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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 9:23:43 GMT -5
I accidentally clicked on one of the google links on the forums, and up popped some draft indicator thingy... Does anyone think this would be useful? I don't think I've ever had a problem determining a good place to draft, it seems to feel pretty obvious to me... Thought it was a funny product. primeaire.com/ |
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 22, 2006 10:50:51 GMT -5
Yeah, its definately a waste of money. You can hear the wind change in quality when you are in someones draft. As for MTB, its not a great idea to follow close enough to draft. but it is an interesting idea.
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 10:58:42 GMT -5
well, I'm a roadie too.
I typically just pick the spot which has the least windy air.
It's something like 200 bucks too.. haha.
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 22, 2006 11:03:57 GMT -5
Why scalp out a win in a intense pack sprint... or crush the peloton in a unassisted breakaway after 2 k of a 100k race. Why do an amazing feat like that when you could instead, simply coast across the line and "draft your way to victory". Id rather get a powertap, or powercranks. Those are some tools worth the money, or maybe i am wrong. It strikes me as a funny product too.
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 11:38:39 GMT -5
haha
hmm, I'm familiar with a powertap, but what are powercranks? Same idea but with a sensor in the crank vs. a hub?
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Post by Chris on Nov 22, 2006 12:40:11 GMT -5
Wow that thing is a joke! People try to sell anything on the internet.
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 12:46:05 GMT -5
Yeah, tell me about it.
Hey Chris, I've got a tire pressure indicator for sale. It tells you when your tires are flat.. Any interest?
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Post by Chris on Nov 22, 2006 12:54:37 GMT -5
Oh sweet! I can never tell when I am riding on the rim! That's worth a million bucks !@
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 12:56:59 GMT -5
that's wh at I said just before I paid 2 million..
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Post by tim on Nov 22, 2006 13:57:08 GMT -5
powertap, srm, ergometer etc... are power measuring devices ...
powercranks are cranks that are independent of eachother thanks to some fancy clutch device within the cranks. ie. if you were looking at your bike while not pedalling you would have both cranks hanging at 6 oclock.
forces you to use both legs when pedalling as opposed to what typically happens ... the leg on the upward stroke simply unweighting and going along for the ride. it builds all the little muscles, strengthens the hip flexors yada yada yada. only problem with them are ... they are harder then hell and you have to have 2 bikes OR be willing to swap cranksets everytime you race ... or dont wanna use em etc. etc.
that said, cadel evans, magnus backstedt, levi leipheimer, carlos sastre etc ... use power cranks ... and damn. they are pretty fast.
anyways. general understanding of your own HR info is the best way to start ... then powertap or srm would be more beneficial to the majority of people ... even then at very least to avoid the financial burden of SRM (3500ish) or power tap (wireless pre built wheel approx 2200) just train w/ power in the winter ... tacx flow is only about 699 ... power, cadence, hr blah blah blah.
can you tell im avoiding studying?
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 14:12:01 GMT -5
hmm, powercranks aren't a product then, just a way of using them... cause you can put any cranks on such that they're both at 6 o'clock can't you...
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 22, 2006 15:55:55 GMT -5
www.powercranks.com/ they can give you all the details you need. Tim or aaron... knowing the bike industry as well as you do. How long do you predict it to take for a 'powertap pro' quality device (not prebuilt, with software and computer/monitor) to become to come down in price significantly. Oh. does speed river carry any old model powertaps?
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Post by t on Nov 22, 2006 18:32:56 GMT -5
dammit. now i have to login. sigh.
anyways.
power taps arent coming down anytime soon. they are just gonna get shmancier and fancier. the wireless model is avail unbuilt ... but then you have to go get it built anyways ... probably to the same rim (open pro etc...)
cycleops power tap will always come w/ the computer and the software ... unless you buy it used that is.
anyways. yeah, we do have an old model ... laced to an open pro ... it would be 1000$ and that is essentially cost (ie. price wont drop) for the whole kit n caboodle.
that said we were having a discussion at work and really ... at this level of racing (ie. s2,3,4 in ontario) what will make you better than anyone else is riding more than anyone else. ie. you ride 3-4 hours a day you will be laughing at the rest of the pack (provided you dont do 3-4 hours a day at the same hr ... blah blah blah ... youve got friel ... you know what i mean).
to prolong this blathering ... my opinion is HR is good enough ... in general. lets you know your recovery zones, your base mile zones and your tempo/steady state zones. set out a dedicated training plan and stick to it and again ... you will be heads and tails above the rest of the fodder (definitely myself included ... hahah).
if you are smart, you read as much as you can, you eat well, recover properly, use HR smart, have a plan that is well thought out ... you can bump out of s3 in no time. blah blah blah.
i hate studying.
