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Your cycling
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:40
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Grand Tour Specialist
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TheManxMissile wrote:
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.
True, of course. But to some extent, you'd expect riders in one given category to have roughly the same W/kg, so the lightest ones have less power. Naturally the lightest have less frontal surface too, but not always in the same proportions as their weight, which is why it's often more difficult for them on the flat (but nothing that should make them struggle).
J. Rodriguez doesn't get dropped on the flat, even by the likes of Voigt, for example. |
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| felix_29 |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:44
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Classics Specialist
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Even with a a low weight you should be able to wheelsuck. If you can't follow wheels on the flat then it's more likely because you lack training-kms.
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 12:45
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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I'm not saying I'm a total loser on the flat here. If I have a training buddy or two I can easily relay at 40 for 100 km or more. But mostly I ride by myself, and then I feel much better uphill than flat, which is logical in my situation.
Today I discovered my saddle was a bit too high since last year, so that's finally resolved!
I'm also constantly placing my hands at the top of the bar, back 45° or worse. When I really have to race, I have a better position, but to spare my poor neck, I try to keep my body upright 
EDIT: (after Felix' post) if it's only wheelsucking on the flat, I can sustain high speed for a long time, there's no problem there. Well, the problem is I don't wheelsuck, I will always relay, even if it kills me
Edited by Ian Butler on 14-04-2013 12:46
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 13:02
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
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So, apparently I was spot on.
If you're always using the upper handlebars position, your stem is probably not high enough. Your back is tar from horizontal too, so that makes it for poor aerodynamic, your frontal surface must be 30 or 40 % superior to what it should be, so you could probably ride like 10 % faster (cube root of 1,3 or 1,4 ) with the same power and a proper position. 10 % starts to be a lot when the speed is around 40 or 45 km/h. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 16:35
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Tour de France Champion
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Spot on indeed I developed my style in the French Mountains, where using the upper handlebars is better to breathe better. On the flat I should develop a better position, probably! |
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 18:16
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Meanwhile, I'll be participating in a corporate team triathlon in three weeks now. Of course I'll be doing the cycling part (running is just a hobby, cycling's the real thing for me), so that'll be a 20,4 km ITT, mostly flat.
I expect to start first and solo, since our swimmer is a very good one (international in fin swimming).
Given the times from the previous years (around 31 minutes for 3 laps for the best), I should be able to create or increase a gap, or at least that's the plan. Even though drafting is allowed, if I can start with some gap nobody should catch me on such a distance. 
Trouble should come when our runner will take on. 5 km of running, but the best usually do around 17 or 17'30" (which would be beyond my range), and we're not expecting our runner to do better than 23, perhaps 22 but I wouldn't buy it.
I'm still doing my best to tip him for training and more generally running (he's got no experience in it).
I've done the four weeks cycles plan, so I'm in the middle of the threshold and MAP cycle. Toughest one. I almost passed out, because of a huge hypoglycemia, last Tuesday when I stepped down my turbo trainer after a Gimenez intervals session. That's arguably one of the toughest kind of intervals that can possibly be done in cycling. 10 minutes warm up, then 4 minutes sub threshold (I3), then 9 x [1 min I5 (MAP) + 4 minutes (I3)], then warm down. It's hard to maintain I3 for so long, and you don't recover your breath well at all (it's sub threshold), but pedal at I2 and you won't get rid of the lactic acid you made during the one minute at I5. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 18:25
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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Hope the runner will do an excellent performance! My best is somewhere around 18 minutes, back when I was a runner in my teen years, so the competition at the corporate team triathlon seems harsh! |
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| jph27 |
Posted on 14-04-2013 18:31
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Team Leader
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Went out on the bike today... Lasted 15 minutes. Can't seem to go at any pace for a long time, as opposed to before when I could do 33/34 kmh for three hours. Anyone here know how to get back to fitness? I don't feel unable to pedal, but sick and dizzy after a while. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 14-04-2013 18:33
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Tour de France Champion
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jph27 wrote:
Went out on the bike today... Lasted 15 minutes. Can't seem to go at any pace for a long time, as opposed to before when I could do 33/34 kmh for three hours. Anyone here know how to get back to fitness? I don't feel unable to pedal, but sick and dizzy after a while.
Just build up slowly. Start with rides from 15 minutes, if you have to, then build up to eventually 3 hours  |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 12:38
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| Aquarius |
Posted on 14-04-2013 18:47
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
Joined: 29-11-2006
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Ian Butler wrote:
Hope the runner will do an excellent performance! My best is somewhere around 18 minutes, back when I was a runner in my teen years, so the competition at the corporate team triathlon seems harsh!
There's usually a team or two from PSA (Peugeot factory), they have huge factories nearby, and a corporate triathlon team.
There's also the French infantry team, then teams from big banks, or stuff like that.
The bright side is that most competitive triathletes will be doing the normal triathlon in the afternoon, so it'll only be second tier competitors, plus people like me or others, who normally do just one or two of the three sports.
We're less than 20 at work, so building up a competitive has been quite challenging.
