Imminent Defection
I remember sitting down to eat lunch with a guy after The Traverse and as we talked about getting faster on our bikes he said that the best way to improve was to get a road bike.
I keep hearing this over and over and over and I have to admit I'm sold.
Between following the Tour de France for the first time and some interesting experiments on my mountain bike I've developed a desire for a road bike.
I've come to realize that I'm severely under utilizing various muscle groups in my legs. When I climb I tend to have a stabbing motion with my pedal stroke. This puts the focus on my quads. I've been trying to have a more rounded stroke and I realize that when I do that my hamstrings and calves suddenly get involved. The pain I get when I start to have a more even stroke tells me those muscles are rarely used.
Also if I ride on a flat road section I notice I can get more power from my pedaling by working at every point in the stroke. In other words instead of letting a leg rest when the pedal is down at its lowest point, I exert some energy to pull it back up. Keeping constant pressure at every point allows all my leg muscles to get involved.
I can definitely see how pedaling on a road bike can develop these muscles and produce a more smooth, powerful and efficient pedal stroke for me.
Now I just need some money to buy a road bike. Not likely to happen soon. =(
I keep hearing this over and over and over and I have to admit I'm sold.
Between following the Tour de France for the first time and some interesting experiments on my mountain bike I've developed a desire for a road bike.
I've come to realize that I'm severely under utilizing various muscle groups in my legs. When I climb I tend to have a stabbing motion with my pedal stroke. This puts the focus on my quads. I've been trying to have a more rounded stroke and I realize that when I do that my hamstrings and calves suddenly get involved. The pain I get when I start to have a more even stroke tells me those muscles are rarely used.
Also if I ride on a flat road section I notice I can get more power from my pedaling by working at every point in the stroke. In other words instead of letting a leg rest when the pedal is down at its lowest point, I exert some energy to pull it back up. Keeping constant pressure at every point allows all my leg muscles to get involved.
I can definitely see how pedaling on a road bike can develop these muscles and produce a more smooth, powerful and efficient pedal stroke for me.
Now I just need some money to buy a road bike. Not likely to happen soon. =(
posted by prevents email spam at
2:04 PM
2 Comments:
No.
Being a roadie is too scary, unless you can find paths away from roads.
Convert your SS into a commuter bike. I took my Chameleon which is still SS and put a bigger chain ring one 36t (Need 39t). I also put on some Specialized Armadillo commuter tires. Although the gearing is still too short, it still is an effort to go at speed. I find myself pedaling in circles alot more while on the road than I do in the dirt.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home