Categories: La Vie VelominatusNostalgiaRiding UglyTechnique

La Vie Velominatus: Standing Grace

Kelly teaches the masterclass once again.

We are bipedal creatures. Fact. Bipedal locomotion sucks. Also a fact. This makes being a human somewhat challenging in the sense that we don’t have opposable toes or a tail with which to swing from tree limbs. Swinging from your tail seems a little bit like bliss, if you ignore the associated demotion back into the Food Chain.

We Cyclists elect to circumvent these shortcoming by pushing our legs around in circles rather than in whatever shape makes a walking pattern or a tail-swinging pattern. It’s quite unnatural, riding a bike, and even the most casual study of the common Cyclist will reveal that most are not terribly good at it.

Which is why the graceful Cyclist is such a pleasure to watch; the mastery of the unnatural. A Cyclist who coaxes the pedals about their arch with fluid grace and power is not so much an athlete as an artist. This is a creature who has dominated the nature and become something wholly of another world.

Rising from the saddle in search of more power is perhaps the pinnacle of the art. Planting our butts in our saddle provides a solid platform from which to crush the pedals; it’s a handy way to keep our limbs from setting off in independent orbits. But when we’re really on the rivet and in the search for Speed Plus One, that rump is going to have to get lifted up into the air.

The most skilled in this craft are a beauty to behold. In one fluid motion that does nothing to limit the venom in their stroke, they rise out of the saddle and allow the machine to sway beneath them in response to the power being applied by each thrust to the pedals. The saddle sways from side to side in an almost hypnotic rhythm as the rider suffers without revealing any external signs of the effort they are applying.

The only hint is that the amplitude of the saddle’s sway increases as the power does. And when the time comes to return to the saddle, the amplitude is reigned in and brought back to home with perfect precision and no loss in the pedal stroke.

Cadel Evans looked horrible out of the saddle; he gave the impression he was trying to strangle his machine for some untold afront. Sean Kelly, on the other hand, could rise out of the saddle without you even realizing he was standing, so smooth was the transition.

On my best days, my saddle returns to me in perfect unison; I am one with my machine, a symbiotic lifeform. Upon a visit with the Man with the Hammer, I almost need to coast in order to return my rump to its home on the rare occasion that I manage to lift it off in the first place.

Mastery of this art is one I continue to pursue. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

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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the Engine says:

Jun 19 2015 at 3:36 pm

@frank

@Haldy

So much awesomeness in this photo…a glorious old school funny bike( minus crank bolt covers I am sure!), and Sean Kelly full tilt out of the saddle. Kelly was one of my all time favorites..such that my son is named Sean! But I digress. One way for any Velominatis to help improve rising and returning to the saddle would be to spend some time on the glorious banks of my favorite cycling spot…a velodrome. Track racing is very unforgiving to those who do not have smoothness of stroke. When racing a full tilt…gliding up out of the saddle and caressing the pedals for more speed ends up all for naught if you cannot return to the saddle smoothly. When one just “plops” back to the saddle after winding it up, you can watch a couple of mph of speed get scrubbed off by the impact of them dropping back to the saddle. It takes a bit of practice to launch, then return to the saddle while still churning out that smooth power through the fixed gear.

The skill involved in track racing is crazy. And I can’t imagine crashing with the added pleasure of splinters.

Was at the Glasgow race in the first sequence and saw the whole thing - bizarre crash
frank says:

Jun 19 2015 at 4:26 pm

@Matt

@frank

@Matt

2 I’d reckon, eh? Which means that Big Ring has gotta be, what, 54? SUR LA FUCKING PLAQUE. And can’t be more than 23 out back.

I’d say 46 or 48 at least. 42 is only a bit bigger than 39 and there is no air between the 54 (or even a 56?) and the inner ring!

And I’d bet my left big toe that there isn’t anything bigger than 21 on the back. Maybe even 19. 23 back then was the mountain gear.

So here’s what I’ve gathered…

Less Big Ring: V

Big Ring: VV

Cassette: V – VV

Correct. Class dismissed.
Oli says:

Jun 19 2015 at 7:42 pm

@frank

@Matt

2 I’d reckon, eh? Which means that Big Ring has gotta be, what, 54? SUR LA FUCKING PLAQUE. And can’t be more than 23 out back.

I’d say 46 or 48 at least. 42 is only a bit bigger than 39 and there is no air between the 54 (or even a 56?) and the inner ring!

And I’d bet my left big toe that there isn’t anything bigger than 21 on the back. Maybe even 19. 23 back then was the mountain gear.

Yeah, I reckon it's a 48/54 set-up.
Oli says:

Jun 19 2015 at 7:43 pm

@frank

And I'm picking a 12-18 block.
JohnB says:

Jun 20 2015 at 1:23 am

Start them young. In and out of the saddle accelerations and particularly a fluid transition from one to the other is a key session of mine with the club kids. The ability to jump, then if needed jump again, wins races.

When they get it it and use it, it's an awesome thing to see.
osbk67 says:

Jun 20 2015 at 1:52 am

@frank

@Haldy

From the same 87 Tour TT- Roche was also a master at this…an Irish thing perhaps?

Something else they share is the Rolls saddle, certainly the most beautiful saddle ever made, and arguable the most comfortable.

Not to mention their resistance to the clipless pedal.

I strongly suspect Kelly is on a Reydel GTI saddle. Tried one myself all those years ago. Not unlike a Rolls really...
sthilzy says:

Jun 20 2015 at 2:10 am

Can imagine the next few pedal strokes.......to ease back on the saddle.
gilly says:

Jun 20 2015 at 3:02 pm

@The Grande Fondue

The looking good out-of-the is a puncheur thing:

Being an Irish puncheur, Dan Martin makes it look great, but I can’t find a great pic. Valverde looks fantastic out-of-the-saddle, but I won’t post a pic of that.

Great shot of one of my favourite all or nothing attacks of all time. Worth the rainbows for that alone
unversio says:

Jun 20 2015 at 3:13 pm

@Oli

@frank

And I’m picking a 12-18 block.

I don't even realize the era of 7-speed -- shameful!
frank says:

Jun 21 2015 at 9:27 am

@gilly

@The Grande Fondue

The looking good out-of-the is a puncheur thing:

Being an Irish puncheur, Dan Martin makes it look great, but I can’t find a great pic. Valverde looks fantastic out-of-the-saddle, but I won’t post a pic of that.

Great shot of one of my favourite all or nothing attacks of all time. Worth the rainbows for that alone

Not to mention one of the most Rule Compliant riders of the current generation.