4 Bad Cycling Habits | How To Look More Pro On A Bike
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 19. 06. 2024
- There are a number of bad habits that are super easy to pick up, that will stop you from looking as pro as you'd like. Si and Dan are here to help you break these habits and look more pro on a bike.
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Bobbing, Bouncing, knees out, and elbows out. There are a few simple ways to combat these common cycling problems.
The first is a combination of core work and stretching. This will not only allow you to keep yourself more stable while riding, it will also stop a number of the muscular imbalances that could lead to your knees or elbows coming out of line.
The second is making sure your position on the bike is correct. For example if your saddle is too low you might find your knees coming out of line and you might bounce on the saddle at higher cadences.
Let us know how you get on with fixing your bad cycling habits in the comments below đ
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Bucket list ride Gran Canaria gcn.eu/BucketListEp1 đč
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Leave us a comment below! - Sport
If you've got any questions on breaking your bad cycling habits, leave a comment down below and we'll answer if we can!
Global Cycling Network it's all about the core
Can you tell me how to remedy dropping my back wheel when getting out of the Saddle? Otherwise great video as usual!!
8:12 what's more effective: "elbows in" or Salbutamol in Froome's dosage?
The best way to remedy this is to get out of the saddle as you go over the top of your pedal stroke with your dominant leg. This should go a long way to stopping your bike shooting backwards. Hope that helps!
How can I determine how many rpm per minute I am doing without using a powermeter?
Thanks. As a Non-cyclist, I can now impress my family and friends by critically appraising cyclists from the safety of my car đ
Lol
Youâre funny yo haha
đ€Ł
@Richard oh boy someone's angry
@Richard Im pretty sure it was a joke.
Core stability is so helpful in cycling. Without yoga and pilates, I never would have dreamed about biking more than just to and from work. I did three centuries last year and yoga has helped me immensely. Both with stretching and strengthening. Also, how to breathe and to know where my edge is. It built my core so I can ride hands-free, too!
I am watching this but I have a mountain bike lmao
Muamer Music love mtb.but you gotta admit.road bikes look darn sexy
Ikr but They are dark expensiveđđ
Me too. But this applies to almost any kind of bike
Road bike
Me too lol đ road bikes are so damn expensive đ
The location you mates are pedalling is simply amazing!
Looks like Gran Canaria - might that be it?
I've done the impossible things thanks to my bobbing! Guess its just in my head, but given I'm 285 lb I'm like the bumble bee of road biking since I can still do 60 mile rides lol. Thank you for the great advise! I'm hoping to ride the monterey to san francisco for my birthday in December (110 miles)
Good luck on that ride...Beautiful coast.
Don't run marathons, or bike rides more than 20 miles....it's bad for your health...seriously
â@@lunam7249 citation needed
@@thomascocks9136 you must be retarded , or have a learning disability.....ask any orthepedic bone doctor M.D..... its called "common knowledge"....like the sky is blue.
Fully agree with mention of flexibility training. I did that in last off-season and now ride predominantly on drops rather than hoods, so getting 10% more speed for similar effort as result đ. 15-20 min sessions 2-3 times a week was enough to make a massive difference
I'm really glad that you addressed the matter of cleat position when dealing with knee flare. I had a bikefit last summer by a reputable bikefitter, who addressed my 'windswept' knee motion by forcing the knees the opposite way. Lucily the rest of the bikefit was good - especially the addition of arch support insoles, which has kept my knees from tracking in and out(pronating arches). Half a year later, I've slapped on pedal washers, which has allowed my right knee to extend, right sitbone to be supported on the saddle and better handling, because I am not sitting to one side of the saddle.
Just stumbled upon your channel while watching motorcycle videos. Subscribed, you guys are awesome, and I look forward to watching more. I love cycling as well as motorcycles, and it is awesome to see some good riding tips and real world testing. Well done!
Okay, it's kind of crazy you guys brought up the knees thing, because I just recently adjusted my bike fit to get a more racy position (raised saddle a couple mms, moved it back on the rails, and lowered my bars another 5mm) and noticed that my knees stopped pointing out on the upstrokes, and also that the tendinitis I've been dealing with for the last month and a half seems to have gone away overnight.
