Cycling Tips | Stronger Cyclist

Too fast too soon

posted on January 26th, 2012 in Cycling, Cycling Tips by Stephen

I was visiting my nephew Austin, he was on his push scooter & asked me to push him. So, I start pushing him from room to room around my sister’s house.

We get going and Austin is having a blast & of course wanting to go faster, faster! As we go cruising around the house, I have to slow down because their Labrador jumped up to see what all the fuss was about. She had to jump out of the way, and now she thinks it’s a game of chase.

So, here we are ready to get started again, and the dog is on the other side of the kitchen wanting us to chase her. I psyche up my nephew (Austin) and say ready, set, GO! and I start pushing him full bore chasing the dog. We are off to a great start, straight through the kitchen, but as we start getting towards the dining room, my nephew must have been a little concerned about looming kitchen table and starts to turn – a bit too early.

Between my legs, and my nephews reaction, he had turned his little push scooter too soon, catching a handle-bar on the frame of the dining room, causing him to immediately be ejected off the scooter and onto the floor. Suddenly, the next thing I know, I have gone from pushing my nephew full bore, to that awkward standing on the tips of your toes, arms swinging wildly, while trying not to step on my nephew that I just crashed. I’m looking down at him, figuring for sure he got hurt or at the very least is about to start crying. He looks up at me & says “Uncle Stephen, let’s not go that fast”.

I couldn’t help but just nod my head & say Ok. Although it freaked me out at first, shortly after it was pretty funny.

Oddly enough I have done the same thing to myself (in a different scenario). I have finished the road racing season and hopped on the Mt bike, get out on some trails and let the legs start cranking & suddenly my speed becomes greater than my skill & Boom you crash.

If speed becomes greater than skill and curves/corners are involved, you will crash at some point. So, remember in the off season it is always a great time to sharpen your bike handling skills – whether that is Mt biking, cornering, holding a straight line.

Don’t neglect the basics.

How to compare trainer hours to cycling outside

posted on January 24th, 2012 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Strength Training by Stephen

Many people ask the question of relating trainer hours to hours cycling outside – you can not truly compare the two.

1. On the trainer, there is no coasting.
2. your bike on the trainer acts differently than it does on the road.
3. On the trainer there are no fluctuations in traffic, pacing, hills, etc. just ‘Pedal dammit’!
4. You can zone out and pay less attention to things around you, and focus on the workout.

For these reasons, I don’t attempt to compare trainer hours to outdoor hours. I have heard people suggest that an hour on the trainer is worth 1.5 on the road. If you had to compare hours, I guess you could do that. However, I would suggest getting your workout done in a faster amount of time is really the goal – not just spending time ‘on the bike’.

What this means to me is that you have a goal (a set workout) planned, you warm-up, do the prepared workout, cool down, and get off the bike. Completing workout that is an overall goal of a training plan is much more important than merely ‘hours on the bike’.

These workouts will make you
1) Leaner!
2) faster!
3) stronger!

The Winter Wind Training classes is a series of on the bike workouts that will best prepare you for the Spring rides and upcoming race season. The workouts have been laid out so that you will come into the season in your best possible shape with out being burned out or fatigued. The workouts Build from one week to the next.

- These workouts can be done on the Windtrainer or outside!

What to expect:
-Heart rate based intervals of varying length and time each week.

-Steady state intervals for climbing and Time Trialing

-Individual Leg Training (ILT) for forming perfect pedaling circles

-Spin-Ups to increase leg speed

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Winter Cycling Training

posted on December 22nd, 2011 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Strength Training by Stephen

This is the time of year when Mother Nature tries to fool you into thinking that the winter will be easy and you will have beautiful days to ride all Winter.

One Winter several of us at a local bike shop got together and did twice weekly spin classes. We started in the first of the year, and it was good to do it with a group. But suddenly our guy that had to lock up when we were done got a change of schedule and we could no longer spin – a month later, the time had changed and we were once again out on the road. But I feel like I was starting all over again.

Many people do all kinds of training this time of year, only to burn out or stop due to the cold and/or wet weather in the early Spring. Remember not to do too much intensity and do not do too much mileage this time of year, unless your plan and commitment is true, and you follow through to the new year.

Remember the old story of the tortoise and the hare – steady wins the race.

Have the proper Winter cycling gear to get you through the cold and dreary days.

Don’t let that happen to you!
1) Get a Trainer
2) Have prepared workouts that ramp up the intensity.
3) Do the workout and get OFF the bike! Riding the trainer can be more challenging for you mentally than physically! Do a workout and get off the trainer.