ZHVelo

Do I just need to put more weight towards the front or is my technique wrong?

Thanks

Trakhak

As you press down on the left pedal, pull up on the left side of the handlebar and push down on the right side, twisting the handlebar to counter the pedal force. As you press down on the right pedal, pull up on the right side of the handlebar and push down on the left side.

Kimmo 

Send a bit less power to your massive guads?

ZHVelo

Thanks.

Might try this on my trainer first, sounds like something that is straightforward but doing opposite things with arms legs is actually quite hard without practice.

Koyote

If you’re sprinting properly (see post #2), you should have a greater likelihood of pulling the rear wheel off the ground… Though neither should happen.

I really can’t fathom how you can be pulling the front wheel off of the ground. Is your weight waaay back on the bike?

eduskator

What a BAD and UNRELEVANT question!

Just kidding (I am imitating some forum members here). Perhaps you should lean more towards the front of the bike when getting out of the saddle and attacking. You should be feeling weight on your shoulders and arm transferring to your handlebars when sprinting.

WhyFi

Do you dislike your bike that much?

In all seriousness, a typical trainer is the last place that I'd practice sprinting; I personally won't go beyond a seated sprint on the trainer. Having the bike/rear axel locked in when trying to rip off my handlebars just seems like cruel and unusual punishment to my bike and, just as importantly, it feels completely unnatural. If you need to practice, do it on the road, but dial down the intensity and work on form before stepping it back up.

Badger6

I'm going to echo WhyFi! DON'T DO THIS! It has great potential to end badly.

When you say sprinting, I'm envisioning out of the saddle throwing down the max power you can manage...where are your hands? Hint, if they're on the hoods, you're doing it wrong. Unless, your name starts with Guiseppe and ends with Saronni. (Rule 92)

Get into the drops, and power away. If you already are....you are massively powerful and I want to ride with you.

Zaskar

Definitely too far back. I think. I also have a hard time understanding how your front tire is coming off the ground. With my sh***y technique, I'm often fighting the back tire skipping around.

Iride01 

Is your front wheel actually coming off the ground, or is it just about to?

If it's just about to but not, that might be a good indicator you are in the right gear at that moment to get the best power and acceleration.

But I'm just guessing and imagining. Have at it guys and gals.

seypat

Is the OP's last name Sagan?

noimagination

If you're riding without weaving all over the road, especially when riding out of the saddle, you're probably already doing it without being conscious of it. Doing different things with your arms and legs is also critical to cornering correctly.

Jack Tone 

Braggart. . I had that problem with a Yamaha R1 1000. Not with a bicycle yet.

eduskator

OP didn't specify, but he pushes 5000w as soon as he gets out the saddle.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, simple as that. Sometimes when I'm hill sprinting, I'll lift the back wheel off. Simple, move weight back. Lifting the front wheel is not good as one loses steerage.
BTW, you're doing it right.

caloso

Do form sprints in a parking lot or low traffic road. Out of the saddle and wind it up, but only with about 80% effort. Really focus on form and front-to-back balance. You'll feel it. Then start adding power.

ZHVelo

It was 'only' 900 Watts. My max was achieved on my trainer, just shy of 1000. That is hardly "massively powerful", which is why I thought I must be doing something wrong in the first place.

I prefer to have them on the hoods, but this particular time they were on the drops (which may explain some of the lower power versus my max, pretty sure I can do more on the hoods).

ZHVelo

Well, in the winter I ain't going out on a weekday in the dark and cold, or rain for that matter, so I only had the trainer for some months. I feel good sprinting on it, greatly improved my max output as well, my current max is still from trainer. But I take your point, I never really thought about it before to be honest (like why would they advertise "up to 2000W" and what do people doing Swift races do, they output way more than me I bet).

ZHVelo

Hence why I asked, I probably am doing something wrong. Logically I must be pulling the handlebar upwards, I can't think of why else the front would go up. Not sure why though.

Also maybe to clarify, I am not doing wheelies, as in it isn't massively in the air, it jumped off the ground I think twice for a very short time

ZHVelo

I have a local road that has a cycle lane and almost no traffic. Perfect for this. I assume with form you mean as described in post number 2?

ZHVelo

Immer großes Blatt 8000 Watt

Always big ring 8000 watt, rhymes in German.

Hm, trying to link an instagram post but it doesn't show the URL but instead the whole photo, which is kind of obnoxiously large. Anyway, it's a meme in German cycling.

Koyote

Do as suggested in post #2, which is not hard - it's pretty reflexive, really. Get your weight a bit more forward on the bike. Make sure your hands are in the drops.

Eric F 

I regularly do max-effort sprints on my trainer. No issues. However, I'm practiced at it, and know how to not fall off. I agree that the trainer not a good place to learn, and learning form/coordination at lower intensity is the right approach.

caloso

Absolutely need to have hands in the drops.

Trakhak

Couldn't get the link to load, so search YouTube for

How To Sprint Like Mark Cavendish – Cav's Top 5 Sprinting Tips