Sprinting: skipping wheel

[TJ]

i am still stuck on 340 ft for 155lb. this is cat1/2 ft in texas. 1300+ 5 sec is also not shabby. its hard to imagine this kinda mojo isnt smooth.

Nick~ I am a cat 2 so I guess I am where I belong. To clarify on the back wheel issue , I should maybe reword it. I am told what goes on obviously because I can't see it. It sounds more like sliding side to side , almost like a skid. There, clear as mud?

[TJ]

Swoop~ I will give those a go soon. Lots of useful info in this thread. That's why this place rocks

[caleb]

Early last summer I would spin my rear wheel occasionally. An very veteran rider told me to:

1) Stay back on the bike.
2) Stand and accelerate on your run-in gear and only shift once you're standing and maxing out each gear. Don't dump all your gears before standing up. I had a bad habit of wanting to shift into a big gear and then muscle it up to speed.

Either his advice worked or I just got smoother with more riding because I wasn't spinning the wheel by the end of the summer.

[swoop]

Swoop~ I will give those a go soon. Lots of useful info in this thread. That's why this place rocks

when you're spinning out, expect to get little tunnel vision and the sense of being on the edge of control... your eyes should be coming out of your head... but the bike should be planted.
it will for sure get you used to sprinting all out and being relaxed while on the ragged edge.

make sure you're in the drops.

[crumpton]

Nick~ I am a cat 2 so I guess I am where I belong. To clarify on the back wheel issue , I should maybe reword it. I am told what goes on obviously because I can't see it. It sounds more like sliding side to side , almost like a skid. There, clear as mud?

good clarification. same bike or any bike? what bike is it. feel free to PM it to me.

[TJ]

Nick< caad 9 or the fuji team issue.

[TJ]

Btw Nick, if it helps this is the only bike that I don't skid the rear wheel

this bike is a 60 which in all reality a little to big for me only being 6ft1 but it rides so nice. Being a bigger bike I would assume it has longer stays? Admittedly I know nada about bikes , I just ride them.

[jerk]

it's just figuring out where to put your weight so the thing doesn't hop and making sure you're in a gear you can actually use.

my sprint sorta sucks-unless it starts out really, really fucking fast....sprinting from nothing to all out in a short distance is never going to be pretty and you've gotta work to keep everything planted.

i wouldn't really worry about it. just keep your weight back.

i don't believe in numbers. i can put out 1680 watts with a jump and well over 2000 if i'm "sprinting" and i still am a lot better as the last or second to last guy in the lead-out than the guy who's gonna win the trophy and the gift certificate to ernie's chicken shack.

[Chance Legstrong]

throw on a jr cassette

[frenk]

That's funny, I'm exactly the anti-Jerk sprinter. If it starts slow I pretty much win every time. If it starts fast I'm already nearly exploding so I have nothing left to sprint and give up before it starts.
So my strategy is to go in front and slow down the lead out as much as possible

[suhacycles]

Btw Nick, if it helps this is the only bike that I don't skid the rear wheel

this bike is a 60 which in all reality a little to big for me only being 6ft1 but it rides so nice. Being a bigger bike I would assume it has longer stays? Admittedly I know nada about bikes , I just ride them.

Perhaps that's the one with the most flex to 'absorb' all those abrupt changes in the amplitude and direction of the forces you're putting into the pedals... ?

Speaking of sprinting, anyone have any comments on upper body technique? Watts are all nice and techie to talk about but I bet there are plenty of guys who can put out more watts than Cavendish but look how low he gets up front - feels like he can almost lick his stem!

[TJ]

throw on a jr cassette

And the reason being???

[Chance Legstrong]

And the reason being???

you won't have a 13,12,11 to get down too

you will spin the F outta a 14 and LOVE IT! Watch Junior 1/2's in the P/1/2 races they are spinning that 52x14 like my prom date and still hanging in...

Don't let Pucci catch you in an 11 either...massive fines

[TJ]

you won't have a 13,12,11 to get down too

you will spin the F outta a 14 and LOVE IT! Watch Junior 1/2's in the P/1/2 races they are spinning that 52x14 like my prom date and still hanging in...

Don't let Pucci catch you in an 11 either...massive fines

Fair enough. No fines for me thank you. Very seldom if ever in the 12 or 11

[DOOFUS]

I have the same issue and my MMP for 5 sec is 880w

1) Too low cadence when you jump/too big of a gear

2) sloppy pedal stroke while sprinting

3) weight too forward


I have the really bad habit of responding to other guys jumps by dumping it into the 12 and torquing up to them. My job is to shut stuff down for my pals, so this stupid thuggish technique gets the job done. It is also moronic.

The thing that has helped me cut down the wheel skipping is doing sprints on the e-motion rollers.

I'm 158 (maybe 160 after a week of being sick and pigging out), 154 when I'm really fit. FTP right now is 350. As has been said, the thing is to avoid the sprint. After maxing out your FTP for the season, work on the AC and VO2. If you can put out enough watts over 2-4 minutes to get clear, you won't have to worry about the sprinters.

[TJ]

After maxing out your FTP for the season, work on the AC and VO2. If you can put out enough watts over 2-4 minutes to get clear, you won't have to worry about the sprinters.

Thanks Doof , that pretty much sums up what e-Richie and others were sayin "don't let there be a sprint". I have of plenty of things that need work when it comes to racing but the biggest one of all ( and the most important to me ) is learning how to read a race. If that keeps improving I might actually end up in the right break for once.

[suspectdevice]

Don't hold onto the bars so tightly if you are now, it always seems like, from looking at your bikes that the hoods are often slightly and/or have some down slope instead of a ramp. Once again, ergo bars are the devil as far as weight distribution and contact points go. Think about getting narrower, shorter reach bars and a longer stem. Even a higher hood position and rotating the bars a little bit is going to make a big difference

Use the rudder.

As far as training- E-atmo hit it on the head, both in my experience and in the hard scientific literature.

[TJ]

Mickey~Interesting , this setup below is what I find comfy. Does something look out of whack ?

[DOOFUS]

TJ rocks the fuji

I like it

[TJ]

TJ rocks the fuji

I like it

This one came straight from Toyota United. It rides great and is light as stank. I think the last ime I had it on a scale it was like 15.2#. Had their pimp C10 carbon SL1 for awhile, that thing was ridiculous light. With 303's it came in at a hair over 14 pounds. I have since realized weight ain't that important other than my own weight, wheels and cranks.