Gear | Stronger Cyclist

compact cranks can make you weak

posted on August 23rd, 2011 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Reviews, Strength Training by Stephen

We have several conversations with clients about compact cranks that tend to come on new bikes.

Recently we had a strong client at the studio that was loosing a block of time in the bike portion of this Triathlon. After looking at his VO2 max and wattage numbers in spin class, we asked him to bring in his bike, sure enough he was on compact cranks – he was actually spun out during his race! Granted this won’t happen to everyone, but this is a case where to race to his potential compact cranks were holding him back!

There are good reasons for compact cranks, and there is debate for why people should or should not ride them.

The PROBLEM with compact cranks is that too many people use them for too long and then end up relying on the ‘bail-out’ gears more and more on the same hills until they slowly loose strength since they no longer challenge the leg muscles, but rather transfer the workout to the lungs via spinning.

Train your weakness and Race your Strengths! However, the problem with compact cranks is that you ‘CAN’ end up training yourself into muscle weakness. As a racing buddy Kent Bostick used to say, if you don’t race the small chainring, why train in it? This from a guy that at 45, was an alternate for the US cycling Olympic team in 1996.

If you were doing a workout to get stronger, would you add more resistance or would you just do the reps faster – and then expect to be stronger?

During the Spring, I would do my climbing on a grade that did not allow me to spin easily. I would have to mash the cranks to get to the top of this climb, I did this because I know it would make me stronger! It was training. Mashing is something that I avoid during a race or big ride, but when I would start the season, I would make myself mash some hills! Mash now, so You can spin a bigger gear when it counts!

If your training is periodized as it should be, there is time to gain strength & a time to gain speed.

This blog post is not a new one for this site, I wrote about this previously here

Faster cycling by pace-lining

posted on August 19th, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Ride Reports by Stephen

Want to ride faster while lowering your heart rate? Then pace-lining is what you need.

I was on a ride, and we started a paceline. How this happened was random, we were going along single-file then the guy on the front ‘slowly’ pulled off the line by easing to his left (since we were on the right hand side of the road) clear of the next rider, then slowed down slightly (just a mile or 2 per hour). The next rider keeps the same effort that the original rider had that was pulling the group, but decided he didn’t want to pull the whole time, so he slowly pulled over, allowing the next rider to come through and do his share of the work.

Suddenly, we had a paceline going, and as it became my turn to pull through the rider in front of me was less experienced (not a problem) he pulled through well, but after he eased off the paceline he didn’t slow down. Now since I was maintaining the same speed/effort for the group I was not passing him – he soon looked to see why not and once he realized it, he slowed down slightly to allow us to pass him, and continue the paceline.

This is 1 of the most common mistakes by novice riders, to either pull through too hard and/or not slow down or to pull for too long and running out of energy and not pulling off the front to allow other riders to continue the rotation.

The 2nd biggest mistake (and more dangerous) is that when a rider is down with their pull, they swing wildly to the side to allow the next rider to come through…. unless you are on the veldrome or your a lead out man for a Pro sprinter, you should not do this. It is just too drastic of a swing to the side, and again others are counting on you to be a safe rider.

If the group is doing a consistent paceline there is no reason to signal that you are pulling off the paceline, each rider knows everyone is doing a pace-line. Just slowly ease to the side as you pass the rider that was ahead of you, this gives the next rider a smooth transition from drafting you, to pulling the rest of the riders. And when you do it smoothly the rider that you are passing should get plenty of time to adjust their speed to comfortably start drafting from you with out any random moves.

Team Time Trial

When riders do or have to make drastic changes in direction or ‘lines’ that they are taking is a main cause of accidents in a group. Unexpected movements is dangerous to the other riders around you, try to minimize them. When each rider in a group moves around the road smoothly accidents are minimized because where each rider is going becomes obvious.

Although it is the responsibility of each rider to not hit the rider ahead of them, it is also good to keep in mind that you have other’s well being in your hands based on your actions. No one is perfect, but there are some riders I will avoid or go around ASAP! Yet, there are some riders that I have no problem drafting behind them as long as possible.

The steadier and consistent of a rider you are, the more respect you will gain from other riders because no one wants a cyclist ahead of them that is unpredictable!

Track Racing Video

posted on July 10th, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Reviews, Ride Reports, Strength Training by Stephen

Here is a little video insight into what it is like to ride/race at the velodrome. This was a Wednesday evening race series in July. The race was the B group (they have A,B & C categories). Good times & since everyone has taken a ‘track riding class’ and is on a fixed gear bicycle with no brakes, it is actually much safer than most road riding. No one can slam on their brakes. To slow down you simply don’t pedal as fast. Because the velodrome has 34 degree bank in the corners, riders will go high into the corners, then ‘drop down’ to pick up lots of speed before going into the straight-aways.

Here is a little article on the Dick Lane Velodrome in the Atlanta magazine

A great thing about racing at the velodrome is that everyone is very friendly and you can share race tactics in different scenarios, then go right out and attempt it right away since the races vary in length from single lap ‘chariot’ races to 50 laps and even the ‘unknown’ race in which only the director & their assistant of the velodrome know when they will ring the bell for the last lap.

DLV Wed. Night Race from Stephen Carhart on Vimeo.

Most everyone usually runs about an 88 inch gear.
For this nights races I was running a 95 inch gear (46×13) – challenging, but not on purpose (I had left my gears at home by accident). But it did make me mash a larger gear than I normally would. Although I usually don’t do it some track races will over-gear to gain leg strength.

Track racing will test your ability to push the same gear for a period of time, then get that gear up to your max spinning effort.

If you are in the Alanta area, the Dick Lane Velodrome has loaner bikes so you can try a beginner class and see what it is like to get bounced around on the lap of the Velodrome.