I agree about the eccentric loading. That can be an issue especially if you aren't accustomed to it. I remember once when I rode a fixed gear for the first time in several months, I stopped using my legs which creates a perfect storm of eccentric contraction in the hip flexors. I also couldn't walk for days.

The Seated Box Jump is also a great exercise. It's the box jump without the eccentric spring.

The hips may be the center of mass while standing, but by raising his knees higher he is raising his center of mass relative to his hips. Which requires more power. It's the height reached by the center of mass which is indicative of power of the jump.

Technically, you are right. But, if this exercise is to be used as a training tool for the legs, hiking the feet up an extra 24 inches to mount such as obstacle doesn't increase the exercise's effectiveness because by the time he hikes his knees up, the explosion of his glutes, hams, and quads (the goal of the exercise) is over!

Let's look at another example. Clean and Jerk vs Power Clean.

The Power Clean (done in both exercises) is where the legs are primarily engaged. The Jerk overhead is a highly technical maneuver with little benefit for the legs. So, if your goal is to train your legs, then the Power Clean is sufficient. Doing the Clean and Jerk adds more risk for little added reward in leg training.

I feel like I want a safe way of throwing a leg press sled, that would be a cool exercise. I already do it a little, maybe an inch or two, and it already feels unsafe for me knees to catch it. It would be cool if there was a machine that would let me throw it and it caught it for me and somehow brought it back down for me.

Yeah, I know the feeling and I've imagined such a sled, too.

An exercise that does something similar (explosion with soft landing) is the Split Box Jump. Add a weighted vest to increase intensity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeudQ1G2ykc

Google-ing "split box jump" will yield some ridiculous results. The the video above is the basic (and safe) way to do it.

This is just silly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqfS6uOtMJ8

Hmm, some kind of fluid brake with a clutch mechanism... Seems like a pretty cool design problem, but I don't think it's worth the risk on the typical sled configuration.

This one is interesting where the slow mo shows the big involvement of the arm swing. Still pretty impressive.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153029547467605

It is an interesting design problem!

Here's a thought. What about some fluid type system where your legs force some blades through water. You increase the resistance by tilting the blades. The sled would simply float down even if you removed your feet.

WaterRower uses water in a loosely similar way:


Hooking up a "Power Leg Press" sled with water/oil resistance would probably be a nightmare for a commercial gym to maintain, though :(

There is something similar for rock climbing TRUBLUE Auto Belay where the load is the climber and a magnetic clutch. You could probably do something with a mag trainer and a ratchet to clamp the resistance on the way down. But it would be far simpler to just use bump stops from a suspension to soften the impact when it hits the bottom.

I seem to be getting ads on this on just about every site I visit these days, finally clicked on it

Athos - Wearable Technology for Fitness

Kind of a cool idea and would be interesting to see the applications in cycling. But its one of those "ok I have the data...now what?"

1) It's a solution without a problem.

2) It uses made-up units of measure (like Nike "Fuel Points").

3) The way you could use it is to determine when you are fatigued and/or when you are recovered enough to start another set. But you can do both of those with a $50 heart rate monitor.

I've seen these in the EPL (English football) for a few years. Seems of little use in cycling because of the fact that you can wear a heartrate monitor already.

The Boulder Valley Velodrome website has been updated for 2015:
Boulder Valley Velodrome

I'm glad to see it up and running.

So, a local would have to pay $285 in order to train there? That's not even talking about racing. Wow. I hope they don't price people out with this.

DLV has an annual pass that is like $300, but that gets you into every event (year-round training anytime during daylight hrs, clinics, race fees for any event). Plus they have a-la-carte prices for training and racing...which most people do.

That is a lot. We run a 2hr try the track that is only $30 and includes your rental. I doubt we are making money off it though, its really just to get people in the building.

6 sessions (or I guess 7 if the first one is required) is a lot of time to get certified. Ive coached at 3 tracks now and they are all 2 x 2hr classes to go through everything except racing.

