Coach's Corner — Coach Darryl's Quick Tips, Vol. 2

Our Coach’s Corner series is your chance to have your biggest cycling questions answered — right from the master, Coach Darryl MacKenzie. In these short Q&As, Coach Darryl speaks from his 35+ years of cycling and coaching experience to help you become a stronger, smarter cyclist.

Curious Cyclist: 

Coach, I enjoyed your last round of random riding tips. What are a few more quick cycling tips riders should know?

Coach Darryl:

One of the best things about cycling is that you never stop learning. Some of the simplest tweaks to my riding habits have made the biggest difference — whether that means staying upright at a stoplight, protecting your equipment, or simply paying better attention while riding.

Here are a few more quick tips I’ve learned over the years.

1. Unclick at the bottom of the pedal stroke

If you’re not used to clip-in pedals, it can take some time to get comfortable. Many new cyclists fear falling over when they have to stop and they haven’t mastered the process of clipping out smoothly and quickly. They worry they won’t be able to clip out in time, or that they’ll clip out on one side and fall in the opposite direction. 

Two simple habits can help you avoid both situations. 

First, always unclip at the bottom of the pedal stroke, not the top.

Many cyclists initially try to unclip at the top because it feels convenient — the opposite foot is already down, supporting weight. But when unclipping at the top, you can only rotate your leg below the knee. With the leg fully extended to the bottom, you can fully rotate your entire leg all the way up to the hip. That greatly improves your chances of a successful release.

And remember, if you’re still adjusting to click-in (clipless) cleats, always be sure to unclip a few seconds before you actually come to a stop

Second, as you lift your unclipped foot from the pedal, gently turn the handlebars in the opposite direction.

So, for instance, if you unclip on the right side, slightly turn the handlebars left. This shifts your body weight toward the unclipped foot and helps you avoid tipping over to the opposite side.

With practice, both of these movements should become automatic.

2. Only look at one field on your bike computer at a time

Modern bike computers display a lot of information — speed, cadence, heart rate, power, navigation, elevation, laps, and more. 

It’s great to have that much data at your fingertips, but it can create a real distraction while you’re riding. I personally know riders who were staring at their bike computer and hit the cyclist in front of them, struck a post, or rode directly into a pothole. 

You may not even realize it, but when you’re traveling 20 miles an hour on the bike, you move roughly 30 feet every second. That’s about five bike lengths. Stare at your screen for two seconds, and you’ve covered 10 bike lengths with your eyes off the road! At that pace, it doesn’t take long to veer off course or plow into a previously unnoticed object. 

The trick? Only peek at your bike computer for quick intermittent scans, looking at one field at a time and then getting your eyes back on the road. You can process what you saw while you look ahead, then look back down at the next field if needed.

3. Mount your front light below the handlebars

A daytime flashing front light makes it much easier for motorists on the road to notice you. But many riders dislike mounting a light on their handlebars because it gets in the way. 

To get around this, I’ve long used a trick I learned from extreme distance riders like the ones who do the Race Across America: I flip it upside down and mount it below the handlebars instead of on top. 

That way, the light stays out of your way, and you’re free to move your hands where you want them during the ride — without sacrificing visibility. 

Ride safely out there

As a cyclist, you should never stop refining the small habits that make riding safer, smoother, and more enjoyable. If you’re looking for more tips, check out our previous edition of Coach Darryl’s Quick Tips. 

You can also find plenty of other advice from Coach Darryl on our Coach’s Corner page. 

Happy and safe riding!

Image by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels