Always be casually deliberate, even when riding.
You have just attacked off the front to take a town line sprint. It was a just-the-perfect-amount-of-dumb yet successful move. You went deeply anaerobic for a sprint no one else was even mildly interested in, but you did crush them unrestrainedly.
Now, to hide your effort, you deploy the Rule #80 Casual Coast. Left hand on the bars, right hand resting on the thigh, right pedal up to raise the right thigh to armchair height. You coast along as your awesome sprinting momentum eases and the group rolls up. You are a picture of relaxation and confidence. You drift left and regard them as they ride up on your right. Your body language says one thing.
Let that be a lesson, jongens.
My old friend and LBS owner, George “Lefty” Sykes has taught me many cycling things over the years. He invested too much time, swearing and frustration drilling us in the perfect double pace line. The Casual Coast was never mentioned but George was a master of this move. I discerned this posture was as important as riding a double pace line though no one was going to pull me off the road and lecture me about it. This was not a skill, this was just cool. We cyclists don’t do much coasting but this an awesome way to recover and survey your fellow riders from a position of power and relaxed confidence.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
Nice shot there Gianni. Adding to the superbly casual aspect of the image is the lack of a bottle or even anything substantial the rear pockets. The Cipo-like ciggie is very old school too! The look on your face says "damn, now where did I put my lighter?" I guess that how you roll on Maui, non?
@Buck Rogers
And a Flemish Standard crankset (52/3x42) and a straight block, not that hippy dinner plate he's got on there.
@Gianni, those bibs are very flattering. Your ass looks fantastic.
for uber casual, rest right elbow on right knee, looking off to the horizon and back at the group, all "yeah, i'll beat you over there but right now i'm just right here..."
This is my favorite thing to do as well, I'm glad someone finally wrote about this.
This is right up there with arms locked at the elbows while sitting on the tops as you blow by a rider at 50kph and casually chat them up as you drop them within seconds.
My favorite thing to do in this case is to keep looking back like Cipo crossing the finish line, wondering where the fuck they are and how it's possible they haven't already caught back up. Jaysus, what's taking you guys so long?
It's even better when you (un)intentionally drop a group and then sit up and wait for them. This has an even greater effect when you are able to express a subtle combination of bemusement and puzzle at the possibility that they couldn't keep up with your obviously moderate tempo.
On one occasion, I remember asking my dad to slow down a bit. He looked at me as he unclipped and let his foot drag on the tarmac a second before saying, "Yes, we can slow down."
"What did you drag your foot for?"
"Oh, I just wanted to be sure we were still moving before promising to be able to slow down more."
@frank Reminds me of a recent email exchange with a cycling buddy - summarised by
Me: I've got a new extended loop if you are up for a longer ride next time out.
He: Sure if you will slow down a bit.
Me: We're going for a bike ride not a walk.
Boss move. no doubt. I will need to post a link to Corner's FB page
@The Pressure
Hey Gianni - Your bike's too big!
What I loves about you is you are the study of Rule #80 in all of your endeavors! And the funny thing is that you do it so sublimely that it is hard to recognize and not mistake for dumb/slow, which, lest anyone doubts for 1 second, you most certainly (think Moe pronouncing that word) are not!
Here in my new home, Miami, being on the bike can be a study of Rule #80, for some unfortunately, whilst riding.
With the addition of heat and Latin temperament I am finding new ways to remain tranquillo. One of the things that Rule #80 may not cover is the unwritten Rule of staying tranquillo in look and demeanor while laying down the hurt. In my case not to other cyclists because weirdly there are none on my commute but to Cadillac Escalades, Range Rovers and fucking Harley's. the game I like to play to spice up the 16kms is when they bull their way through my space I track them and try to pass them at some point as close as I can to give them that special little rush of maybe their paint will get scratched. But if I have had a hard chase I feel it's important to look relaxed and effortless in the chase, as I go by and after, thus the Casual Coast comes into play often.
@The Pressure
Resplendent! Thanks, this 60cm frame seems just about perfect. I'm too old school for the 56cm frame and massive stem. We can't all be Dutch Monkeys.
@Buck Rogers
Buck, the fake cigarette is a must have. They are incredibly realistic looking, durable, and they have some chinese asbestos in them so when you push some air out it looks like smoke. A cig hanging on your lip as you ride by someone on a climb, it's a beautiful thing.