bicycling tips for thalbergmad (and whoever else bicycles)

[pianistimo]

ok.  i've been riding a bicycle for about as long as i've played the piano and i just discovered several really great tips.  one, is from my husband, who happens to like seltzer water.  i always preferred regular water until today, when all we had was seltzer.  so, grudgingly took one.  of course, while bicycling it  shook up the bottle.  then, when i was really hot and needing a drink, as i cycled, it popped up and fizzed all over.  like a natural mister.  it felt refreshing.  now, i will only bring seltzer water. 

also - with seltzer, there is a natural tendency i have to drink less water and have it go farther.  i don't know if this is good or bad.  i didn't get dehydrated, but one or two gulps was refreshing. 

here's the second tip.  for the last several years i've been working on lightness of pedalling (just like lightness in playing the keyboard) and thinking more about the up pedal than down.  it seems to have helped me make a breakthrough in my speed.  my right leg has always been a smidge stronger than my left leg and today my breakthrough was that i noticed that i could almost concentrate on my right leg entirely (so i don't have to focus on both sides of the bike at every pedal).  i mean, when you are pedalling really fast the left leg and foot are sort of props.  (now, i know in piano this wouldn't work)  but, i'm serious...i only use my left leg now, when i need it.  this very very very (pianisssissimo) type of pedalling has speeded me up so much that i don't think of pedalling anymore as the key to speed.  to me, it's all about the wind and body weight.  i watch the birds and take dives here and there around corners.  everyone's sort of blurry when i have a good ride.  i followed two racers today, and feel really hyped right now. 

thalbergmad, do you think with this technique my right leg will simply fall off in a few years?  or, when you get to a certain speed does it just eliminate pedalling altogether?

[leahcim]

I'm no expert, but I believe higher RPMs is the key to pedalling rather than pedalling hard and to use your muscles for the complete stroke, not just push. As "pushing" probably doesn't require much concentration, you probably want to concentrate on the other part of the stroke initially - I could be wrong though.

Google'll probably tell you better.

[thalbergmad]

Definately agree with fizzy water. That way my bike gets a wash during the ride.

As for pedalling, i keep to fast rpms then i don't notice my weaker right leg. Indurain and Armstrong can' t both be wrong.

I am a chicken and use a 12-27 rear. That gives me a nice spread of 9 gears and a big cog to get my fat arse up the hills.

[pianistimo]

thanks about the fast rpm's.  yes.  it's all in speed.  (*sigh's about chopin - will i ever get it up to speed all the way through?)

indurain and armstrong, what do they say?  rpm's.

i find getting up hills kinda fun now, because, halfway down a hill - i lean forward and the momentum gets me halfway up the next.  if the wind is just right, i can blow up the hill without much effort.  if the wind is against me, i don't try anymore.  i just get off and walk the rest of the hill. 

i used to ride in lancaster, ca. where the wind blows ferociously.  i would go out on purpose.  i don't know why.  also, the weather was very unpredictable.  somehow, if i could get through a ride, it made me feel like i could do anything.

[stevie]

susan, im just curious, has nils ever contacted you about your posting style?

[pianistimo]

no. but i used to be a gold member and then suddenly one day i was silver again (lost all the stars).  that made me sad for like 3 minutes.  then, i tried to get on to post.  nothing doing.  i think my year was up.  so then, i changed my name from pianonut to pianistimo.  (that's when i became silver).  how am i doing nils?  secretly nils likes me.  he won't say so because of my age.  secretly i like thalbergmad, but occasionally he posts really wierd stuff that makes me think twice.  well, and i'm married too. that factors into things immensely.  happy trails with porcorina (turns and looks at daughter and thinks about buying a gun).  if porcorina was my daughter, i'd try to spend a lot of time with her (thereby thwarting guys like you).  not that anything is really wrong with you.  you probably would make her happy if she was older.  just - you know, thinking about this REALLY STRESSES ME OUT>  looks at daughter again. 

[stevie]

hahahahaha, things may not be as they seem

i was just wondering because your posting style is often quite insane and offtopic, which is actually against the rules...not that im complaining.

[pianistimo]

well, my posts may be off topic but you start way more threads than i do.  that's also a bit insane, but i'm not complaining either.  stevie, what isn't the way it seems.  is porcorina actually a thirty year old midgit.  are you a man?  what is going on here?  please fill me in.