First big dose of reality after installing computer.
07-22-19, 11:48 AM
#76
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I'll assume this comes up a lot.
Current setup is a stripped down Vilano aluminum roadbike (first bike, got it on craigslist for $25 - so I can't really complain). I've removed as much useless junk as possible. Specs are:
- Shimano Tourney 21-speed setup.
- 50t/xx/xx chainring
- Highest rear cog is a 14t
- 700c/25 front and rear tires (cheap tires and stock wheels)
- Steel front fork
- Aluminum seat post
- Steel crank arms (pressed-on square pattern)
- Weighs approx 27 lbs.
- No water bottles, nor water bottle brackets
So I've been riding this thing for a couple weeks now, and yesterday I finally put a computer on it to see where I'm at. Well, on flat'ish roadways, tucked on the down bars, I can put a lot of oompf into it and managed to only push like 25.4 mph (50t/14t), but don't have cadence numbers on that (felt like a lot lol). I can approximate it using math, but I have no factual data. I'll double check the calibration of the computer for the speed reading, but I'm assuming it's accurate the way the instructions suggest I set it up. Without detailing cadence I doubt that's useful info. But I was surprised at the numbers. I've watched and noted people maintaining 26 and 27 mph over lengthy rides, yet they may be chugging a 53t front ring and 11t rear cog for gearing. I'm in pretty decent shape, and have been distance running for years (middle distance strength training), and I'll also humbly admit that high intensity cycling isn't exactly easy. I'm willing to accept that I need to condition more towards cycling, yes.
The only other rear cog I can get for this setup is a 13t, which isn't much, but is worth a couple mph assuming equal cadence. I can actually get as gianormous as a 58t front ring lol. Lastly, I'm willing to lighten my beast up some, also - but I feel this benefits acceleration more than anything. I mean, I've got less than $100 in it so far, so i'm not complaining. Eventually I'd like to do some local races, but otherwise would like to ride faster bc speed is kinda fun.
With all this, what can I do to get more speed ? Cheers!
Current setup is a stripped down Vilano aluminum roadbike (first bike, got it on craigslist for $25 - so I can't really complain). I've removed as much useless junk as possible. Specs are:
- Shimano Tourney 21-speed setup.
- 50t/xx/xx chainring
- Highest rear cog is a 14t
- 700c/25 front and rear tires (cheap tires and stock wheels)
- Steel front fork
- Aluminum seat post
- Steel crank arms (pressed-on square pattern)
- Weighs approx 27 lbs.
- No water bottles, nor water bottle brackets
So I've been riding this thing for a couple weeks now, and yesterday I finally put a computer on it to see where I'm at. Well, on flat'ish roadways, tucked on the down bars, I can put a lot of oompf into it and managed to only push like 25.4 mph (50t/14t), but don't have cadence numbers on that (felt like a lot lol). I can approximate it using math, but I have no factual data. I'll double check the calibration of the computer for the speed reading, but I'm assuming it's accurate the way the instructions suggest I set it up. Without detailing cadence I doubt that's useful info. But I was surprised at the numbers. I've watched and noted people maintaining 26 and 27 mph over lengthy rides, yet they may be chugging a 53t front ring and 11t rear cog for gearing. I'm in pretty decent shape, and have been distance running for years (middle distance strength training), and I'll also humbly admit that high intensity cycling isn't exactly easy. I'm willing to accept that I need to condition more towards cycling, yes.
The only other rear cog I can get for this setup is a 13t, which isn't much, but is worth a couple mph assuming equal cadence. I can actually get as gianormous as a 58t front ring lol. Lastly, I'm willing to lighten my beast up some, also - but I feel this benefits acceleration more than anything. I mean, I've got less than $100 in it so far, so i'm not complaining. Eventually I'd like to do some local races, but otherwise would like to ride faster bc speed is kinda fun.
With all this, what can I do to get more speed ? Cheers!
If you're able to maintain 25.4 mph with a 50 -14 then you should be looking at getting onto a professional racing team. LOL VBEG
Cheers
07-23-19, 09:12 PM
#77
Junior Member
No one else mentioned it yet, so:
Your next bike upgrade will no doubt have built-in waterbottle cage mounts on the downtube and seat tube. In the meantime, your LBS (local bike shop) can set you up with very inexpensive add-on clamps that mount those bottle cages, (so you don't have to keep them in the rear pocket of the cycling jersey you haven't bought yet
. Stay thirsty not, my friend.
