Front wheel lifting off ground when sprinting
04-26-21, 04:53 PM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,839
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6934 Post(s)
Liked 10,938 Times
in
4,673 Posts
Depending on how skilled you want to become at sprinting, there is a fair amount of technique to be able to do it and actually go faster. I was out at the velodrome and the sprinters were working on their accelerations. They would accelerate down the banking and ease up after the 200 to go line. I was on my road bike and one of the sprinters joking saying I brought the wrong bike today. I told him it was going to rain tomorrow and I would rather do my endurance ride in the sunshine and do my speed work on the trainer. He replied he would rather work on all the intricacies of sprinting in the sun. He could sit on a trainer and crank endurance miles.
04-26-21, 06:35 PM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,410
Bikes: 2017 Specialized Allez Sprint Comp
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 850 Post(s)
Liked 344 Times
in
247 Posts
It was actually 93 average with 101 max, 98 average if you just take the first 300m (18 seconds roughly I think).
I was not specifically looking to practice the opposite side arm push/pull. I was going to do it on my long weekend ride with multiple sub 100% sprints, but then I ended up doing a route with a lot of climbing and I did not want to add extra stress. But I did want to try one sprint on a local segment with leaning forward. So that is what I did the next day, basically one very easy ride with that one effort.
I was not specifically looking to practice the opposite side arm push/pull. I was going to do it on my long weekend ride with multiple sub 100% sprints, but then I ended up doing a route with a lot of climbing and I did not want to add extra stress. But I did want to try one sprint on a local segment with leaning forward. So that is what I did the next day, basically one very easy ride with that one effort.
I'd say a video is worth a million words here. If you aren't comfortable sharing your face, you can wear a mask and glasses and hopefully that'll be enough to anonymize you.
It also just might be a matter of practice. Maybe your technique looks fine but you have no muscle memory yet so it's hard to go full gas.
04-26-21, 08:07 PM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,433
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 741 Post(s)
Liked 412 Times
in
230 Posts
On road I ride 44cm bars. On the track I ride 38cm bars. It takes a couple of track sessions to get my timing back. The more narrow the bars, the better your technique needs to be. Kilo riders spend a lot of time perfecting that first 50 meters out of the blocks. A lot of it depends on how good you need to be. Just sprinting for fun or fitness, the bar can be pretty low.
Likes For colnago62:
04-27-21, 07:12 AM
#54
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Posts: 877
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 528 Post(s)
Liked 230 Times
in
161 Posts
Hm. That's a very reasonable cadence. How much are you "leaning forward"? It doesn't need to be drastic like Cav or Ewan. Don't lean any farther forward than feels natural.
I'd say a video is worth a million words here. If you aren't comfortable sharing your face, you can wear a mask and glasses and hopefully that'll be enough to anonymize you.
It also just might be a matter of practice. Maybe your technique looks fine but you have no muscle memory yet so it's hard to go full gas.
I'd say a video is worth a million words here. If you aren't comfortable sharing your face, you can wear a mask and glasses and hopefully that'll be enough to anonymize you.
It also just might be a matter of practice. Maybe your technique looks fine but you have no muscle memory yet so it's hard to go full gas.
And it is quite possible that I went forward too much, over-compensating so to speak.
04-27-21, 09:19 AM
#55
climber has-been
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 7,080
Bikes: Scott Addict R1, Felt Z1
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3405 Post(s)
Liked 3,535 Times
in
1,778 Posts
Is the wheel bouncing between pedal strokes?
That happens to me sometimes, when I'm really stabbing at the pedals.
I have to remind myself to keep my hips and torso from bouncing.
That happens to me sometimes, when I'm really stabbing at the pedals.
I have to remind myself to keep my hips and torso from bouncing.
__________________
Ride, Rest, Repeat. ROUVY: terrymorse
Ride, Rest, Repeat. ROUVY: terrymorse
04-27-21, 01:31 PM
#57
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,358
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2475 Post(s)
Liked 2,947 Times
in
1,673 Posts
In the video linked to earlier in the thread, Mark Cavendish demonstrates bouncing that way and says that he can't understand why some people do that while sprinting, since it just wastes energy.
Likes For Trakhak:
05-25-21, 04:18 AM
#58
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Posts: 877
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 528 Post(s)
Liked 230 Times
in
161 Posts
Just a quick update in case people are interested, I managed to stop the bouncing and increase my power output outside, I am already over 100W higher than last year, and beat while riding outside the new record I had set on the indoor trainer, which is also nice. Watching that video helped a lot, especially going one gear lower.
Likes For ZHVelo:
05-25-21, 03:00 PM
#59
bike whisperer
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,537
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1523 Post(s)
Liked 716 Times
in
508 Posts
I just fixed it by putting a Schwalbe Marathon on the front
__________________
Sheldon Brown's bike info ~~~ Park Tools repair help
Half-step triple, using double gear ~~~ 6400 STI rebuild walkthrough ~~~ Want 8/9/10s @126mm OLD? OCR. ~~~ Shimano cassette body overhaul ~~~ Ergopower Escape wear repair ~~~ PSA: drivetrain wear
List of US/Canada bike co-ops ~~~ Global list
Sheldon Brown's bike info ~~~ Park Tools repair help
Half-step triple, using double gear ~~~ 6400 STI rebuild walkthrough ~~~ Want 8/9/10s @126mm OLD? OCR. ~~~ Shimano cassette body overhaul ~~~ Ergopower Escape wear repair ~~~ PSA: drivetrain wear
List of US/Canada bike co-ops ~~~ Global list
05-25-21, 06:30 PM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 757
Posts: 11,245
Bikes: Madone, Emonda, 5500, Ritchey Breakaway
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10234 Post(s)
Liked 5,177 Times
in
2,222 Posts
Actually had this happen to me yesterday on my Ritchey. Havnt had a real reason to sprint with it yet, yesterday was the first time I needed to (traffic was angry). Out of the saddle and cranking hard my front wheel would come off the ground on each down stroke. Other than taking notice it didn’t bother me at all.
05-25-21, 06:48 PM
#61
climber has-been
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Posts: 7,080
Bikes: Scott Addict R1, Felt Z1
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3405 Post(s)
Liked 3,535 Times
in
1,778 Posts
05-25-21, 06:53 PM
#62
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: 757
Posts: 11,245
Bikes: Madone, Emonda, 5500, Ritchey Breakaway
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10234 Post(s)
Liked 5,177 Times
in
2,222 Posts
Likes For bampilot06:
Likes For Aerzon:
06-03-21, 11:18 AM
#64
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,244
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8258 Post(s)
Liked 8,980 Times
in
4,451 Posts
I used to do this sometimes when sprinting, to the point that the front wheel slamming back down was quite annoying. If I pay attention and don't jerk on the bars it doesn't happen.
Likes For big john:
