Cadence

[Joshua Plumtree]

Of course it is!

Perhaps I didn't phrase that correctly!

How hard you've pushed in the first 9 miles will determine how much you have left for the closing stages but, still doesn't alter the fact that you're trying to ride flat out for that last mile, whether that's at 35mph or 5mph!

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

You said "surely you can only maintain anaerobic effort for a limited length of time, last mile of a TT or so"

Can near enough hold maximum heart rate for a mile flat.

If you've time to look at your hrm for the last mile then your not working hard enough!

 

[MikeG]

And more strength only has pros attatched.........

EVERYTHING in biology comes at a cost. Increase in strength can lead to, amongst other things, bigger muscles, which require more oxygen (and thus blood) to supply them. Bigger muscles means increased weight, which reduces climbing performance. Bigger muscles can lead to reduced flexibility. Bigger muscles certainly, without equivocation, lead to reduced endurance. To take extremes: how well do you think Chris Hoy would do in the Alps in the TdF? How well would Qintana do in a velodrome sprint?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

EVERYTHING in biology comes at a cost. Increase in strength can lead to, amongst other things, bigger muscles, which require more oxygen (and thus blood) to supply them. Bigger muscles means increased weight, which reduces climbing performance. Bigger muscles can lead to reduced flexibility. Bigger muscles certainly, without equivocation, lead to reduced endurance. To take extremes: how well do you think Chris Hoy would do in the Alps in the TdF? How well would Qintana do in a velodrome sprint?

Via a lovely little process called mitochondrial dilution.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

I know I might be sounding a little like Jason but, has to be said nonetheless, it is possible to increase strength/power using weights in the gym without increasing muscle mass.

 

[JasonHolder]

Mike. Cycling is a balancing act between endurance strength power economy and all the rest of it.

You're unlikely to add 200g of muscle from 6 weeks of weights. So the increased weight up hills is a good trade off for massive strength gains when you need it up hill

 

[ayceejay]

That's what the man said "Increase in strength can lead to, amongst other things, bigger muscles".

 

[MikeG]

Mike. Cycling is a balancing act between endurance strength power economy and all the rest of it.

You're unlikely to add 200g of muscle from 6 weeks of weights. So the increased weight up hills is a good trade off for massive strength gains when you need it up hill

Agreed that it is all a balancing act, Jason, but you made an statement of absolutes: "more strength only has pros". I am just pointing out that physically this isn't true. It may help some aspect of your cycling to be stronger than you were, but it will come at a cost to some other aspect. Furthermore, (and I know we will never agree on this), you insist that additional strength helps up hills, and I insist that, beyond a point, it doesn't. Using the example I gave previously, I doubt you will find any cyclist with better leg strength than Chris Hoy, so why don't hill climbers look like him?. I'll tell you why..........because hill climbing is not primarily a strength problem, but an endurance problem.

 

[JasonHolder]

Nice one mike. Primarily climbing hills fast is a strength problem if you have average strength

 

[MikeG]

As I said, we'll not agree on that. The science, as I have said before, is on my side.

 

[JasonHolder]

Enjoyed reading the article thank you! You do post some great reading material cheers.

"Since the cyclist has a finite power supply, he or she must necessarily slow down in
proportion to the steepness of
the hill, if steady-state aerobic
metabolism is to be maintained."

Yes but no body rides aerobic on
hills particularly whilst racing.

In the end, more strength + higher cadence = faster speeds.

 

[50000tears]

http://easycycling.com/will-bigger-muscles-help-you-cycle-faster-uphill/

 

[JasonHolder]

Without reading the post yet ( I will) bigger leg muscles don't mean stronger.

 

[JasonHolder]

The simple asnwer is that if you want to get faster at cycling uphill" first paragraph spelling mistake made me stop reading.

I'm thin as an aids victim and can dead lift 130kg anytime you want. Squat 100kg. (That's abnormally strong) for not big muscles

 

[uclown2002]

The simple asnwer is that if you want to get faster at cycling uphill" first paragraph spelling mistake made me stop reading.

I'm thin as an aids victim and can dead lift 130kg anytime you want. Squat 100kg. (That's abnormally strong) for not big muscles

I stopped reading your post after the third word for the same reason!