The Last Word

Submitted by adammyerson on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 10:42

Don't make me say this again this fall, ok?

Regarding dismount technique, it's ok to keep the left foot clipped in if, and ONLY if, you don't "step through" with the right foot. Swinging the right foot "around the back" means you're able to turn your hips to the right slightly as you dismount, making sure you clip out of the left as you do. Stepping through with the right while clipped in still on the left makes rotating the left heel out nearly impossible, and guarantees a mishap sooner or later. NEVER do this, ever. You may get away with it for a while, but all it takes is tired legs and a little mud in your pedal to end up smashing your face on a barrier.

There are 3 techniques I teach:

1. I advocate clipping out of the left first when you don't need to be on the gas all the way to the dismount point. It's much easier to step off a bike you're not still attached to. Then swing the right leg around the back of the bike and step off.

2. I advocate staying clipped in on the left when you have to pedal all the way up to the dismount point (uphill dismounts, deep mud, last minute dismounts), and when you're not stepping through with the right foot.

3. I advocate stepping through ONLY when clipped out of the left already, and when you have ample speed and coasting time to take the extra time needed to step through with the right.

 

The bottom line? Option 1 works every time, in every condition, and is what I consider the default dismount technique. Learn and master that one first, and you will be prepared for every situation you might find in a 'cross race.

 

Comments

Submitted by sherri.jane on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 12:35.
do you have a preferred pedal for CX?
Submitted by Chris Mayhew on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 08:17.
he is sponsored by crank brothers
Submitted by adammyerson on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 08:39.

Chris is right, I'm sponsored by Crank Brothers, but I've ridden every major pedal system (Shimano, Time, Crank Bros) at one point or another.

I like Crank Brothers because I think they're the simplest, lightest, and most open design, and they always work. They're not the fastest to get in to in dry conditions (Shimano wins that) but they work best when they're full of mud. I consider Time in the middle of the two. Time doesn't pack with mud as badly as Shimano, but worse than CB, and not as fast to get in to in the dry as Shimano, but not as fast to get in to in the mud as CB.

If I was buying pedals, I'd still buy the Crank Brothers, for all those reasons.

Submitted by RMM on Sun, 09/05/2010 - 18:30.
I tried Crank Brothers' pedals and found them unsatisfactory. Firstly, there is no positive engagement. They do not click in or out audibly. Neither is the feeling of clipping in or out pronounced. It is easy to think you are clipped in only to pull away from the pedal, while it is also easy to think that you have disengaged when you haven't. After mistakenly reengaging my pedal unawares while using the step through method that Adam outlines, I stopped using the CB pedals. I count myself lucky to still have my teeth and ribs after that crash. Furthermore, the pedals fall apart. It is not uncommon to find CB bodies laying around a CX or MTB course, as they can become detached from the spindle easily compared to competitors' pedals. I use Shimano pedals. They are quite reliable, inexpensive and last forever.