Shifting is perhaps the most pure expression of our art as Velominati. It is the conduit through which we control our cadence; it effects our power, our breathing, our heart rate. When those essential things come together with the rhythm of the road, we are cast in the spell of La Volupte. The more in-tune with our bodies we become, the more we rely on our shifting to keep our legs in perfect harmony with our bodies. Our shifts must be smooth, crisp, and precise, for any disruption to the rhythm may cause the spell to be broken.
The advent of index-shifting and contoured cogs have simplified the mechanics of the perfect shift, but they have not eliminated the artform. A finely-tuned drivetrain is essential, but is only one piece of the whole. Timing is critical: the shift must be delivered at the precise moment in the stroke when the chain is perfectly loaded to jump silently from one cog to the next. Shifting under too much pressure or at the wrong point can result in delayed, noisy, or rough shifts, disrupting our rhythm and ripping us from La Volupte.
We do not mediate on the shift and we do not look down at our gears; the shift is something we must feel. We must not be overly cerebral – instead, we read the signals from our body and the machine and sense the time to shift and react. Over time, we also learn to sense when we are approaching the limits of the block and execute the double-shift to avoid crossing the chain. We do not look down.
These subtleties cannot be taught; they are artifacts of experience – evidence that the disciple has become one with the machine.
Disclaimer: The “Don’t Look Down” principle does not apply to Lando situations where we repeatedly push the right shifter while pedaling squares up some unholy gradient in the stubborn refusal to accept that we are indeed already in the lowest gear. Under these circumstances, it doesn’t hurt to give the gears a stern look in an effort to intimidate them into spawning a few more teeth on those biggest cogs.
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Nicely described frank.
Like others have mentioned above, I too am old enough to remember the downtube shifters. I can't really recall how bad I must have initially been, going from a single speed dragster with a back pedal brake, onto a "racing bike" as they were known back in the day.
What I do recall was the luxury of suddenly having more than 1 gear, 5 in fact. As a teenager, I was unaware of how to shift correctly nor did I have the benefit of having a cycling sensei at my disposal. Either use the big one on the back and small one on the front to go up hill slowly , or vice versa to go down as fast as possible. The 3 in-between were a bonus.
It wasn't until I returned to the bunch in my late 20's that I began to grasp what it was to become one with the machine. I was able to ride with cyclists who knew what they were doing & freely offered positive advice.
Now heading towards my late 40's, your words above describe the sensation that I have achieved. An "art" is the best descriptive one could use for this.
Also, having the Lando experience on too many hills brings a smile to the dial. I now have the V decal on the top tube to look down on. That brings everything back into perspective. I forget about finding the missing cog and just push that bit harder. Who needs a bigger cog when you have the V to inspire?
@Steampunk
hahah! Nice one!
via our friend @bigringriding.
@RideFit
I could do that on index shifting - I was riding Shimano 105 and they had a good, solid click - solid enough that you could knock it and it would just go one click. Man, I loved that! Get out of the saddle, sprint - dive forward with the hip and knee, knock the shifter and the person you're sprinting against is shocked that somehow you got another gear!
@David, @Ron
There was an interesting conversation about the physique of riders in the early days, and how they've changed these days. Looking at both Fignon and The Badger, you see they're both about the same build...they were not true climbing specialists, but they were great climbers, but their built like today's sprinters. Quite an evolution.
@Souleur
The man simply embodied The V. Total asshole, but hard as fucking nails.
@Geoffrey Grosenbach
Yeah, the chain makes a different when it's bent (getting close to crossing) but you can also feel the increase in friction. Look for the signs, never down!
Kelly, too. I'm rarely one to be wistful for a bygone era (and I'm an historian!), but I do miss the all-rounders like the Badger, le Professeur and so on. They were as much a threat in spring and fall as they were in the summer. What's not to like about Gilbert"”the closest recall of that style today?
What? I was deadly serious.
Another great write-up Frank! Maybe it's wrong of me, but I love it when you manage the perfect shift at just the right moment and begin pulling away only to hear the rider behind you fumble through a shift while his drivetrain screams out in agony... The angel on my shoulder tells me to slow down and wait for the poor bastard but the devil in my legs just tells me to do it again!
I read a great quote on another site about the physique of modern riders... a bit harsh but pretty on point IMO. "Old school climbers were big, strong men... built more like modern sprinters than climbers. Modern climbers... let's be honest, they're built more like teenage girls than anything resembling a dominant male athlete."
Good call on Gilbert, Fabian & Phillipe are tops on my list of riders today... with Boonen & Hushovd coming up just behind and the Younger Grimpeur rounding out the top five... Now that I think about it, Andy & Vince Nibbles are the only 'climbers' to even crack my top ten.
Well, yes. I spent several hours this morning at A&E getting my left shoulder x-rayed and being told by a slightly exasperated doctor that I'd buggered my AC joint and been lucky not to break my clavicle and so, no, it wasn't OK for me to "just ride the wind trainer for the next few days". And all because it was 6am, the road was wide and deserted, and so I looked down to investigate the BB noise ... and looked up just in time to see the kerb smack my front wheel and feel myself smack the pavement. Am thinking of changing my name to Noddy, and putting a big sticker (I don't derserve a decal) on my bars reading "Don't look down, Noddy. Not fucking ever."
@Steampunk
I'd say that hands-down, Marianne Vos is the closest to a true all-rounder. In old-school style, she's active from Spring through Fall, with a season of 'Cross thrown in...not to mention dominating the track. RESPECT.