Opportunity...

After Saturday's Crit start and watching/hearing a lot of people slip off, miss, and just plain screw up clipping in at the start got me thinking. Every time you ride your bike you have to clip in your foot. You would think it wouldn't be a problem, but a lot of riders don't take the time to practice clipping. If you watch riders starting from a stoplight or stop sign you will see what I mean most will kind of ease through the intersection and take time clipping in. Every time I have to stop while riding I do a mini start when I get going again. I usually have the same anticipation for the light to change as I do for the official to start a race. When the light changes I think about getting a couple of good strong pedal stokes in and clipping in cleanly. It may not seem like much, but think how much better some cross races or MTB races would go if you were able to get to the first turn a few places higher as the result of a clean fast start. Sometimes it is the little skills that can make a difference. Take time to practice the little things. How do you get off your bike when your are done riding? How do you start from a dead stop? How do you get on your bike when you are on the grass, or dirt? Practice those cross specific skills all year, so they stay fresh and sharp.

Think about the small stuff.