If you are one of those instructors who loves to bring the experience of riding outdoors to your indoor riders, now is the time to get them excited. Give them a taste of the Tour de France and introduce them to some of the fun we enjoy during this special time of year. Maybe we want to learn more about all of that tour lingo so we can share more with our classes. Here are some recommendations I have to wrap your mind and riders around one of the greatest sporting events of all time.
This year is the 98th edition of the Tour de France (twitter: #TDF). With it”™s 21 Stages (days) of racing over the next 3 weeks. The riders will cover an astounding 3,430.5 kilometers (2132 miles) which is even more amazing considering the speed at which they are traveling (stages can average over 25 mph for 6+ hours of riding — Yikes!). Now there are all kinds of tidbits we can share, but I like to give my riders homework to help them better understand how to ride during class. Here are a few of my homework assignments:
(1) Watch just 1 complete Stage of the TDF (YouTube is OK for partial credit)
(2) Notice how riders stand (out of the saddle) and move their bikes back and forth when climbing — Let”™s imitate that!
(3) Look at how balanced riders are between the handlebars and seat when they are standing. They are not leaning back over the seat or hanging forward over the bars.
(4) Try to catch a glimpse of a rider”™s stomach from the side. Notice how it balloons out? One minute they look pregnant and the next not. This is how our stomachs should look during class — relaxed and moving in and out as we breathe.
(5) Notice how relaxed they appear on the bike (shoulders, arms and hands).
(6) Watch how smooth their pedal stroke is. A gentle waving (ankling) movement where the heel of the foot is not forced down. Let”™s imitate that!
Just listening to the voices of the Tour de France, the announcers, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will give you enough knowledge of the race to fill a set of encyclopedias, but if you are craving more, I recommend the following:
(1) Boy Racer : My Journey to Tour de France Record-Breaker (Book)
This is a great book that will not only get you to fall in love with Mark Cavendish, the Max-Missile from the “Isle of Man”, but will teach you a great deal about the TDF. Mark not only mentions 100s of aspects of the race, but takes the time to explain each one in laymen's terms.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Racer-Journey-France-Record-Breaker/dp/1934030643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309973467&sr=8-1
(2) Chasing Legends (DVD)
This is 2 DVD set that follows the team HTC Highroads through the TDF. You will get a unique perspective of what happens amongst the riders, in the team cars and when the riders are off the bike.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Legends-DVD-Mark-Cavendish/dp/B004DR4VHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309973282&sr=8-1
There is no greater time than the present to enjoy/learn about the Tour de France and share it with those in your classes. They will feed off your energy, so if you are excited — they will be excited!
Originally posted 2011-07-06 05:30:00.
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Hi Tom,
I often hear the announcers talk about miles per hour but they never give cadence “counts”/RPM. They mention cadence but only generically. I tell my class to watch and count the riders cadence. Some of the knuckleheads in my class need to hear it point blank from an event such as TDF! Is there a reason they don’t at least allude to an actual RPM during the Tour? THX!
Sheila, that is an interesting comment. I guess, knowing and living in the road cycling world, we don’t talk about such things. We talk about developing pedal stroke technique in the early season (Dec-Feb) and then just relative speed (too fast or too slow) for certain efforts such as sprints or climbs. Often times we are referencing a gear (rear cassette of the bike), whether is was appropriate or not.
As a coach and biomechanics geek, I spend time counting the cadence of various riders in breakaways, sprints, chilling in the peloton, chasing lead groups and on climbs. It is a great education and anyone with a watch (that displays seconds) who can count can learn a lot. Particularly if you pay attention to announcers like Phil and Paul who may say something like “he is holding an incredible tempo on the climb” or “the poor boy is really struggling”. You will mostly likely count a very different cadence on each of these riders because of their level of fatigue or specialty (ex. climber vs. sprinter).
Thanks, Tom. As always, very insightful. Would it be safe to say that most “pros” don’t go over 120 RPM because they would favor a bigger gear at a slower speed to generate more power? I keep trying to hammer home staying under 110 RPM indoors and my observation of the TDF is that they don’t go too much above this.
On a separate note, I had a rider that made my year tonight! I’ve been trying to mimic some of the Stages over the past two years and decided to do Stage 9 tonight (Monday) hoping that people watched it on Sunday and could attempt to emulate it during class. I drew the profile for Stage 9 on our mirrors. Without me saying anything the rider asked, “Are we riding Stage 9 tonight?” I about fell over! Yeah!!! I love this guy! But as always my jubilance was temporarily dashed by the woman next to him doing push ups on the bike!! Oh sweet TDF!
Sheila, you gotta love the bittersweetness of teaching indoor cycling – TDF enthusiast vs. push-up queen. I think it is a positive thing that both people still attend your class. Maybe if you have people get off the bike and start with a set of 50 push-ups, that will squash her need (and ability) to do them on the bike 🙂
Leg speeds during the TDF (and most professional road races) average between 90-110 RPM. A faster cadence with appropriate resistance/gearing will produce more power with less muscle fatigue than a slower cadence. Sprinters will hit higher legs speeds (100-125 RPM). Keep in mind that most leg speed drills (for road cyclists) target speeds of 120+ RPM, but these speeds are usually only maintain during the drills. Also, track cyclists (a number of riders in the TDF also ride track) can spin at speeds up to 140 RPM.
However, due to the lack of natural movement of an indoor bike (which hinders biomechanics) PLUS the fact that most indoor riders do not have great pedaling technique, cadences above 110 RPM are not recommended.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the reply. Your words of encouragement are so helpful. I appreciate the explanation of the higher cadences. While I don’t go over 110 in my classes, it is helpful to have the background knowledge for when it may be appropriate (outside of a indoor cycling class for the “general” population). My continued thanks!!!