Always be casually deliberate, even when riding.
You have just attacked off the front to take a town line sprint. It was a just-the-perfect-amount-of-dumb yet successful move. You went deeply anaerobic for a sprint no one else was even mildly interested in, but you did crush them unrestrainedly.
Now, to hide your effort, you deploy the Rule #80 Casual Coast. Left hand on the bars, right hand resting on the thigh, right pedal up to raise the right thigh to armchair height. You coast along as your awesome sprinting momentum eases and the group rolls up. You are a picture of relaxation and confidence. You drift left and regard them as they ride up on your right. Your body language says one thing.
Let that be a lesson, jongens.
My old friend and LBS owner, George “Lefty” Sykes has taught me many cycling things over the years. He invested too much time, swearing and frustration drilling us in the perfect double pace line. The Casual Coast was never mentioned but George was a master of this move. I discerned this posture was as important as riding a double pace line though no one was going to pull me off the road and lecture me about it. This was not a skill, this was just cool. We cyclists don’t do much coasting but this an awesome way to recover and survey your fellow riders from a position of power and relaxed confidence.
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I must say, I naturally began doing the Casual Coast when I began riding, I think it came from riding bmx and just looking cool for the ladies when I was younger. But yea, I do the left hand bars and I'll even do a right fore arm rest on my right thigh... :D
...... but you did crush them unrestrainedly.
No kidding if you also have time to extract a nicotine stick and light up before the group arrives!
@Teocalli It adds to the casual feel. "I don't normally smoke but you fucks are so slow I had to do something to pass the time."
At last, a big guy on a size-appropriate frame without a meter of seat post!! Resplendant!!
Put a cap on instead of the helmet and you have the FUCKING MOST PERFECT cycling pic ever right there, Mate!!!
(even though I do not smoke and would never be caught dead without a helmet on whilst riding)
Guess you also need a steel ride and a single, small coco cola bidon in the front cage to be "perfect", but fuck me, it's close.
@Kevin Likewise, when passing a newbie rider, or indeed anyone on a Harley, the cherry on top for any motorcyclist is to casually (but deliberately) place the left hand on the thigh and settle back ever so slightly in the saddle, letting the passed rider know they should pay close attention as you drag a knee around the next bend.
You look fabulous. And calf muscles shouting "Here be monsters!".
That's the thing with cool, it's like quality, you can't define it, but we all know what it is, it just is.
@meursault
Or, famously, porn.