Brunswick Cycling Club

There are times when one should train in wet and windy conditions. However, you need to be both physically and mentally prepared and ready for this.

So if you are one of those riders whose heart and motivation sinks every time you hear the wind blow or rain pattering the on the roof try this training ride next time it’s cold and wet.

Set up your rollers… (not the mag trainer) your rollers in front of the TV and put on your favourite race DVD or video some of my favourites are any Paris Roubaix and Cadels lung busting launch up the final climb and then the 4k TT effort to claim the World Title.

I jump on the rollers and “race” with them, I change gears and try to match the cadence of the attackers keeping my effort high, I can only hold the effort for 5 minutes so then I cruise for 5 or 10 minutes, drink and recover, then get back in the race for another effort.

Depending on your fitness and imagination you can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours +.

If you think 4 hours indoors is impossible then don’t consider moving to Belgium where you can spend a week indoors smashing out 5-6 hours a day waiting for the ice and snow to clear!

If it’s during the week then watch your favourite TV show, cruise during the program and smash it when the ads come on. Intervals made easy!

Now you may be wondering why I said rollers and not a mag trainer, rollers smooth out your riding style.

Balance and co ordination at high cadences improves if you do it on rollers because you have to “ride the bike”

So many people can achieve High cadence or power outputs when locked in on a mag trainer or ergo but fail to reproduce the effort on the bike because they lack the balance and technique when “let loose”.

Rollers are awesome for juniors, they learn to be able to “sit” at high cadences and not bounce all over the seat, set yourself goals in 5 – 10 rpm increments.

If the best you can do is 110rpm for 5 minutes then try and do 4 -5 efforts of them with 5 minutes recovery between each one.

Then next week aim for 115 -120 rpm for the 5 minute efforts, keep a diary of how you went, you may be only able to do 1 effort at 115rpm that week and the rest at 110, that’s okay it’s an improvement!

It may take you 3-4 weeks before you can do 4 efforts at 5 rpm higher and when you achieve this then try for another 5rpm increase.

Remember, in junior racing it’s all about leg speed!!

In a 10 sec effort aim to be revving out at 150 – 170rpm…don’t say it’s impossible have a crack, and if you can only get to 140 the first time then have 5 minutes rest and have another go, do 8-10 of these in a session, note what you achieved and plan to do it again next week aiming for 5-10rpm higher.

Next time you see Gary Niewand World Sprint Champion and Olympic medalist at DISC ask him what his max cadence was…I think he cracked 230+!!!!

By the time the 3 day tour comes along you’ll be better for it!!

oops I gotta go, Cadels just launched an attack and I’m going with him!!

onya cam

This entry was posted by C. McFarlane on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 12:22 am and is filed under Training.