gyming to improve power

Roadie_scum

*guh*

Carrera are you quantum pedalling?? Or are you so tall that your pedalling has measurable relatavistic effects? Otherwise Newtonian physics still applies to your pedalling action, as do the laws of thermodynamics.If you stand on the pedals, sit in the seat, or handstand and spin the cranks with your arms, you are still creating the forces required to get up the hill, whatever your technique. If you zig-zag up the hill you're not actually riding up the true incline of the hill, and you have terrible and inefficient technique.

daymat

ric, I am currently suffering from tight hamstrings which i have been told are due to an imbalance in my leg muscle groups caused by cycling ( approx 250 miles per week ) . I'd appreciate any advice you have in resolving this problem - thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by adaret
Obviously, with cycling, you build leg muscles. However, the larger these muscles get, the more strain you might put on other muscles that aren't as developed. Thus, you need to strengthen some other muscles in your legs so you don't injure yourself.



no you don't.

ric_stern/RST

this is really an issue for a physio to sort out. they'd need to ascertain exactly what was wrong. my guess, is that you may need to do some stretching.

ric

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Carrera

I've thought about all of this quite a lot when I've been out on a ride (or especially during climbs)
I think it needs to be pointed out that there are various ways you can climb a steep hill and there are various types of cyclists.
But to answer your question, if you push your pedals from a standing position and drive from your hip, using your bodyweight, this does not require much leg strength. So, in that sense I agree with Ricstern that technique and gears can compensate for leg strength.
Even so, that doesn't mean to say that if you have powerful legs it's not an advantage. Myself I find I can power a bike in bigger gears and maybe stay seated if I choose to. I can also climb very steep hills in bigger gears than is the norm, basically because I practise power climbs as part of my program.
Zig-zagging isn't poor technique but I've zig-zagged when I've simply lacked the lower gears I need for very steep hills. I can't really explain how it works but maybe somebody else might have resorted to similar tactics?
P.S. Today I purchased my first triple cog bike which means I now have far more lower gears to play with. I'll still be training on my carrera but can't wait to see how different things may be now I have a triple. The bike I chose was a Scott road bike and so far it rides like a dream. I must have about 6 gears lower than my carrera.
Can anyone give me any feedback on the Scott by the way? Anybody riding one on this forum?

bikeguy

Swaying on the bike is definitely an disadvantage. It means energy is being wasted moving the bike laterally rather than driving it forward as roadie_scum has already pointed out. I used to climb hills like that but now I've minimized rocking by contracting my lats and traps on the side opposite to the leg extending.

menglish6

I'm by no means an expert, nor have I even thought through this situation particularly thoroughly, but it seems to me that if you have to stop your bike from swaying by contracting muscle groups on the opposite side of your body you're still wasting energy, but now doubly so.

You're still creating the lateral forces that were causing your bike to sway in the first play, but now you are also creating opposing lateral forces in order to keep the bike from swaying. Seems like it would be better just to let it sway, at least until you can figure out how to avoid creating the forces that cause it to sway in the first place.

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[iNOX]

It is true that some upper body training (arms, abdominals...) improves climbing??

I'm seriously thinking about buying a home machine multi-trainer, it worths the money?

Thanks

Roadie_scum

No and no.

ed073

bump and bump!

Roadie_scum

Huh? ?I don't understand...

ed073

it means "I agree" and takes the thread back to the top of the forum list for more people to read.
you can bump your own thread if you don't get enough responses, too.

Roadie_scum

Nice one

ric_stern/RST

the thread is sticky so it stays at the top!
ric

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coolworx

Don't know if this has been posted, but one of the best resistance exercise for better cycling is the stiff legged dead lift.

Really gets to those glutes and hams.
Quads are only part of the stroke...

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!
Notes: Use extreme caution with this exercise! It's absolutely the best hamstring developer. It's also the trickiest.

Form over weight!