Flat training
- Thread starter marinyork
- Start date
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MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
marinyork said:
Didn't you get a bit of a buzz about not having to think about changing gear? I know I did, once it finally sank in
That seems about right, when I SS'd on my geared bike I used a 65 inch gear and found that I could manage 16mph over 20 miles. I'd reckon I probably turn at about 80-90rpm as a comfort zone.
I think it was probably the wind, the weather station reports all kinds of gusts of 20mph whilst I was out there. The higher speeds were a bit lower than I expected but kept up speeds at the bottom a bit better than I expected. Never really liked that 12th gear for some reason 
. Hmmm looking speeds and then working out the cadences it looks like I spent a fair bit of time at about 97rpm which I suppose I can't complain about.
Wish I knew someone with fixed, I'd probably be tempted or SS and go for something like 60".
. Hmmm looking speeds and then working out the cadences it looks like I spent a fair bit of time at about 97rpm which I suppose I can't complain about.Wish I knew someone with fixed, I'd probably be tempted or SS and go for something like 60".
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Well, according to Sheldon an rpm of 100 would give me 19.7mph in a 64.9 inch gear. If I'm tooling along on the flat at 20mph, a rare occurence, I'm probably turning a gear around 79 inches and closer to 80rpm.
If you're spinning that high and returning lower speeds then I'd be tempted to say you should be upping the gear you're using straight away. You could be spinning away but not adding that much power through the pedals. This is about you wanting to get stronger and push a bigger gear. Try about 10 inches higher, push it on the flat and get out of the saddle for slopes. I could only do about 20 yards out of the saddle at first. At my fittest I could manage just over a mile out of the saddle, though the hill in question gives you a 100 yard respite in the middle. When I did my esperiment I think I stayed in the same gear for nearly 300 miles. That included a day ride of 115 miles. I cycled from home to the other side of London, got a train to Manningtree, did a social ride, then train back to London. cycled across London and then got train home. I was probably in similar shape then to when I came up to Sheffield. Though without the lack of sleep and the travel up
If you're spinning that high and returning lower speeds then I'd be tempted to say you should be upping the gear you're using straight away. You could be spinning away but not adding that much power through the pedals. This is about you wanting to get stronger and push a bigger gear. Try about 10 inches higher, push it on the flat and get out of the saddle for slopes. I could only do about 20 yards out of the saddle at first. At my fittest I could manage just over a mile out of the saddle, though the hill in question gives you a 100 yard respite in the middle. When I did my esperiment I think I stayed in the same gear for nearly 300 miles. That included a day ride of 115 miles. I cycled from home to the other side of London, got a train to Manningtree, did a social ride, then train back to London. cycled across London and then got train home. I was probably in similar shape then to when I came up to Sheffield. Though without the lack of sleep and the travel up
I just find 80rpm uncomfortable in gears except when climbing, don't know why that's just how it is. You look at the numbers and think well that's not that bad but it doesn't feel good at all. I did some work afterwards on the exercise bike which is like turning a bigger gear and that felt quite good afterwards.
The speeds are just a reflection of how small the gears are however fast I push them. I think I'll stick at 57" a few days and see whether I can spend more time at about 17mph and then try 65". I can try the 65" for more than short bursts and see how I get along, but I think above about 20mph the flat bars, weight and tyres will make it very hard work beyond a certain point.
The speeds are just a reflection of how small the gears are however fast I push them. I think I'll stick at 57" a few days and see whether I can spend more time at about 17mph and then try 65". I can try the 65" for more than short bursts and see how I get along, but I think above about 20mph the flat bars, weight and tyres will make it very hard work beyond a certain point.
ttcycle
Cycling Excusiast
Marin in relation to rpm, give it time re the higher cadences - it takes a while to get used to spinning and when you do it first of all it just feels wrong. Can take years for it to fully work it's way into your cycling.
Re the original query of speeding up on the flats - second the advice re fartlek training- picking a sign or landmark to sprint flat out until you get there - only if it's safe to do so - plus there's the option of intervals as already mentioned. Group rides - get out with someone faster than you- this will really motivate you and somehow just being pushed that bit harder will make you improve incrementally.
