Coasting down hill
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I adapt my speed depending more on traffic conditions and turns, etc, manoeuvring, than output
Also, re: climbing, it's undoubtedly because I'm a noob I'm sure but when climbing my sole focus is finding a cadence, gear weight and speed that I can sustain, patiently, all the way to the top. If I pushed myself I'd just end up dismounting and probably wrench my lower back and knees.
From memory, in Le Tour the descending specialists pedal all the way down, but the sprinter pack at the back coast, so I guess it's just a taste/emphasis thing.
Also, re: climbing, it's undoubtedly because I'm a noob I'm sure but when climbing my sole focus is finding a cadence, gear weight and speed that I can sustain, patiently, all the way to the top. If I pushed myself I'd just end up dismounting and probably wrench my lower back and knees.
From memory, in Le Tour the descending specialists pedal all the way down, but the sprinter pack at the back coast, so I guess it's just a taste/emphasis thing.
Last edited by tajimirich; 05-26-22 at 08:36 PM.
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so ive heard stuff like this but it seems to contradict the idea that its more efficient to work hard when going slow because of drag. Ive also heard people talking almost derisively about riders going hard on hills and coasting on the decents, as if they are training ineffectively or are inexperienced. It also seems like people drop massive watt bombs on punchy climbs, but maybe people just like doing that? I dont really know what to think tbh
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If youre keeping up with the pedals enough to where you aren't quite spinning out but not really applying much force I think thats soft pedaling. Happens a lot on bikes without high enough gears
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 05-26-22 at 09:49 PM.
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Hey, Larry! That was me heading North on Canada as you were heading south, right at 84. I waved.
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Clearly.
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#36
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It's even more important when you're maintaining high power output. Even just coasting for one minute can set your heart rate back and you'll need to build that up again (warm up) if coming up on a climb. If you have to warm up, it will slow you down. But you can't avoid warming up or else, you'll burn out.
This is why it's important to have at least a heart rate monitor. Maintain a heart rate that works best for you, don't let it drop too low unless you're stopping for coffee and cake.
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Around my parts, soft pedaling is something you do when someone falls behind, perhaps because of a traffic light. You pedal softly until they catch up. It has nothing to do with descending.
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so ive heard stuff like this but it seems to contradict the idea that its more efficient to work hard when going slow because of drag. Ive also heard people talking almost derisively about riders going hard on hills and coasting on the decents, as if they are training ineffectively or are inexperienced. It also seems like people drop massive watt bombs on punchy climbs, but maybe people just like doing that? I dont really know what to think tbh
https://cyclingtips.com/2016/09/how-...ariable-power/
TLDR: You need to put out more effort on the climbs than the descents if you want to be fastest overall. On a pan flat course constant power works best.
From the link:-
Key points
Here’s what we can glean from these two studies:
– The flatter the course, the smaller you want your power variations. Constant power is king, especially if wind is also a minor factor.
– On a hilly course, it is imperative that you increase your power in conjunction with increases with gradient. With shallower gradients it’s not as important. A 5% power increase, at 200W, yielded a 16.36 second gain on a gradient of 1% over 2.5km. However at 6% that 5% rise gained the rider nearly a minute and a half (78.42 seconds). As the gradient increases so does the rider’s need to up the power from baseline.
– It is imperative that you choose a power increase that is within the range you’re able to hold for the duration of the uphill. While performance is improved with increased power, going too hard and not being able to maintain a 20% power increase, for example, is ultimately more detrimental to your time than maintaining a 10% increase along the length of the uphill. In effect, constant power is again king.
– The frequency of variation in power needs to be taken into account. Each increase in power (assuming the rider is already pacing close to threshold) will decrease the rider’s anaerobic work capacity, and therefore the ability to hold a variable pacing strategy further into the course.
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Once you get close to top speed down a hill, it is better to tuck as best you can and recycle the mess in your legs from the climb.
The way I look at it is the climb doesn't end until that point.
How hard can one overextend oneself on a series of climbs and not blow up? That one is hard to precisely calculate.
The way I look at it is the climb doesn't end until that point.
How hard can one overextend oneself on a series of climbs and not blow up? That one is hard to precisely calculate.
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Otto
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This video shows the best way to go down hill (starting at about :10). The more you can get your body into a NACA foil shape, the more lift you will generate which will enable you to go faster.
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When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future, don't stick your
elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil.
elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil.
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that's fair and makes sense. i ride alone so never soft pedal for that purpose. but i do soft pedal on descents, during shifting on ascents, approaching red lights to time them, or when i am just a bit pooped.
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But it can...people 'soft pedal' on descents to keep their legs turning over but not putting a bunch of pressure on the pedals. When I was a kid and learning 'how to ride a bike' the experienced riders/racers wouldn't come over the top of a climb and just coast. They'd always accelerate to the point where coasting would be fast enough but they'd keep their legs turning over to keep them feeling good during the descent. I did it constantly during races, I wanted to keep my legs going all the time but when you are right behind another rider sometimes the draft works too well and you get sucked right up to them so...soft pedal so you're always ready for the next surge. It's not just for letting someone catch back on.
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Also what you do in a group when it's bunched up and not going very fast.
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I think of it more as moderating the pressure you put into your pedals to better make small changes in speed to follow a wheel without hitting the breaks. If you need to pedal at like 150 rpm or something just to keep up soft pedaling takes a lot of effort
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the physics is pretty clear, as explained by several posters… but the physiology problem is quite variable depending on the rider.
while the fastest time might result from “shifting” watts to the climbs, for some of us those watts simply aren’t available because they’re past a sustainable peak. so while going up at 400 and down and 0 would certainly be faster (assuming a big enough hill) than going up at 300 and down at 250, the more consistent and lower peak effort of the latter suits my heart and lungs better. of course, i’m not racing anyone but myself and prefer long gradual climbs and descents (or rollers) to really steep stuff.
a huge spread in gearing is key for this kind of riding.
while the fastest time might result from “shifting” watts to the climbs, for some of us those watts simply aren’t available because they’re past a sustainable peak. so while going up at 400 and down and 0 would certainly be faster (assuming a big enough hill) than going up at 300 and down at 250, the more consistent and lower peak effort of the latter suits my heart and lungs better. of course, i’m not racing anyone but myself and prefer long gradual climbs and descents (or rollers) to really steep stuff.
a huge spread in gearing is key for this kind of riding.