Sarah Ginsbach demonstrates perfect mounting style. Photo: Allen Kuo
I was recently asked how one is supposed to handle the delicate situation when departing a traffic signal and you are unable to clip in immediately. The obvious answer is that you’re supposed to clip in right away (use your toe to position the pedal and then pop your shoe into it) but I admit that this doesn’t always work out as envisioned. Should you find yourself in a traffic intersection, flailing about trying to clip in, the simple fact is that you are to remain Casually Deliberate at all times: take your time, don’t express any sense of feeling rushed, and possibly pretend like there might be something wrong with either your cleat or pedal.
This brings up a greater worry centered around how we as a group set about starting off initially on our rides. Being bipedal organisms, we struggle with setting a flight on two wheels. In my observations, I have noted that many of us tend to straddle the bike (itself an inelegant maneuver), grasp the bars with both hands, stare longingly at the first pedal as it is engaged with the cleat, before pushing off – an act not without risk given the likelihood of slipping on our cleated shoe – and wobbling about as the other foot is clipped into the pedal. This act is – inexplicably – normally followed by a sprint to get up to speed as if to prove that despite our failings in starting properly, we can still crush fools.
Cyclocross is a sport of savages; it combines the elegance of Cycling with the stated objective to dismount and run over obstacles, as if some mad nutter crossed Cycling with Miniature Golf. Which is not to say that I don’t love Cyclocross (because I do). The sport does give the road Cyclist excellent bike handling skills, not to mention a disciplined approach to remounting the bicycle while in full flight.
This is an art that the ‘Crosser must master as part of the sport and one in which I have failed miserably in for the simple fact that when I go out training, I cannot abide the idea that I would stop riding my bicycle just so I can practice climbing back on it. Be that as it may, the expert rider is able to fluidly run alongside their bike and swing swiftly aboard the thing as though they were about to take a swim in bath of warm jelly.
Whenever I race CX, I am humiliated by my remount, losing dozens of meters at every attempt. That said, I have practiced it just enough to do it properly from a standstill, a skill which serves me well when setting off on any of my road rides.
A few notes of caution. Do not try to go all Air Jordan and attempt to get up in the air; you will crush your boy or lady parts. Instead slide onto the inner thigh first, and then slowly engage said crushable parts. Also, if you still fail to engage the pedals, simply use your momentum to roll along as though it were deliberate and take your time to clip in one foot at a time. Also, try to watch where you’re going so as not to roll into oncoming traffic and get killed.
Vive la Vie Velominatus. Please see below for an excellent instruction by GCN.
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@PT
Certainly expected the thread to get there before the 50th post.
@Owen
Exactly. Ms Vos can lay waste to me anytime. To quote the Smiths: "The pleasure, the privilege would be mine."
My latest mounting challenge that I've been working on: remounting my commuter bike 'cross style...with panniers on both sides.
I mount both my cross bikes and my road bikes in 'cross style. However, when I want to go for Casually Deliberate, I go for the modified 'cross mount, which is less full on hop and more slow motion leg swing, slip into the saddle. Like the PROs do when remounting after a puncture.
I'm not bad at remounting from the DS, but it always puts the fear of crunched lower bits into me.
OH, and I enjoy the moving push off, one foot on pedal, then leg swing as you roll out move for getting going on the commuter bikes. Okay move for commuter riding? Or not okay.
@Apex Nadir
As much as those of us who enjoy the beauty of the opposite sex and are males and LOVE females in Lycra FAR FAR more than seeing dudes in Lycra...we try to keep this Community non-greasy.
Thus, 50th post. There is something nice about thinking something and not necessarily expressing it, which I'm typically horrible at, but it is nice to bite your tongue sometimes and just keep the focus on cycling.
@Ron
Which I totally failed at when someone posted a picture of Victoria Pendleton on another thread. Sorry.
As someone who commutes a lot and thus has to pedal away from traffic lights without ending up underneath buses, lorries and the like, I've developed a method of hooking onto the pedal with the front of my cleat to get some momentum as soon as the light goes green, giving a few good pedals, and then clipping in. I can't bear the shame of missing a clip in busy traffic (especially if I've just skipped to the front of the queue. Which is likely).
@RobSandy
I agree that this site is, and is kept, non greasy. However, is it greasy per se to make the two comments under discussion? Is a comment that Victoria Pendleton looks superb by definition a greasy comment? And on this site it isn't one way - there are many similar comments on various male cyclists that are made.
Part of this site is about Looking Fantastic. Surely if the comments are basically that, then they're OK? Once the writer goes into 'cor, what I'd like to with xxxxxxx is..........and ............' then we are in grease territory (and to be clear, I've never ever seen such comments here).
Or am I confused?
@Neil
I'm a big fan of the track stand at lights. It reminds me of my days as a courier, when I first mastered it. It also makes sure I don't lose any ground on the cars when queue jumping during rush hour. When in the core, with short blocks and frequently ill timed lights, the track stand is even more essential in a cyclists tool kit.
That said, I would argue that as it is a very active method of not going anywhere on a bike, it can not be casual, and consequently not casually deliberate. As Frank well knows, I'm a rampant rule breaker, so I'll continue to track stand until I've met the man with the hammer.
@PT, @Apex Nadir, @Ron, @RobSandy, @davidlhill
Remarking on someone's attractiveness and even joking about it - as is often the case when Cipo's photos surface around here - is all fine. Certainly in the case of someone like Vicky Pendleton who is outrageously pretty.
But to @Ron's point, we like to keep it classy and respectful; swinging to far to the other side of the PC pendulum that one isn't allowed the liberty to remark on someone else's attractiveness is just as wrong.
The lead photo was chosen because of the composition, the motion, the excellent technique, the fact that the rider Looks Fantastic and because I like promoting women's cycling whenever I can.
@frank
But don't you think her socks are a bit long?
@TheVId
I do also like a track stand when it's safe to do so - but it is high risk. Falling off in front of the cars as the lights go green is not recommended and, more importantly, is definitely not Casually Deliberate.
If there's a handy railing I prefer a casual lean so I can stay clipped in. Or if I know it's going to be a long wait I unclip, sit on the top tube and wait properly.