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Questions tagged [technique]

How to improve your cycling form -- whether you want to pedal with less pain or become more aerodynamic. Can also be used for mountain biking or BMX techniques such as hopping or jumping.

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8 votes
4 answers
1k views

Ways to find a safe route on flooded roads

Recently during my cycling holiday I have been riding after a severe thunderstorm in the countryside, which meant the roads where covered in running muddy water and some underpasses had 5-6 cm of ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
37 views

YEAR/MODEL Technique BMX frame

I own this Technique BMX frame and need help determining which frame i own. Serial number is M12903. serial number underneath right rear fork
buck.westone23's user avatar
20 votes
7 answers
4k views

How maintenance-free can a commuter bike be?

Commuting is hard on bikes, especially when doing it all-year long. Maintenance is essential to assure one can get to work every morning without issues but it takes time and care. Fixed-gear and ...
olliebulle's user avatar
  • 3,371
1 vote
0 answers
73 views

Pedal Stroke Analysis on a BikeErg

Hello I'm in the market for an indoor bike and am considering the BikeErg. I'd like to know if there is a way I can do pedal stroke analysis like that offered by the Wattbike (https://support.wattbike....
abelian's user avatar
  • 121
5 votes
5 answers
954 views

Slick Hybrid Bike Tires on Steep Gravel Descent?

I'm trying to take my hybrid bike with slick hybrid tires down a short (maybe 200 foot) steep gravel descent with a gradient of around -25 percent (according to Strava). How should I ride this to ...
itisyeetimetoday's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
260 views

Strange handle on the left side of Winora Youkatan 12 pro

There is a strange handle (lever) on the left side of my new E-bike (Winora Youkatan 12 pro). It looks similar to the brake or gear shifter, and it is connected to the cable that goes somewhere (...
nightrider's user avatar
  • 6,752
17 votes
8 answers
2k views

Is turning head to look backwards while riding a bike a safe and recommended technique?

I currently have two problems with this: While looking backwards, I do not see where I am going. It is difficult to maintain perfectly the same direction while turning around. Probably both problems ...
nightrider's user avatar
  • 6,752
3 votes
1 answer
248 views

Striking pedals on a full suspension bike

I just change my old hardtail (Marlin 5-TREK) for a full-suspension bike (Siskiu D7). The bike runs smoothly, but I notice how frequently strike my pedals with the ground and other obstacles. I ...
Jonathan Pacheco's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
313 views

Could one predict from power data whether a cyclist is standing or sitting?

I was wondering about this machine learning problem: Take a large sample of data from rides that includes whether a cyclist was standing, what the cadence, power, (or perhaps even torque?) and ...
HRSE's user avatar
  • 211
0 votes
0 answers
75 views

What could be causing pain in right hip?

I'm a new cyclist in my 40s, used rental bikes for the past year before buying a second hand drop bar bike with flat pedals 4 months ago. I've been riding it about 3 times a week since and have slowly ...
mallardz's user avatar
  • 151
4 votes
0 answers
78 views

keep going off-axis on big jumps i don't know how to stop it?

I've been riding for about 5-6 years, and can speed through tech, can do hips, speed-jumps 5-8 meters... but every time theres a jump with a steep lip, or involves me going quite high, i keep coming ...
Ashton O'Connell's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
234 views

How to ensure all muscles are engaged when pedaling

Forgive me if this is too subjective, however, I've been doing some mtb riding and noticed that it's always my glutes that fatigue first especially on climbs, talked over with my friends and they tell ...
Will's user avatar
  • 345
14 votes
5 answers
2k views

Correctly and incorrectly mounting a bicycle

I am very fond of mouting bicycles this way: Stand to the left of the bike. Put the left foot on the left pedal. Push forward with the right foot to set the bike in motion. Swing the right leg ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
911 views

Does wearing a backpack weaken your jumping technique?

I mountain bike about 4 times a week. I like to do jumps, but I wear a water backpack (water bladder, camelbak, whatever you'd like to call it). I wear it because I find that a water bottle doesn't ...
LemmyX's user avatar
  • 225
-1 votes
4 answers
355 views

Why do men and women have different sporting capabilities, e.g. why is the women's hour record significantly shorter than the men's?

In this YouTube video, they show the hour record, but, during all its duration, they declare that women have a different goal than men. (in the video he mentions women's record could be 50km/h and men'...
RA828's user avatar
  • 127
1 vote
2 answers
306 views

Pendulum motion when riding out of the saddle

When riding out of the saddle, you will often have to rock the bike laterally for stability. My question is: how do most people synchronise this pendulum motion with their pedal stroke? In which ...
ThymeTravel's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
474 views

What adjustments can you do to prevent psoas tightness in an aggresive postion on a road or track bike?

