Windbreaker

Why is there no Work, TSS, NP and VI data?

Just checked my recent rides and the time in brackets is the time including stops. Obviously yours can't be right. I always clear as I start pedaling because in the past I've had some funnies with the time when there has been a previous workout on the CPU.

Super cheap drink? How much rehydrate do you use? If I'm not wrong that stuff costs about 7 bucks a packet?

After long, hot rides I use rehydrate - swear by it. Where do you get the glucose powder?

Hey I even carry a SRAM link in my saddle bag. That's how converted I am

Hey, I fell off my IDT once!!! Was well into my FTP test (basically very pap) and never noticed that the IDT wasn't on level ground. It slowly but surely vibrated the wheel clamps loose and just as I went for the last 60s wind up to finish, the wheel came out and I hit the deck - hard! I wear elbow and shin pads on the IDT now

After messing with the chain cleaners I also went the SRAM link route. Much better. I use degreaser in a flat dish, stiff paint brush. Also do the cassette removal. You can really get into the derailleurs and the dark side of the main chain rings with the chain off the bike. I own a chain cleaning tool too but it is never used anymore although it is a must if you don't remove the chain.

I am pathetic on the IDT but I don't believe that it has anything to do with heat. I do my intervals out on the balcony - often in a howling south easter. The trainer is a whole 'nother subject tho But having different FTP values for uphills, flats & IDT's does detract a little from the "science" of power training unless the software developers like Cyclingpeaks agree, recognise and model the difference otherwise you are comparing apples with oranges i.e. a week with hills is not the same as a week with flats w.r.t. TSS etc??

Ja.... sadly at the moment 20m at 260w (uphill) is about all I can do.

Here is one for Bikemax and all of the other coaches who have enough experience with power training. I've posted a conversation thread from cyclingnews below (sorry admin) For some time I battled with this concept and I always did my 20m L4 intervals on Ou Kaapse Weg or Red Hill because I felt that it was easier than on a flat section. This year I started focusing specifically on flat work and although I am not anywhere near the same fitness level as last year (TSS way down) I definitely feel stronger on the flats. I've also got to the point where I am comfortable in the drops for 20m plus. Still have to compare power files to the same time last year to see if it confirms my feeling. So is there actually a different "FTP" for uphill, flats & downhills? I think that there is, but I suppose that there isn't enough to warrant creating different zones. Quote Power training Why is it easier (or more doable) for me to constantly push 300-350 watts up a hill for 30-45 min but then when I try to create that same power output on a flat to slightly downhill time trial I get nowhere close to being able to hold that wattage? It is boggling my mind. ... Thanks Bart Boma Sacramento, CA Scott Saifer replies: Hi Bart, Your situation is extremely common and most likely correctable: Are your cadences similar in the uphill and flat-downhill scenarios? If you are spinning down hill but mashing uphill, you likely have not developed the coordination to make the high wattages at higher cadence. That can be corrected with practice. Is you position the same in the two scenarios? If not, you TT position may be too extreme to allow you to make efficient use of the muscle strength and aerobic power you have. You can test this by trying to climb in your TT position at your normal climbing cadence. If your power is down when you do that, rethink your TT position. Finally for whatever reason some people simply find it easier to push when something is pushing back. If this is you, you'll need to work on motivation for the downhill performance; picture being in the winning break at Milan Sanremo. Dario Fredrick replies: Hi Bart, With all due respect, I disagree with Scott in that your situation (or motivation) needs correcting. You are simply experiencing basic laws of physics as resistive forces in cycling, specifically gravity and aerodynamic drag. All of us who use power meters are familiar in practice with what you describe. When considering climbing power, gravity is a constant which is multiplied by the slope of the road incline (~gradient), and it exerts a greater relative force versus air at a given speed. It is "easier" to produce higher power if the resistive forces are greater. On flat terrain, you have to work to develop speeds high enough to exert sufficient resistance in aerodynamic drag to maintain TT power - whereas on a negative gradient (downhill) resistive forces are further reduced, making it "harder" to maintain TT power. Let's assume that your 30 min TT power *average* is ~335 W (+/- 10 W), thus on flat terrain it is ~335 W, uphill ~345 W and downhill ~325 W. Windbreaker2007-12-23 10:09:19