Good luck!
Re the original query of speeding up on the flats - second the advice re fartlek training- picking a sign or landmark to sprint flat out until you get there - only if it's safe to do so - plus there's the option of intervals as already mentioned. Group rides - get out with someone faster than you- this will really motivate you and somehow just being pushed that bit harder will make you improve incrementally.
Good luck!
Aperitif
Meme bar
- Location
- ...I don't have much idea - really.
Ha ha! I don't think marin's legs need to get used to spinning - as Alastair previously mentioned. It's a bit like watching an electric food mixer wearing a rucksack!
"Sheffield style" manifested itself last year, to the amazement of us Southern Softies. Seeing the cadence, I thought we were in for a hellish day if that was the norm on the flat bit!
Keep going Paul - you're good enough - just relax and push against comfortable resistance. I would do your 'sprinting between posts' with an easy gear and up the cadence - just make sure your shoes don't combust!
I presume you have a way of measuring this improvement - thigh measurement / calf etc - racing Andy ilb perhaps?
"Sheffield style" manifested itself last year, to the amazement of us Southern Softies. Seeing the cadence, I thought we were in for a hellish day if that was the norm on the flat bit!
Keep going Paul - you're good enough - just relax and push against comfortable resistance. I would do your 'sprinting between posts' with an easy gear and up the cadence - just make sure your shoes don't combust!
I presume you have a way of measuring this improvement - thigh measurement / calf etc - racing Andy ilb perhaps?
Thanks guys and gals! I'd probably notice on the loop as there's about 6 miles of slightly up hill/rolling stuff on there. I'd probably be hitting 12.5-14mph average speeds for the entire lot a lot more often. Other rides there would probably be a marginal difference in average speed. On particular straights I'd notice very easily. It'd probably translate to longer rides on Levi-Civita too getting more 16, 17mph averages.
MacB is right that 18mph on the flat thing I've devised is theoretically possible on the silver bike as that happened on one crazy ride 3 years ago with someone else muching 65".
MacB is right that 18mph on the flat thing I've devised is theoretically possible on the silver bike as that happened on one crazy ride 3 years ago with someone else muching 65".
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
I think you've got to 'mulch it' like you mean it, imagine you've just been given a book of puns from Teef, and been forced to read them. That should get the juices flowing!
Day 3 of 10. Well that was a lot more enjoyable, maybe because it didn't snow out there, only rain. Was using 57" a fair bit of the time and for a while I forget I wasn't in the precious gear and in the hated one. Got some decent intervals in, 3 over 20mph and on one reaching 22mph in a bit of a headwind.
Posting back. Got rid of the damn freewheel, in July I think it was. Now have an 11-13-15-18-21-24-28.
I still use the same middle gear but it's now 38/18 rather than 38/20. It took a while but I've now got more or less used to this in the 3 months I've had it. So cruise speed is more like 16.5mph than 15mph and as time goes by it will become the first figure. In hindsight I think the old gearing had become too low for me and wasn't really doing very much. I could of course pushed harder, but that just didn't seem to work. The newer gearing did that and didn't take very long to adapt to at all. There's still loads of work but I can push the 68" and 71" better than I could the 57" and 64". So that's the first progress in a very long time.
I still use the same middle gear but it's now 38/18 rather than 38/20. It took a while but I've now got more or less used to this in the 3 months I've had it. So cruise speed is more like 16.5mph than 15mph and as time goes by it will become the first figure. In hindsight I think the old gearing had become too low for me and wasn't really doing very much. I could of course pushed harder, but that just didn't seem to work. The newer gearing did that and didn't take very long to adapt to at all. There's still loads of work but I can push the 68" and 71" better than I could the 57" and 64". So that's the first progress in a very long time.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Very good................. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now...get to the Track in November........................ again............
Now...get to the Track in November........................
again............ 
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Excellent!
Sounds like happy progress. You must be stronger if you're turning a reasonable 70" gear. Thanks for reporting back.
Sounds like happy progress. You must be stronger if you're turning a reasonable 70" gear. Thanks for reporting back.
