Okay, so here's a question that has always bothered me...but have never asked because I was sure something obvious must not be occuring to me, but I still don't get it...
What is the benefit of motor pacing? I often read of pros riding behind their coach's/wife's/friend's car at fast pace as part of training routines. What is the benefit? If they want high cadence training, why do you need motorpacing to achieve that? If they want high speed training...what is the point when you can get the same workout at lower speed but higher drag (no car to ride behind)? When I do it, it's because a fast tractor or something has just past me on a country road and I can't resist the temptation to go really really really fast despite the danger involved.. But that doesn't explain the purposeful incorporation of motorpacing into a training regime.
It's never really made sense to me. Now all you smart guys can make me feel stupid by pointing out whatever obvious thing I'm missing...🙂 Thanks!
I like motorpacing to feel the road at race speeds and sprinting off it at full lead out pace. I also find it easier to "workout" longer at high intensities without having to push so hard mentally.
I like motorpacing to feel the road at race speeds and sprinting off it at full lead out pace. I also find it easier to "workout" longer at high intensities without having to push so hard mentally.
All this, and it better approximates the stochastic (random/up and down) but high power output you get racing fast in big bunches. Although you can get the same average power in training, it's hard to replicate stochastic power outputs typical of racing without either a big fast bunch (which can be hard to find) or motorpacing.
Here's an excerpt from Michael Barry's "Inside the Postal Bus" (pg 62): "It is virtually impossible to simulate a race without a scooter or car in front. While in the draft it is possible to ride at higher speeds, but also the effort is entirely different from riding solo. Behind a vehicle there are abrupt accelerations and decelerations, whereas without the vehicle the effort is steady. As a result it is nearly essential to jump in behind a scooter to physically prepare the body for the races..." This selection is taken from a longer section on motor pacing, where his points are that (a) you need to be behind the scooter to get used to the same speeds that you experience in the pro fields, and (b) its the only way to simulate the power changes he experiences during a race.
I think all that fancy talk means it's as close to riding in a group that you can get, without actually rding in a group. You have better control over the situation if the driver is workign for you, otherwise leaping onto random traffic can be dangerous, unpredicatable, and fun 🙂. You'll use gears you wouldn't normally use if you where training alone, you will get speeds you wouldn't be able to attain either, so you can learn more about the handling and dynamics of traveling at high speed, without other cyclists, or with only a few.
Stochastic power? That's a great term. Couldn't find it in the dictionary, but found some mumbo-jumbo science talk on Google.
It's not as difficult as it looks 😄
When you are motorpacing power variations are greater: when you hit a slight decline you have to increase a lot your power output, then when the road goes slightly down you reduce it a lot.
This is typical of a race situation in a group.
On the other hand when you ride solo, you can average the same power but you will increase/decrease less when terrain changes.
