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Your cycling
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 03-04-2013 12:03
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Tour de France Champion
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Because if you put it at a hard difficulty, you get frustrated with failing missions and you start peddling harder 
No seriously, I train very efficiently while gaming. Some riders do this with watching series, not a big difference with gaming, imo. |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 03-04-2013 12:21
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
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Focus. Mental commitment is one of the things that can be used to rate the difficulty of an exercise.
Being a spectator costs much less than playing and doing missions. Plus if you must handle a pad or a keyboard, your position is probably not the one you're using on the bike, so you lose some efficiency there. |
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| cactus-jack |
Posted on 03-04-2013 12:22
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3936
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Would it be possible to connect a generator to a stationary bike and have it power the TV?
I wonder how much power a TV needs and if it's at all possible to create such an amount by pedaling.
There's a fine line between "psychotherapist" and "psycho the rapist"
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| Ad Bot |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 03-04-2013 12:23
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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I must say I think I do it pretty well, though. I'm more focused on the cycling than on the game (to be honest, I don't really do missions, just drive around a bit). And I lean on my steer so it's Like I'm in a TT position.
Maybe it's not the best way, 100% effecient. But I reckon it's better to train 4-5 hours with this system than 2 hours without it. I can go on much longer doing this. For me, this is best  |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 06-04-2013 21:34
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
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cactus-jack wrote:
Would it be possible to connect a generator to a stationary bike and have it power the TV?
I wonder how much power a TV needs and if it's at all possible to create such an amount by pedaling.
About 80 W for a recent 40" LCD one, more than 400 for an half-old 50" plasma.
So yes, 80 W could "easily" be done by anyone.
Still, if we're to talk about non-existing functions on home-trainers, I'd much rather sell the power to my electricity provider than use it myself. For solar energy, they buy a kW 3 times what you buy it (used to be 5 times till 2008 or something). Now, no matter what option is chosen, 1 kWh (250 W during 4h - that'd totally waste me) is bought 0,11 € here by customers, and 0,33 if you sell it to EDF. It's not really worth pedalling for money then.
Edited by Aquarius on 06-04-2013 21:35
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 07-04-2013 16:30
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Wow, D-day is nearing. I've really got to make a decision soon: go 100% and try to do something with cycling or concentrate on my studies and keep cycling a nice hobby with a yearly trip to the mountains.
I must say I doubt that being a pro rider is healthy... |
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| titleist82 |
Posted on 07-04-2013 18:37
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 754
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first run on the bike of the season today.
i'm quite embaracced of showing you the gps data 
https://www.smartr...7c3b4.aspx
on the positive side: there's definetely a lot of room to improve my performances! |
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| titleist82 |
Posted on 13-04-2013 19:06
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 754
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titleist82 wrote:
first run on the bike of the season today.
i'm quite embaracced of showing you the gps data
https://www.smartr...7c3b4.aspx
on the positive side: there's definetely a lot of room to improve my performances!
second run:
https://www.smartr...60fdf.aspx
there was headwind all the way on the flat part.
+2.16 mins on the flat
-3.40 mins on the hilly part
-1.24mins overall
once again i am really struggling to make a decent pace on the flat (i am 182cms X 84kg).
What kind of exercises can i do to improve power??? |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 13-04-2013 19:19
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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I have the same problem on the flat, can't make a good pace (179 cm X 55kg).
You should make a training schedule, there are some good books that can help you there: look for something like: training responsible, or something  |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 13-04-2013 19:30
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
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As I'm not going to rewrite the same stuff every other week, check this about the bases of training :
https://www.pcmdai...ost_684263
Improving power is a long time process.
Riding on the flat is mostly about W/m², and weight is rather helpful (it increases kinetic energy). If you can't ride at a high pace, it means that either your position is really bad, either you don't have much power.
If it's the latest (which seems to be case), check the message above and start with "cycle 1", then proceed.
Also, the most important the percentage of your power you're using, the fastest you must pedal. Don't try to push too big gears, it's going to be counter-productive (don't have Gonchar as your hero, that works for very few people). |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 06:46
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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Aquarius wrote:
Riding on the flat is mostly about W/m², and weight is rather helpful (it increases kinetic energy). If you can't ride at a high pace, it means that either your position is really bad, either you don't have much power.
If it's the latest (which seems to be case), check the message above and start with "cycle 1", then proceed.
Also, the most important the percentage of your power you're using, the fastest you must pedal. Don't try to push too big gears, it's going to be counter-productive (don't have Gonchar as your hero, that works for very few people).
Or, in my case, you don't have enough weight, also is Schleck's case, I believe.
How do you know if it works for you? For me it feels so right. I automatically push quite big gears, whether I'm training, going hard, going uphill... So if it feels right, it's probably okay, right? I don't push as big as Gonchar, though, but bigger than most cyclist I see. |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 09:09
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
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Weight doesn't make you go forward on the flat or in climbs. Forget that idea.
More weight, if it means more muscles should mean more power though.
How to know if it works ? Maybe there's a link between not pedalling fast enough and not managing to ride fast on the flat ?
