For your reading pleasure, the 1st of my ramblings on bicycle handling. Also appears on my new web page: http://www.earthfire.co.za/rentaridingbuddy/
The Great Divide
Some time ago I read an article written by Gene Hamilton from Better Ride that really made me think: “No such thing as advanced skills, only the basics done really well.” Take a moment to consider that seriously. I did. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Good technique doesn’t care if you’re on a road bike or DH bike, a corner is a corner. Done well, you conserve momentum, save energy and gain on your competitors/friends/some faceless guy on Strava. Winning, right?
Sadly, a vast majority of mountain bikers the world over concentrate only on one aspect of cycling – mashing away at the pedals. A core aspect sure, but used in isolation, not an optimum use of energy. This fact is masked by these cyclists spending most, if not all, of their riding hours in the company of other people doing exactly the same thing. Everyone’s doing it, it must be OK.
Exotic bike bits, bike fits, even paying a coach – all done for marginal gains – are seen as almost essential these days. These marginal gains are thrown away on every poorly executed corner, like some gangster lighting his cigar with a $100 bill. Even worse is when hundreds of thousands spent on preparation, equipment and entry fees are squandered by crashing out on the 1st day of a certain famous stage race.
On the other side of the Great Divide, some of us in knee pads and baggies don’t mash the pedals enough. Both sides scoff at the core aspect of the other side – like that guy we all know that makes a virtue of “not doing math” or bothering to spell.
In ramblings to follow, I will try my best to explain what I consider “the basics done really well” to mean. Bike handling skill isn’t some esoteric thing only attainable by Swiss precision athletes and goggle wearing beserkers. Everyone can do it.
I would love if you all took an honest look at your current level and style of riding. Much like the AA, the 1st step is to admit that there is room for improvement. The air may very well be rent with the seven stages of denial. I’m prepared, I’ve heard it all before.
We live in a world of finite resources, wasting energy is bad. We all have to do our bit to resist entropy, dammit! Baggy dudes, work on your fitness. Lycra dudes, come over to the darkside. It’s nice over here.
