Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
Well said, Saftey always first for me! Live to ride another day.
Spring Time - Learning To Ride Time
- Thread starter ratz
- Start date
ReklinedRider
Zen MBB Master
if i find myself in a compromised starting position, like didn't change to a low enough gear at a sudden stop, i've taken to using the Flintstone Scoot n' Slide. No doubt others do this too: I sit on the seat back, about 2/3 of the way up towards the headrest, like you see Larry, Jason, Kevin, Joe, and others doing as a rest position while waiting for the race to start. Then do the Flintstone from that position....much more mechanical advantage than when sitting at the bottom of the seat....get up enough momentum, then just lean back and slide down, clip in, and off we go. ('we' being An Dubh [The Black] and myself of course)
Also use the one-legged pedaling, esp in a crowded start, sometimes Flintstoning along with the other foot for stability.
Also use the one-legged pedaling, esp in a crowded start, sometimes Flintstoning along with the other foot for stability.
Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
That's one of things I like about the lower reclined seat on the Vendetta. I use the position to take a break, wait on long lights, chat with a friend, etc. Like you Kline, I will sometime skittle across a busy street doing the one legged flintstone.
cranky cyclist
Guru
Rode almost 20 miles today. Mostly on the MUP but also some on the road. I did a short stint of an 11% climb, seems like I can tackle climbs in a higher gear on the Cruzbike than on a DF. Also, I have noticed that I can spin fast but takes more work to get up to the spin I want. Heavy front end maybe. I did crash making a turn that is even difficult on my DF. Going uphill and making a sharp right onto the MUP. I think I would have made it if I had been in a lower gear.
Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
If I'm reading you correctly, sounds like you could not pedal through the turn because you were in a high gear to maintain enough momentum to carry you through and you stalled and fell over? Being in a lower gear would have maintained your speed and momentum. Up hill in tight turns are tricky.
cranky cyclist
Guru
Yes that is correct, although it was more veering to the right and almost hitting a post. Also the turn is more than 90 degrees.
cranky cyclist
Guru
Has anyone had this problem? My shoes are hitting the chain stays. I moved the boom out a bit and now it is just my left foot.
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
I assume you mean with cliess pedals? If so and they have float that can happen if you try to do it on purpose. But If is just happening all the time you may have a cleat that is not installed on your shoe squarely so check that.
Otherwise your pedal stroke could need some clean up; IF you are mashing then you may have sloppy knees which will give you sloppy feet. Good news is that is easy to fix. Back in th favorite car park or non busy straight stretch of road; just spend 30 seconds at a time staring down 1 knee and a time alternating back and forth; Focus and make sure your knee goes back and forth in a straight controlled axis. IF you are sloppy just the act of staring the knee down will bring the muscles into action to stop it. Spend a few minutes each ride focusing on proper knee travel and it will quickly start to become automatic. The trick then is to catch yourself if you ride sloppy; as that has the opposite affect.
We have a few of those on our MUPS; and that's a pretty sharp turn for any of us. I have two sit bolt upright to do that even on a Quest; you can practice those by doing slow tight turns in a parking lot; sitting up. It's worth the practice.
Lastly I hope all the little crashes you've been having have been minor; we don't want you in a caste in the middle of riding season
cranky cyclist
Guru
No broken bones yet!
DavidCH
In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
I nearly lost it too on a similar turn. I now prefer to be clipped in with one foot and the other floating for stability. It was actually this situation that made me change my cassette so it's easier to get up the hill.
cranky cyclist
Guru
Maybe I need to change my gearing so I have 34/36. I can climb hills but I have trouble turning when going up hill. If only I could do this, I think I would be ready for the road. Ah! life's little challenges. Overall, I think that I am progressing. Just have to figure out the head rest thing. I heard a nice when the bike was moving, and figured out it was the head rest that came loose.
skipB
Member
I had that same motivation . She was sure I was going to kill myself .
hoyden
Well-Known Member
I have experienced the shoe hitting the chain stay occasionally but didn't associate it with knee placement. Yesterday I experimented with knee position and observed that it doesn't take much outward knee movement to induce the strike. Now I focus on keeping the knees tucked in and have a new set of muscles to tire out. The other being the finger's death-grip on the bars. I imagine both conditions will improve with practice.
bladderhead
Zen MBB Master
I have a tendency to ride knock-kneed. I eventually learnt not to do this when riding the Grasshopper, but on the Silvio I keep having to remember not to do it. If I can change my habit on one bike, I can change my habit on another bike. It just takes mileage.
cranky cyclist
Guru
Learned a new skill today. Started out from a standing stop. Very stable start but still having trouble on hill climbs. I had it on the road but turned left and started to go uphill, went for a short ways in a straight line and then shifted to a lower gear. Suddenly veered left to the other side of the road. I thought I was ready for my ride across the state but not yet. A big if only!
cranky cyclist
Guru
I don't recover very well from the veers on uphills. Maybe, I panic a little and don't use my skills. I am still getting used to this bike. So much different then a DF bike.
Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
Always know you can raise up and unclip when in doubt. This something I would practice doing, and get good at it. It's something that's pretty much required when riding MUPs. Just yesterday while riding the MUP, a little tiny human suddenly broke loose from the mother and ran out in front of me, those little things are very unpredictable, so Im always on the lookout. Unclipping, raise up into seated position, both feet flat on the ground, while on the brakes hard, saved the day, with the little one smiling and the mother waving with all fingers.
cranky cyclist
Guru
I guess I am trying to analyze how to control this and don't immediately sit up and unclip. It does seem as if I don't have any control over the bike when this happens. Fortunately it was on a very low traffic road when it happened. Makes me afraid to use the bike on anything other than the MUP.
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
One thing we forgot to ask' what size front tire do you have 700x (___) and what PSI are you inflating them too? And are you checking the pressure each ride. Silvio can be a handful if the front tire gets below 80 psi.
Also did you pump up your front shock to 150psi using the fork-pump.... And did you find the instructions on using the pump (I used mine wrong for 6 months until someone point that out to me)
