Moser: All legs, no body. Photo by Photosport Int
“It’s Francesco Moser, with his distinctive style, his still, aerodynamic position on the bicycle is an imposing sight of almost effortless rotary action.”
Whoever the narrator in A Sunday In Hell is*, he got that little nugget spot on. If you want to know how to pedal a bicycle, you can do no better than to study Lo Sceriffo. All legs, no body.
Movement, that is. Cycling is a leg sport, which is why most proper Cyclists (i.e not us) possess upper bodies that are required to serve little more purpose than to lift a fork with a couple of strands of spaghetti on for a few dozen reps, a couple sets a day. Not that they are weak, (and guys like Moser certainly couldn’t be described as weedy) but any unwanted motion is considered wasted energy that could be channeled straight to the pistons rather than used for waving one’s head around outside the sunroof.
There’s no need to break down this most obvious of techniques into bullet points, it’s elementary: just move the legs, keep everything else still**. Class begins at 1:12:30.
*Turns out he’s David Saunders, and you can find out about him here…
**Don’t even try to emulate that back flatness. We take no responsibility nor compensate for damages.
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@wiscot
Yep, you have to be extra special to ride your own brand while still neck deep in the pro game!
Some say... That DM knew a little about pedalling and position
Seems like all these guys with smooth form are riding steel frames. Maybe it's a necessity to maintain efficiency on a flexy frame.
@Rom
I'd suggest it may have more to do with clipless pedals. You need to be smooth with clipless otherwise you are wasting energy with your foot having more freedom of movement than with clips.
@Teocalli
I think you've got it ass about. They rode with toe clips and straps. We ride (toe) clip less. There's not much give with an old style cleat and a tight strap.
@Rom
Yeah too many long nights at work. Brain is going.
@fenlander
I'm over in Wistow, in between Warboys and Ramsey. It's not quite the fens but not far off although I tend to head west rather than east.
I'm a member of St Ives but the kid's sporting activities generally gets in the way of club runs.
@rom Or maybe it's from the zen of steel? The result of being old school? I wish it would hold up but too many current riders have already been lifted up as examples...
@Chris
We sometimes head out St Ives way on Sat runs(with a stop at the river tea rooms);regularly see St Ives bods round and about.
Just saw this now, funny because I watched A Sunday in Hell to get amped before watching the 113th edition on Sunday, and that line definitely stood out to me. It was a super interesting race, and Moser has an undeniable "panache".