1-2-3, rest-2-3

Riding home from work today, I remembered a little trick I devised last year. I found that if I pedal at a constant rate over a long period, I gradually lose speed and momentum due to leg fatigue. On the other hand, if I find myself getting into this rut, I can push hard for 3 pedal strokes, gaining some momentum, then soft pedal for 3 pedal strokes. This approach has several benefits:
- helps me refocus on the ride
- gives my legs some short rests
- increases my average speed over a long ride

This tends to work best on flats or slight inclines.