That'll be our first participation, but let's bring it home.  |
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| wogsrus |
Posted on 15-04-2013 01:50
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Protected Rider
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Got back on the bike for the first time in a month today. Got some personal records on Strava. Very happy with the fitness. |
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| Barbaruvian |
Posted on 15-04-2013 01:58
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Stagiare
Posts: 155
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Oh so the topic's suddenly triathlon? Please don't tell me about 5km times  , I once DNF-ed a Duathlon NatChamps because I missed the cut off for the Juniors by 7 seconds.
Best time (a couple of years ago, before medschool took over) is 17:15.
Desperately missing being fit now, I could probably run 22min and throw up now... 
Relays are above all, great fun Aquarius!! (especially if you get to mooch off a fast swimmer). Remember to bring donuts for the finish.
...oh and don't damn yourself for the run. I recall a friend of mine coming 3rd at a Euro meet with a run time of 22min. Best there usually run 17min-ish. |
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| TTspecialist |
Posted on 15-04-2013 10:49
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 796
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Broke collarbone yesterday at race,will miss school few days and probably will miss whole season,i started it so good. Doctors said that i will probably be able to continue at next half season,but my form... I started so good,1 win at cobbles race,few top10 places and one 2nd place at hilly stage. Bye,bye 2013 season!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 15-04-2013 10:53
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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That's a bummer  |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 15-04-2013 10:55
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Team Leader
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TTspecialist wrote:
Broke collarbone yesterday at race,will miss school few days and probably will miss whole season,i started it so good. Doctors said that i will probably be able to continue at next half season,but my form... I started so good,1 win at cobbles race,few top10 places and one 2nd place at hilly stage. Bye,bye 2013 season!
That sucks. Hope you recover quickly.
I had a Tri yesterday. With cycling being my strong point I was really hoping that would be where I came back. I really didn't get what I wanted. Where I usually get the best time I lost 2 minutes to the best person. I still came 5th so I didn't come last but I was hoping my ride would get my on the podium or 4th.
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| npass43 |
Posted on 18-04-2013 17:00
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Junior Rider
Posts: 42
Joined: 18-08-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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I completely understand jph. I just started riding this past week, I lasted about 10 minutes at a time for 2 intervals, totaling 20 minutes. I went an avg. of 17 kph with a max of 37. Before anyone laughs, I am a beginner. A little background... I weighed 376 lbs. at this point last year, I am now down to 227. I had surgery in Sept. of last year to lose the weight. I just got my first road bike (a used one.) I feel like riding that fast is an accomplishment just seeing where I came from, but I am not satisfied by any means. I want to participate in some events (non-competitive) around my area by this summer. Does anyone have any pointers? Should I ride every day? Should I ride every other day? What goals should I set, and how long should it be before I am able to ride longer distances? Also, how long will it be before my rear gets used to being in the saddle? After a few minutes, it was very sore. Any help to a novice rider would be greatly appreciated. |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 18-04-2013 17:43
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7681
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When you start you don't need to worry about what riding you're doing as long as you're enjoying it. When you start to build up endurance and speed and you feel like you want to take it up a level then you can think about it in terms of training. Just have fun riding for now |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 18-04-2013 17:50
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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I always follow the great Eddy Merckx words...
"Don't by upgrades, ride up grades"
"Ride lots"
"Three things: Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike"
There is no better way to improve or have fun!
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| Bosskardo |
Posted on 18-04-2013 19:32
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Sprinter
Posts: 1559
Joined: 07-04-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Just bought Specialized Expert shoes and got ripped off by their region policy. This year, Estonia moved from their Eastern European region to Scandinavian region and all prices increased 20%.
Still, can't wait to try them but have to wait till Saturday. If it rains, then I might go nuts. Really want to try them, should be a lot better than my old Shimano shoes.
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| Bushwackers |
Posted on 18-04-2013 19:45
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Sprinter
Posts: 1907
Joined: 07-02-2009
PCM$: 200.00
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npass43 wrote:
I completely understand jph. I just started riding this past week, I lasted about 10 minutes at a time for 2 intervals, totaling 20 minutes. I went an avg. of 17 kph with a max of 37. Before anyone laughs, I am a beginner. A little background... I weighed 376 lbs. at this point last year, I am now down to 227. I had surgery in Sept. of last year to lose the weight. I just got my first road bike (a used one.) I feel like riding that fast is an accomplishment just seeing where I came from, but I am not satisfied by any means. I want to participate in some events (non-competitive) around my area by this summer. Does anyone have any pointers? Should I ride every day? Should I ride every other day? What goals should I set, and how long should it be before I am able to ride longer distances? Also, how long will it be before my rear gets used to being in the saddle? After a few minutes, it was very sore. Any help to a novice rider would be greatly appreciated.
Congratulations, that's a great accomplishment! I would think riding every day would be a bit too much at your point, every other day should be more than enough to see continual progress. Like wacko said, just enjoy it. I wouldn't be too concerned with your speed, because there are too many variables that go into that for it to be a good indicator of anything really. I would gradually bump up your time, 30 minutes.. an hour.. I think that would do the most for you.
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