Stop That Wobbling

Ever heard a nearby rider snarl: "Dude! Ride a straight line!"

It's disconcerting to be told your bike-handling skills aren't up to par. And it's even more alarming to be in a pack with a rider whose bike meanders from side to side.

If you're occasionally guilty of straying from the straight and narrow -- when you drink from your bottle or look behind, for instance -- here's how to ride like you're on a rail.

Find a quiet road with the white line painted a foot or so from the edge of the pavement, then do these 3 drills:

(1) Begin by simply riding on the white line without deviating to either side.

Tip! Relax your neck, shoulders, arms and even your jaw. Tight muscles fight the bike's natural slight movements and make things worse. You tend to overcorrect, and then overcorrect the overcorrections.

Tip! Don't look at the white line directly in front of your wheel. Instead, focus 30-50 feet up the road. This smoothes and straightens your bike's line and is another key to stopping the urge to correct each waver.


(2) When you can ride the line for long stretches (the feel through your wheel will let you know you're on it), try doing it as you reach for your water bottle, take a drink and return the bottle to the cage. Resist looking down. The cage location needs to become ingrained. If you have to search for it you're likely to swerve.


Tip! When taking a hand off the handlebar to reach for a bottle or something in a rear pocket, place the other hand on the bar top next to the stem. The bike will be more stable and body movements will be less likely to steer it off line.


(3) Now try looking back. The trick when glancing over your left shoulder is to relax the right arm and bend the elbow. This equalizes the force against the two sides of the handlebar, keeping the front wheel straight.


Practice these drills and you'll improve quickly. When you think you're pretty good, remember that pro roadies can ride a straight line in the confines of a fast pack, no-hands, while taking off a vest or peeling an energy bar. We're seeing it every day during coverage of the Tour de France. But don't try that on the next club ride!