Can't Stop the Hop!

[velogirl]

Okay, this is driving me nuts. Maybe some of you have some helpful advice. Most men say it's a commitment issue (fits me to a T).

I can't get rid of my stutter-step when I remount. This is my 4th season racing so I've got no excuse.

I've watched Adam Hodges-Meyerson's DVD and practiced the walking drills (a lot). I probably practice 3-4 times a week for 20-30 minutes each.

I hired a private coach and he can't seem to help me.

Have any of you lost your hop? How did you do it? I could just kick myself for learning it wrong in the first place.

[SheFly]

Although this is my first season of 'cross, I too, have the dreaded stutter step on the remount. Adam and another of his coaches are local and coach our women's team, and they can't help me either. Everyone has said that it is a commitment issue....

The way I currently look at this is that at least with the stutter step my bike is in forward motion when I remount. When I don't do this, I basically come to a complete stop to get back on my bike.

The funny thing is, that I have practiced and practiced. In slow-mo, I don't have a problem. Come race day, however, all bets are off.

Sorry not to help, but wanted to comiserate...

SheFly

[Veronica]

So it's all in your head? Is it something that just looks sort of dorky, but doesn't really slow you down? Or does the hopping remount take a lot more time?

Could you make up a little rhyme that you say in your head as you race to avoid the hop? 'Cause you know, you have brain cells to say a little rhyme as you race.

This won't kill me,
Is that a tree?
Silly V,
To think a rhyme,
Would save time!

V.

[velogirl]

In my case, it's years of muscle memory. I, too, can lose the hop when I do it slowly, but at this point I'm faster in a race when I stutter.

The problem with the stutter-step is that there's a tiny pulling back action when you lose forward momentum for just a second. This is even more troublesome on uphill re-mounts. The difference is probably only a second or two, but that adds up over a race.

And it looks much cooler not to hop.

It's definitely a timing issue in my mind. I can visualize it correctly. I even dreamed about it the other night. When I learned to ski, I dreamed about how to carve a turn correctly and suddenly I could do it. I thought maybe the same would hold true for this but it didn't happen.

And now it's just a case of me being stubborn! I can do just about anything I want to do on a bike and I can't get rid of the stupid hop!

[SheFly]

I've been told we shouldn't do it because it uses too much energy for that extra step... When my HR is at about 180, I don't really think an extra step will make a difference .

I think that more than anything, it is about confidence - at least that's what my teammates keep telling me. I was hoping that wil experience, the stutter would go away, but if Velogirl still has it after 4 seasons, I'm beginning to lose hope of that....

SheFly

[velogirl]

My skills coach is an elite-level racer. He had it for 3 years and mysteriously lost it after than. Go figure!

[SheFly]

Well, I thought of you on each remount in my race today, as I stutter-stepped each and every time . Three sets of barriers and one run-up per lap, and we did four laps. That means that in about 48 mins, I thought of you about 12 times .

SheFly

[madisongrrl]

My barrier skills are awful. Someone told me to get a piece of ribbon and a few metal coat hangers and set up some barriers in my backyard for practice.

[eteamer]

I don't know what the experts say about it, but I had the hop too when I started out. Basically what I did to stop it was to start the re-mount swing earlier. The reason you are hopping is that you are bringing your leg up and over at a time when you have no energy left from your push off with the left foot so the little hop is your body's way of generating little more umph. Think about this. When you are running your left foot hits the ground in front, then you bend your knee in preparation for the push off that drives you forward. Normally your right foot would be coming forward at the same time your left leg is 'coming back' after the push off. Well, instead of bringing the right leg forward for a running step you are re-mounting. That push off time is the moment when you start your remount. You use the energy from the spring action of your left leg's push off to bring your right leg up and forward for the remount. It's like you are doing a really funny walk step with your right leg. You are using some of the energy from your left leg's step to get you up and over the saddle. You can do it at any speed too. And the further you get your left leg forward the more time you have to do the re-mount. So if you take a big step and a do a big push off you can do a really slow re-mount, but it still works exactly the same.

[velogirl]

Excellent advice, eteamer! No one has ever described it that way. One of the things I did this fall was a running drill where I ran with the left and hurdled (like I was remounting) with the right. I somehow thought that would fix it but no. Ah well, keep trying.

I've got barriers to practice with. They're PVC tubing and portable so I can take them out in a bag to train. They're even UCI height (ugh). Barriers aren't an issue for me, just the darn hop.

[eteamer]

Just try it slow at first. I remember telling myself to 'WALK!' as I was learning it. Exagerate the whole process. Before you know it is second nature. You also need to remember what part of your body is aiming for the saddle. It's the inner thigh. Although, sometimes I still miss! I especially hate it when I land on the back tire.