
nearly-straight extention of each leg down to the bottom of the stroke.

Lastly, I find it is good practice for my technique to ride with a
heavyish, biggish backpack on. It wants to wave around more than a
snug camelbak does and so it forces me to concentrate on minimising my
back movement and encourages smoother (leading to faster) riding.

Hope that's useful.

Sam


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1. Balls.
2. On the track (24" racing), I used to keep upright for the longer
races as filling your lungs was more important than any tiny advantage
gained from a smaller frontal area. On the Coker I have a somewhat
bent-over riding position, with my hands on the lowest/furthest forward
part of my handlebar. You still need to be able to breathe well, but
aerodynamics starts to play a role at those speeds.
3. I hold with both hands normally. In a UPD those hands can still
guide the handle safely between my legs. In theory.
4. Generally you want it high for speed, but if it's a road situation
you need it low enough that you can deal with unexpected bumps.

Tips:
Work your way up gradually. I think there's a lot to be said for
getting comfortable at higher speeds before striving for even higher
ones. One of the scary parts about preparing for RTL was knowing the
intent was to ride above running speed at all times, unless the road
was too steep. That's a lot of riding at "scary" speeds. Gradually I
got comfortable at higher speeds (on the flat), though at those higher
speeds I was hyper-sensitive to road camber, which I could mostly
ignore at lower speeds. Comfort is confidence, and being confident
makes you safer when going fast!


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When I hear "cross country" I usually think of offroad, but I guess you
mean on the road.

I think my feet are between the balls and the instep when I'm trying to
go fast; toward the balls but not quite on the balls like a clipless
pedal would position my foot.

I usually crouch slightly. I ride with a stock KH saddle with plastic
handle. So both hands are on the handle with my arms glued to my
sides. I think crouching slightly helps absorb bumps in the road,
whereas sitting straight up makes UPDs more likely.


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Sorta related I hope. I can't decide between 114 and 100. I've never
tried anything smaller then 125.


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I just have a +1 on balls, crouching, White Knuckle
Deathgripping™, and a high seat... all four. Crouching, though,
more likely than not, depends on how fast you're actually going. May or
may not want to crouch on a 24" racer, but on a geared 36, it's a huge
difference (maybe 2mph).


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feel_the_light wrote:
between 114 and 100


hey there, I'd do 100 if I were you... Unless you're riding in a very
hilly area, just skip 114 and hit 100 or 102 or thereabouts. (And you
can still climb on 102s, just not as fast on the crazy steep stuff)
It'll feel really short in the beginning, and then you'll fall in love
with it and you'll be able to ride that thing FAST!


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Mikefule wrote:
I've always been one for cross country, distance and (when going for it)
sustained briskness rather than all out speed.

However, I'm going through a bit of a "let's see what it will do" phase
at the moment, and I wonder what the fastest riders do when sprinting.




I can't sprint for peanuts, but I can cruise at a good speed.



Mikefule wrote:

Do you ride with the balls of your feet on the pedals, or your
insteps?




Always with the balls of my feet. It gives you ability to make small
adjustments to correct your balance, as well as adjust foot position.




Mikefule wrote:

Do you Keep upright for better balance, or crouch for reduced wind
resistance?





I always ride crouched, but it's not for wind resistance. It's to keep
my centre of gravity low and it's also more comfortable than sitting
with your full weight on the seat. Kind of like riding a bike.


Mikefule wrote:

Do you hold the seat/handle for stability, or keep both hands free
against the possibility of a sudden UPD?





I never EVER take my hands off the handle for general riding. It's
like taking your hands off the handlebars on the bike. It's good to
show off to people that you can ride without your hands, but it's not
something you would do for proper riding.



Mikefule wrote:

Do you have your seat higher or lower than for more general riding?





My general riding position is my going fast position. It's usually
with my legs slightly bent at it's lowest crank position. I run it
very slightly lower off-road.



Mikefule wrote:

Any tips?



Main one is to be as relaxed as possible. You can't go fast if you are
too stiff and tense. You should just have enough pressure on the pedals
to keep your feet from falling off....basically float your foot on the
pedal.

You can tell someone has too much pressure or aren't relaxed when
riding...their wheel goes in a wiggly line. It should track straight.


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Thanks for all the tips so far.

One thing I can say is that short cranks for short cranks' sake is not
the way to go. I can ride my 700c on 80s, but not as fast as on 114s.

For general riding, it is better to be able to spin longer cranks than
to rely on shorter cranks for your speed. It gives you more
versatility on mixed terrain.

And if your cranks are too short for you to feel 100% confident and in
control, you will ride more slowly.


--
Mikefule

"What the pathetic commonplace heads with which the world is crammed
really lack are two closely related faculties: that of forming
judgements, and that of producing ideas of their own." Arthur
"Tolerance is my middle name" Schopenhauer.
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While I didn't end up in RTL speed category, I've been working on my
speed a lot lately, and am definitely able to ride faster, and
faster/longer, then ever before.

1) About halfway between balls and instep. Front edge of pedal under
ball, back edge of pedal about mid instep.

2) I've always been pretty upright, but lately have been experimenting
with more of a forward lean, lowered shoulders. Nothing like Ken or
Pete P position, but low for me. I thought it would help with wind,
but it actually seems to be helping more with stroke and power. Not
sure why yet.

3) Handle, deathgrip. Generally I've always just held it with my right
hand, but lately I've been using both hands while spinning, and dropping
to one hand only for bumpy terrain or climbing.

4) I try to always keep my seat as high as I can while still giving me
room to stand up if I need to on a hill.

Biggest contributor to me for speed has been shorter cranks. Every
time I shorten there's an adjustment, but I'm now generally alternating
between 110s and 130s on my 36". Almost all the terrain I used to do on
150s I can do now on 130s, and just need to practice more on the 110s to
get to the same status there.

Going fast is fun!!!


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tomblackwood

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