I associate being in the right position on the bike as having no specific/localised aches, pains and cramps. And when you get that its cycling nirvana.
I ride high up on the saddle, with extended higher bars, shorter stem and the saddle fore at the front. Looks daft, but my back no longer hurts!!
Your wize
You guys cracked me up at the end of the video. Iâv been cycling for over a year now. I started out with a mountain bike and just upgraded to a sport bike. I have one bad habit and thatâs riding with my knees out when Iâm tired. From now on Iâll just take a break and start back riding. Thanks for your videos,Iâve learned a lot from watching them...
You're bang on with the saddle height bit. So many people out there are riding with it too low.
Froome won four tours. If heâd kept his elbows in, he might have won seven
He could have won 2012 if it weren't for team tactics
đ
This is bit late. But yeah, Froome rides ugly.
Hello GCN from Brooklyn, New York. Love your channel and thanks for getting me into the love of cycling. Keep up the great content!
Awesome to hear it, keep it up! đđșđž
Just relax. Your body's most natural position is its best! That's why time trialists (and every pro in general) looks perfect on the bike. I mean, Landa's relaxation in the 2017 tour showed against the others like Dan Martin, with his gagging face and daft positioning. Whenever I realise that I'm tense or uneasy, I just calm my mind and relax my body more.
R u a stoner?
Totally agree with rollers suggestion. Really forces a smooth efficient style.
I saw a 'bobber' whilst out on a ride after watching this and it made me smile, totally distracting me from the cold wind that I was battling. Thanks GCN!
It's cute when couples wear matching outfits.
Mike Lee UWU
It's cute when bigots post rude comments.
@@austinfrancis7864 ok boomer
@@Fr0st7 actually, I'm a millennial, zoomer.
@@uparoundthebend94 does that mean I'm magic?
I love you guys. I'm still really new to cycling and your videos help so much!
Thank you so much GCN ,your video was uploaded 3 days before my BRM and it helped me a lot ,avioided all those mistakes and saved a lot a energy for the end.
Same here after 3 years..
Have 4 days only for 400k brm
Thanks gents for the fun vid..... bobbing up and down was common back in the 80's when an easy gear was a 42x21 (or worse)...look at Lemond, Miller, Hinault, and even Mercx..... now that a 39x28 is the norm for the pros, it is far "easier" to spin up those climbs. Personally, I still bob up and down on my 34x34... but then I would never look pro with that kind of gearing :)
This is the sort of old school GCN stuff that I love!
I corrected my riding posture with a peddling stand, about 10 years ago. I learned not to rock the sitting stand/saddle. After a few months of training, I successfully improve my riding postures.
You guys are awesome.... Didn't realize I got a few of these bad habits
I've only once, in recent memory, ridden with my knees out, and it seemed to be as a last-ditch effort as I had spent everything my legs had in the previous days and that day (and I was new to riding/finishing the entire 44-mile circuit), and it was just about trying to get home. It was a really weird experience. As I got stronger and fitter, it has never happened again. To some degree, it was that the inner-thigh/hip muscles that kept the legs inline just were exhausted, and they gave out - allowing my legs to spread. That, and some bouncing, were both experienced as I was trying to get back into cycling again 1.5 years ago. This year - not at all.
The last seconds of the video is priceless the so called "bobbing" it made my day. Thank you! đ
You guys are hilarious! I love your channel, and learn a lot here. Thanks, and keep up the great work!!đ
You know what time it is, im feeling like crap again, time to start biking again, love this channel, love the content
The first simple solution to elbows out and especially knees out is to think about them being straight every pedal stroke. When I was more of a noob than I am now I used to pedal moderately knees out until I had knee pain and then someone pointed it out. All I did to rectify it was to think about bringing my knees through near the top tube and then doing it; now it is just natural. It becomes physiologically ingrained after a while. If you watch someone like Cadel Evans he almost comes across the top tube with his knees...
8:17 Si nails his french again: TourS deS France. Salute to this ammount of skills!
