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!

Join the leelikesbikes mailing list: