Team BKool CycleChat

[theboxers]

Kawasaki 

No it's either a yandasusaki or dubmumph

I have a bmw. But I can't fit it on the turbo

 

[AAAC 76C]

No it's either a yandasusaki or dubmumph

I have a bmw. But I can't fit it on the turbo

Can't get my mini on the turbo either let alone the wifes E39

 

[AAAC 76C]

Kawasaki 

My max HR is only about 162 anyway.
When climbing for long climbs I generaly find the first half of the climb is about your legs and not yoar heart and this can be managed by backing of a few watts when your HR starts climbing. As fatigue starts setting in in the latter stages of the climb then the heart kicks in to support your now tiring legs and at this point you need to keep your heart below break point by managing your power. In the last few km you can let rip and go above your normal operating threshold.
As result, for me, it is quite normal for my average HR to be higher on a faster flatter session than ona climb, particularly where the climb is quite consistent.
That said with a max HR of 162 my average for an hour would never be in excess of 156 anyway.
A good long steady warm up helps as well so that your blood stream is well oxgenated and so you dont put your ticker into overdrive from the off by going in cold.
Other than that all I can say is that it is what it is in the simulator but in reallity, on a climb like that, the true watts will be closer to 370/380.

 

[Add]

My max HR is only about 162 anyway.
When climbing for long climbs I generaly find the first half of the climb is about your legs and not yoar heart and this can be managed by backing of a few watts when your HR starts climbing. As fatigue starts setting in in the latter stages of the climb then the heart kicks in to support your now tiring legs and at this point you need to keep your heart below break point by managing your power. In the last few km you can let rip and go above your normal operating threshold.
As result, for me, it is quite normal for my average HR to be higher on a faster flatter session than ona climb, particularly where the climb is quite consistent.
That said with a max HR of 162 my average for an hour would never be in excess of 156 anyway.
A good long steady warm up helps as well so that your blood stream is well oxgenated and so you dont put your ticker into overdrive from the off by going in cold.
Other than that all I can say is that it is what it is in the simulator but in reallity, on a climb like that, the true watts will be closer to 370/380.

I definitely need to try a more substantial warm up each session, as for HR, I guess that would only decrease with fitness gains. I could never hope to achieve anywhere near these figures, I just don't have the commitment, but it is interesting.

 

[<Tommy>]

The warm up thing has made a big difference to me Add. Joining warm ups that the really fast guys were already in, made me realise that I wasn't doing enough. It was hard for me to find the time at first but if you tell yourself the ride starts at say 19:30 rather than the official start of 20:00 it makes it easier to plan / try give yourself a bit more time. Obviously life takes over sometimes but if I can get on early and just spin the legs It really helps. I've noticed Bridgy and Lars in particular put out quite high speed by my standards even in warmup but I have to just concentrate on my own effort

 

[theboxers]

Even the 10 minute warm up can be used but it can feel a bit rushed towards the proper start time. I have a few 6-8 mile flatish sessions that take about 20-30 minutes to complete including a short get the legs moving warm up before hand. Then I move on to the various league sessions. It doesn't make some of the league stages any easier but at least I am operating close to a reasonable level when I start one.

 

[AAAC 76C]

I definitely need to try a more substantial warm up each session, as for HR, I guess that would only decrease with fitness gains. I could never hope to achieve anywhere near these figures, I just don't have the commitment, but it is interesting.

The other thing is cadence.
Since starting BKool I have managed to up my cadence sweet spot from the low 80's to the low to mid 90's
For the more aggressive flatter undulating sessions I try and hit 96 which keeps your legs ready for descents as well.
For the longer climbs 92 is the number for me. If I try and up it my power drops off and if I go any lower my legs blow quicker. That said I do often drop to 80 ish for spells to try an relievesome pressure on the saddle and every now and then I'll drop a few cogs and stand on the 50's for butt relief.
Of course its important to have the right gears so the slower your average speed the closer the ratio between chainring and cassette.
I run a 52/34 and 11/32 so I dread to think what some of the bigger guys need.
I do however miss the closer ratios so I have even considered a triple chainring for the turbo bike so you ride on the outer two rings for chaingang rides and the inner two for the goats!
Its a bit like choosing your setup for the race but without changing anything.
Perhaps I should get an 8 speed hub with a 10 speed cassete and a triple chainring then you would sure get lost in your gearbox.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Even the 10 minute warm up can be used but it can feel a bit rushed towards the proper start time. I have a few 6-8 mile flatish sessions that take about 20-30 minutes to complete including a short get the legs moving warm up before hand. Then I move on to the various league sessions. It doesn't make some of the league stages any easier but at least I am operating close to a reasonable level when I start one.

We may be forgetting that Adds always turns up late anyway!

 

[<Tommy>]

The other thing is cadence.
Since starting BKool I have managed to up my cadence sweet spot from the low 80's to the low to mid 90's
For the more aggressive flatter undulating sessions I try and hit 96 which keeps your legs ready for descents as well.
For the longer climbs 92 is the number for me. If I try and up it my power drops off and if I go any lower my legs blow quicker. That said I do often drop to 80 ish for spells to try an relievesome pressure on the saddle and every now and then I'll drop a few cogs and stand on the 50's for butt relief.
Of course its important to have the right gears so the slower your average speed the closer the ratio between chainring and cassette.
I run a 52/34 and 11/32 so I dread to think what some of the bigger guys need.
I do however miss the closer ratios so I have even considered a triple chainring for the turbo bike so you ride on the outer two rings for chaingang rides and the inner two for the goats!
Its a bit like choosing your setup for the race but without changing anything.
Perhaps I should get an 8 speed hub with a 10 speed cassete and a triple chainring then you would sure get lost in your gearbox.

I have 53-39 & 11-28 cassette(10 speed). I don't feel like I need more than that but I guess it's relative to the limits on BKOOL's resistance levels vs weight. 90kg so I obv top out well before the lighter guys.

 

[Monte]

Just a heads up - I'm letting a friend of mine use my bkool later for tonight's re-run, so if the numbers don't add up it's because it's not me...

 

[bobinski]

I am on a compact and 11-28, so run out of gears downhill and lack a bail out spinner on the ascents, although 28 is normally fine up to about 10%. I should have got round to sticking a 52 on the front.
I did toy with putting a cheap 1-11 Apex group set on but that's just being silly

 

[AAAC 76C]

What's your climbing cadence then TT?
It must be relatively low compared with mine.
32/34=0.92
28/39=0.72
Or 0.92 on a 39 chainring needs 36 on the cassette.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Who's up for a re-run tonight at very 5 or any time later.
I will be challenging Bridgy in an effort to get some time back.
I need to steal a total of 26 seconds which sounds worse if you call it half a minute.
Having observed his run on Thursday I need to go some and top 4.5 W/kg
My previously discussed Goats ride was 5.1 but the Chain gang run has a lot of descending which will knock my average way down.

 

[<Tommy>]

What's your climbing cadence then TT?
It must be relatively low compared with mine.
32/34=0.92
28/39=0.72
Or 0.92 on a 39 chainring needs 36 on the cassette.

I haven't set up a cadence sensor yet AAAC but I think it is on the low side. Because I smoked for 20 years on and off I've relied on my legs more than my lungs, so I doubt I'd be classed as a 'spinner'.

I'm going to have a go at 5 but I have a feeling it'll probably be quite a sedate pace.

 

[CXRAndy]

I'm going to have a go at 5 but I have a feeling it'll probably be quite a sedate pace.

Yeah Right