First post for a lurker!

I got a chance to ride out at the new Velodrome in Erie, Colorado, the other night! Wonderful! So smooth, and the boards were grippy even at 40F. Awesome to have lights for night-time racing.

It was my first time seeing the facility from the inside, and I was so impressed. Doug, Frank and everyone involved have done a great job. Since i live three miles from the facility, I am beyond stoked for a fine summer of racing.

I took 5 hour classes once while in a Velodrome in France. I learned so much. I really recommend to everyone to try it at least once. It is a really nice experience.

88 Tooth Campagnolo Nuovo Record Compatible Chainring | eBay

its not enough...

Just what a guy needs for a land speed record! :speedy:

You think that is big, check this one out with 17" diameter and 105 teeth:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=430035

Fast fixie: Bicycle with giant chainring aims for 100 mph - CNET
and
Fastest Bike on Planet? Massive chainring, fixed-gear

Now that will take some serious time just getting going... :giver:

Burnaby is almost $500 (not including insurance) and doesn't include racing - but it is indoors, heated, and they have coached workouts a couple times a week. Even at that price, the track is popular/busy and the coached workouts are always well attended.

Membership & Fees | Burnaby Velodrome Club

The learn-to-ride sessions are a comparative steal though - something like $60 for 6 x 1 hour sessions, including bike rental and insurance.

$285 up front seems pretty steep, although they do at least have a track community there already. It really seems like learn to ride/certifications just to train on the track should be loss leaders though, I think a high barrier to entry puts you in a bad place.

The certification is possibly misnamed as it is a 9 hour session, coached by USAC coaches and
world class racers, and riders learn how to race the more popular track races. If one joins a track club the training along with 3-hours per week track time are included in the club fees.

If one considers the cost and time involved traveling 90 miles south from Boulder to the Colorado Springs velodrome the Boulder velodrome costs suddenly appears attractive.

Incidentally one nice feature of the Boulder facility is the infield bathrooms.

No offense to the folks teaching the course, but for rank track newbies, they could have Eddy Merckx, Chris Hoy, and Anna Meares teach the classes but only so much will be covered in the intro sessions:

- Enter the track on the back straight. Exit on the front straight.
- "Stick", "Stay", "Rail", "Boards"
- sprinter's lane, stayer's lane
- Pass on the right
- etc...

There's no world-class advice given in a beginner session. It's kinda like Michael Jordan hosting a middle school basketball camp :D (again, no offense to the instructors). Their wisdom and experience are best applied when the athlete is ready and usually works more on a macro (annual program) level.

But, maybe they are asking those folks to teach to bring in fans...which is cool.

+1

This is a big deal.

If you've ever been to LA (Home Depot Center or ADT or whatever it's called these days) you'll realize how cool this is.

Actually, the only track I can think of that has had a restroom in the infield is TTown which puts 2 (glamorous) port-a-pottys in the infield during the season. Every other track that I know of requires you to leave the infield.

Marty Nothstein taught us at our USAC track course to both enter and exit on the back stretch. Maybe the top riders do have something different that they can teach. ;)

Should I assume DLV does it the way you suggest?


With as little as only ten minutes between races, I found those infield port-a-pottys a necessity.

What's "boards"? Is that the same as "rail"?

And for that matter, how many people here use "rail" at their track? I've always thought it was the stupidest command and is completely counter to everything else that's learned at the track.

I guess it depends on whether your track has boards(Ttown) or rails(Kissena).

The drive to Colorado Springs was what I was getting at with saying there's a track community. If I was running that track I'd be concerned few people are going to try the track though, because the cost to just get going is half of a used cross or mtb, and I don't think anyone who hasn't already been on a track will recognize the value of that instruction.

+1, I'd know - I helped teach the classes - the basics are basic.

Add Marymoor to the list, at least one port-a-loo in the infield, sometimes two.