Pedaling drill: Tens
I just stumbled upon a new pedaling drill. It helped me drag my sore carcass up the hill to my house, and it made me more aware of my standing-sitting-standing transitions. Fun!
Setup
Long, smooth climb with decent traction. This lets you focus on your pedaling fu.
Steep paved road on an S-Works Tricross is ideal. Have I ever mentioned that Specialized bikes are awesome? Especially with Shimano drivetrains and Sun-Ringle wheels.
Protocol
One pedal = one complete rotation of the cranks. Left foot from 12 o’clock to 12 o’clock.
Start by leading and counting with your left foot:
1 pedal seated, 1 pedal standing
2 pedals seated, 2 pedals standing
3 pedals seated, 3 pedals standing
4 pedals seated, 4 pedals standing
5 pedals seated, 5 pedals standing
6 pedals seated, 6 pedals standing
7 pedals seated, 7 pedals standing
8 pedals seated, 8 pedals standing
9 pedals seated, 9 pedals standing
10 pedals seated, 10 pedals standing
9 pedals seated, 9 pedals standing
8 pedals seated, 8 pedals standing
7 pedals seated, 7 pedals standing
6 pedals seated, 6 pedals standing
5 pedals seated, 5 pedals standing
4 pedals seated, 4 pedals standing
3 pedals seated, 3 pedals standing
2 pedals seated, 2 pedals standing
1 pedal seated, 1 pedal standing
Rest a bit. Repeat while leading and counting with your right foot.
I suppose you could do fives, 25s, 100s or whatevers. I did a bunch of ones, and that was pretty tricky.
Pay attention to
• Balance. Always. Heavy feet, light hands, light butt.
• Smooth transitions. Strive to maintain smooth flow between positions. If you notice hiccups in your stroke, make an adjustment. Is your left or right foot a better leader?
This will aid all sit-stand-sit endeavors, especially technical climbing.
Fun! Get some.
Lee
Know more. Have more fun!
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Is 1 pedal a complete revolution of the cranks? I am not sure which is worse, that you come up with this stuff or that I actually can’t figure it out.
I love your tips and drills. Definitely increasing the Braap factor on my new 26er.
Ladders, so brutal, yet so easy…sounding. (It’s *only* up to 10.)
Lee, the steady climb is so you don’t spin out? I have a few hills to choose from, the closest is somewhat gradual but should keep my speed in check.
Hey guys, I think I hit Publish too quickly. Thanks for the questions. I added details above.
haha, love the plug: Specialized bikes are awesome? Especially with Shimano drivetrains and Sun-Ringle wheels.
hahah
sounds like a good work out, I’ll use this with my highschool kids!
Thanks for the clarification, Lee.
My SWAG is my left foot will be stronger. It’s my lead foot while riding and my “punch” foot for wheelies.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to test it for a few weeks, a broken clavicle takes forever to heal!