Thread: Flying 200s
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Old 08-16-20, 06:46 PM
  #144  
Super D
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Originally Posted by Baby Puke
I've just had two seasons running of my best times in my life of 200's, and I'm more convinced than ever that doing a fast 200 is voodoo.

This year I'm severely underdone (in terms of training depth) yet still managed to get a time that I would have killed for a few years ago, and with a slightly better execution may have even PB'ed.

Some observations:
1. Big gears work. It may take a couple of years of struggle with them for it to pay off.
2. You have to start big gears a lot earlier, so get used to jumping at the rail in the corner (T1 if it's a 333). I start all my warm up jumps (regardless of gear) at the jump point I use on a race gear.
3. You have to really ninja up on your jump and learn to expend as little energy as possible, and I think I'm going slower than before on my final windup lap.
4. Ramping up into a jump doesn't really work for me. I have to smack it as hard as possible right at the jump point, like a standing start.
5. It's really tricky.
Any tips/fundamental truths for finding one's preferred gear-inches?

I'm starting to realize that while I can spin 120-135+ (not fast, I know, but relatively fast for me, haha), I'm faster in the 200 in the 115-118 rpm range, so for lack of other influences, I'm starting to focus on gearing that puts me in that cadence range. Then, as I get stronger, instead of spinning faster, I'll increase gear-inches and stay in that general range. I know that cadence is a personal thing---and I'm very inexperienced, so I'm taking any of my own findings/beliefs with a healthy grain of salt.
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