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Post by t on Nov 22, 2006 19:00:10 GMT -5
oh yeah, one more reason it aint gonna drop in price. srm ~ 3500 power tap ~ 1500-2500 ergomo ~ 1000 at lowest BUT you must use either sq. taper or ISIS polar ~ sucks ass. so there is no call for anything cheaper. apparently polar has a whole new power monitoring system (apparently they clued into the fact that measuring chain tension through voodoo wasnt the best) that might just be cheaper ... hence we might ... MIGHT be fortunate to experience a price war. but i doubt it. it`ll take a llooooonnnnggggggg time. tacx flow ... 699ish ... www.tacx.com/producten.php?fl=true&language=EN&lvlMain=16&lvlSub=56&lvlSubSub=79&ttop=Flowso far cheapest and easiest way to monitor power (well, the elite primo is probably nicer ... but i think its more expensive ...). and realistic ... ie. on a group ride are you gonna say ..."WHOA WHOA GUYS!!! NOT GENERATING ENOUGH POWER HERE ... IM OUT!!" ... but when you are indoors by yourself ... maximize your time says i who wishes i could afford ... oh yeah ... rollers .... www.tacx.com/producten.php?fl=true&language=EN&lvlMain=16&lvlSub=59&lvlSubSub=95&ttop=Ecotrack |
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 22, 2006 20:36:42 GMT -5
Yeah, the desire for most of this stuff is simply consumerism and bike/techno lust. Considering, ive been riding seriously for two years and competitivley for only one, i just need build base fitness and get race experience, ive known that much for a while. Im just afraid im missing something that could help me improve as much as i can...thats all. and Tim, at least you have a good reason to stay current on all this cycling content. For me and others, its a helpless obsession. If you didnt, you'd probably loose your job  |
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Post by t on Nov 22, 2006 21:39:57 GMT -5
i think thats what we came up w/ at the shop ... it is just a way to get people to buy more stuff ... if you listen to people like gord frasier speak his advice ... just ride lots ... hahaha. that said, for those of us w/ limited time to spend riding ... training w/ power can be the best way to maximize your time. i think the thing that has always stuck w/ me most is that kyle (guy i work with) in his first road season was riding from oakville to guelph ... from guelph to oakville every day 5 days a week (120km a day) ... w/ tuesday nite crits for race skills and races on sunday. he started his racing midseason, won his first three races and was into s2 right away. you ask him how he won ... he just mentions that when everyone else was getting tired at 80 km he was just warming up. haha. but, i think im in the same boat as you mark. only been ''serious'' about the road for this year (ie. racing) and i go to bed dreaming of ways to come into the spring so much stronger than anyone else. you know what im talking about ... dreams of mosport ... jumping off the front and riding away solo for the win. hahahah. ive plotted and planned and schemed but ... in my chilly s. ontario context w/ work and school ... besides me putting rat poison in everyone elses bottles its still a pipe dream. hehe. oh, except for that case of epo i ordered last week. that might help. or ... www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=4514yeah, got one of those coming in the mail. har har. |
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 22:18:35 GMT -5
Woah, personal hypoxicator.. that's some pretty intense stuff.
120km a day is pretty sillier than a starfish, 5 days a week is even more sillier than a starfish. Though if I could do that, it'd be pretty darn awesome.
I don't think I'm even that serious about racing, but I certainly dream of coming back in the spring stronger than ever.... I kind've thought about it last winter, but it really didn't work at all. I'm hoping that this winter will go better - and I suspect that it might.... It'll be Wicked having so many cyclists around.
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Post by Bayden on Nov 22, 2006 22:19:43 GMT -5
tim.. jesus.
and thats an f-ing lot of riding Kyle did.
And kevin, "you can put any cranks on such that they're both at 6 o'clock can't you..."
