The "cowboy" start technique.

[Norm]

So, what happens when you lean a bike over in corners.....................

Is that a serious question, HD?

Just in case it is (although I thought the answer is pretty obvious!) when you lean the bike in a corner (unless you are a knee-down hero), the forces still act through the vertical axis of the bike.

 

[PpPete]

I usually dismount this way, even with clipless pedals. Have to remember not to do so when on the fixed.... results could be very undignified - and painful.

 

[Dan B]

bike wheels are only strong vertically, and are weak against the lateral forces exerted doing cowboy starts or standing up on the pedals (something else I remember Sheldon cautioning about)

Well, yeah but no but ... I know that TdF riders don't have to care too much about the longevity of their components, but I doubt you'd see many flat stages won by riders who don't stand on the pedals.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Is that a serious question, HD?

Just in case it is (although I thought the answer is pretty obvious!) when you lean the bike in a corner (unless you are a knee-down hero), the forces still act through the vertical axis of the bike.

There must still be a large degree of lateral force going across the spokes as the bike is pushing the hubs out as well as down. Wheels work with the spokes in tension so they will withstand a considerable amount of sideways force.

 

[Peter10]

Just from personal experience, surely more force and energy goes through the crank and frame when standing up cycling uphill in a fairly high gear than doing this type or mount/dismount?

 

[Ian H]

There must still be a large degree of lateral force going across the spokes as the bike is pushing the hubs out as well as down. Wheels work with the spokes in tension so they will withstand a considerable amount of sideways force.

No, the force is acting along the vertical axis of the rider and bike, otherwise you'd fall over.

 

[snailracer]

There must still be a large degree of lateral force going across the spokes as the bike is pushing the hubs out as well as down. Wheels work with the spokes in tension so they will withstand a considerable amount of sideways force.

Actually, there is zero lateral force across the spokes because the vector sum of the vertical & horizontal forces acting at the rim passes directly through the centre of the hub.

 

[Wheely Curious]

Perhaps you should actually go to Sheldon's website and read it for yourself, rather than criticise him based on second-hand information. The late Sheldon Brown was a knowledgable bike mechanic and rider who freely offered advice to anyone who asked, and was great at explaining why rather than expecting people to take it on faith.

In America, Sheldon is a household name, though few have heard of him in the UK.

I used to do cowboy starts, most of the time it worked, except when I crashed! Such as when I forgot I put my shopping in the rear basket and my foot got caught in it. And when I attempted a cowboy going up a steep hill, stalled just before I got my leg over, and CRASH! Then there was the time forgot I had the wrong trousers on, a bit too tight to get the leg over, CRASH!

I can't remember what Sheldon's main objection to cowboy starts is, to me the obvious issue (apart from an increased risk of crashing) is that bike wheels are only strong vertically, and are weak against the lateral forces exerted doing cowboy starts or standing up on the pedals (something else I remember Sheldon cautioning about).

And no, I don't pump my tyres to the max, I can't be bothered to explain why, perhaps Sheldon's website can shed light on why I would do such a preposterous thing.

Having mastered the "cowboy mount" around the age of six, I stumbled across this old thread while looking for mount advice that might be fresh and learned of Sheldon and this nomenclature. So it has a name - who knew? - and what did we do without the Internet and before Lycra?

OK, so I confess to some curmudgeonly eye-rolling. And I must grudgingly admit that yes, upon consideration, that the revered Sheldon, may he rest in peace, is probably correct. Indeed, the cavalier cowboy mount induces uniquely asymmetric forces in the wheels and frame of my mechanical pony. In my opinion.

With that stipulated, all I have to say is: whoopedy-doo. Or perhaps, yee-haw! In all my years and miles of riding, I think I developed a keen sense of what is mechanically stressful for a bicycle. If the beast is too delicate to bear this type of stress without anything more than negligible loss of alignment, than it is not roadworthy.

But then, these are the words of a plebe that has never worn Lycra, so discount appropriately.

And now I am ready to show my nephew how to mount his slightly large new bicycle. Hopefully, he will acquire certain agility that exceeds that necessary for simple straight and level riding, to store in reservoir of his autonomous nervous system for the sake of his safety.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I used to do it, but here we used to call it the "Prussian Dismount".

 

[colly]

Talking of dismounts. 20seconds in, what do you call that?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

 

[Dave 123]

Talking of dismounts. 20seconds in, what do you call that?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

A leg over?

 

[Rusty Nails]

Talking of dismounts. 20seconds in, what do you call that?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

A*se over head(set)

 

[mjr]

Always used to, but for unknown reasons i just stopped doing it, can't even remember when now i think about it.
Perhaps it's because i've had an irrational fear about the pedal snapping off and sending me flying...that does occur to me occasionally. Too much thinking...

My dad did snap a pedal that way, but it was before he'd swung the leg, so he just found himself stamping on the floor hard!

Personally, I scoot start: push the bike forwards, lift bum up onto saddle and put feet on the pedals and start pedalling before losing too much momentum. Very useful on bikes with backpedal brakes.

 

[mikeymustard]

"Cowboy mount" sounds like an expression from one of those- ahem - specialist websites!
I've always called it a postie mount because they used to scoot their bikes down the pavement like this. I find it a very useful way of setting out, especially when you've got a big saddle bag fitted

 

[andrew_s]

Talking of dismounts. 20seconds in, what do you call that?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

That's what's was referred to above as the cowboy dismount.
Swing the right leg over rear of bike so it's next to the left leg (before entering the shot), then just stand down with the right leg and start walking. If you bring the right leg forwards between left leg and bike before standing down, you can transition to a faster walk, or even run.

What is tricky is doing the right leg forwards cowboy dismount to a trot when using clipless pedals, and without unclipping beforehand. Any slight delay in the left foot coming free, and you trip over your right leg.

I don't mount cowboy style these days, but I used to when I rode fixed.
Stationary, left pedal near top of stroke, then step up onto it, and swing the right leg over and sit down all before the left pedal reaches the bottom.