Categories: La Vie VelominatusNostalgiaRiding UglyTechnique

La Vie Velominatus: Standing Grace

Kelly teaches the masterclass once again.

We are bipedal creatures. Fact. Bipedal locomotion sucks. Also a fact. This makes being a human somewhat challenging in the sense that we don’t have opposable toes or a tail with which to swing from tree limbs. Swinging from your tail seems a little bit like bliss, if you ignore the associated demotion back into the Food Chain.

We Cyclists elect to circumvent these shortcoming by pushing our legs around in circles rather than in whatever shape makes a walking pattern or a tail-swinging pattern. It’s quite unnatural, riding a bike, and even the most casual study of the common Cyclist will reveal that most are not terribly good at it.

Which is why the graceful Cyclist is such a pleasure to watch; the mastery of the unnatural. A Cyclist who coaxes the pedals about their arch with fluid grace and power is not so much an athlete as an artist. This is a creature who has dominated the nature and become something wholly of another world.

Rising from the saddle in search of more power is perhaps the pinnacle of the art. Planting our butts in our saddle provides a solid platform from which to crush the pedals; it’s a handy way to keep our limbs from setting off in independent orbits. But when we’re really on the rivet and in the search for Speed Plus One, that rump is going to have to get lifted up into the air.

The most skilled in this craft are a beauty to behold. In one fluid motion that does nothing to limit the venom in their stroke, they rise out of the saddle and allow the machine to sway beneath them in response to the power being applied by each thrust to the pedals. The saddle sways from side to side in an almost hypnotic rhythm as the rider suffers without revealing any external signs of the effort they are applying.

The only hint is that the amplitude of the saddle’s sway increases as the power does. And when the time comes to return to the saddle, the amplitude is reigned in and brought back to home with perfect precision and no loss in the pedal stroke.

Cadel Evans looked horrible out of the saddle; he gave the impression he was trying to strangle his machine for some untold afront. Sean Kelly, on the other hand, could rise out of the saddle without you even realizing he was standing, so smooth was the transition.

On my best days, my saddle returns to me in perfect unison; I am one with my machine, a symbiotic lifeform. Upon a visit with the Man with the Hammer, I almost need to coast in order to return my rump to its home on the rare occasion that I manage to lift it off in the first place.

Mastery of this art is one I continue to pursue. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

unversio says:

Jun 18 2015 at 6:44 am

@Apex Nadir

If you’re “on the rivet” your rump is on the edge of your Brooks saddle...

Edge meaning the nose.
Haldy says:

Jun 18 2015 at 7:08 am

@Joe

@Haldy

Hear hear. But no need for a velodrome, just the time-tested early season miles on the fixed gear road bike to regain the smoothness lost during the previous season (or off-season).

I wholehearted agree. Not many folk are willing to do the fixed thing in training these days in the off season though. Another great place to work it on it..on a set of rollers!
ErikdR says:

Jun 18 2015 at 7:09 am

@KogaLover; @Oli

Gents, the deed is done. Long overdue picture of my 1980 Koga Miyata Roadspeed (in the color that, at the time, was referred to as "light gold metallic") has been uploaded under "the Bikes"
Ron says:

Jun 18 2015 at 7:28 am

I have definitely found myself considering if the Saddle Sway I was engaging in was rhythmic and artistic when out of the saddle.

Was traveling last week and wasn't on a bike for five whole days. My Tuesday morning commute felt weird, like I'd never ridden a bike. Legs were all herky-jerky, nothing felt smooth. After a proper evening road ride on Thursday, I was back. Love the smooth, calm feeling on the bike when doing it right!
The Grande Fondue says:

Jun 18 2015 at 8:09 am

The looking good out-of-the is a puncheur thing:

Being an Irish puncheur, Dan Martin makes it look great, but I can't find a great pic. Valverde looks fantastic out-of-the-saddle, but I won't post a pic of that.
wiscot says:

Jun 18 2015 at 1:07 pm

Re the lead picture: that Vitus is in a world of pain.
Beers says:

Jun 18 2015 at 3:22 pm

@unversio

@Phillip Mercer

As someone who frequently sits on the front of the group into climbs to then be dropped by the smart-arse climbers who draft the entire way there when I get out of the saddle I always try to make sure there is no break in pedal stroke to avoid taking out those behind. The same cannot be said the other day when I reeled back in one of the guys where I sat on his wheel to regather myself, only for him to stop pedalling to get out of his saddle, change gears and start wildly swinging his back wheel. I found my front wheel being taken out at that point but was able to catch myself before hitting the ground. Sure, I was too close by my mate’s technique really could do with smoothing out…

Phillip pointed out many issues here — concur. Never allow the bike to throw itself backward. It takes a good deal of practice, but control that glide into position. On the front of the line, at the “now” moment, the bike will even carry forward with me as I push up. There is a short version of this too where I lift entirely off the saddle all within one stroke (carrying forward) just to circulate stuff.

I find the ninja throw of the bike backwards happens when you transition to standing on one downward stroke of one leg. You use the effort on the pedals to force you up higher, but it throws the bike back in the savage ninja chop we all know and love. God knows how many muppets back wheels I have missed by being close, but aligning just to the inside of their back wheel, allowing room to move to the non-gutter side if the wheel in front comes flying back at me.

I find the smooth stand up is a 4 step process, and you have tension throughout your legs and core to make it the smoothest, as you attempt to keep the full turn of the crank as smooth as possible. First, change up gear so you are overgeared, this is key to prevent the ninja chop. Secondly the downstroke on one side is the tiniest rise out of the saddle. Thirdly the corresponding downward stroke on the other side rises you to about halfway (legs get a burn on here, core tight). Finally the following downward stroke on the initial side gets you all the way up.

Then still body while swinging the bike beneath, torque the bike beneath you with your arms for a bit more power, rather than just letting the rock of the bike passively follow the application of power from your legs. It is kind of like as the crank is through the horizontal on the front of the downstroke, pulling in the opposite direction with your arms to the way the bike is rocking adds power. If you do it right, you feel like the bike surges ahead (but not backwards) of you because of the surges of power from your arms. It's what I do when I'm tapped out climbing seated and standing and need a bit extra, or if there is a ridiculous steep pinch in a climb, because a change is as good as a holiday...
Teocalli says:

Jun 19 2015 at 1:02 am

@Beers

Not forgetting to move to the drops first.
piwakawaka says:

Jun 19 2015 at 2:12 am

@Teocalli

@Beers

Not forgetting to move to the drops first.

well, that's an entirely different sort of standing than what we are discussing here, standing with hands on the tops, (although, Kelly of course is neither on tops nor drops), now standing in the drops, there's a whole other tread for that!

In the drops it's about power rather than grace, you torque the bike from side side to side like you want to tear it's head off, standing is more like you're trying to dance her ass off
Ron says:

Jun 19 2015 at 8:20 am

Thursday evening ride last night...and I made sure my Regal saddle was ticking like a metronome when I climbed.