Going fast and looking good while doing it is our Velominati creed. Riding on the tops is the domaine of going uphill, where braking and aerodynamics are unimportant. In most other situations that position is too slow. The pros are usually flattened down in the drops or flattened down on the brake hoods. When us non-pros are not climbing, riding on the tops is less about looking pro than looking like a confident cyclist. I’ve noticed it when I ride with such confident cyclists; I’m not one but aspire to be.
I was given the tip when mountain biking: when descending, steer from the bull horns (are these still even used?) because it keeps your hands away from the brake levers. One descends more efficiently. If your mitts are on the brake levers, you are going to use them, especially if you are Big Pussy (my mtb nickname, self given). Putting on the brakes diminishes bike handling, period. On a mountain bike, the suspension and properly inflated tires are going to get bike and rider where they need to go and getting on the brakes too much is just going to screw the whole process up. Did John Tomac use his brakes? I rest my case.
On a road bike, riding with hands on the tops does the same thing; it keeps your hands away from the brakes. I watch guys riding side by side, chatting away, hands relaxed on the tops. They fearlessly carve their bikes through tight fast corners while I’m behind, feathering the brakes on the way in and then jumping out of the saddle on the way out to recover the speed I just scrubbed off. It’s no way to live. I’m not sure how to cross that threshold where one’s Big Pussy trepidation says to slow down a bit and one’s rational mind says trust your tires. It is maddening. My inner Rule V must be consulted.
During our Manhattan rollout during The Rules book tour, ride leader Rob of NYC and Frank led a our large pack up the West side on a bike path along the Hudson. It was a two-way bike path, two meters wide and it crossed a myriad of streets and cross-walks. I watched Rob and Frank chatting away, hands on the tops, deftly avoiding every jogger, stroller, roller-blader, cyclist and pedestrian there. We whipped into the opposite bike lane to pass all of that and drifted a little right as all that came the other direction. Rob and Frank emanated cycling confidence that said, sure my bike has brakes but I’m really not interested in them right now. It looked very cool and somehow safer. I had my hands resting directly on the brake hoods ready to brake at the first sign of a baby stroller crossing my path.
We don’t drive cars with our other foot hovering over the brake pedal, ready to stomp. We don’t need our hands always a second away from our brakes either. Knowing that and doing that is where we become more confident cyclists.
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@kixsand
Nobody could do it better. What position!
By this logic, we should all be descending in TT bars. Or at the very least, Spinachis.
Using bar-ends on the MTB to descend is a sure fire way to get yourself killed in these parts, not that the brakes from that era did much good.
I find the best solution is to ride a bike without brakes at all.
@Gianni
First: That is perfect kit. Black shorts and the striped jersey = just right. The world was a better place before sublimated graphics on shorts. Most every jersey's gonna look good with straight up good ol' black shorts. And the one in the snapshots is perfect. Black shoes too. Right ? Right. My buddy blames the whole downward spiral with shorts having started w/Cipollini.
Second: When mtn biking I do two things. 1) I ride the brakes constantly. I steer with the brakes, I set the bike up for turns with the brakes and I absolutely ride down hills with the brakes in control of the bike. I know what makes for good brakes on a mtn bike. 2) I spend a lot of time staring at my front tire going over stuff. So, needless to say, I'm not a very fast mtn biker. But I sure do love it.
Cheers all
@wilburrox try staring at where you want to go, an amazing thing happens, your bike will follow your eyes.
@Gianni
it takes a very special gift to have the lines of one's torso and leg at the top of the stroke form a V that is even more crisp and razor sharp than the tan lines on the guns.
yup, do a whole lot of my climbing on the tops in (what my mind imagines) is a bit of a Big Mig style pose.
Interesting though that some recent commutes on my track bar equipped single speed has me looking to keep my hands in further, which has led to me pulling a similar position to RdV above with my wrists kinda wedged in the corner of the tops & the last two fingers looped over the hoods.
@Puffy
I've said it before, but the most dangerous session at my local velodrome (Herne Hill) is when they let road bikes on, guaranteed at least one pile up.
PS. as it's Thanksgiving in the US, and people might be thinking of spending money tomorrow, can I put a plug in for the people who fund-raise for Herne Hill? http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/fhhv-shop
@markb Where exactly are you that HH is local?
My London home is Tooting, and I ride with Dulwich when I'm there.
I've been to those track nights for road bikes. was OK the few times I did it.
My daughter is doing track cycling now at HH with her school. I try to go down and watch them when I'm back.
Bless her, I'd always planned on doing an epic ride with her elder brothers for my 50th birthday, but at this rate it looks more like I'll be doing it with Lillian.
And yes, good plug for Herne Hill.
Olympic Velodrome in 1948 and for a long time the only track in the capital, where Brad Wiggins and others made their breakthroughs.
The Good Friday races at Herne Hill are a great annual event. They had to be cancelled and moved to Manchester a few years back because the track was in such a poor state but Friends of Herne Hill raised funding to install a new all-weather surface and it is now a popular venue all year round.
@Gianni Roger nails it but Tom Boonen (amongst others) can do a pretty good impression of what is known in my circles as "the Belgian time-trial position:.