I have been paying attention to my own body and I feel that together with a sedentary job and not moving more than with the bike due to the COVID restrictions, I spend a lot of time in that shortened ...
nck's user avatar
  • 1,479
11 votes
4 answers
3k views

Does rocking the bike side to side when e.g. sprinting or climbing help?

Or would more power go through the pedals if the rider held the frame still/upright? Or is there little difference? How would it be measured and what are the forces acting on the bike when rocking ...
Wilskt's user avatar
  • 1,280
18 votes
5 answers
8k views

Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike?

I want to take a visiting friend out on a bike ride. Since this friend never learned how to ride a bike, I was thinking that a tandem might be a viable solution in the short term, instead of ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 6,999
11 votes
8 answers
7k views

Low tire pressure causing fall in corner?

I recently fell in a corner. My front wheel lost traction (slid out from underneath the bike, what they call a 'lowsider' in motorcycling iirc). I was running quite low tire pressure (front wheel) to ...
Maarten -Monica for president's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
666 views

Rear wheel slipping out of slot after attempting a 180

So whenever I try a 180, I seem to put quite a bit of sideways force on the rear wheel when I land because I never make it the whole way. After the landing, it causes the wheel to come out of its slot....
William T's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
200 views

How do you come to a stop without dismounting? [duplicate]

I'm an avid bicycler who has just moved to the city (Boston). As I (unlike many folks here) am unwilling to run red lights and violate traffic laws, I often have to come to a stop, dismount, and wait ...
Dent7777's user avatar
  • 864
0 votes
5 answers
396 views

Differences between starting a road bike vs a mountain bike?

I'm having problems getting rolling on my road bike. For some reason I have hard time hopping back into the road bike saddle. It's the pedals spinning causing my feed to lose grip, or the bike ...
Mark Paul's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
12k views

Which position adjustments maximize the use of the glutes in a road bike?

I usually don't feel the glutes firing when I'm seated unless I'm in a really long and hard climb or if I stand up and move back. Is there any common adjustment to maximize the glutes utilization? Or ...
nck's user avatar
  • 1,479
5 votes
4 answers
455 views

Ride a bike only using the pedals

Is it possible to ride a bike standing? I mean properly standing, not sitting up straight. Your feet are on the pedals but you do not touch any other part of the bike. If not, is it possible to roll/...
bitt.j's user avatar
  • 151
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why do so many people put the inside pedal down when cornering?

When learning to ride, my dad taught me to always have the inside pedal up when cornering. He reinforced the lesson by telling me about a race he'd been in where someone clipped a pedal when cornering ...
FreeMan's user avatar
  • 1,453
17 votes
11 answers
6k views

How to learn to ride a bike better?

I can ride a bike somehow, but I'd like to learn to do it better (maneuvering, etc.) before starting to use it as a way to move about the city. Any suggestions how I should go about doing that, what I ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
182 views

Calves overcoming glutes function, is this a set up problem?

I've noticed that I usually become really tight calves while my gluts don't work at all. It is specially so when I accelerate in my singlespeed while I'm stand up or when I climb. Sometimes I get my ...
nck's user avatar
  • 1,479
1 vote
2 answers
443 views

Risks of pedaling with outward pointing knee

During my pedaling action I always try to keep my knee moving in plane parallel to the plane containing the frame, or, in other words, my leg parallel to the frame. I have however noticed other ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 6,999
11 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is it a good idea to lift the front wheel to go through small bumps?

I was wondering if it is a good idea, when riding fast on a road bike, to lift the front wheel when I find a 5-10cm bump. Does it damage the rear wheel more? Is it good or bad for the front wheel? I ...
nck's user avatar
  • 1,479
3 votes
6 answers
3k views

How do you keep from coasting too much on a bicycle?

Something that has always confused me about working out on a bike. I want a Hybrid to ride for fitness. I do not want the Road bike, mostly because I'm not going to ride on the road (I am too afraid ...
johnny's user avatar
  • 183
4 votes
2 answers
300 views

Climbing techique with panniers and cleats

In the last year I started using cleats (2 bolts SPD) on my touring bike, which I often use with rear panniers on biking holiday (travelled about 2000 km with this set up). The struggle I have is ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 6,999
1 vote
4 answers
934 views

Bum-off-seat cycling

Is their a particular term for "standing" while cycling, and how is it done? I've never been able to manage it, nor for that matter, flinging my leg over the saddle while the bike is still in motion, ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
256 views

How to avoid hand strain when landing with a road bike?

