i remember a long time ago andy coggan commenting and saying all riding in a big gear does is give you sore and tired legs.. so this off season for the first time ever, i tried spinning and no beag gear riding...the whole month of october and november i rode in the small chainring. doing 5-6-7 rides per week, all base pace16-20 mph, with 1 fast hard workout on saturdays.. saturdays i go 25 mph for 10 minutes on a few intervals. i spin fast and ride at a fast tempo..20-22 mph.. today i put it in the big ring and fel like i have 0 power..this is the first off season i did this no big gear riding and i felt funny and weak when i did put it in the big ring.. for years i have done a combo of muscle tension intervals of 5 minutes in the 53x11. do 3-4-5 of these.. spin a while then do a dozen jumps, going from 5 mph to as fast as i can go seated for 25 seconds in the 53x11. rest and spin 10 minutes then do another jump..like andy hampsted calles these, squats on the bike..hell, this spinning fast in a small ring these last 2 months make me feel as strong as a cat 6... whats some good workouts to do in the big ring to get power so come march i will have the power and confidence to ride with the really fast guys again. or should i just go back to what i did all these years...this new way i tried to train is not good i dont think..... small chain ring riding makes you good at small chain ring riding..and what did andy mean by his comment? should i go back to my old way of training with the muscle tension intervals and jumps 1 day a week, or is there a better way to get strong? no weights, just on the bike training.. specificity training.. thanks alot
Cycling Training · Public discussion
big gear training
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- Cycling Training
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- 2 December 2013
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- 6 December 2013
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- leanman
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How long were the small chain ring rides you were doing? Your frequency is certainly not an issue. The real benefits of the lower intensity work come from longer days in the saddle, at least 3+ hours, and what Cougan may have been talking about (and this is my guess) was not mandating a specific gear, i.e. small chainring per se, but suggesting cadence over force and not slogging away in a low rpm unnecessarily. Not having heard that from Cougan myself, It sounds like the same advice I got from an older rider as a junior, and that was to focus on cadence and my "spin". That doesn't mean spin around wildly like a hummingbird, but use the gears and manage load on the pedals efficiently. As a younger fella I managed some decent weight in the gym so I'm not averse to a little tension in my quads, but on the bike I've always tried to focus on leg speed over leg force to get me where I'm going. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Nothing wrong with doing what you are doing if it works for you. Speed drills are an important part of a racers prep, whatever your particular flavor. And could you imagine some coconut on the internet telling Tony Martin his cadence was too low?
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Recent post in Hunter Allen's power blog talks about big gear riding and his recomendation.
hunterallenpowerblog.comfour keys to powerful winter training.htmlOpen ↗
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thank you.. just read it.. doing a big gear interval @ 80 rpm's, he dosent say how long to rest before doing another. he says do 20. i imagine as long as it takes till the hr drops and you feel strong enough to get another @ 80 rpm's. thanks
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the example he gives in first article I gave you would have you starting at 20rpm or so (8-10mph in 53/12) and fininshing when you reach 80rpm
Another article from hunter
" then do 20 minutes at 80-83% of FTP and do big gear intervals: put it in your 53:13 at 50 rpm, and every 2 minutes (10 times total) slow down, stick it in the 53:13, stay seated, and use strength to push it to 90rpm. Once you reach 90 rpm, return to your tempo pace."
hunterallenpowerblog.comhow to rebuild your power foundation.htmlOpen ↗ -
Quoted post said:
Originally Posted by leanman
There are certainly benefits to doing the various types of workouts that people recommend. The problem is in the intensity and duration that they specify.For almost all individuals the intensity and duration specified is wrong. You need to find the intensity that works for you and you need to find the duration that works for you. And that is not trivial.
And then of course, genes have a lot of influence over what types of workouts improve you. Trying to build strength might not work or might work very slowly.
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Can someone tell me what's the speed on trainer with 54/12 @ 80 rpm and 90 rpm ?
[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG] -
with 170mm cranks
80 rpm = 28.3mph
90 rpm = 31.8 mphI am not that smart - I used Sheldon Browns gear calculator
sheldonbrown.comgearsOpen ↗ -
Thanks Scottz. Fixed gear is easier than free wheel hub on trainer. I use resistance level 1,2,3 and 6(off saddle).
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SE efforts used to be all the rage, they're not anymore though,only old school coaches get you to do them. Do whatever gives you the best addaptions, most people workout what works for them pretty quickly. I don't touch any low cadance efforts.
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