by Gino | Sep 24, 2010 | Training With Power
As is customary, I’ve opened my big mouth and am faced with the proverbial “put up or shut up”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to trash talk and overstate my abilities. However, I am one that is always challenging others to accomplish things they think are bigger than themselves; to push past their own perceived limits and discover things about themselves they never knew. Sounds all good so far, but I have a basic life philosophy that tends to get me in trouble. To wit, I believe that whatever you teach, you should experience first. Consequently, all my challenges to others end up first putting me to the test.
Way back in January when our annual Winter Training Program kicked off, each participant was required to have a goal to train for. Goals ranged from doing a 50 mile charity ride to having 2 separate peaks during the race season. For me however, having just finished filming the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen as a charity project for Livestrong, and watching some of the strongest riders I know struggle just to finish, that event seemed to be the logical choice. So I said it, I would train to complete – NOT COMPETE – in the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen Race.
Starting this weekend, September 4th, I will have exactly 12 weeks to prepare for The Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen. I’m going to post my training plan (both Heart Zones® as well as Power Training), and pre-ride schedule on this blog for others in the Pittsburgh area who would like to train along with me. The training plan will provide some structure to follow even though we will train in different areas. Every 2 weeks I will take on at least 2 (or more) of the 13 climbs as part of the overall training plan as well. Exact times and dates will also be posted here so riders who want to share the pain can join me if they like.
Point of fact is: this IS a race. Point of reality is: only about 10 to 15 of the 180 riders that rode last year were strong enough to garner any points at all. The format of this “race” is that the entire field is together at the bottom of every hill, and then the organizer, Danny Chew blows the whistle (by the way, someone needs to buy him a new whistle this year, it was sketchy at best last year), and the first 5 riders to the top get points.
While a few supermen and wonder women surge to the top like they have hidden motors in their bikes, the rest of the field climb at varying speeds, with an inevitable group on every hill pushing their way if they can’t maintain at least 4 to 5 mph. In surveying the group last year, it was clear that a lot of the field were experienced amateur racers, and that this was not bringing out the average casual rider. So when I say people were pushing, and there are always people pushing, it does not mean they were weak or inexperienced riders.
The graphic above is from the training DVD we created (Global Ride Productions) from last year’s race. It is slated to be released in 2 to 3 weeks, just in time to mix up some great indoor cycling with the outdoor application. Stay tuned, as I will endeavor to keep this updated once per week as we head towards this epic event.
by Gino | Jan 21, 2010 | Master Instructor Blog, Training With Power
If you live in a state that is relatively flat (3% grade or less on most roads), then generating power will be more for generating speed, overcoming wind resistance, toning leg muscles, and in general getting fitter. However, if you live in one of our hilly states, you know well that it’s all about the climbing.
In fact, unless you are a time trial specialist, the main determining factor for whether you can be competitive in racing, or successful at that century ride you’ve always dreamed of doing, will be how you ride in the hills. As a spectator of professional cycling, you may have also noticed that it is the mountain stages that typically determine who will make the podium, and who waits till the next race to make their mark. At the end of the day, climbing is just about the most important discipline to conquer in outdoor riding. To that end, the Cycling Fusion Speed & Power Climbing chart can help you train in the hills.
Across the top of the chart are the grades of a given climb. The left side represents the speed you will travel up the hill if you can generate the Watts/Lb that is reflected in the intersection of the two. For example, if you want to climb a 7% hill at 10 mph, you will need to generate 1.5 Watts/Lb. How do you know what grade a given hill is? There are numerous mapping programs that can tell you the average grade of a given section of road, you can get a reading from certain bike computers or GPS devices, or finally, you could calculate it if you know the elevation gain, distance and a little algebra.
Notice on the sample chart below, that the cells representing 1.0 or 1 Watt/lb are highlighted in red or pink. This is because the power created at this level permits the rider to climb most hills at a reasonable speed.
During the development of the Cycling Fusion Power Training System, we did numerous indoor and outdoor comparisons of power numbers, which included different victims (er volunteers) riding specific hills with specific grades and observing their average speed and power that was recorded from top to bottom. These field tests, as well as the general riding principles of the road provide the basis for 1 Watt/lb as the gateway to outdoor climbing. Consider also these facts:
- Below 5 mph, it is extremely difficult to keep a bike on line, rolling straight, safe and steady.
- Below 5% grade it’s not much of a hill. As a point of reference, rail trails are typically 3% grade at their highest, and on occasions 4% because trains could not generally negotiate grades steeper than that.
- In looking at the top end of the applicable grades, research on road construction guidelines has shown us what we as avid cyclists already knew from experience, that double digit grades are rare, and construction crews avoid building roads that steep when possible, but there are times when that is not possible. There are a number of references on the internet that corroborate this fact; a couple appear below. Maine and New Hampshire each show guidelines that range from 5% to 12%:
- Consequently, the facts above permit us to construct a sort of minimum set of hill grades and speeds that should be manageable if one wants to ride outside, unimpeded. That is, the desire is to ride up each hill, not needing to get off and push the bike. This range is a speed starting at 5 mph, and a grade that can be negotiated up to 10% grade. The configuration below represents the minimum output required to keep riding within these guidelines. In general, it is 1 Watt/lb or less:
- Notice that 10% does not quite make the 1.0 Watt/Lb guideline. Since we know that double digit grades are more rare, and often of shorter length, we can assume that the rider can use power in their Climbing or Explosive zones to conquer these sections.
