Clipping In Fast at a Race Start

jmcavoy

jmcavoy

Likes Dirt
Just wondering if anyone out there has a killer technique for getting clipped in fast, so you get a good race start?

I am absolutely terrible at it and have had some bad starts at Majura in the local CORC dirt crits recently, and they have cost be bad (get a bad start there and you're stuck behind people for ages in the single track conga line from hell).

So any advise on getting clipped in fast would be awesome... ;)
 
thecat

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Clip in first and track stand while you wait for the start...

Otherwise as with everything practice practice practice...

Maintaining you pedals and cleats also helps. I little chainlube on the mech to make sure it is workind freely
 
tasty.dirt74

tasty.dirt74

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Trackstand ......hmmmm

Maybe dont try to clip in straight away. Try to get a couple of pedal strokes in first to gain momentum , then clip in.
How long can you trackstand for in a totally stationary position , In a crowd waiting for the flag to drop ? Its ok at the lights , where you can move and roll slightly , but different in the heat of the moment ,with 100 or more like minded competitors !! ;)
 
akashra

akashra

Eats Squid
thecat said:
Clip in first and track stand while you wait for the start...
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And get DQ'd.

I've been warned about it at events before I knew it was against the rules, and have been smacked down previously on the forums here :p And have never done it since.

Just practice. Find the right position and gear for your cranks/RD, and practice taking off, and getting clipped in on the first rotation as the pedal comes around.
Basically around the final rounds of the state series last year I had starts down to a fine art, and would easily gap the sport B/B grade fields off starts. Somewhere along the lines I just completely forgot how to start properly, and went through about a 3 month period of extremely poor starts - which included Nationals 1/2/3 (though I got a blinder in both races at Buller, making up >8 places in both races before the first corner from the fourth row). Yeah. Just practice.

I guess the only real pointer I can offer on technique is not to be too gentle. If you don't force the cleat into the pedal, you'll often miss or not engage, regardless of how loose your cleats are (I run mine pretty loose).
 
L

Le Matelot

Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
thecat said:
Clip in first and track stand while you wait for the start...
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Or not ... When you're racing for sheep stations (like in the friendly Thursday afternoon crits) the MTBA rules state that at the start of the race, you have to have one foot touching the ground, plus you cannot be hanging on to anything to balance yourself (like a barricade or a tree).

5.2.6.With the exception of DH, MTN X and similar style events, all riders on the start line must have one foot touching the ground.
 
b_S

b_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
If you can't clip in on the first pedal stroke, you need to practise more. Best way to get the technique right is to commute in CBD traffic - that'll get your "off the line" speed up to scratch ;)

What foot do you power off with? This'll probably be the foot you put forward when jumping/dropping. Start with that clipped in, at the top of your power stroke. As you push off the ground with your opposite foot your power foot should be stomping, as the crank comes around slam your free foot in to the pedal and give it a good pedal stroke. Even if you fail to clip in, the force should be enough to get a good strong pedal stroke in allowing you to clip in as the other foot comes around again. Trick is to not lose momentum whilst doing so.
Another way would be to aim to hit the pedal with the arch of your foot, allowing you to get some power down whilst you build speed enough after a couple of strokes to then clip in.
 
JD26

JD26

Likes Dirt
Jason, it is not just the clipping in. You have to think of the whole picture.

What you want to do for a dirt crit \ short track is inspect the first part of the track. Is it a nice long flat bit of fireroad (like last night's crit).

Think about the sort of gear you want to be in for this part. Then think about the next component of singletrack and what it requires.

The crit last night started on a gentle 1-2% fireroad grade then shot right into a climbing bit of singletrack that went up a nice tight pinch. Then it descended for a while, then went through mushy singletrack that was hard to keep forward momentum (relative), then back out onto the start\finish fireroad.

So with a fireroad start - get it in big chainring and about 2nd on the back. Be aware that by the time you are about 5m from the singletrack (in this case) you will need to dump it into middle for the climb - better leverage and access to the easier ratios.

With the actual clip in from the start..
1) have a look at the start line
2) have a look if there is any slope (from left to right) of the starting grid (eg if it slopes from top left to bottom right, then it is better to clip in with the right foot and have left foot touching the ground - shorter reach)
3) have a think about where the first turn is (left or right side) - is it an arcing turn or a sharp one - arc = doesn't matter - sharp = side specific - line up on grid accordingly - last night was sharp - I lined up on the right hand side
4) clip in with the starting foot
5) ensure that the other pedal is dead flat to the ground - reach down and turn it if needed - make it as easy for the shoe\cleat to engage.
6) mentally tell yourself that the cleat is on the ball of the foot (or wherever you have it) - mark the shoe with a texta if that might help (just a dot)
7) ensure that the clipped in foot is at an angle (for the crank) where it gives you the most amount of power for the least amount of effort.
8) when the starter drops the flag push down the crank so that the pedal goes all the way to the 6 oclock position with the clipped in foot to get the bike rolling
9) Once it is in that position "scrape the mud" in order to get it rolling back around
10) press firmly\positively (ball of foot over axle) - the xtr pedals you run are pretty specific with their requirements for click in - so push it in pretty decent
11) get the pedal in and then press it down to get the other crack around
12) go go go

Notes
don't shift gear until you have the pedal clipped in
Dual suspension bikes sit higher off the ground than hardtails - less reach with the unclipped foot for the hardtail - makes a bit of difference. It means that the slope is crucial for you on the Anthem x.