Your next bike upgrade will no doubt have built-in waterbottle cage mounts on the downtube and seat tube. In the meantime, your LBS (local bike shop) can set you up with very inexpensive add-on clamps that mount those bottle cages, (so you don't have to keep them in the rear pocket of the cycling jersey you haven't bought yet
. Stay thirsty not, my friend.
Likes For movelo:
07-24-19, 08:31 AM
#78
I'm good to go!
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No one else mentioned it yet, so:
Your next bike upgrade will no doubt have built-in waterbottle cage mounts on the downtube and seat tube. In the meantime, your LBS (local bike shop) can set you up with very inexpensive add-on clamps that mount those bottle cages, (so you don't have to keep them in the rear pocket of the cycling jersey you haven't bought yet. Stay thirsty not, my friend.
Your next bike upgrade will no doubt have built-in waterbottle cage mounts on the downtube and seat tube. In the meantime, your LBS (local bike shop) can set you up with very inexpensive add-on clamps that mount those bottle cages, (so you don't have to keep them in the rear pocket of the cycling jersey you haven't bought yet
. Stay thirsty not, my friend.Also, the bike is pretty heavy. Though in flatter terrain it's not a big deal, in hills the weight will burn through energy earlier in the ride that you'll want toward the end of the ride.
07-25-19, 01:57 PM
#79
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I'll assume this comes up a lot.
Current setup is a stripped down Vilano aluminum roadbike (first bike, got it on craigslist for $25 - so I can't really complain). I've removed as much useless junk as possible. Specs are:
- Shimano Tourney 21-speed setup.
- 50t/xx/xx chainring
- Highest rear cog is a 14t
Current setup is a stripped down Vilano aluminum roadbike (first bike, got it on craigslist for $25 - so I can't really complain). I've removed as much useless junk as possible. Specs are:
- Shimano Tourney 21-speed setup.
- 50t/xx/xx chainring
- Highest rear cog is a 14t
You need 120 RPM for peak muscle fiber recruitment to make maximum power, and another 20 RPM beyond that isn't a big deal.
- No water bottles, nor water bottle brackets
You want enough water to ride 3-4 hours until you're forced to stop and pee.
So I've been riding this thing for a couple weeks now, and yesterday I finally put a computer on it to see where I'm at. Well, on flat'ish roadways, tucked on the down bars, I can put a lot of oompf into it and managed to only push like 25.4 mph (50t/14t), but don't have cadence numbers on that (felt like a lot lol).
With all this, what can I do to get more speed ? Cheers!
Spend most of your time below your aerobic threshold. This will have the largest effect on speed over longer distances.
Your aerobic threshold is where breathing becomes rhythmic, conversation doesn't flow, and lactate/hydrogen ions start to accumulate. It's an intensity you could sustain for 3-5 hours with an even split between halves. Mark Allen set his unmatched 2:40 Ironman marathon split record in 1989 after doing that, initially dropping his training pace to 8:15 with performance improving over a year to 5:20 at the same 155 bpm heart rate.
One day a week ride at least double your daily time.
Except on your rest week spend a day a week working on your anaerobic threshold and VO2 max. Ride 7–10 minute intervals as hard as possible until you can’t break it. Your anaerobic threshold is approximately what you average over the last 20 minutes of a 30 minute all-out effort running, riding, rowing or whatever you do for cardio. In theory you could do that for one hour straight although that's very unpleasant - "It was the most intense hour of my career,” said the greatest cyclist of all time Eddy Merckx. “It was pain, pain, and pain"
Go for a group or longer fast ride once a week for fun if you want. Don’t do that too often because it will probably be too hard to train aerobic performance and too easy for anaerobic.
Add 10% to your time riding every week, except the 1 in 3-4 you go easy to allow time for adaptation.
You'll need to total 6 hours/week to be in good shape, and 10 to achieve much of your potential.
Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 07-25-19 at 05:20 PM.
07-25-19, 05:24 PM
#80
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So I did a 20 mile ride yesterday. I reset the averages on the new meter then hopped on and took off. I was bucking a headwind most of the time, and there was some inclines I had to stay low geared for (nothing extreme). Total time was 1:06:45, and top speed was 25.9mph. My average speed was 17.8mph, which honestly is complete bs because this crappy bike threw the chain 4 times.
