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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5 replies
  1. James says:

    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.

    Reply
  2. Jared says:

    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.

    Reply
  3. chance says:

    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!

    Reply
  4. Jared says:

    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!

    Reply

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