Whenever landing from a bunny-hop or jumping a couple of stairs, my hands strain just above the wrist. How can this be remedied? Things I have tried: Warming up before going out. Position the ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 13.5k
15 votes
5 answers
462 views

How do I improve my cycling at my age (77 years)

I am 77 years old and newly come to riding a road bike. In the better weather I do between 75 and 100 miles per week, consisting mainly of fairly easy roads with four or five reasonable hills, ...
Malcolm's user avatar
  • 151
1 vote
2 answers
992 views

Reposition pedal on a fixed gear (fixie)

I've been riding a fixie for about 3 months, without foot retention, for commuting. As I ride at about 10km/h I don't feel the need for it. I've learned I can reposition (lift) my right pedal (...
Eric Omine's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
617 views

Is there a way to remember pedal, crank position before taking sharp turns

I had a nasty tumble yesterday when doing a sharp right turn into a side road. A car was giving way to me at the junction. I turned right and I was basically thrown of my bike. flipped onto my left ...
Martin 's user avatar
  • 389
4 votes
6 answers
759 views

Re-learning how to corner aggressively at speed after bad experiences

I'm not quite sure if this should somehow be broken up into two questions, but what can one do to take sharp corners at speed effectively, especially when you're nervous after having bad experiences ...
errantlinguist's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
237 views

Most effective pedal position to jump start from still situation

All other conditions (strenght, gear, etc.) being the same, what is the most efficient position of the pedals when starting from a still situation on a very short sprint (like crossing 10 meters wide ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 6,999
10 votes
4 answers
7k views

How can I tell if my bike can ride down stairs without damaging it?

I would like to know if my bike can handle going down a flight of about 15 stairs. (edit: ride it down, not jump) Specifically I have a Merida Crossway 100 . However, I would like to know if there is ...
HanMah's user avatar
  • 280
12 votes
3 answers
4k views

What happens if a tire goes flat while I am in a fast turn?

So, the other day, I was riding along and got a flat tire. I was at the bottom of a large hill where I often find myself travelling 30 or more miles per hour (as per my speedometer) about it's many ...
user1833028's user avatar
  • 1,445
7 votes
6 answers
1k views

Tips for dexterously handling bike lights with winter gloves

I've got some battery-powered LED lights which are mounted using the typical "click-in" bike mounts somewhat like the one pictured below: Unfortunately, I've got the fine motor skill of an elephant. ...
errantlinguist's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
518 views

Should I leave the water bottle tip open or shut while in the cage?

When I'm riding (all road, never trails) I leave the tip on my water bottle shut. When I take a drink, I pull the tip open with my teeth, squirt some water, and then bump it against my slightly-opened ...
BSO rider's user avatar
  • 5,640
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to bike with less stress on the calves

I have a condition called functional PAES, which is caused by the calf muscles compressing the popliteal artery. My doctor recommended activities that would not put much stress on the calves, and ...
Pedro Tabacof's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to roll-start with a back-pedal coaster brake?

I have a bicycle with a coaster brake. It is very "handy" to brake even without hands. But somehow I can only do a stand still start. This means if have to get on bike first and then start pedaling. ...
HandyBiker's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
11k views

Does the superman style have any chance to be seen in competition?

On social networks, many people have seen Michael Guerra's superman style. Video here The technique seems to be quite efficient, however it probably requires skills and yield to increase risks of ...
Remi.b's user avatar
  • 223
8 votes
5 answers
350 views

Standing up, worth practising for a casual cyclist?

I have no interest in racing, for me a bike is a mode of transport or a pleasant way to enjoy the countryside. Currently, the only time I ever stand is to accelerate from stationary or for a very ...
Mr. Boy's user avatar
  • 305
3 votes
4 answers
2k views

How can I carry a heavy bag without a rack?

I want to buy a heavy 20kg bag of rice and bring it home. The problem is that I only have access to a bike without any rack or formal way to store bags. The bag is too big to fit in my backpack. The ...
JS Lavertu's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
228 views

Preventing staining of clothes when carrying bike

Is there any reliable way to carry a bike (of non-insignificant weight) without ruining the clothes one's wearing? I live in a part of the world where millions of people ride in plain clothes every ...
errantlinguist's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
273 views

Any drills for looking while riding?

I have come to believe that the major skill when riding singletrack is scanning the terrain. After any turn there could be a hiker, a fallen log or just a boulder that you didn't memorize during the ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 13.5k