• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

What’s the Trick to Cycling on Really Rough Roads?

Question: I ride on bad pavement — old, bumpy and cracked. It’s not the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, but I do get bounced off the saddle. It’s a struggle to keep a steady cadence. How in the hell (of the North) do the pros manage to ride so fast on cobbles? — Craig P.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: The answer is a combination of strength, gear selection, experience and bike-handling skills.

Good rough-road riders use a higher than normal gear so they can sit back on the saddle and pedal with a slightly lower cadence. This puts more weight on their feet and less on their seat so they don’t bounce as much.

They use a light-but-secure grip on the handlebar so the front end can “float” over the stones and find its own line. Tense arms mean the front wheel will be held rigidly in place. When it hits an edge, the bike will be more likely to veer. But with a relatively relaxed grip and loose elbows, the front wheel can absorb the hits.

Finally, pros have the confidence that comes from years of banging elbows in packs of 150 riders. Being jostled by cobbles isn’t something that scares them.

But it’s funny — some great road riders never learn the tricks for riding cobbles and they hate Paris-Roubaix.

Others seem to have a natural knack. They’re the ones who possess the special skills — including an almost blind trust in their bikes to stay upright.

Do you have a cycling question? You can submit it here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greg Titus says

    June 13, 2019 at 9:54 am

    “But it’s funny — some great road riders never learn the tricks for riding cobbles and they hate Paris-Roubaix.”

    I bet there are a lot of pros that know all the tricks of riding cobbles, and STILL hate Paris-Roubaix! Cobbles are just not as enjoyable as smooth tarmac. If you think they are, you might have some psychological pathology that should be checked out. 🙂

    Reply
  2. mitch hull says

    June 15, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    The article missed an option:

    Use the widest tires your frame can fit, and run pressures just above those necessary to prevent pinch flats (not the max pressure listed on the sidewall unless you’re very heavy).

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1054
  • ‘Connect’ to Diet-Reverses-Diabetes Study: Even If You Don’t Have the Disease
  • My New Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 5
  • Weak Muscles Predict Accelerated Aging, Disability and Death

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1054

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...