Learning the Flying Mount

It seems impossibly difficult at first, but most folks can learn it and do it well after just one session of 1-2 hours. 

You can start by wearing running shoes so you're not clipped in.

- Roll bike, and learn to ride while standing on one pedal with other leg already dismounted. You're basically standing on one pedal.

- After you got that down, learn to ride while standing one that pedal but raising the loose leg horizontal. This is the hardest step and takes some practice. Took me 40 minutes to feel moderately comfortable with it.

- Next you're swinging the leg over and good to go. 

For the dismount, do it in reverse. Start seated, then stand on one pedal, one leg loose. Practice swinging the free leg (gradually) over to the other side of the bike. You may have to spend a lot of time just moving the free leg around and not over the wheel until you get the hang of standing on one pedal. 

When I started, it felt totally impossible. I couldn't even stand on one pedal. 2 hours later, I was flying on/off the bike, and 3 weeks later went from the slowest transition in my AG to the 2nd fastest in a big triathlon. 

Learning to run with the bike and steer it by the seat also helps a ton - probably saves more time than the dismount, imo. Once you get it down, you can literally run behind your bike, hand on the saddle, and weave it through traffic without touching the handlebars. I think this is a better skill to have than the flying mount/ dismount in terms of time savings.

I kind of have a hop while placing my right foot on the right pedal and lifting over

I took a peek on youtube for you and saw this one and he actually does a little hop as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR6Pq6u3YUM

That's pretty much the routine i practiced -- right side, right foot, i look down at first to make sure my feet are on stable before pedaling.

when the shoes go in is different each race for me -- such as how busy the bike mount area is, where's the first hill, etc.

I do, however, leave my shoes permanently clipped into my bike all winter on the trainer, and i try to get better at getting my feet in and out of them each training session

cheers

I don't do a true 'flying' mount, per se.  I will run with my bike well past the crowds, then place left foot on top of left shoe (which has been rubber-banded in the 9'-oclock position). As I stand up on the pedal, I'll swing right leg over saddle/top tube and meet my right shoe at slightly past the 12'-oclock position.  With feet still on top of shoes, I'll pedal well down the road until I'm up to cruising speed, then insert feet into shoes (that have been liberally rubbed with body glide).  It may not be quite as fast as a flying mount, but there is more room for error without damaging any body parts. 

If you want to study YouTube videos, look for high level Cyclocross races- those folks have it mastered.

I do the same as the others, put left foot on top of left shoe, do a couple of crow-hops and swing the right leg over - then the reverse for dismount.

The one thing you have to be careful of is not twisting your foot at all while you are standing on one leg on top of your shoe.  If you twist your foot the shoe could pop out and down you go.  I've seen it happen a couple of times at races and did it once myself on a training ride.

Apparently it feels awkward and unnatural for a lot of people.  I guess I have just never been in a position where 5 seconds was worth it.  I do a flying dismount which is a lot easier but the mount is beyond me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJx-f_uuRrw&feature=related

You could look for some information on cyclocross mounts.....works well for tris as well.

Practicing on grass first is good.  Start just walking and do mount. Gradually go faster and faster.

Key is land on your thigh of the leg that is going over the bike on saddle not your privates.

I do the one-footed mount as well (from the left side). It's just as fast as the true 'flying mount' (I've found it faster), safer, and easier. You can do the whole thing without slowing down from your running pace to accelerating when you step on top of the shoe and throw your leg over the bike.

The only thing you have to watch for are the people trying the flying mount in front of you who fail, and the people who run to the mount point only to stop, put a leg over, clip in, then slowly pedal away. I run my bike past them all, then do the mount.

Great video....how can all those ITU women be so bad at mounting their bikes...I counted at least 5 that fell or had signficant issues.

No rule requires you to mount at mount/dismount line.  Run past it and any other people who are pausing at the line to start, have some momentum before you mount.  Flying dismount, get into position while coasting 50 feet from the line, standing on one pedal, leg swung over, apply brakes just before the line, step off and jog.

For practicing, wear rubber sole shoes, which don't have a wide protruding edge.  Such as tennis shoes, keds, boat shoes (not running shoes).  Go to a parking lot which is flat to slightly sloped.  Enough slope that you can stand, put one foot on one pedal in the 6 o'clock position, push off with the other foot, and roll forward down slope very slowly, then swing your leg over.  Repeat this, exercise 1, several times from a standing start.

Exercise 2, repeat above a couple of times, but don't swing your leg over, just try to circle around.  This is fine tuning your low speed balance.  Use your brakes, push off with the loose foot like your riding a scooter.  "Play" with your bike like you did when you were a kid.

Exercise 3, repeat exercise 1 a couple of times from a walking start.  This should begin to feel comfortable.  Once you are pedaling, circle back to your same starting point, and do an ultra slow moving dismount: stand on one pedal, swing leg over, still coasting, apply brakes, step off at a walking pace.

Exercise 4, repeat the exercise from a walking start, going in a flat direction (not down slope), you have to push off a little on that last step.

Exercise 5, repeat the exercise walking faster.  

Exercise 6, repeat at a slow jog.  Once you've got the choreography down, this is actually easier because you have momentum, and you don't need to push off.

Finally, put on your bike shoes.  Start again with Exercise 1.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  

I go with the flying dismount because it's pretty easy to do smoothly, but I've never tried to push for the flying mount. I use the approach others have mentioned by putting my left foot on top of my left shoe then swinging the right leg over while moving forward. I just haven't understood why saving a few seconds on a maneuver, such as the flying mount, is worth the risk of falling or hurting yourself and ruining your whole day. That being said, if I was 20 years younger, I'd probably be trying it. 

Brad

I was watching the Ironman world championship video on youtube the other night, and saw Chrissie Wellington jog her bike to the mount line, stop, and get on her bike just like a normal person. I realize that for Iron distance the 3 or 5 seconds is less an issue than a sprint. But it certainly made me feel a lot less urgent about learning this technique to see the most dominant triathlete in the world NOT doing it.

I never did a flying mount in a triathlon.  Then I did my first cyclocross race, and for some reason did my first flying mount in the middle of a race, without realizing what I was doing.  Now to see if I can apply that to my real races in 2012!

I think, as with anything, practice is the key here.  Do what comes most naturally.