Getting up to speed

mikesbytes said:

I tried a higher gear on my track bike last night, switching from 48/15 to 48/14. A dozen or so laps showed that the gear felt good, so I decided to try some 250mtr standing sprints. What they do, is hold you and as the motor pace goes past, the let you go (they only let you go if the track is clear as you sprint out blind) and you sprint around the outsiide of the motobike and the bikes following. My PB is 17.5 seconds. The first attempt my left calf cramped and I did 18.6 seconds. My Second attempt, I spun the back wheel over a bump and I did 18.3 seconds and then the rain came, so that was the end of that - track closed.

Not really enough data to make a assessment on, but my gut feeling is that I wasn't getting up to speed quickly enough.

...

Anyway, what I thinking is that, for whatever reason, I'm accelerating quick enough over the first 50 metres, I need to learn how to get the wheels turning quick enough on a fixed gear.

Why not try an intermediate gearing?

... say, 53t + 16t cog which will give you a 3.31:1 ratio which is about halfway between the two you have indicated (3.20:1 & 3.43:1) ... that may let you accelerate with a smoother power transfer.

mikesbytes said:

I tried a higher gear on my track bike last night, switching from 48/15 to 48/14. A dozen or so laps showed that the gear felt good, so I decided to try some 250mtr standing sprints. What they do, is hold you and as the motor pace goes past, the let you go (they only let you go if the track is clear as you sprint out blind) and you sprint around the outsiide of the motobike and the bikes following. My PB is 17.5 seconds. The first attempt my left calf cramped and I did 18.6 seconds. My Second attempt, I spun the back wheel over a bump and I did 18.3 seconds and then the rain came, so that was the end of that - track closed.

Not really enough data to make a assessment on, but my gut feeling is that I wasn't getting up to speed quickly enough.

I should also note that I do weight lifting before work, approx 13 hours before these sprints, so there is a variation in my performance, based on how stuffed I am on the particular night.

Anyway, what I thinking is that, for whatever reason, I'm accelerating quick enough over the first 50 metres, I need to learn how to get the wheels turning quick enough on a fixed gear.

With times like that, you should be starting the team sprint for your national team.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/track/2005/feb05/auschamps05/?id=results/men_one_lap_tt

taras0000 said:

With times like that, you should be starting the team sprint for your national team.

cyclingnews.comauschamps05Open ↗

I would say that Mikes time is over 250mt not the 500m that the rest do. Even though that is quite quick! My best 200mt is 12.27 sec which gives me a 500 of about 30sec.

sv650s said:

I would say that Mikes time is over 250mt not the 500m that the rest do. Even though that is quite quick! My best 200mt is 12.27 sec which gives me a 500 of about 30sec.

sv650s said:

I would say that Mikes time is over 250mt not the 500m that the rest do. Even though that is quite quick! My best 200mt is 12.27 sec which gives me a 500 of about 30sec.

If your P.B. 200m time is 12.2 you will never ride 500m in 30 sec.

And the previous poster is right, if mikebytes is doing 18.3 on a bad day, where has he been hidding?

How fast do the pro's do 250mtr? Are there some records anywhere? I thought that real trackies did it under 16.5 seconds.

I think that we have been had. :eek:

6002 said:

I think that we have been had. :eek:

Sorry, can you expain your post.

As the facts demonstrate, Mike is real pro material... 😄

sogood said:

As the facts demonstrate, Mike is real pro material... 😄

I'm not as fast as Lindsay on the track. On the road is another matter. Sogood, you should drop by for a visit at the track on Monday or Wednesday night.

mikesbytes said:

I'm not as fast as Lindsay on the track. On the road is another matter. Sogood, you should drop by for a visit at the track on Monday or Wednesday night.

Yes, would love to. Was thinking of it for Monday but being the start of the school term and the foul weather, I postponed it. Will see how next Mon works out. 🙂

sogood said:

Yes, would love to. Was thinking of it for Monday but being the start of the school term and the foul weather, I postponed it. Will see how next Mon works out. 🙂

I'd be there about 7.30. Lindsay a bit earlier.

They have got it wrong, if I count around the 10 metre markings, it looks like its a 200 metre sprint. That would explain the times.
4 sprints tonight (handl held)
1. Time stuffed up.
2. 17.86
3. 17.69
4. 18.06
Best time tonight was 16.06 by a bloke in his early 20's.

It is really clear that I'm simply not getting up to speed quickly enough.

mikesbytes said:

They have got it wrong, if I count around the 10 metre markings, it looks like its a 200 metre sprint. That would explain the times.
4 sprints tonight (handl held)
1. Time stuffed up.
2. 17.86
3. 17.69
4. 18.06
Best time tonight was 16.06 by a bloke in his early 20's.

It is really clear that I'm simply not getting up to speed quickly enough.

Just remember mate if you can crack a 10.55 flying 200m sprint you make the national team.

Tonights 200mtr standing sprints were a little disappointing;
18.2
18.4
So I tried something new 333mtr standing sprints
26.6
24.85
That was it, I was stuffed. After a decent break, did some lead outs with 2 other guys and got well and truely trumped.

mikesbytes said:

That was it, I was stuffed. After a decent break, did some lead outs with 2 other guys and got well and truely trumped.

You do realise that you are depressing me with these... :p

Last weeks track training was aborted after warming up on the rollers, another rider pointed out that 2 of my chain ring bolts were missing.

Windy at the track last night, not many riders. Jumped on the motopace for a while and then went and did 333mtr sprints. 27.06, 28.16, 27.15 a long way off my PB of 24.85. The 27.15 was probably the best run, as I had heavier wind. An A grade sprinter had a go and did 25.05, so my times were good in comparision. Did a couple of sprints off the banks by myself and then a 3 riders asked me to join for a leadout. 1st lead out I went last wheel, 3rd wheel pulled back from the 2 in front and then hammered it when he went, catching me napping and dropping me, I finished about 30 metres behind. 2nd lead out with one less rider, I went first, having warned them that I wasn't as fast as them, I went thru at the top of the bank a little faster, to allow a little more cadience on my 92" gearing and then hammered straight down the banking, they were still behind me when I got to the corner, which was good, as they would now have to go around me on the banking, but my C grade legs wern't quick enough to hold off A grade legs and they went around me on about half way around the corner, beating me to the line by about 10 metres.

6002 said:

If your P.B. 200m time is 12.2 you will never ride 500m in 30 sec.

And the previous poster is right, if mikebytes is doing 18.3 on a bad day, where has he been hidding?

If you read his first post he is hitting the draft of the motor bike and the draftees - big difference, plenty of disturbed air.

VeloFlash said:

If you read his first post he is hitting the draft of the motor bike and the draftees - big difference, plenty of disturbed air.

If he's riding Tempe, and it sounds likely, he would be benefitting from the draft. He'd also have the advantage of starting off the top fence on a banked track.

The start point is at the end of the corner, so the benifit of the banking isn't that much and is probably neturalised by the extra distance travelled, which hasn't been counted.

Anyway, the purpose of this thread was to discuss how to accellerate quicker from a standing start.