Four ways to chill
out bike challenges
BY SHEILA ASCROFT
stOpping the safe way
Tell new riders to set their saddle so high
that their toes just barely touch the ground,
and up comes the question, “Well,
how do I stop if I can’t put my
foot down?” Answer: Get off the
saddle!”
The proper and safe way to
stop is to free one foot from
a pedal, and to step down onto
the ground with that foot while
ERENO
S
applying the hand brakes. It
makes you more stable ICHOLAS
than trying to do a
/N
OM
tippy-toe unbalanced
.
C
T
O
stop while seated.
It also means you’re OCKPHO
not compromising your
I
S
T
Y
©
pedalling position. Of course, if you have
B
T
O
one of the new Electra bikes where you can
P
HO
stay seated and still have your feet flat on
the pavement, you can ignore this advice. you’re going a little too fast, the bike angle expending less effort for more speed, you
Stopping, like most skills in life, is merely could leave you with a pedal scraping also need to pull up on each stroke.
a matter of practice. If you’re left-handed, the pavement and knocking you down. If Think of the pedalling stroke as a clock
try always to step down with your left foot. you’re turning left, keep the left pedal up. with 12 at the top and 6 at the bottom of
Make it a habit – a good habit. With your Of course, it is always best to brake before the circle. Every cyclist pushes down from
left foot on the pavement at a full stop, the the turn, but sometimes you’re already into 12 o’clock
860
tow
BANK
ard 6 o
STREET
’clock, using
, OTT
the
AW
lar
A
ge
next step is getting started again. Before it before you realize you’re going too fast. quadriceps (613)muscles 231-6331on the front of the leg.
you do anything, flip the right pedal halfway Braking then will just cause the tires to The efficient cyclist also pulls up from 6
up to the 3 o’clock position. Now when you skid out. Instead keep your inside pedal up toward 12 or at least as far as 9. It requires
start to move, you push on the right pedal. AND push down hard on the outside pedal. using your calf and hamstring muscles on
This gives some momentum to the bike Stand on it if necessary. It’s much like skiing, the back of the leg. Spreading the effort out
and therefore increases its stability while when you keep the outside leg weighted in among more muscles like this saves them
you get your left foot back on the pedal and a turn. all from tiring. It also creates more power.
start pedalling again. If you are really going fast, perhaps down How do you pull up? As Greg LeMond,
While we’re talking about stopping, a hill, and come to an unexpected turn, the three-time Tour de France champion,
please … actually stop at stop signs and third technique is to lean the bike not your described it, the action at the bottom of the
red lights. It’s a moment of inconvenience, body into the turn while weighting that stroke is like scraping mud off the bottom
but getting whacked by a car really spoils outside pedal. of your shoe. Try it. If you doubt the need
your day. for this technique, take your bike out and try
prOper peDalling means gOing in
pedalling with just one leg in an easy gear.
cOrnering On a bike
circles
You will quickly notice the dead spot at the
If you’re comfortable with the basics of I know it sounds stupid to say “pedal in bottom of the stroke. Pedalling through the
pedalling, let’s talk about cornering. circles.” I mean, what else can you do on a whole stroke, making a circle, works.
How do you go around a street corner bike when your feet go round and round? To practice this “circle” so it becomes
with a bit of speed, or handle an unexpected Well, I used to think that too … but after a habit, go for a spin and warm up for 10
turn in the road without panicking? Answer: 20 years of serious riding, I’ve learned that minutes cycling your normal way. Then
Keep the inside pedal up. the cycling experts are right. There’s more do 10 circles pulling up with just the left
The position of your pedals in a turn to pedalling than merely pushing down. leg, then 10 with the right, and finally 10
matters. If the turn is a little sharp or if To be a truly efficient cyclist, which means with both. You should immediately feel
www.OttawaOutdoors.ca OTTAWA >> SUMMER/FALL 2008 17
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