Wobbly starts; how to fix?

Hi Ladies,

I am new to this forum and new to cycling as well. I have been practicing for two weeks now and my starts are still wobbly and I feel silly. Ok, maybe this question is silly too.

I have SIDI shoes with the clete so I have to clip in once I am going. I thought it would be easier to get used to these things. I have my first training ride on the 17th of Feb. Training for the Shiner BASH ride in Texas. My first endurance event ever!! :eek:

I am sure this will get better with practice; but do you have any hints as to something I can do to begin to make my starts better and not so wobbly? Ok, besides the obvious, Practice, practice, practice. Is there a trick to looking smooth at the start?

Thank you for your help!

Are you starting with one foot clipped in? If not, try it because you can pedal much strong from the start that way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Celeste

Hi Ladies,

I am new to this forum and new to cycling as well. I have been practicing for two weeks now and my starts are still wobbly and I feel silly. Ok, maybe this question is silly too.

I have SIDI shoes with the clete so I have to clip in once I am going. I thought it would be easier to get used to these things. I have my first training ride on the 17th of Feb. Training for the Shiner BASH ride in Texas. My first endurance event ever!! :eek:

I am sure this will get better with practice; but do you have any hints as to something I can do to begin to make my starts better and not so wobbly? Ok, besides the obvious, Practice, practice, practice. Is there a trick to looking smooth at the start?

Thank you for your help!

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Are you spinning a lot when you start? If so, you may be in too small a gear. Try starting off in a little bigger gear and see if it helps.

I assume you are starting on level terrain?

Clip in with one foot while astride the bike.
Do not sit on the saddle.
Raise clipped-in foot to about the 10 o'clock position.
Push down hard with that foot to begin pedaling and lift your posterior into the saddle.
KEEP pedaling with the clipped in foot and just slam down the other foot onto the pedal.
Pedal a few more strokes to get your momentum and speed going.
Clip in other foot when momentum and speed have you moving safely forward enough to coast a second.

If you can learn to pedal one-legged with the clipped in foot, you'll find that you can get your speed up a bit faster and will help you learn uphill starts later on.

Sooner or later, your unclipped foot will learn to find the pedal as you slam it down and clip in all on its own.

I personally think wobbly starts are due to people thinking they have to get both feet clipped in immediately.

Thanks ladies! What prompt replies!

Deb: I did try to start with one foot clipped in today...and promptly fell! :( I did have to laugh at myself though. Thank goodness I was wearing tights.

But maybe my fanny was already in the seat, not sure. I do make sure I start on level ground. I will try it again and keep out of the seat and see if that helps any and start it in a bigger gear too.

Gosh! I sure hope this gets easier! :)

If you're falling right away when clipped in on one side, then you might want to try a lower gear, so that you can keep on pedaling with your clipped in foot (and avoid the slow-mo fall) while you navigate your second one around. Also helps if you're having trouble really starting off with a solid push.

Hmm...I really like SadieKate's post. Since you fell, maybe try this...

Clip in with one foot while astride the bike.
Do not sit on the saddle.
Raise clipped-in foot to about the 2 o'clock position.
Push down hard with that foot to get you coasting at steady pace.
Clipped in foot should now be at 6 o'clock position.
Still, do not sit in saddle.
While coasting, have all weight on foot that is clipped in.
Clip in other foot.
Sit on saddle.

Correct Basic Starting Technique
http://sheldonbrown.com/starting.html
1. Stand astride the frame, both feet on the ground. Most people get to this position by swinging a leg over the saddle, but if you have low handlebars, you can do it over the bars as well. If you have a "lady's" bike or other bike with a low frame, you may be able to lift your foot over the frame. It sometimes helps to lean the bike to the side before straddling it.

Do not try to sit on the saddle while the bike is stopped, this is not usually possible if your saddle is properly adjusted.

2. Rotate the pedals so that the pedal for your less skillful foot is 45 degrees forward of straight up.

3. Put your foot on the high pedal, then press down hard. This will simultaneously:

* Let you use the pedal as a step to lift yourself high enough to get onto the saddle...and:

* Apply driving force to the chain, causing the bike to pick up speed.

If you have not learned to do this, take the time to practice. It may sound difficult, but it isn't as hard as it sounds. Once you get used to it, it will become second nature. You will become a better, safer cyclist, because you will be able to bring your bicycle quickly up to a speed that allow you to ride without wobbling.

You may need to do a bit of experimenting to find the most suitable starting gear on your bike.

* Too low a gear will cause the pedal to descend to fast to give support as you step up.

* Too high a gear will not get the bike accelerating fast enough to reach balancing speed

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Originally Posted by SalsaMTB

Raise clipped-in foot to about the 2 o'clock position.
Push down hard with that foot to get you coasting at steady pace.
Clipped in foot should now be at 6 o'clock position.

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Maybe I should clarify the 10 o'clock position. This is in front of the bottom bracket (sheldon's 45 degrees). To me, 2 o'clock is still on the upstroke. Are we saying the same thing?