Thanks Arrow!
there is still only one France, so it's not "des" but "de". Si seems to say it right in the video though (Tours de France)
Plural article would modify supplicedent, so it's still "de." (ps: It's also Grands Prix, not Grand Prixes, as my teacher liked to joke--she pronounced it "pricks-ess").
Tour de France. It's singular. You only make ONE "tour" and there is ONE France ;) so "tour de France". Cheers from France
@Zacharie jf he was talking about winning multiple of them though, so it is Tours de France, as Jean said.
Good videos
Caught best practices the other day and if anything it made me more aware while riding, thanks
You guys are awesome!! Thank you for this!!
I find that elbows out assists in my ability to breathe under heavy load (climbing) but usually have elbows in when I'm putting out less effort and/or at higher speed.
I love watching their bloopers. đ
great video guys just started cycling and you guys are helping me tons
I love this Channel, I just found out about this Channel today, I want to become a cyclist myself, and I'm finding out a lot of information about cycling, keep up the great work.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for the support - pleased you enjoy the videos so far!
Can you do a masterclass on how to climb like Fabio Aru? That dude has style đ. Actually Dan wasnât far off it at the end. Also, really enjoy the odd outtake at the end of the vids, please do that more often!
Old pros used to bob because the lowest gear they had was likely to be around 42/23 - not great on the hills
42/21, the 2.0 ratio was used for a long time.
Watch Eddie on a big climb. Lots of bobbing and won 5 Tours !
Y'all are so entertaining! Love your videos
FORM AND FUNCTION ! Great episode ! TRULY !!!!! I am a naturally very ''still rider'' bcz I was a TourDF WATCHER, before I ever rode, so ''bad form'' just never occurred to me... but I see it all around my neighborhood every day of the week
đ€ Chris Froome won the Tour de France with his elbows out!?!? Wow, let's try that! đ
As long as I'm on a bike, I'm happy đŽđœââïžđ thanks for letting me know how goofy I might look while I'm enjoying myself on the trails đ when I make it to the top of a hill....đŻđ I never ask myself if I bounced or bobbed đ
Tbh, a bit of bobbing looks somewhat pro on steeper gradients I.e. anything upwards of 15%.
Niels Heldens I just think it looks like they are cracking
Dancing in the dark
15% Damn that's steep, I didn't see a 15% gradient on the tour de France so far
@@SamSpeed90 that's the Vuelta for you
15% is when I would walk up and push the bike :D
Proper informative video! Much appreciated.
Excellent video. The Bobbing is always due to being too tired or wrong gears set. Now these days I barely get off the seat even when climbing as I have settled on specific cog- ring gearing so that my cadence is set for the Medium to Max leg output.
My knees were still out after my fit. My fitter added an extender on each pedal. IMMEDIATELY I felt more power and Knees were straight. Pain went away. Simple solution. Comfort was there and centuries and metrics are much easier and more fun. My avg ride now is 42 mi at a time and about 125+ per week at my tender 70âs+ age.
Very late comment here but what do u mean with extender?
I'm relatively new to GCN and I love it! The tips in this short video are brilliant, however when I watch the GCN training videos I see many of the problems in the "spin class" that you describe here. Many participants are bouncing and hanging their heads during class. I believe you should always have good form even on a trainer or stationary bike. Please make newer training videos and remind even the pros that good form on a bike is a must. Remember that the universal sign of "I give up" is hanging your head down! Cheers!
Great tip for setting saddle height. Thanks !
Great comment about finding your own fit though trial and error with a bit of research. I spent roughly $300 on a fitting a few years ago only to be told that my existing fit was optimal.
Oh my god! Dan doing squats nearly made my shit myself. He looked like a friggin twiggy alien. Funniest, thing, ever.
Jive Turkey But both these guys look jacked compared to Chris F - arms!!
I just realized that background... this is scenic drive in El Paso!! Transmountain was hell to ride haha!
There not in Texasđ€Ł
This is really helpful for me in improving on looking like a prođ. Thanks!
Good advice. Thanks!
