Riding Techniques

1. Learning basic techniques makes for a comfortable ride.

Bicycles will provide a comfortable ride and reduce fatigue to a minimum as long as you employ the proper riding techniques for the situation you are in.

Steering

Grasping the Flat Area

Grasping the flat area of the handlebars allows the upper body to relax. This is well suited for riding at a constant speed on such courses as long and level roads and long and gentle descending slopes.

Grasping the Brake Lever Area

This places the body slightly forward and is an effective position in various situations including increasing speed and climbing short hills.

Grasping the Curved Area

This is a fully forward position, allowing the effective utilization of the entire body in situations such as producing maximum speed and climbing steep hills.

Pedaling

Ankling

Dropping the heel below the level of the toes when pedaling at the eleven, twelve, and one o'clock positions rather than leaving the foot in a toe-down position throughout the entire pedal stroke increases the effective torque around the crank axle and utilizes pedaling strength as rotational power without waste. This technique takes its name from its exaggerated movement of the ankles. Ankling is an effective pedaling technique on level roads and slopes when riding at an average speed of around 20 km/h.

Braking

Level Roads

Curves

Applying the rear brakes and then the front brakes without locking the tires is the basic technique for safe and sure braking.

Since heading into turns at high speeds results in centrifugal force pushing you toward the outer edge of the curve, you should slow down sufficiently beforehand. Braking after you have already entered a curve may cause your tires to slip.

Downward Slopes

Rain

Speed can be controlled by braking a little bit at a time. Sudden braking runs the risk of locking the wheels.

Rain reduces a tire's grip on the road, and water and mud on the brake block lowers the braking force. Such conditions harm braking performance, requiring that you apply the brakes a little earlier than normal.

Changing Gears

Level Roads

Upward Slopes

As soon as your legs start feeling heavy due to riding against the wind or for long hours, switch into a lower gear to lighten the burden.

Quickly changing gears right before hitting the slope enables effective use of upper body motion and lightens the strain on the leg muscles.

Downward Slopes

Switching into a higher gear makes it easier to deal with fast pedaling. Pedaling down a slope in too low a gear results in the legs spinning around uselessly, running the risk of losing balance.

2. Learning basic techniques makes for a fun ride.

Unlike everyday usage such as shopping and getting to the station to catch a train for school or work, cycling presents a wide range of riding conditions and presents many opportunities to reach high speeds. This make it necessary to practice basic cycling techniques such as riding, turning, and stopping.

Level Roads

Needlessly placing the body too far forward should be avoided because doing so reduces your field of vision, impairing split-second reflexes.

Downhill

On downhill roads, continuously apply the brakes while maintaining a speed of 30 km or less. This is an easy position to use on sharp downhill curves as well. However, it can easily result in mistaken judgment of speed control due to fatigue when going uphill.

Uphill

Bringing the chest closer to the handlebars and placing the hips more towards the rear of the seat while stepping forward on the pedals makes for a more efficient ride.

Cornering

Out-in-out is the established theory for dealing with corners, but this is a technique for riding at high speeds on circuits without oncoming lanes. On public roads, make sure to adequately reduce speed before heading into a corner.

Copyright, 1998-1999 Bicycling Popularization Association of Japan. All rights reserved.

Steering
Grasping the Flat Area
Grasping the flat area of the handlebars allows the upper body to relax. This is well suited for riding at a constant speed on such courses as long and level roads and long and gentle descending slopes.
Grasping the Brake Lever Area
This places the body slightly forward and is an effective position in various situations including increasing speed and climbing short hills.
Grasping the Curved Area
This is a fully forward position, allowing the effective utilization of the entire body in situations such as producing maximum speed and climbing steep hills.
Pedaling
Ankling
Dropping the heel below the level of the toes when pedaling at the eleven, twelve, and one o'clock positions rather than leaving the foot in a toe-down position throughout the entire pedal stroke increases the effective torque around the crank axle and utilizes pedaling strength as rotational power without waste. This technique takes its name from its exaggerated movement of the ankles. Ankling is an effective pedaling technique on level roads and slopes when riding at an average speed of around 20 km/h.
Braking
Level Roads	Curves
Applying the rear brakes and then the front brakes without locking the tires is the basic technique for safe and sure braking.	Since heading into turns at high speeds results in centrifugal force pushing you toward the outer edge of the curve, you should slow down sufficiently beforehand. Braking after you have already entered a curve may cause your tires to slip.
Downward Slopes	Rain
Speed can be controlled by braking a little bit at a time. Sudden braking runs the risk of locking the wheels.	Rain reduces a tire's grip on the road, and water and mud on the brake block lowers the braking force. Such conditions harm braking performance, requiring that you apply the brakes a little earlier than normal.
Changing Gears
Level Roads	Upward Slopes
As soon as your legs start feeling heavy due to riding against the wind or for long hours, switch into a lower gear to lighten the burden.	Quickly changing gears right before hitting the slope enables effective use of upper body motion and lightens the strain on the leg muscles.
Downward Slopes
Switching into a higher gear makes it easier to deal with fast pedaling. Pedaling down a slope in too low a gear results in the legs spinning around uselessly, running the risk of losing balance.

Level Roads
Needlessly placing the body too far forward should be avoided because doing so reduces your field of vision, impairing split-second reflexes.
Downhill
On downhill roads, continuously apply the brakes while maintaining a speed of 30 km or less. This is an easy position to use on sharp downhill curves as well. However, it can easily result in mistaken judgment of speed control due to fatigue when going uphill.
Uphill
Bringing the chest closer to the handlebars and placing the hips more towards the rear of the seat while stepping forward on the pedals makes for a more efficient ride.
Cornering
Out-in-out is the established theory for dealing with corners, but this is a technique for riding at high speeds on circuits without oncoming lanes. On public roads, make sure to adequately reduce speed before heading into a corner.