- oh and more fun than that was when I wiped out once trying to avoid hitting some dude walking in the bike path.
07-25-19, 05:44 PM
#81
~>~
Join a local cycling club, ask if someone can repeat the Spring "New Riders" program with you and have at it.
Otherwise just try to make up on your own what over a century of experience in bike fit, operational control/bike handling, pedaling technique, pace-line etiquette, and training for the basic endurance, power and speed for the balanced fitness cycling requires as SOP for a club cyclist in Year 1.
PS: It's about the seat time and work not the gizmos or gearing.
-Bandera
Otherwise just try to make up on your own what over a century of experience in bike fit, operational control/bike handling, pedaling technique, pace-line etiquette, and training for the basic endurance, power and speed for the balanced fitness cycling requires as SOP for a club cyclist in Year 1.
PS: It's about the seat time and work not the gizmos or gearing.
-Bandera
Last edited by Bandera; 07-25-19 at 06:29 PM.
07-25-19, 05:55 PM
#82
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If your speed is your true speed then you might want to lighten everything that rotates; that is ctank arms and chainrings to alloy if they're steel now, alloy rims with narrower lighter tires if your tires are wide now. Tucking in when riding into the wind or downhills. Concentrating on a SMOOTH consistent cadence and pretending you're scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe at the bottom of each pedal stroke. That'll help you pull through on the pedal stroke rather than pistoning up and down only.
If you're able to maintain 25.4 mph with a 50 -14 then you should be looking at getting onto a professional racing team. LOL VBEG
Cheers
If you're able to maintain 25.4 mph with a 50 -14 then you should be looking at getting onto a professional racing team. LOL VBEG
Cheers
07-27-19, 09:32 AM
#83
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I dunno. Training Peaks shows distance/total time; Strava shows distance/time in motion. So average speed on Strava is always higher. Thursday evening's ride included standing around waiting for a buddy to fix a flat and so Strava's average speed was 3mph faster. But neither figure is particularly useful.
07-27-19, 01:22 PM
#84
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Again, absolutely no. Strava runs everything through their own algorithms. They ignore recorded data all the time, and replace it with their own. Let's just look at a couple of my recent uploads, with the moving time from Wahoo, followed by the moving time used by Strava.
Wahoo
40.19 miles, 1h58m09s
Strava
40.18 miles, 1h58m23s
Wahoo
25.16 miles, 1h43m31s
Strava
25.15 miles, 1h44m00s
Wahoo
73.01 miles, 4h11m56s
Strava
73.00 miles, 4h15m05s
Every single time I put a foot down, Strava tacks on a few seconds. I've had them add 7 minutes in 3 hours.
Wahoo
40.19 miles, 1h58m09s
Strava
40.18 miles, 1h58m23s
Wahoo
25.16 miles, 1h43m31s
Strava
25.15 miles, 1h44m00s
Wahoo
73.01 miles, 4h11m56s
Strava
73.00 miles, 4h15m05s
Every single time I put a foot down, Strava tacks on a few seconds. I've had them add 7 minutes in 3 hours.
07-27-19, 03:16 PM
#85
Non omnino gravis
This morning, over the course of 37 miles, I had to unclip my foot exactly one time. I waited at a stoplight for 17 seconds at around the 25 mile mark. Strava just rolled it in, gave me a 1.00 move ratio, and had identical numbers for moving and total time.
This is overwhelmingly common (for me,) pretty much anything under 30 seconds of stoppage just gets "rounded up." I've experienced this with every computer I've used. Strava rejects your reality, and substitutes it's own.
I've come to terms with it. It's annoying to see it happen ride after ride after ride, but it probably amounts to around 10 minutes of added moving time per year. I just have to Elsa that business and let it go.
This is overwhelmingly common (for me,) pretty much anything under 30 seconds of stoppage just gets "rounded up." I've experienced this with every computer I've used. Strava rejects your reality, and substitutes it's own.
I've come to terms with it. It's annoying to see it happen ride after ride after ride, but it probably amounts to around 10 minutes of added moving time per year. I just have to Elsa that business and let it go.
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07-27-19, 06:49 PM
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Interesting that Strava has one second less on my first one. You’d think it would round it up to 58 min. Strange.
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