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I'm back again; Mwahahaha! Ok so now on to sprinting, this is explosively fun! At the club and recreational levels, even some of the most competent riders opt out of the fun because they're unsure of how to handle themselves when the group sprints for a townline sign or end-of-the-ride marker. Worse, some riders with more confidence than experience jump willy-nilly into the action, endangering everyone. Here's how to handle yourself in a bar-to-bar (I mean handlebar, if you'll excuse the pun) finish.
This tutorial is more focused for road cyclist. You can try with another type of bike but I can guarantee that you'll be working a lot harder than you normally would without the proper bike.
What begins with stillness ends with explosiveness-but the choreography of sprinting requires smoothness and predictability.
(YES! German numbering *w00t*)
Eins (#1): Be Predictible
On TV, or viewed from the back of an aggressive group, a sprint looks like an anything-goes melee on which the foolhardy triumph. In reality, although you need nerve to execute your plans-if you back out of a wind-sheltered hole in front of you, someone else will quickly pedal into it-good sprinters follow an accepted and predictable choreography that keeps the action as safe as possible. The etiquette can be complex, but most of the lessons can be simplified into one rule: Be smooth. Never perform an erratic maneuver. For instance, if a line of riders begins passing you, don't get excited and immediately swing over to try to join it. Instead, quickly glance back before you move to make sure you aren't riding into someone. Likewise, before you jump out of a line to make a dash for the finish, make sure you have a clear lane, with no one coming up fast behind you.
Zwei (#2): Hold Your Line
Don't angle across the road on a sprint, hoping to cut off or drop riders. (Pros are sometimes disqualified for extreme examples of this.) It's dangerous-because you're behaving unpredictably-and it's regarded as a bush-league tactic that reflects poorly on you. And don't furiously rock your body; instead, with hands in the drops, rock the bike with each pedal stroke while your body stays centered.
Drei (#3): Accelerate Wisely
The biggest mistake novices make in the final moments of a sprint is to swing out of a draft and try to accelerate into the wind. It's much smarter to let a slight gap open in front of you-about half a bike length-and begin accelerating toward the rider's wheel while you're still protecting from the wind. Then when you swing out you will already be moving faster than the rider in front of you.
This tutorial is more focused for road cyclist. You can try with another type of bike but I can guarantee that you'll be working a lot harder than you normally would without the proper bike.
What begins with stillness ends with explosiveness-but the choreography of sprinting requires smoothness and predictability.
(YES! German numbering *w00t*)
Eins (#1): Be Predictible
On TV, or viewed from the back of an aggressive group, a sprint looks like an anything-goes melee on which the foolhardy triumph. In reality, although you need nerve to execute your plans-if you back out of a wind-sheltered hole in front of you, someone else will quickly pedal into it-good sprinters follow an accepted and predictable choreography that keeps the action as safe as possible. The etiquette can be complex, but most of the lessons can be simplified into one rule: Be smooth. Never perform an erratic maneuver. For instance, if a line of riders begins passing you, don't get excited and immediately swing over to try to join it. Instead, quickly glance back before you move to make sure you aren't riding into someone. Likewise, before you jump out of a line to make a dash for the finish, make sure you have a clear lane, with no one coming up fast behind you.
Zwei (#2): Hold Your Line
Don't angle across the road on a sprint, hoping to cut off or drop riders. (Pros are sometimes disqualified for extreme examples of this.) It's dangerous-because you're behaving unpredictably-and it's regarded as a bush-league tactic that reflects poorly on you. And don't furiously rock your body; instead, with hands in the drops, rock the bike with each pedal stroke while your body stays centered.
Drei (#3): Accelerate Wisely
The biggest mistake novices make in the final moments of a sprint is to swing out of a draft and try to accelerate into the wind. It's much smarter to let a slight gap open in front of you-about half a bike length-and begin accelerating toward the rider's wheel while you're still protecting from the wind. Then when you swing out you will already be moving faster than the rider in front of you.
Just two more to do, I was thinking about doing some illustrations to add into the text after I’ve submitted it but, I’m not sure just yet.
I hope you found this DIY tutorial helpful. :3
~A.Aspen
PS. No excuses. You're ALWAYS ready for the RIDE.
I hope you found this DIY tutorial helpful. :3
~A.Aspen
PS. No excuses. You're ALWAYS ready for the RIDE.
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