You may to incorporate this into training once a week. It takes no real extra time and just gets you used to it.

Do 2 or 3 'practice' clip ins prior to your race starting.

The shorter the race, the more crucial the clip in.

Hope this helps.

NB if I ever take up Solo 24 hour I'll come to you for some key advice!!!!
 
L

Le Matelot

Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
JD26 said:
3) have a think about where the first turn is (left or right side) - is it an arcing turn or a sharp one - arc = doesn't matter - sharp = side specific - line up on grid accordingly - last night was sharp - I lined up on the right hand side
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Have a look at Kylie moving up the inside right on the first turn into single track from last night. She jumped about 4 places with this one.

I know that Mike needs to work on his starts. Have a look at his start in the U19s at Nationals and then click through the next 5 photos to see what happens. He is #204 on front of the grid in the blue/black ONYA Belconnen gear. He seems to be able to make it up once he gets going, but there is lots of potential for early carnage in those races, and the easiest way to avoid that is to be in front.
 
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Lanky Love

Lanky Love

Likes Dirt
If they actualy count you down to the start (3,2,1), the best trick is to clip in at about 2 and then at 1 you are ready to rock'n'roll. However, at nationals, where they have 10 seconds where they can call it at anytime, this doesnt work, but you have pleanty of time to make up places that you have lost in a national race.
 
JD26

JD26

Likes Dirt
Her being an ex-Pro BMXer definitely helps. And also having raced 4X and DH at an international level is a bonus - you just don't get scared of elbows or body contact.

Kylie also sees lines that others do not. If you follow her in any singletrack you will get schooled by a pure technician.

She also started on the left hand side of the fireroad - even though I mentioned before that the right hand side was the go. 8th to 4th in one passing maneouvre is not too bad!
 
jmcavoy

jmcavoy

Likes Dirt
JD26 said:
Hope this helps.
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It sure does James, excellent and detailed advise! Far beyond what I was hoping for. I really appreciate it :)
I'll practice practice practice on Sunday and before next weeks Cirt and hopefully get a decent start next week... it makes a world of difference at Majura.

Good luck in Tassie!
 
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C

climbo

Likes Dirt
use egg beater pedals :) It's almost impossible not to clip in just by stuffing your foot on the pedal in the right spot first go.
 
akashra

akashra

Eats Squid
Lanky Love said:
If they actualy count you down to the start (3,2,1), the best trick is to clip in at about 2 and then at 1 you are ready to rock'n'roll. However, at nationals, where they have 10 seconds where they can call it at anytime, this doesnt work, but you have pleanty of time to make up places that you have lost in a national race.
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So what you're condoning here is basically cheat and jump the start, but leave it as late as possible?

I really wish organizers of State XC races would adopt the same starting procedure as the Nationals.
 
Lanky Love

Lanky Love

Likes Dirt
Its not a jump start as you dont move before your aloud to, you just clip in before they say go. Its pretty much a track stand start, but you only do it for like 2 seconds.
 
dr.evil

dr.evil

Likes Dirt
I wouldn't worry about the rules - the CORC crits are just a bit of fun. Great to have a bit of competitive riding but it is all over in 10-15 mins and not for sheep stations. Riders like Jason, James, Kylie and myself do these races for different reasons. Jason is keen on getting a good start because his clip ins have been pretty ordinary in the last 2 races (but he still flies past me on the 1st lap) - but I'm sure the aggressive nature of crits will help him in the increasingly competitive endurance events. I try to keep up with Kylie because it is great to follow her lines. I'm guessing Kylie rides for the same reason as me - go hard to push yourself but just finish the race. James and all of the A graders are good to watch because they are clearly a level above everyone else - it wasn't until James's comments that I realised how the little things can make a difference. I just try and keep up and not fall off.

What sort of track do we want next week?

I am thinking reverse of 2 weeks ago...how cool would that be. Fly down the fire trail then climb-climb-climb up the trail below dew drop in;)
 
longxc

longxc

Likes Bikes
dr.evil said:
What sort of track do we want next week?

I am thinking reverse of 2 weeks ago...how cool would that be. Fly down the fire trail then climb-climb-climb up the trail below dew drop in;)
Click to expand...
The more climbing the better I say(gives me half a chance :p )
 
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