Parallel and Perpendicular

Cycling can seem complicated at times, especially after the disassembly of a bike, the analysis of a year's riding, and the selection of winter riding gear. But could it be boiled down to two simple dimensions, parallel and perpendicular? I first observed this simplicity while zipping along a favorite road that had a crack in the asphalt running parallel to the edge of the road. By staying just between this crack and the edge -- by going parallel myself -- I could avoid innumerable bumps and potholes, in addition to annoying jarring ribbons of repair tar set down hastily by a late summer road crew.

Crossing some railroad tracks later, I instinctively made sure my trajectory was perpendicular to the tracks, to minimize the risk of a tire wedging itself along a rail's cheek and taking me down hard.

These kinds of calculations occur all the time while we're riding, and include how we use our bodies. When we stand on our pedals to climb a steep hill, we move perpendicular to the flat surface of the road. Yet, when we seek speed and aerodynamics, we tuck ourselves into shapes that parallel if not the road, at least the wind.

Running parallel or perpendicular to the wind is another noticeable phenomenon. Parallel a headwind for a down and dirty fight for dominance, with the wind usually prevailing. Parallel a tailwind, and you fly forward effortlessly, with speed high and effort low. When we form a paceline, we indulge in group parallelism, and the advantages can be wondrous to experience.

Switchbacks thwart this simple categorization, and I find climbs that include them to be some of the toughest. Part of the difficulty of the climbs, of course, is what forced the road designers to include switchbacks -- these are usually long, arduous climbs that needs to be buffered by switchbacks. But riding parallel to a switchback creates real drag as you round the inside corner, as gravity pulls hardest on you from more angles than at nearly any time. Of course, going perpendicular leads you off the road, so the best answer is to compromise, and do both a little, swinging wide on the turn to modulate the forces of gravity while also completing the turn.

Certainly, cycling's physics are more complex and subtle than just these two simple and contrary dimensions. Angles, speed, draft, aerodynamics, inertia, and many other factors figure in. But these two simple relationships cover a lot of what we experience. But don't ponder it too long while riding -- remain perpendicular to the road.