Simon Richardson - "Chris Froome rides with his elbow out"
Chris Froome - "It opens up the lungs"
I will bob side to side when climbing gradient higher than 15% while sitting. Don't feel any pressing need to correct it. It's more of a way to preserve my rhythm and cadence when the tempation to slow down uphill creeps in. I can also thank Pantani for making me think I'm not the only person to climb on the drops. It does take more energy, but the fatigue in my legs feels significantly lower. There's barely as much knee pain at the cost of my arms and upper back getting tired a lot faster instead. The "proper" standing position is instant agony in comparison to the slight discomfort on the drops. Besides, I go faster that way.
Knee pain is usually a sign of too slow cadence
my two favorite presenters that got me in the world of cycling Dan and Si
this show is like top gear but for cyclist !!! love it ... got a new race bike yerterday !! cheers from Barcelona
steve cummings is one of the best looking riders i find, always looks so solid and grounded
11:16 Makishima spotted
Nanonood karin pala dito, kuya... Hahahahahaha... Tagal narin kitang pinapanood eh... hahahahaha
@@user-tx1wi2kq7b oo naman nung magsimula ako magbike GCN GMBN at Seths pinapanood ko na. Haha. gawa nga ako tagalog version ng video na to hahaha
@@UnliAhon may tanong lang po ako.. Itutuloy nyo pa po ba yung mtb drop bar experiment? Kasi yun din po balak ko eh... hahahaha.
The mountain king has spoken đ
đ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
Concerning the 'elbow out' thing: it's also influenced by the way you position our hands on the handlebar. That means the position of the brake levers and width, height, but also the shape of the handle bar are factors. If you can turn your hands/whrists a bit more outward, more vertically, (if that is the right way to say it), the elbows automatically turn closer to the body and less outward.
Glad to see you mention core strength.
You recommend yoga at the end of this video, I would say Pilates is by far better for core strength and flexibility đ
my first road bike (trek domane al3) should come in 1-2 weeks max
cant wait to hit them roads
So is it any good?
@@johndelorean7353 he dead
@@ninjatuna181 :')
@@ninjatuna181 đ
Dan Bridge exactly. He rode that thing 3 times and out it on offer up at 50% itâs retail price.
I watched the video again with the subtitles on... Now I feel enlightened.
Enjoyed it, Take Care
As an older rider (55) I've noticed that in 15 years time I've managed to ride mostly on the tops of my handlebars because my flexibility has gone.
Ministry of Silly Rides
Hahaha!
I wonder if the funding got through...
Another thing I pull my knees towards the center kind of my bike, this also helps to get more power on pulling up and keeps my knees healthy.
On sunny days, when the sun is low in the sky, I watch my shadow on the road as a tool to check my form. Love you channel...thanks...
Your shadow on the road is also useful for distracting you from seeing the side mirrors of oncoming cars, so you can hit them as forcefully as possible.
Mark Cavendish says he pedals like a duck, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Quack quack gents!
Apparently, Alex Dowsett says to do so as well: czcams.com/video/MLyq5nd3phI/video.htmlm35s
Let's be honest, 52,937 km in an hour isn't that bad after all.
See, everyone is doing the duck now
how can he pedal like that and not use any float?
I'm really glad I dont suffer from any of the bad habits, actually a lot of people say im quite stylish on the bike (ok at least my father says it haha).. shame im not that fast :P But hey my Life quote is "Better to look fast than be fast" :D
That's always been our motto too! đ
Even.better to.look fast AND be fast.
SwedishHouseFifa same said about my mate and I hahaha as couriers we were constantly told we have pro look as Iâm sure numerous people out there naturally have
Hahah
Reality is perception, m8!
Great tips! Iâve tried to fit my own bike, but Iâm seeking help now (luckily it wonât cost too much). Hope this helps my issues
Love that side to side sway at the end....stylish form!!đđđđ
The amount of times I see men cycling with there knees out. Gets my goat every time I see it. đđ
Do a top 10 best cyclists with the strangest form!
Froome! đ
think obree's got that in the bag haha
Great video guys !!
thank you :D
I've been told (by a pro bike fitter) that your elbows can be brought in slightly by rotating your shifter/hoods to the outside. Nothing dramatic, but a degree or two will rotate your hands outward and bring your elbows in naturally.
If you are an ex-pro then you'll know a good bike fit as soon as you sit on the bike. For the rest of us, a session with an experienced bike fitter can pay great dividends.
