dismount
October 1st, 2008 |It hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have been dismounting from my cyclocross bike all wrong this whole entire time.
Not totally all wrong like Super Rookie, just a bit all wrong.
That whole thing about grabbing the top tube with your right hand, putting your body weight on your right hand, un-weighting your left foot and clipping out? I have not been doing that. I have been full on body weight on the left foot while trying to clip out.
When you are full on body weight on the left foot, and your left foot does not disengage from the pedal fast enough, you stay clipped in and stack it into the barrier. You eat a shit sandwich with the squirts for topping and a side of turd. Just as I did last Sunday.
You are supposed to put your body weight on your right hand, then unclip from your left pedal with enough time to be totally free of the pedals well before you need to get feet on turf.
I figured all this out by accident, and not the accident last Sunday.
After the crash I was fully prepared to continue keeping body weight on the left foot. But yesterday, when I was out cruising around a bit, I happened to weight the right hand and unclip from my left pedal.
Eureka.
The clouds parted. The sun shown. Harps began to play. Jesus Christ and/or Daniel Pontoni came down from the havens and bitch slapped me for being so god damn stupid.
One of the things I enjoy about these fringe aspects of cycling is all the details you have to figure out to be even competitive. Track racing is all about that. How to ride the track. Short, fast races. Gearing, tactics, etc.
Cyclocross is like that too. Steep learning curve.
I hope I have a chance to practice this more before my first cross race in 11 years this Sunday.
16 Responses to “dismount”
i love this sport….i love the stoke that it brings when the little details come together..
also when you are putting your weight on the right hand, lean your hip into the saddle and balance there..
It all comes together and is beauty in motion
Barriers are sooooo overrated.
Get off on the right side.
Fo’ Real
I don’t think my dismount slows me down as much as the Baker’s Wife Pastry Shop does.
soon you will find out that engaging/disengaging the cleat is un-necesary w/ real pedals(and shoes with some tread-can even be recessed spd)- amazing how everything old is new
wah, I gotta admit, I love how you love cx…I’m the same way…about the track…madison practice tonight….at the TRACK!!!!
@bloodline: I don’t know what you are talking about.
Offff! For shame on anyone who has done “practice” with you for not pointing that out (CX 101!).
Good luck with the “new found” technique.
- KA
i don’t know you…
http://bloodlinefour.blogspot.com/2008/10/zen-and- art.html
I guarantee that while perfecting your new technique, you will again eat a shit sandwich with ass hairs and and a shmear.
I speak from personal experience.
Another some prefer is to unclip the left well prior to the barier while still seated, then ride the arch, unclip the right, and stand on your left. You are completely free of the peddles and can step through as you wish.
clipless pedals, don’t belong in cyclocross
Yea, ok.
Does index shifting? Non-steel frames? How far do you want to set back the clock?
I think we should set it back to when europeans started running with their bikes to warm up their feet, then hop back on. None of this cx race shit…
Yes! And sit on a steak when your ass hurts!
i like 1982, friction shifting,steel and steak tartar like the tartars put the steak btween the horse and addle and ride on it all day and eat for dinner.
yr ass hurts when you wear ass chaps btw