Hi Ted,
Thanks for the memories... and the education.
Jamie Swan - Northport, N.Y. http://www.centerportcycles.com (mapped) http://www.limws.org http://www.liatca.org http://www.cabinfeverliquidations.com
On Oct 30, 2005, at 10:01 PM, ternst wrote:
> Hello again: Last week Jamie had a good handle on the "soft pedal"
> term.
> It can be used as Jamie suggested to control speed in close quarters
> and
> big fields. It's very easy to do with a fixed gear, which is how riders
> control gaps and tightness in the field, but a little more difficult
> with freewheel.
> For strategic riding the exercise needs to be taken a little more
> deviously. Letting a step fall out is the way to relax and rest while
> in
> a pace line or in a field, more commonly referred to as soft pedaling.
> If done correctly the rider backs off just enough on pedaling to take
> one rpm less for so many strokes so the other riders don't notice that
> he's lost a stroke. Tricky. because when you're in a line you don't
> want
> the others to know your resting. It's a matter of always tryng to get
> an
> advantage without giving yourself away. So you "soft pedal"
> Stepping into and through really go together.
> Riders who haven't been trained or taught how to push properly and lift
> their legs to reciprocate the down motion don't understand the action
> of
> stepping into.
> How many times have you been out riding and as your just rolling along
> some rider will fly past you on a longer downhill or tailwind section.
> Then when the next grade comes or if you turn a corner into the wind,
> you reel him in. That's because they can get a big gear rolling but
> when
> it comes to
> stepping into the ratio, the knowledge and power to apply the
> principles
> of biomechanics is lacking.
> So you step into the gear to keep it moving to pick up pace or counter
> adverse road condition and then if the effort is needed because the
> situation is longer or farther, then you have to "step through" to keep
> the rpm going which needs more horsepower.
> You can step into it without stepping through for a short effort, but
> you can't step through without stepping into it first.
> Every once in a while I'll roll back to somebody, then pull along side
> after they've passed me and when I'm next to them ask them why they are
> shifting down and going so slow when they just went by me like I was
> standing still. I casually ask them as I start to go by why they don't
> step into it and keep the pace going without shifting way down and
> losing momentum. The look of consternation on their faces when they're
> a
> getting a little comeuppance is very soothing to my psyche.
> I try to be gentle on them, but can't help tweaking them occasionally
> when I notice their body language and attitude suggest they're hot
> stuff. Can't do it like I used to, gotta mellow out now, not riding
> hard enough. Shucks!
> I'm running out of terms, kept a list. As I get some more together I'll
> jot them down and resume somewhere down the line.
> Thanks to all of you who worked along with me, and hopefully all the
> list members will have had a little fun living the old terms along with
> me.
> All this is as I heard and experienced it over the last 65 years, and
> it's been fun sharing with you all.
> Ted Ernst
> Palos Verdes Estates, CA