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Skittish

12.21.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

Maybe it’s my experience with two crashes in the last three months, but on the road lately, I seem to be a less aggressive rider than I used to be.

The other day, I was doing my weekly ride on the Veloway. It’s got some nice sections with tight curves — curves that invite you to stomp on the pedals and lean hard into the turn. I always look forward to those, especially a right-left-right combo near the end of the loop. I get down in the drops, and always check my cyclocomputer to see if I’ve hit my goal of 22 mph through the esses.

This time, I didn’t even come close. I did 18 mph on the first lap. Wow. I chalked it up to a warmup lap, and figured it would get better. The second time through, I hit 20 mph. That’s still off my goal.

I noticed that the line I took through the curves both times was wider than the one I follow when I’m really “on.” Why would that be?

Well, it’s been foggy the last few mornings, and that left the road surface damp. But it’s only really iffy at the approach to the hill I’ve mentioned in the past — the one where I lost control and crashed last month. A puddle collects right at the base of the hill, right on my line. So I’m going to go slower through there in any case, until it’s acceptably dry.

The esses don’t have that problem. They were damp, but not wet. I made a point of concentrating on the line the third time through. But by now, the light mist that accompanied the fog had turned to drizzle. I picked up a little speed — 21 mph — but cut my ride short and headed for home.

I guess I’m just out of practice. The amount of riding I’m doing has suffered lately because of cooler weather and demands at work. I know that more frequent riding will get me back into the feel of the bike. Now that we’re into the year-end break, I’ll get out there more often — I hope.

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Categories // crash, Technique, training Tags // improvement, training, Veloway

“Fartlek” for bikes

09.30.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

Back when I was a runner — okay, I was never anything more than a jogger — interval training was considered the way to go to train for a race. I entered my share of t-shirt runs, and sometimes I even got serious about training for them. But intervals put me off. They seemed too regimented — too serious.

Then I read about an alternative method of training. It’s called fartlek — from the Swedish for “speed play.” A fartlek trainer runs at a certain pace, or tempo, for awhile, and then turns on the gas and runs hard for awhile. The bursts of speed are not over set distances, and recovery times are always different. That’s the kind of training I enjoyed doing.

I thought about that today when I was out for my regular Tuesday ride on the Veloway. I had fully intended to do intervals. I even had the fast sections mapped out in my head. I knew approximately how long my recovery times would last. But when I started my first interval, I just couldn’t get enthusiastic about it.

Then it occurred to me — do fartlek. I started pulling on the pedals through a twisty inclined stretch, a little less than a mile. At the high point, I backed off. I rode through a relatively flat area without pushing hard.  On another twisty incline I stomped on it again, and held the fast pace for almost another mile.  On an ess curve that features a right-angle left followed by an acute-angle right, I laid the bike as far over as it would go without falling (great fun).  Then I coasted back to the start.

I did five laps, and did fartlek for four of them.  Each time, my fast and slow sections were different.  I got the training benefit without the regimentation that takes the fun out of biking.  Tonight, I can feel it.  I fell asleep in front of the TV.  I’m going to bed earlier than usual.  This might partly be because I haven’t had a real bike ride in a week, but it’s also because I had a tough workout.  I like the feeling.  I plan to do it some more.

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Categories // Technique, training Tags // fartlek, speed, Technique, training

Pedal in a circle

07.15.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

I’ve been hearing this advice ever since I got back on the bike — but it never really made much sense, even after I got my first set of clipless pedals.

But on one of my weekend rides, it all came together.

I rode a route with long hills, and tried to make more of an effort to attack them than I usually do. As part of that, I pulled up on the pedals rather than pushing down. No, I’m not a complete idiot — I’ve been pulling up on the pedals since I went clipless, but in a jerky manner. This time though, everything seemed smoother. Suddenly, it occurred to me: “This is what they mean by pedaling in a circle.”

I could feel the pedals move in a circular motion, with constant pressure throughout the entire revolution. I could feel the bike surge forward a bit. The cyclocomputer had the speed rocket up from 5.6 mph to 6.2, to 6.8, to 7-point-something. I could feel my thighs burn.

On the way back, there is one longish hill that has been my nemesis since my first time on this route. I’ve always been able to pedal all the way to the top, but it’s been a struggle — pushing down hard in 34 x 28 — the lowest gear combination I have.

This day, I started two gears higher, and made an effort to pedal in a circle. I could feel the difference. I eventually had to shift down to 34 x 28, but maintained cadence as well as I could. I got to the top of the hill in better time than I have yet, and less winded.

Pedaling in a circle. A simple concept, and once I got it figured out, one that really helps.

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Categories // Technique, training Tags // climbing, hills, pedaling, Technique

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