For a cyclist, a solid aerobic engine is essential. When you go for a ride, you stimulate your aerobic system, but stimulation depends on the intensity. Therefore, trained cyclists need a greater absolute and relative workload to improve the VO2 max. Thus, if you are an experienced rider, doing hard intervals or races is necessary […]
Killer intervals for VO2 max Read More »
What does winter mean to you as a serious cyclist? Curling up on the couch to watch TV? Hibernating until the season springs into life again? Or do you view it as the perfect platform to start preparing for next season? Yes, winter is the time to enjoy a break, have fun and allow your
12 Week Cycling Winter Training Program Read More »
Kscheid asked me the following question: “I am interested in knowing a bit more about monitors. I have a heart monitor, which I like using, but I know that there are other monitors, say for cadence and power output. I am not a racer, so I am not sure I would need the power meter.
Is a Heart Rate Monitor w/ Cadence Helpful in Sprint Training? Read More »
Speed linking – September 2008 Read More »
Back in January 2007 I did a Power Meter Project to find out how people I didn´t know personally responded to some of my training theories. They performed a 12 week training program with power profile tests in week 1, 6 and 12. The results were really impressive with progress in all major physiological parameters.
Now I’m looking for riders who want to be a part of my project:
Requirements:
Ӣ Age: 18 years or older
Ӣ Own a power meter (SRM, PowerTap, Ergomo or Polar CS600)
Ӣ Training amount: 10-14hrs per week.
Ӣ Follow the training plan strictly
What do you get?
You get a free 31 days training program that will increase your threshold power. There will be self performed physical tests on day 1 and 31. Training amount will be 10 to 14hrs per week. The training program will be personalized to your current physical fitness based on self performed tests.
If you are interested in being a part of this project, please leave a comment on this post. I will contact you via email with more info.
Last chance to participate is July 7th.
Increase your threshold power: Join Power Meter Project 2008! Read More »
Riding with a Power Tap or SRM Crank mounted on your bike doesn’t have to be rocket science. Actually you can benefit from using a power meter without knowing much about exercise physiology. In this article I will show you how you can benefit from a power meter without knowing anything about exercise physiology. In
Power Meter Training Made Simple Read More »
Here is an interview with Dirk Friel who is a co-founder of TrainingPeaks.com. One of his jobs is to help professional riders and coaches to analyze data from power meters. Since one of the biggest topics here on Training4cyclists.com is power meter training, it is a pleasure to get some additional info from one of the experts into analyzing of power meter files. This interview is quite long, but I hope you enjoy it, there are several good points waiting for you!
Expert Tips on How to Analyze Your Power Meter Files Read More »
The SRM Training System was the first power meter for road cyclists on the market. SRM uses a special crank system which measures the workload you apply. Thus, it is a direct measurement of the workload. That makes a lot more sense than the indirect methods used by e.g. Ibike Pro.
Several years of experience
SRM has had several years to optimize their products with valuable experience from top riders and scientists who have used SRM as power meter. As I have mentioned earlier, one of the best ways to learn more about power meters (or heart rate monitors for instance) is to spend several hours on the roads with the power meter mounted. The more data you can accumulate, the better picture you will get of your performance and what a power meter can do for you. Reading about training principles and basic exercise physiology will naturally help on your learning curve, but don’t underestimate the value of practical experience.
I think that SRM has a huge advantage against the new generation of power meters like PowerTap. These cranks are really good, comparable with stiffness from the best cranks on the market (though they are slightly heavier). A crank is a part of the bike so there is no problem when you e.g. want to put on your new carbon wheels for a special race. The SRM is still there and works properly.
Gold standard
SRM is the gold stand for power meters with very accurate measurement of workload. It’s a high quality product that will not disappoint you.
Why I Would Recommend The SRM Training System Read More »
Kraig Willett has made a comprehensive review of the three most used power meters: SRM, Power Tap and Polar. He explains in details how these power meters measure power output and presents results from his tests. He gives us a very detailed review of how SRM, Power Tap and Polar perform in price, performance, and durability. The review might be a bit difficult to understand for beginners, but it is really worth reading.
Here are some of the points from Kraig Willett:
On how the SRM crank system measures power output
“Instrumenting a mechanical structure allows one to convert the phenomenon of interest into an electrical signal that can be subsequently analyzed, mathematically manipulated, and then displayed to the user. Strain gages do just that in the SRM power measuring device.
The strain gages that SRM uses are nothing more than a piece of foil embedded in a plastic carrier. The resistance of the foil element changes depending on how much it is stretched/strained. The strain gages unique characteristic of changing resistance under strain is what allows the mechanical deflections that naturally occur in the structure to be converted into an electrical voltage signal.”
On accuracy of power meters
“Additionally, it can even be argued that absolute accuracy is not an issue, but rather, consistency over time or measurement repeatability is most important.”
On installing a Power Tab hub
“The Power Tap system is just about as close to ‘Plug and Play’ as one can get. The straightforward steps of installing a cassette and a tire on the wheel built with the Power Tap hub are nothing too difficult for your average bike racer. Once these steps are accomplished, one must simply drop the wheel in the dropouts and install the receiver and CPU mount with the supplied zip ties. The whole process should take 30 minutes at most.”
Review of SRM, Power Tap and Polar Read More »
I guess all of you have tried this kind of activity on your bike. We are talking about biking at intensities that can only be maintained for a very few minutes or maybe just seconds. These jumps require anaerobic power which can be trained separately in your training program. There are made several tests to measure maximum oxygen uptake in the lab, but unfortunately there are no similar possibility to measure anaerobic power. Thus, we have to develop indirect methods to evaluate anaerobic power. I think that testing with a power meter will be the best evaluation of anaerobic power for most riders. Find your average power output in a 60sec. all-out test.
Lactate is not responsible for fatigue
One of the biggest myths about anaerobic power is that lactate is responsible for the fatigue. Lactate is just a piece of sliced sugar and a couple of studies have shown that lactate itself is not produce fatigue, in fact one of the studies I will present in the future claims that lactate actually protects the muscles from fatigue. There are probably many reasons why we determine exercise at severe intensity.
Read the rest of ‘How to train for anaerobic endurance’ here.
How to train for anaerobic endurance Read More »