They don't just bolt powercranks onto a normal bb in the same orientation and do some kind of kangaroo pedaling, its like you can hold one crank still and spinn the other one, or whatever you want. they just fall to 6' oclock when no feet are pushing on them.
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Post by admin on Nov 22, 2006 22:22:26 GMT -5
ohhhhh, okay. Sounds kind've wierd if you ask me.........
The power of down-under - locked into a crank ready for you to use eh... Love those kangaroos.
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Post by Aaron on Nov 22, 2006 22:26:31 GMT -5
The power of down-under - locked into a crank ready for you to use eh... Love those kangaroos. HAHA!!! I dunno.. i laughed my arse off at that...power of down under |
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Post by admin on Nov 23, 2006 7:39:43 GMT -5
ahhh, okay. I see what's going on now. I missed the key - the fact that there's a 1 way clutch in each crank. I was too lazy to read it the first tim around. Seems like an interesting concept... Maybe i should throw some one legged cycling into the mix on the trainer....
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Post by t on Nov 23, 2006 9:41:19 GMT -5
one legged drills are good for working on your pedal stroke ... especially to avoid the pedalling in squares associated w/ lots of trainer time.
again ... one legged drills on rollers. tons of fun. good times had by all. yippee skippy.
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Post by admin on Nov 23, 2006 9:58:31 GMT -5
How is square pedalling associated with lots of trainer time, and how would I know if I'm square pedaling.
I'm really tempted to try rollers... what are pros/cons with rollers vs. trainers?
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Post by t on Nov 23, 2006 11:06:06 GMT -5
involves alot of mashing ... ie. just pushing down ... not scraping across the bottom or pulling/unweighting your back foot.
alot of people get it on fluid trainers or high resistance trainers b/c as they tire they begin to do what is easiest ... push down push down push down and so on ...
trainers have resistance. w/ resistance you get associated gains in power and muscle strength etc ... as well you can do sprints ... or anything involving standing.
in general rollers (that are affordable) do not have or do not come w/ resistance units (check out pez cyclingnews for one that does have up to 375 watts resistance ... which is considerable!) therefore before you know it you are big ringin it and just spinning. that said ... spins up are fun and easy, works on balance alot more than trainers, more of a ''road feel'' some would say. and you cannot mash because you would shoot right off the front of the rollers. as well one legged drills on them (as i have said too many times) are challenging and make your cadence better.
my opinion (which in general aint worth much) is use rollers for recovery rides, one leg drills and spinups and trainer for muscle tension, power intervals and tempo rides.
blah.
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Post by admin on Nov 23, 2006 11:09:03 GMT -5
Is that to say then, that rollers with a resistance unit combine the performance benefit from both trainers and rollers? Cause if so, maybe I'll go with that.. except that then I'd actually have to pay attention to balance.
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 23, 2006 11:38:50 GMT -5
I have heard good things from rollers from the hammerheads in the Kawartha CC. but are there models that super compact yet affordable, space and price for me is the main issue. Would time on the rollers have a hand in the improvment core strength at all?
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Post by admin on Nov 23, 2006 11:45:02 GMT -5
I don't know about super compact, but they all tend to fold in half at least..... Price wise, it seems like anything that doesn't have any sort of power meter or fancy shmancy electronics will top out at about 400 bucks. Fluid trainer from cycleops ~400, rollers with mag resistance from cycleops ~400 too.
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 23, 2006 11:46:52 GMT -5
Is it worth the money to get aluminum drums instead of PVC ones. The PVC might distort or wear, right? I have good feelings about Sporttrack from tacx. Minoura looks like they have a good product too.
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Post by mark romeril on Nov 23, 2006 11:50:56 GMT -5
This is in the draft indicator thread. it sould be in training. not that is really matters. Its just kind of funny.
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Post by admin on Nov 23, 2006 11:54:22 GMT -5
I could be horribly wrong, but I don't see how pvc could last very long at all. I even see wear marks on the metal (not sure what kind of metal) on the trainer I have at home. It's not as though it's worn down a lot, but it's blatantly obvious where the tire is.
To avoid confusion, Im looking into getting another trainer, since my dad uses it too (and paid for it), and I'm going to need something in guelph.
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