My Morning Commute

[Greenbelt]

Why not just pull into the parking place, which is plenty big and RIGHT THERE!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5062[/ATTACH]

[Geoff]

@vvill 81006 wrote:

… I’d rather get out of the saddle and crest the hill instead of spending an extra 30-60 seconds climbing slowly in the saddle.

If I may make an observation… I rarely get out of the saddle, but I pass a lot of people who do. I think most people would do better to use their lower gears and keep their cadence up. An awful lot of people seem to be using the same gear they use on the flats, standing up, laboring away with a cadence of maybe 30.

There are also people who are standing up and blast past me. I’m not talking to you, you don’t need my advice.

[DismalScientist]

I can’t even figure out how to coast on my bike, and now you expect me to shift gears as well?:rolleyes:

[vvill]

@Geoff 81021 wrote:

If I may make an observation… I rarely get out of the saddle, but I pass a lot of people who do. I think most people would do better to use their lower gears and keep their cadence up. An awful lot of people seem to be using the same gear they use on the flats, standing up, laboring away with a cadence of maybe 30.

There are also people who are standing up and blast past me. I’m not talking to you, you don’t need my advice.

I agree, if I’m doing real climbing I would sit and spin, but most of the terrain around here is just short hills. (Riding SS/FG also means you often have to get out of the saddle just to keep the cadence up!)

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Geoff 81021 wrote:

If I may make an observation… I rarely get out of the saddle, but I pass a lot of people who do. I think most people would do better to use their lower gears and keep their cadence up. An awful lot of people seem to be using the same gear they use on the flats, standing up, laboring away with a cadence of maybe 30.

What if your bike only has one gear?

Seriously though…I’ve found that even after only riding FG for a short amount of time, I have waaaay less patience when it comes to sitting and spinning on my geared bikes, so rather than downshifting I’m just like “eff it, I’m just going to get out of the saddle and get over this thing.”

[jrenaut]

@TwoWheelsDC 81029 wrote:

Seriously though…I’ve found that even after only riding FG for a short amount of time, I have waaaay less patience when it comes to sitting and spinning on my geared bikes, so rather than downshifting I’m just like “eff it, I’m just going to get out of the saddle and get over this thing.”

I have lots and lots of gears but I really hate sitting and spinning. I realize this probably means I should do it more often if I really want to improve as a cyclist, but I’m much happier standing in a higher gear on a hill.

[cyclingfool]

@Greenbelt 81014 wrote:

Why not just pull into the parking place, which is plenty big and RIGHT THERE!

I see this all the time and it bugs the $#!T out of me.

[hozn]

Yeah, our hills are too short around here; it’s more like sprint training. That said, I have also found that it’s often quite easy to keep pace with people that are standing while I’m seated, and so I have concluded that standing often feels a lot faster than it actually is. Even on longer hills, I will stand up periodically, though, to keep the legs interested — and usually I am not worried about wasting the extra energy since it’s a workout.

[Terpfan]

@Geoff 81021 wrote:

If I may make an observation… I rarely get out of the saddle, but I pass a lot of people who do. I think most people would do better to use their lower gears and keep their cadence up. An awful lot of people seem to be using the same gear they use on the flats, standing up, laboring away with a cadence of maybe 30.

There are also people who are standing up and blast past me. I’m not talking to you, you don’t need my advice.

I don’t get out of it, even on the steep climbs of my ride that approach 10% gradient. The only time I do is to just move around a little bit on the saddle. With that said, I passed a woman jogging along the RCP this morning at the bottom of the Calvert St climb. By the top of it, she had caught up to me. I’m sure there is a rule saying I’m not supposed to acknowledge being passed by a biker (it was embarassing, albeit, props to her for taking the hill at regular speed), but oh well, it’s true. So I probably don’t have much room to speak on this subject.

[Geoff]

@vvill 81027 wrote:

Riding SS/FG also means you often have to get out of the saddle just to keep the cadence up!

Ah, you disciples of the Cult of the Fixed Gear… a mysterious culture with your own ways. Not my place to judge!

[vvill]

@hozn 81033 wrote:

Yeah, our hills are too short around here; it’s more like sprint training. That said, I have also found that it’s often quite easy to keep pace with people that are standing while I’m seated, and so I have concluded that standing often feels a lot faster than it actually is. Even on longer hills, I will stand up periodically, though, to keep the legs interested — and usually I am not worried about wasting the extra energy since it’s a workout.

Same! Standing is often as much about a change in body position as for power. I’ve actually tried the whole Tuesday FB loop on a single speed without standing up and it’s surprisingly doable.

@Geoff 81035 wrote:

Ah, you disciples of the Cult of the Fixed Gear… a mysterious culture with your own ways. Not my place to judge!

You make a totally valid point, and when I first got a road bike I did really have to train myself to spin and sit more, and I still have bad habits with that especially on long rides (for 10 mile commutes, it doesn’t matter too much). I also grew up riding in terrain that’s actually hillier than North Arlington (mostly on cheap X-mart bikes or MTBs), so hills were always something I wanted to get over as soon as I could.

(I do ride both geared and single-speed. And some FG… but I am still learning.)

[cyclingfool]

I see one guy a few times a week commuting the direction opposite me on a CaBi. He never seems to sit down, even on the flat ground of Gravelly Point. I have nicknamed him Stairmaster in my head.

[jopamora]

Pretty sure that is my co-worker. He’ll get a kick out his new nickname.

@cyclingfool 81041 wrote:

I see one guy a few times a week commuting the direction opposite me on a CaBi. He never seems to sit down, even on the flat ground of Gravelly Point. I have nicknamed him Stairmaster in my head.

[consularrider]

@jopamora 81042 wrote:

Pretty sure that is my co-worker. He’ll get a kick out his new nickname.

Is he a red head?

[cyclingfool]

@jopamora 81042 wrote:

Pretty sure that is my co-worker. He’ll get a kick out his new nickname.

I hope he doesn’t find it offensive. It’s just the first thing that popped into my head when I saw his riding style.

@consularrider 81045 wrote:

Is he a red head?

Yep. You know him too?

[Author]

Posts