Im a mountain bike rider but for some reason I find myself watching GCN twice as much as GMBN.
just finaly get a road bike
Enjoyed that, cheers
Tim Wellens was using bobbing to good effect at the end of stage 4 of the Andalucia the other day! Must be good! I'll remember to do it next time I'm averaging 650W up a 20% climb
Sir Bradley Wiggins was arguably one of the smoothest riders of his generation. Would love to hear his tips on his core and smooth bike handling abilities.
1. Cycling Position Research
2. Core workouts...
And then I will come back to this video hahaha
Oh my God, I Literally abd mostly do this Mistakes, Kind of Sad...
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIPS!!! GOD BLESS US ALL!!!đđđđđŻ
Another nice video! I have an half problem, only one knee outside :) Very difficult to thing about that running... Thanks!
WHERE IS THIS LOOKS BEAUTIFUL
Fairly sure it's Gran Canaria. Looks very similar to this video, which was posted three days earlier. czcams.com/video/vc-EvSJr1ZE/video.html
Or do you mean the parts in Dan's living room? đ€Ł
When I start bobbing or bouncing, I just change gears. If I'm climbing one of the local bumps, bobbing usually means I'm out of bigger cogs to try.
When commuting by bike with a bag on your back, that extra weight bouncing as you bob or bounce gets annoying quickly. That's how I solved that problem.
1:19 Good job with the razor lads. Given it's winter, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who shaves in the cold season
Love these vids. New to cycling here
Please film videos in the flats so I can understand what Si is saying!
If I'm bouncing on the saddle often it's because my legs below the knee are tense. Relax and the bouncing goes away.
That's a top tip, thanks jlhinsk!
"Or -maybe it's you body's natural position." [as that was the last option to making alterations for adjustments for the correct body/frame/saddle alignment] THANKS for adding that sentence/option. I remember when I had a pro bike mechanic build up a $$ racing bike, as his labor quality was so reliable. I later accepted his (later to be found as a solicitation for) "sizing." Within the first few hundred miles, I could not accept of the riding position I was in. This was before his later next saying that my Campagnolo carbon carbon fiber hubs (highest wheelset) needed to be regreased. This is what the #1 high-end bike shop in your area, is likely to do to you, as one of their longest time customers.
Very important to put on your kit when doing floor exercises.
Froomes arm position is only to match the angle bend of his inhaler
Rollers = how to be smooth
Rollers with no hands = level 10
Riding up to the rollers, side hopping on to start riding, and hopping back off = level 11 (we used to practice this)
Also good, practice higher cadence and staying seated longer. I feel odd now if my cadence drops below 85. Normal is 95.
What about unclipping one foot on the rollers?
I see it's coming up in the comments so I'd like to mention I really appreciate that the guys are so comfortable being shot wearing bike shorts as they are meant to be worn, despite the lack of modesty that they provide. I don't have an IRL community of cyclists so these videos allow me to feel less self conscious about my junk when I'm on a ride.
Bobbing sometimes really help, especially on very steep cubblestone hills like Koppenberg, where you have to divide maximal power transfer to left, to right, to left (instead of the typical most efficient fluent paddling), just because otherwise getting enough power is difficult (if your name is not Cancellara, Sagan, our Boonen). The bobbing helps to put more weight on the back tyre, which prevents slipping of the back tyre ("pattineren" this is called in Flanders), especially in the wet.
Nieve is quite fast with his knees out!
Ever seen pozzovivo time-trailing? He alsorodes with his knees out
Jim Furyk does OK with his ugly golf swing. Proper bike fit is important. Whether or not you stick your elbows out or bob a little is irrelevant.
Only time I do the bouncing thing is when I am riding fast on my fixie
The power of single speed bike with high cadence XD
A little technic I advise trying, when riding down the road see if you can maintain a straight line by riding on the edge line of the road as you pedal normally as always. If you're poorly fitted to the bike or posture is bad, you won't be able to stay on the line without physically making yourself. It also works to train yourself to pedal smoothly and control the bike better. It will then transfer to being able to ride in a bunch/group and not be that rider who causes an accident