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.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
Braking in a bunch is like braking in your car on the motorway. You read the traffic and your accelerator reacts; on a bike, you chose your gear and cadence to match your fellow riders. I find if I'm getting antsy and stopping and starting, I take my turn on the front; a spell in the wind does the trick!
As far as riding on the tops goes, I'm totally with Gianni; clearly it's not as aerodynamic, but it looks Casually Deliberate, and I would also add it uses different muscle groups in your back, neck and arms, which can't be a bad thing.
@ChrisO
Did a session down at Calshot in the summer. Great fun. Apparently it's the second steepest banking in the world, really tight track. First time up to the top of the banking at slow speed you doubt the tyres will hold. Great fun when you wind it up.
@RobSandy Just do not try and freewheel after crossing the line!
@Teocalli
Is that your neck of the woods then? My in-laws live in Hythe, and me and the VMW got married there. I've never ridden in Calshot velodrome but I've climbed there a few times.
I've done a bit of riding at Newport velodrome, but I've not ridden in a velodrome in a group on bikes with brakes! My local, Maindy, is an outdoor tarmac velodrome, with quite shallow banking so I think it's pretty normal to train there on normal road bikes.
But I am built more like a track rider, so I wonder if it might be a route to doing a bit more of it.
Even on my 32 yr old school bike I have not changed the brake pads yet. Partially a result of the fact that I have been living in the Dutch flatlands for quite some time but also because I prefer the riding on the tops position. Now living in Switzerland so braking is more necessary when going downhill. Incidentally: I also never changed the braking cables until recently when I saw that one has to change these every year...
@Gianni I think you're right about John Tomac. My '92 Rocky Mountain 'Hammer' (Ritchey Logic frame, rims, seatpost and saddle) is in Tomac territory complete w/ 90's purple bullhorns to match the forks.
Look Mom, no brakes!!
(Actually, for the odd time I use the brakes, the Deore canti's work great--with Salmon SwissStops--once set up properly. Love the old school thumbies too).
@KogaLover
My daughter has a mid-sixties Gazelle. The brake cables haven't been changed either--they're solid rods with linkages!!
Lot's of track-talk in this thread. I'm going to try it for the first time in January in the new velodrome in Milton, Ontario--can't wait!! Track bike rental is included in the hourly rate.
Oops...I meant Salmon Kool-Stops
@freddy
Wow, matching bullhorns to fork. Brilliant.