When you ride solo, wavering puts you at risk in traffic. With a companion, you can’t ride side-by-side if you aren’t steady and comfortable. And the fastest way to draw unwanted attention from experienced roadies is to wobble in the middle of a group.
You can quickly improve your ability to ride a steady line. These tips will put you on the straight and narrow.
Relax. You need a loose, supple upper body. Be aware of tension in your neck, jaw and shoulders. If you’re rigid, the bike will move in jerks and twitches.
Flex your elbows. By keeping them slightly bent and loose, upper-body movements won’t automatically be transferred to the handlebar. The road’s bumps and jolts will be absorbed, helping the bike float over irregularities rather than flinch and dart.
Of course, staying relaxed is easy to say and hard to do – like when you’re riding between traffic and a ragged road edge. Concentrate on steady breathing to reduce the upper-body tension that pins your shoulders to your ears. By staying aware, you can make relaxation a habit.
Look up the road. Staring at the pavement ahead of your front wheel guarantees you’ll ride like a kid on his first solo voyage. The farther up the road you look, the steadier your bike will be.
You’ll soon learn the technique of “split vision.” This allows your lower peripheral vision to monitor things like potholes and cracks as you pass them, while you focus on a swath 30 to 100 feet ahead.
Watch the line you want your bike to take and your wheels will go there almost magically. Look directly at bad things and you’re likely to hit them.
Practice. Try these techniques by riding along the white line that separates the traffic lane from the shoulder. Relax, keep your eyes up, and see how long you can stay on that thin stripe. It’ll feel smooth under your tires to let you know how you’re doing.
To prove a point, also try to ride the line while looking down in front of your wheel. Wobble city!
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Excellent article, and full of cycling wisdom. When mentioning “When you ride solo, wavering puts you at risk in traffic”, it’s also worth mentioning that wavering causes drivers to be significantly more concerned with the possibility of running you over than they normally would, had if you been riding a nice predictable straight line . . . . And of course we as cyclists should aspire to make vehicle drivers’ lives less stressful about our presence on the road rather than more stressful.
Best way to master riding a straight line? Learn to ride rollers! This oldest of old-school indoor training methods has multiple benefits: it will even out your pedal stroke, relax your upper body, and improve your balance. Riding rollers has a bit of a learning curve. You may find yourself on the living room rug a couple times on the first try. Best to start set up in a doorway or between two high-back chairs where you can catch yourself as you waver. Once you’ve mastered the rollers, riding a straight line on the road will seem like second nature. For truly expert points, learn to ride rollers no handed!
GOOD ADVICE..BUT looking 30/100′ ahead is way too close for a straight line or road safety. You will see close when you look far but not the reverse and you can glance down momentarily at any big road hazards. Besides helping with your line you will be able to see and avoid or take advantage of situations rather than reacting to them at the last second. lots of people drive cars that way, you can see them as they react and they never seem to learn the easier and safer way,