One great mystery remains in this cycling world. I’ve been a cyclist for over thirty years and I still can’t buy a clue. Remember those rides where very early on, as you roll out of a parking lot, or just away from your house, you notice you have good legs. You need verification and after a proper warm up the feeling is still there, to quote Ryder Hesjedal, “the legs are mint”. And by saying good legs I mean untouchable, inexhaustible, Le Blaireau legs. Legs you can use with extreme prejudice on your friends and enemies all day long. I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened in thirty years. Don’t tell your friends, it’s like having four aces in your hand, keep your mouth shut and let it all play out. On your next group ride, regard everyone’s faces as you let them ride through. Does anyone have good legs? Look for the rider who is quietly sitting in the paceline with a confident telling smirk on his or her face. George Hincapie recalled it as if pedaling with no chain. It’s some magic elusive mojo.
As a cyclists your legs are your tools, your currency. Professional cyclists talk about their legs as if they were not their own. They have legs hung up in a garage, many sets, most of them bad, some OK and only one pair that are good. Unfortunately which set gets installed on any given day is a mystery to everyone. Science has not solved this one or if they have they are sitting on it, maybe Contador has solved it. The more you ride the better your chances are of having good legs. But the amount of recovery riding, rest and diet all go into a formula so complex it has yet to be solved. I used to pay a lot of attention to my abstemious Saturday nights, hoping that the proper dinner and no drinking would bring on a good Sunday ride. Of course my friends were actually drinking beers, having fun and still riding fine the next day. I guess Anquetil had it right, steak tartare washed down with beers works just fine.
When professionals are riding that wave of good form (think Philip Gilbert, the 2011 version) do they have killer legs every day or can they just always summon the strength to crush? I think having good form means all your physical systems are honed up to the highest possible efficiency. Having good legs is more mysterious. It’s an unexpected event, the result of still unknown forces in the body. What happens on the morning of the Worlds Road Race when you get the message from the engine room that you have the good legs installed, what then? It must be every cyclists dream to have those magical good legs on such a day. It must feed into a confidence loop, thinking you have great legs removes the usual doubts, gives one the confidence to try things one might not otherwise dare. I’m bridging up to the front and then I’m going to ride away. I’ve got good legs.
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@Richard Hale
@Daccordi Rider I think the Rule #28 issue was in regards to length as they are bordering on 'Female Tennis Player' dimensions.
@Mikael Liddy
Ah. I see, but perhaps not quite, the ankle is covered. My wife bought the socks so I am obliged to wear them.
When are you coming out racing with us old farts? 35 and you qualify!
@Daccordi Rider I'm a good 6 years away from getting my arse handed to me competitively if that's the minimum! Where was the photo?
@Mikael Liddy
Swamp Rd, just off Greenhill Rd before Balhannah.
Open racing for you then with the other youngsters.
@Gianni
It's quite possible to combine vegetarian diets with athletic performance. My entire family is vegetarian, and none of us are having problems. After 15 years of vegetarianism (out of 21 total years on this planet), all my blood-tests show balanced levels in all metrics, and it doesn't stop me from 40km TTs around the 1'05 mark, or 10km runs at sub-40min pace. Not elite, by any means, but quite satisfactory for someone who's only gotten off the couch last June.
@Daccordi Rider
Yup, think I know it. That rise before you drop down in to Balhannah?
You heard about this delightful serve of V & VV coming up on the 1st of September?
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/adelaide-dirty-dozen
This guy had Good Leggs more than his fair share. What a stud. I fucking love this guy.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/06/news/voigt-will-let-the-cobwebs-grow-on-his-bike-after-retirement_226360
@Mikael Liddy
That's the road.
I have seen mention of the Dirty Dozen. I'm going to print the route off and ride it. Looks like a challenge! Compact territory!!
@Daccordi Rider yup, reckon I'll break up the route over the next month for some recon rides then give it the beans on Sept 1st.