And I can't clip in when the pedal is at the top of the crank - 12 o'clock. Am I odd? That's why I recommend giving the crank a few turns to build up some speed and momentum so you can coast with the unclipped pedal at 6 o'clock, put your foot on it and use weight to clip in. If you don't have sufficient momentum to coast in a straight line, don't look down trying to clip in.

As you get more skilled, your foot will find the pedal automatically and you will be more skilled at riding a straight line at lower speeds. Right now, get your speed up with only one foot clipped in before trying to clip in the other.

SadieKate
do you agree with what Sheldon Brown says (us beginners need consensus)
:rolleyes:

Yes, except I don't think he goes far enough in emphasizing the speed you need to obtain before a beginner starts hunting for pedal to clip in the 2nd foot.

If you can't ride a straight line at very, very low speeds (aka almost a trackstand), don't worry about clipping in the 2nd foot until you have enough speed to ride a straight line.

I see beginners topple when the bike has barely moved because they don't push hard enough with the clipped in foot and they start searching for the 2nd pedal with the other. Just slam the 2nd foot on top of the pedal and start cranking.

A tip - learn to push hard with the clipped in foot without pushing off with the other. If you are in road shoes with exposed cleats and try to push off with the foot on the ground, you'll probably bang important parts of yourself on the top tube because you'll slip.:rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Yes, except I don't think he goes far enough in emphasizing the speed you need to obtain before a beginner starts hunting for pedal to clip in the 2nd foot.

If you can't ride a straight line at very, very low speeds (aka almost a trackstand), don't worry about clipping in the 2nd foot until you have enough speed to ride a straight line.

I see beginners topple when the bike has barely moved because they don't push hard enough with the clipped in foot and they start searching for the 2nd pedal with the other. Just slam the 2nd foot on top of the pedal and start cranking.

A tip - learn to push hard with the clipped in foot without pushing with the other. If you are in road shoes with exposed cleats and try to push off with the foot on the ground, you'll probably bang important parts of yourself on the top tube.:rolleyes:

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I'm going to practice this on my bike without the SPD's to see if i can do it before i kill myself.
thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Maybe I should clarify the 10 o'clock position. This is in front of the bottom bracket (sheldon's 45 degrees). To me, 2 o'clock is still on the upstroke. Are we saying the same thing?

.

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Yep, saying the same thing I believe. I always clip in first with my right foot, so I was looking at it on the drivetrain side. On the left side, it would be 10:00. Sorry for the confusion!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

I don't think he goes far enough in emphasizing the speed you need to obtain before a beginner starts hunting for pedal to clip in the 2nd foot.

If you can't ride a straight line at very, very low speeds (aka almost a trackstand), don't worry about clipping in the 2nd foot until you have enough speed to ride a straight line.

I see beginners topple when the bike has barely moved because they don't push hard enough with the clipped in foot and they start searching for the 2nd pedal with the other. Just slam the 2nd foot on top of the pedal and start cranking.

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Yup!! This is what happened to me!! Duh! I will practice again today. Scraped knee and all! LOL Will work on more technical aspect of "on and off" with the bike on the trainer and see if that helps too. Thanks ladies!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Celeste

Yup!! This is what happened to me!! Duh! I will practice again today. Scraped knee and all! LOL Will to more technical aspect of on and off with the bike on the trainer and see if that helps too. Thanks ladies!

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Agreed. I think the hardest thing to get in your head is that you can pedal without being clipped in, on one or both sides if need be.

What I found today was that my brain and feet did not make the connection that when one foot is clipped in, you can still pull it back up and around to get going and slam the other foot in. :o Ahh! Momentum! A glorious thing.

I did that this afternoon and had a smooth start. I was quite proud of myself! :cool: Rookie-ness and all! LOL

Yahoo! Speed can be your friend. :)

2 o'clock depends on what side you are looking at...I would just say your starting foot should be forward of 12 o'clock. I agree...pushing off with the unclipped foot often causes slipping - do this carefully. I've also found that "ratcheting" your clipped in foot works pretty well. What I mean by this is push your clipped in foot down to the 6 o'clock position and then back-pedal (pull the pedal back up) to the 12 o'clock position and push back down to 6 o'clock. I find this easier than trying to pedal a complete circle when just starting from a complete stop. Doing this once usually give me enough forward momentum to clip the other foot in and pedal off. If you do try to pedal with you unclipped foot be very careful. On more than one occasion my foot has slipped off the pedal doing this and almost sent me off the bike. Hitting yourself on the top tube is not fun - man or woman!

2 o'clock... Is that Central Time or Pacific Standard...? ;)

The key thing we tell our beginning riders is: Don't worry about clipping your other foot in until you are safely through the intersection!!

I clip in at 6, then pull it around to what I consider 11. Hmm. Maybe time isn't really the best analogy. :p

When taking off, it also helps to look straight ahead instead of down at your foot while trying to click in. Practice pedal engagement without have to look down.