I figured out two tricks for riding with the fast guys in my 90% effort range. Like when I’m approaching the END of my red zone. I figured this out just in the nick of time, too. Maybe these tricks can help you, too.
#1: Rotate the cranks to accelerate. Do not press on them. When I want to go faster, rotate them faster. Do not press on them. Pressing uses muscle. Rotation uses bicycling. “Spin” doesn’t help! (It’s really, really tempting when the gang is accelerating from 26>28mph to just try to “go harder.”)
#2: When going my hardest — Relax! Let the belly droop. To go my hardest I must be totally relaxed. Zero tension in upper body or face. Gape like a carp — that can be relaxed. No rigidity in arms or shoulders. (Again, it’s really, really tempting when the gang is going berserk to tense up, to strain on the bars.)
When I successfully do those 2 tricks, I open up the chance for me to hang in there with faster riders.
Really, it’s just remembering how to ride a bike faster than usual. Probably any good racer already does these things. But I’ve been out of it a few years, even though I still train hard for cyclocross.
I note that my “rotate” is not the same as “spin.” I find that “spin” as a skill, concept or image does nothing to help me when I’m faced with a top speed acceleration. I’m already spinning. “Rotate faster” or “wind it up more, keeping winding it” both help me. Actually, the “rotate” angle seems best. Definitely ideas like “hammer” or “hit it” don’t help.
In cyclocross the course has so much going on that it’s easy to find myself working harder on other things than accelerating my spin, or working on my relaxation. But these tricks seem to be really important for hitting my purest burn for fastest speed on smooth pavement with the roadies. I’ve tended to dislike the straight-ahead “only about power” angle of roadie riding on our flat straight local roads. But there is a nice purity to it. And I need to tap into that to survive on the fast group rides. Heck, even the gravel rides require it — they’re more like road riding than is CX or MTB.
I recall one CX race where I *did* use “wind it out” to do well — but it had more grassy straights than usual. I focused on milking those without hurting my legs. In that race that I also focused on relaxing in a high speed chicane and that helped me carry speed. So those roadie tricks worked that time in the CX.
Rotating has been saving my butt lately. I hate the 175 cranks on my go-fast bike but i don’t have any shorter ones that will fit. Thank heavens, though, I’m starting to be able to spin them. I can always spin but I’m talking happy-spin. We’re talking subtle diff’s b/w 80-90rpm at 22-24mph and 90-110rpm at 23-26. Normally on 175s I feel like I’m galumphing … good cranks for mtbike climbing. But I was raised on 170s and there ya have it. [UPDATE: I now have 172.5’s on my roadbike and am liking them! Easier to *rotate*.]
Also, when my heart-rate is ready to explode: Relax. I’m finding this makes it much more tolerable. Even enjoyable. And I am indeed able to be comfy even while seeing the biggest numbers.
Now if I can just start doing 2 fast rides each week…! I’ll be good to go in a month. I better be, coz it’s closing in on CX season!
(I still need to do a lot more weight-lifting: my broken leg is still just plain skinnier than the other. That is really setting me back. I need all the muskle I can find! I thot it wd naturally catch back up, but no. I’ll try running more, too… Biking lets you cheat on leg imbalances. Running not so much.)
PHOTO: …Taken by my bro Tim. From 5 yrs ago, the last time I was fast. I felt great in that crit. I’d started really enjoying CX so I took the field through the half of the course that was full of turns. I was relaxed and going smooth and full gas thru every turn, stringin’ em out — but without working too hard. Good fun. …I like that I wore the local Touring Club jersey. Ha!