At your max power, on the flat, you should pedal at around 105-110 RPM. Around threshold it'd be 95-100. Then minus 2 per percentage of slope.
Most non competing cyclists don't pedal fast enough, but rather 10-20 RPM too slow. You might think it's fine and that it doesn't feel natural to pedal that much faster, but that's the way to efficiency, even though that implies somehow "re learning" to pedal (cycling on a track or doing MTB should help you with the feeling). |
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| viking90 |
Posted on 14-04-2013 11:08
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4032
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Bought myself my first "real" roadbike earlier this week and just come home from my first testride and it rolled easier then be previous bikes
As I´m a newbie about this I guess I will terror you all with some question when I do wonder about something, if that´s okay?
I can start with one about my cycling computer.
I got a good price, atleast they said so on a Mavic Wintech ALTI USB cycling computer.
When I was out biking it work nice and I saw how fast (slow  ) I was riding and how long etc.
But when I come home to check it on the computer I installed the "wintech manager" with the CD but when I connected the USB stick to the computer it didn´t work properly...
It come up a box wherr it said "download data" I pressed yes but then it said "no data found" as I hadn´t ride at all but when I look at the cycling computer not connected to the PC I can see it all. And Idea?
Thanks in advance!
Edited by viking90 on 14-04-2013 11:09
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:03
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Aquarius wrote:
Weight doesn't make you go forward on the flat or in climbs. Forget that idea.
More weight, if it means more muscles should mean more power though.
How to know if it works ? Maybe there's a link between not pedalling fast enough and not managing to ride fast on the flat ?
At your max power, on the flat, you should pedal at around 105-110 RPM. Around threshold it'd be 95-100. Then minus 2 per percentage of slope.
Most non competing cyclists don't pedal fast enough, but rather 10-20 RPM too slow. You might think it's fine and that it doesn't feel natural to pedal that much faster, but that's the way to efficiency, even though that implies somehow "re learning" to pedal (cycling on a track or doing MTB should help you with the feeling).
Thanks for that answer.
Though about the weight, it does matter (at least a bit). One: weighing only 54kg, you get blown away by any shred of wind, weighing 80 kg will not pose that problem. Two, I find difficult to express in English. When you stop peddaling, you just keep going until you come to a stop. With more weight, you go much further. So weighing less, you have to use more power to get forward as much as weighing more because of friction. I'm not sure, it's really difficult to explain in English what I'm saying, sorry for that. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:08
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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@Ian
Point 1: That is solely linked to surface area. But being lighter usually means less surface area so less wind impact. On the flat try and hold a small profile to minimize this effect
Point 2: Your looking for momentum i think. Again, theoretically, it would take less power for you to hold a certain speed and accelerate and decelerate.
To go faster on the flat, minimize your surface are and increase your power output. Its really quite simple.
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:16
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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You might be right, I'm everything but aerodynamic. My cycling style resembles that of Gaudin, remember him in Paris - Roubaix?
Went for a ride yesterday and today the first visit to the Flemish Ardennes. With yesterday's ride in the legs, it was tougher than I thought, 50 km and 10 hills. This is the profile (had to reset after 5 km so first hill isn't on it.) Also a small miscalculation by my GPS there, going to -200m
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| Barbaruvian |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:24
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Stagiare
Posts: 155
Joined: 16-06-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Ian Butler wrote:
Or, in my case, you don't have enough weight, also is Schleck's case, I believe.
How do you know if it works for you? For me it feels so right. I automatically push quite big gears, whether I'm training, going hard, going uphill... So if it feels right, it's probably okay, right? I don't push as big as Gonchar, though, but bigger than most cyclist I see.
It's a serious problem Ian isn't it  I'm 56kg ish and have never been able to sustain more than about 225 watts. In my experience this is all very well on a mountain, but I've been destroyed by both 60yr olds and 14yr olds on flat roads.
Manx Missile: It does make a difference with wind, precisely because surface area doesn't change. Eg: bad aero posture with an aero helmet loses you about 10 watts? Now for me, 10 watts is considerably bigger loss than it is for my friend, who will happily pootle along at something like 300 watts (so she loses a lower percentage of her power to the wind resistance).
= I also get destroyed on windy days, (and she gets fed up with me).
Does any of this help? Long post sorry  |
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| Barbaruvian |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:25
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Stagiare
Posts: 155
Joined: 16-06-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Fun route Ian! |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:36
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
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On the flat, wind resistance takes about 90 % of your power (the 10 other go to various mechanical resistance : bike, road, etc.).
Do you have a picture of yourself on the bike (on the flat), Ian ? On the flat, with your hands at the bottom of the handlebars, your back should be almost horizontal (with a normal arms position), so that your frontal surface is as reduced as possible.
If your back is, say, at 45°, or if having your hands down the handlebars is too uncomfortable, there's probably something to work out with saddle height, stem height and length, etc. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:36
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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weight does not equal power! It is your power, not your weight that is holding you back on the flat. A couple of years ago i weighed 56kg and could hold 275ish for a while on the flat, which was plenty to handle club runs and some small non-serious races.
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