Lean In, Lean Out

Lean casually.

I profess to understand every mannerism and habit of the Cyclist. I’m Dutch, and I’m a writer, so it all comes pretty naturally. The problem is that thinking you understand something and actually understanding it are two completely different things; the first is confidence, the second is wisdom; there is no Venn diagram that has an intersection between the two. As we move inexorably towards 2016, I humbly seek to temper my confidence with a (light) dusting of hubris.

I’ll start off, a full three days shy of 2016, with my first acknowledgement of not understanding why we do certain things: this leaning against stuff rather than unclipping business. When I say “things”, I mean objects like fences, light poles, cars, other riders, small marking wands that under no circumstances can hold the weight of a Cyclist, rubbish bins, traffic cones and any other paraphernalia that looks inviting.

It is an undeniable fact that Eddy looks entirely badass in this photo, leaning away like putting a foot down on the tarmac would be an affront to the soles of his shoes. There is, of course, a good reason for it: he finally got his toe clips and straps sorted just perfectly, and he is not about to start over on that sordid affair just to avoid putting his handprint on the team car. We, the modern Cyclist, have clipless pedals and they are quite easy to sort and there is very little at risk when it comes to unclipping, apart from the humility of making a balls of it and falling over like a twunt.

Which brings me back to this irresistible desire we have to not unclip from our pedals. Twunt Tumbles aside, there is really no good reason for us not to unclip any time we come to a halt, a practice which itself should admittedly be kept to a minimum. Unclipping is a prime opportunity to demonstrate to the world our ability to Wait Properly. But none of us want to do it. We’d rather wobble about in some sort of balancing act as if putting a foot down were admitting defeat to gravity or the coriolis effect or some other such nonsense.

And careful with the car lean, you might just piss off the wrong driver.

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

Teocalli says:

Dec 30 2015 at 2:03 am

@minion

It's like being grateful to wake up in the morning and still be able to ride a bike son.
Teocalli says:

Dec 30 2015 at 2:03 am

......or is that grandson.........
minion says:

Dec 30 2015 at 2:11 am

@Teocalli

I may be pushing the boat out a bit far with that one, I'm resolutely middle aged. Hiding behind internet anonymity and all that.

Unless you're really fucking old, in which case you could be my grandpa.
Teocalli says:

Dec 30 2015 at 2:15 am

@minion

ha ha! Though I do remember the Beatles hitting the News in the 60s.........
chuckp says:

Dec 30 2015 at 6:08 am

On the subject of toe clips and straps ... My first "serious" bike (Trek 560 Pro w/Reynolds 531 tubing and Shimano 600) had toe clips and straps. Nothing quite like getting them cinched just right. I remember riding it out in Sonoma (visiting my brother). At the time, his house was situated on the side of a hill with a short, really steep driveway. Came back from a ride and forgot to loosen the straps beforehand. Made it up the driveway. Ran out of altitude and airspeed. Nothing to lean against ... except the pavement. Just classic.

Not a pic of my bike, but this is was the bike.
Apex Nadir says:

Dec 30 2015 at 7:37 am

A quick start from a traffic light requires preparation and attention. Many riders doing track stands (especially older riders) are too distracted by that activity to be ready the moment it's good to go.

I do admire a good track stand, but you can almost always use it to judge a rider's age. Kids under 20 can be absolutely still without paying attention. By 30 a slight wobble is usually apparent. The effort required becomes quite noticeable by 40. Very few of us over 50 even bother trying (and those who do require plenty of room as they're all over the place).
Ccos says:

Dec 30 2015 at 8:03 am

Back in college in the toe clip Epoc, we'd lean on one another: the one on the left would rest his hand on the shoulder on the guy to his right, and the guy on the right would put his left hand on the tops of the bars of the guy to his left. Going purely on the metric of beer bottles thrown at us, I would say that rednecks were duly unoffended by the action.

I unclip now.
wilburrox says:

Dec 30 2015 at 8:54 am

I road my bike to college and all over the city every day for four years and I think not one time did I ever adjust the toe straps. Seriously, not once.

My daughter might have been nine when we put her on a little 24" Pinarello in a parking lot outside the LBS. She took off and flipped her pedals around and her feet in to the toe cages/straps like she'd been doing it for years. The LBS owner and I looked at each other and said, yea, she's ready for the proper road bike. The rest is history. She raced with the toe clips as long as she was on the little Pinarello. And I do not think that once we ever adjusted the straps on that bike either... just flip the pedals around, jam your toes in as far as they'd go and be gone.

Never, ever thought to reach down and tighten 'em up?! Strange.

I guess it was the easy in/easy out idea that counted more.

Remember when toe straps came on Mtn Bikes? That was pointless. They'd be dangling half way thru first ride. And nothing is meant to dangle from a bike btw. Couldn't resist.

Cheers all
emerson says:

Dec 30 2015 at 10:22 am

Then in cycling, it would be eminently best to avoid traffic lights, stopping, waiting, leaning, judging and aging.

No! No more talk! No more games! I bring SYZR!

No civilized roads! Time for dirt! Speedplay SYZR!
The Pressure says:

Dec 30 2015 at 10:54 am

@wiscot

@Oli

So now we have to worry what the fucking morons in cars think of us? Fuck that! Trackstanding is the fucking LEAST of what they hate about us. This thread is fully maing.

Oli, what, exactly, is “fully maing”?

I believe maing is like mad cow disease but its brought on by veg-a mite!