Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoKeepers TourLook ProNostalgiaTechnique

Anatomy of a Photo: Cornering on Cobbles

The look says it all. Keep it clenched, sir.

A lot of things taken for granted in Cycling go swiftly out the window when cobblestones are introduced to bicycle and rider. The notion that your wheels should both be pointed in the same direction at any given moment, for instance, or that that they should in some way be in alignment with the direction of travel of the rider/bicycle unit, such as it is. Not true, in fact. As it turns out, wheels can move wildly in any maner of directions and not greatly impact forward motion. Another misconception is this notion that one needs to have their handlebars reliably in hand while whisking through a corner or that the direction the handlebars are pointing should be in the direction of travel. Also untrue.

Riding cobbles is a matter of going full gas over the secteurs, no holds barred. The faster you go, the more your bike cascades over the tops of the stones; as the bike flails along, the rider links together recovery after recovery to stave off the imminent crash caused by any of the above conditions going catawampus. Riding the pavé is basically like a toddler learning to walk: always one step away from a face-plant.

For me, though, the biggest challenge is recuperation during those intense efforts. Over the years, I have gotten good at faking it and stealing a few deep breaths during short windows of opportunity, like when the pressure comes off the pedals briefly when cornering. On the cobbles, however, this matter is complicated somewhat by the bouncing wheels, jackhammering of the bars and saddle, and the certainty of an imminent crash.

Which leads me to conclude that while endurance, strength, and interval training will all form critical elements of my training for Keepers Tour 2013, I’m going to also make a point of learning how to take recovery breaths with a tightly clenched bunghole as I try to keep from shitting myself. That’s going to be a differentiator for sure.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Oli says:

Oct 13 2012 at 2:38 pm

@The Potato Man Or he's pedaling. Still photos of a dynamic activity don't really tell us anything conclusively.
Oli says:

Oct 13 2012 at 2:42 pm

@Ken Ho I wouldn't say it's "dumb" at all, just different. I would suggest that pros renowned for their descending and bike-handling chops like Sean Yates and Davis Phinney might be in a better position to really feel out the limits of bike handling than a few internet heros like us. Motorbikes COG are a lot lower than cyclists so perhaps that has some bearing?
The Pressure says:

Oct 13 2012 at 3:24 pm

@TBONE

Here's my favourite cobbles video, you can see the tires skating across the tops of the cobbles, dancing around with no real control. The muscles are flopping about in a manner that looks like old people having sex. It's quite glorious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QSpuhIQg1A

In Vancouver we have different type of cobbles, just east of Crackton (the DTES) you can find patches where the blacktop has worn away to reveal how we used to build our roads - with wood. I should get a shot of it, there's not much of it left around any more as we erect condos as fast as we can.

Great Video!! Must admit the airborne segment gave me chills. Say what's with the pussies sneaking down the shoulder near the end? HTFU!!
brett says:

Oct 13 2012 at 4:15 pm

@The Pressure

The airborne shot and the extreme close ups are staged, not from the race... check out the chain on the small ring, feet not pedaling and no crowds. I read somewhere that those were staged shots.
mxlmax says:

Oct 13 2012 at 4:53 pm

@Ken Ho

Sure, bicycles have nowhere near the corner speeds but they don't have anywhere near the grip either, not to mention the conspicuous absence of a suspension.

Nor do they have the same mass (or pull) as a motorcycle.
Ken Ho says:

Oct 13 2012 at 4:58 pm

Yes, my thought was that he was on a curve, not a corner, and that he was pedalling to keep the power down.

Sure, I'm an internet expert, but have done a few ride days and a couple of Keith Code Superbike courses as well as watched a lot of motorbike racing, and got to hang out with Paul Smart for a day once at Miisano. Cycling races are not won or lost on corners, the way that motor-bike races are, so perhaps there is less attention paid to the finer art of it.

On COG, the bulk of a rider +bicycle combo is the rider. If anything, it makes more sense to get the riders weight as low as possible, even more so than on a motorbike. Having the rider weight hanging on the outside of the bike makes no sense at all.

Mostly though, it's about front end grip. Being a good passenger is also critical to good cornering and Keith Code has a bit to say about that.
mxlmax says:

Oct 13 2012 at 5:01 pm

@Oli

Or he's pedaling. Still photos of a dynamic activity don't really tell us anything conclusively.

To remain open minded, I first questioned if he were pedaling in this shot. He appears to be tucked* and leaving his left crank stuck* to the bottom. Classic 5 arm crank nice. Nice long stem too.
mxlmax says:

Oct 13 2012 at 5:15 pm

@The Potato Man

@frank

How about this photo. Inside knee inside of his elbow. Looks like he is using the "lean your bike more than your body" technique here.

Also refer to this shot for the front skewer position. But keep knee pressed inward.
Marcus says:

Oct 13 2012 at 5:34 pm

@sthilzy

@sthilzy

Caulfield cobbles for my post above. (Can Google Maps, Street View link be posted?)

Since seeing this in Winning back in 1985, this image of cobble rash has been imbedding in my mind;

Yvon Frebert on the descent from the Intelvi in the 1985 Tour of Lombardy won by Sean Kelly - 171 starters, 32 finishers.

your spot on Finch Street is about 50 metres from my house...
Gianni says:

Oct 13 2012 at 8:41 pm

@Chris

That brings back a dull ache in my fore arms just looking at it!

Great photo, reminds me of these two going full gas into this corner

Not sure if it's a smile or just one long shout of "faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark!"

Out of the pan... from the cobbles onto loose grit. Gianni clenches everything.

One, thanks Chris for posting this shot. And thanks Jess for being such a killer photographer. From my shattered memories of that day, I think I was already well behind you and many others. Still, I was crushing the massive 50 x 21 gear, not going as fast as the photo makes it look. And Bill was just enjoying the sufferin'.