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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Michigan, on the lake, 60 miles WNW of Chicago as the crow flies, or 90 miles if the crow walks.
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Bikes: Dolan DF4, BH Ultralight, 1974 Schwinn Paramount Track, Trek Alpha 1000, Trek 730, Miyata 930 affixed to a Brian Wind Trainer
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There are a few things that low gear work does for you in the early season.
As mentioned previously it helps your opposing muscles work more efficiently between relaxing and contracting. If they are not working efficiently they will fight each other reducing power and increasing the chance of a pulled muscle.
It will also improve your hip stability. If you bounce you are flexing your hips too much, so we imagine a bolt through our hips attached to the saddle as we work to reduce bounce at high cadence.
And it will help strengthen your lower back -- see the recent back pain thread -- so it is better prepared to handle the higher loads as the season progresses.