Just to throw a spanner in the works here. In Holland there are literally millions of cyclists on the road everyday. I estimate that less than 15% of them wear helmets. On the other hand those that travel at high speed in groups i.e. sporting cyclists generally all wear helmets. If ever a nation of people can be looked upon to do the sensible thing (and their laws reflect that) without being told to then it is the Dutch. Basically the slower commuter type cyclists don't wear helmets and those that ride in fast groups do. One thing though is that the commuters are pretty much isolated form the motorist induced dangers that we face.

I tried to use a SRAM chain on a Shimano cassette (all brand new) and the chain kept sticking when moving about 3 gears off perfect alignment. I then replaced the cassette with a SRAM one which is obviously different from the shimano one in that it is missing one tooth on most of the gears - I guess to facilitate a smoother gear change. Problem solved. My conclusion was that SRAM chains & Shimano cassettes don't mix. Could have just been something that I was doing wrong though. On vuh uvah hand darren I use the SRAM links on all my chains, shimano 9 & 10 spd included with no problems. As for the diff between 105 & da chains - I doubt it very much. Windbreaker2007-12-21 05:55:51

Even works in Europe http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/workoutdetail/index.do?id=7203 And my training route http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/routedetail/index.do?id=739 Windbreaker2007-12-21 00:42:28

I get 4 hours out of a fully charged N95. The other GPS apps on the N95 also used to drain the battery quite quickly but I think that this was addressed with a firmware upgrade for the phone itself. Don't think that it is a app thing. Cool huh? I am hoping that they are going to go the whole hog and make it compatible with the PT 2.4 etc. Windbreaker2007-12-21 00:38:16

For those of you who have a Nokia with an internal GPS a la 6110 & N95 or similar check this software out http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/main/index.do and http://research.nokia.com/research/projects/SportsTracker/index.html I don't use the phone as a computer on the bike. I start it and leave it in my back pocket because I can't find a suitable mount i.e. one that is waterproof and isn't too goofy looking. But it really does have a nice display. Now all they need to do is make it compatible with the PT 2.4 hub using bluetooth and it will be one of the coolest combinations around. You can even plot the track in real-time. Windbreaker2007-12-20 12:01:42

Well Steven, I hope that we get more facts from you that help us out of the huge wilderness. I also attended a talk by Brad Hunter from Easton and I would rate him as being quite a knowledgeable dude. I also appreciate the explanation by JB as to the flaws in a tensionmeter i.e. that it uses a measurement of deflection as the basis for the calculation of the tension and the effects of friction must be considerable. For all the reasons that he describes I believe that they are probably too imprecise for the intended application. I would guess that an electronic instrument based on the measurement of the frequency of the tone created by a "pluck" would be far more accurate albeit that it would be a relative measurement. I suppose that it is possibly why this is the method used for tuning stringed musical instruments rather than a deflection measurement of some sort? Look forward to your spreadsheet and Doug Pattersons input, hopefully before Xmas

WH when you, Pantani and Holy roller get on a roll (weak pun intended) the entertainment is way better than TV. It's really refreshing.

I had exactly the same thing a long time back. Also think that rain was a culprit (I was hub deep in water at one point) my case. Sent it in to Adrian and it was sorted.

Rather than leave those of us that are interested hanging it might be an idea to get Doug to respond to JB's questions???

They appear to be using "modules" from other mfrs - at least that's what I understood. They are just providing the display & brains - no doubt license the code in the current PT, SRM, Polar etc.

Now that is a a nice toy! Wonder how practical the display will be - the image I mean. There are very few "outdoor displays' that can display a decent image without being very power hungry.