carleton

I'm more of a sprinter, so my workouts are much different than someone who might train for 4K pursuits. The cycling equivalent of a fartlek might be a Points Race.

Points race is several races within a race. The guy with the most points wins. Let's say it's a 120 lap (30KM or 19 miles) points race. There will be points up for grabs every 10 laps (these are called sprints). The points (5, 3, 2, & 1 point) are awarded to only the first 4 riders at every 10 lap sprint. There are a few other rules, but that's the gist.

The key is to not blow up after the sprint and recover while keeping up with everyone else. On-the-bike recovery is hard to do.

Some say it's the ultimate race because it combines, endurance, speed endurance, individual tactics and team tactics. Plus, the more cunning riders can not only track their own points in their heads, but the point totals that key opponents have, which affects their tactics.

Probably the best and most reliable way for a new racer to get faster in a short amount of time is to hire a coach. Most new athletes to a sport grow stronger faster under the guidance of a coach. Having a coach eliminates all of the wondering and guessing and you just do what is on the program.

hwdxbassist

Dear Carleton, Thank you.


=FM

stovb

Dear Carleton, will you be a proud owner of a futurama monopoly?
https://www.usaopoly.com/futurama/

Dannihilator

Dear Carleton,

Could you beat the Schlecks in an individual time trial?

theblackbullet

Dear Carleton,

Are 175mm cranks a bad idea at the DLV?

carleton

Haha, no.

They will be fine...assuming you have a track bike with a raised BB. Just don't go too slow. One of the fastest guys out there (David Magloire) rides 175s.

Thirteen.

Dear Carleton sir,
Is there more toe overlap on a size 50cm Cinelli Mash frame (due to smaller size) as opposed to a 53cm provided that both are running 165mm cranks?

theblackbullet

cool cool
it's a kilo tt. specs say bb height is 282mm.

It came with 165's and I just feel like I'm not able to put down all of the power I should be able to. I'm 6'4" w/ 34" inseam fwiw

carleton

I have no idea.

vw addict

Why is the sky blue, but when you go into space it's black?

carleton

Magnets

boxerboxer

You have it all wrong, I'll let ICP explain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs

calbob76

Dear Carleton,

Is there an average crank length for each bike size?

chambers078

Dear Carleton,

Do you participate in group rides with roadies?



Edit: I know this is personal, so I guess if it makes you feel better:

Do many track riders participate in group rides with roadies?

jdgesus 

and a follow up, how many track riders JUST ride on the track? I'm assuming its .01%

JesusBananas

Short answer: Because the atmosphere filters out the non-blue parts of the light.

- Carlton (carleton's evil twin)

mkeHENRY

What do I need to install the SRAM Omniums?
Nevermind: 8mm hex and a bbt-9? okay.

Recommend a good brand of grease and lube for me? I'm sure all are not created equal?

carleton

Lots of track riders, even the pure sprinters, participate in group rides.

I have no idea. But, I've seen people do it. It's not uncommon. It can be very effective.

Phil Wood grease is popular. It was even listed in Esquire's Black Book one year as stuff a guy should own. I'm not saying that I care what Esquire thinks, but I was surprised to see it listed. It's $8-10 a tube, but a tube lasts a very long time.

Muffin Man

so i broke my collarbone, and the doc says I can't do anything that has a chance of me falling for 3 months. That means no time on the bike for that time, and i don't think im gonna last that long. Would getting a trainer (not rollers) be a good idea just so i can get some exercise?

chambers078

I'm no Carleton, but the answer is an obvious YES if you can afford the cost of a decent trainer.

A teammate broke his collarbone back in March and all he did for 4 months before bed was watch netflix and ride the trainer.

His first time racing in almost 5 months, he made his way to the podium.

It's boring, but it depends on your incentive to stay in shape.

In his case, it worked out. I see a cat2 upgrade in his near future.

Muffin Man

would trying to find a used trainer off craigslist be ok? or should i get a new one?

carleton

+1

Here's an article on the subject: https://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/...en-collarbone/

carleton

What kind of bike do you have (road, track, both?)

Muffin Man

I have a road bike.

carleton

I've used lots of different trainers over the years. What makes it enjoyable for longer indoor rides is the feel of the flywheel. I don't know what your budget is, but I'll just run down some opinions:

- Kurt Kinetic Road Pro: Awesome. Top of the line. Feels very much like the road. The best thing is that the resistance unit is calibrated such that when your wheels spin at X-mph on the trainer, it provides the same resistance you would feel at X-mph due to wind on the road. It's the only one that I've found that does that. I have verified this with my power meter. More info: https://www.kurtkinetic.com/powercurve.php. It's heavy and cumbersome, though. It doesn't travel well. It also has an optional 12lb add-on flywheel making 20lbs total. That's a HEAVY flywheel. With that installed, it's really really nice. When you stop pedaling, the wheel keeps spinning like on the road with your body's momentum. I can stop pedaling, dismount the bike, and sit on the couch and the rear wheel will still be spinning.

- TACX Satori (magnetic): The flywheel feels really good. Light and portable trainer. This seems to be popular with pro riders for these reasons:



- Computrainer: Nice flywheel. If you aren't interested in all the software and stuff, just get the TACX or Kurt.

- Cycleops SuperMagneto Pro: Feels awesome.

- Cycleops Mag: Meh. It's OK, but not as good as the ones listed above.



There are I'm sure lots of others that feel good or great. This is just what I've used. I've also tried LOTS of budget ($75-150) trainers and they just plain don't feel good. The Cycleops Mag is probably my favorite in that price range. But' it's like $200. You can find these easily on craigslist. But, it pales in comparison to some higher-end trainers.

I say, if you are gonna spend $200 on a trainer, maybe save (or sell some unused gear for) another $100 and get the Kurt Kinetic or TACX. You will use them for a long time.