This.
What the settings are at is broadly irrelevant. You just want to be hitting meaningful/productive wattages. 10 on the slider and 5 on the dial, even on a wattbike trainer (e.g., not a pro) would require some serious power for anything above a really low cadence. I’m doing 180w recovery blocks with the slider at about 4 or 5 and the dial at 2 or 3.
I think the only time I’ve ever set it to 10 and 5 is for big gear work, with power in the mid to high 200s and cadence down in the low 60s or high 50s
That’s what I’m doing it for - I have never really done big gear work as my knees seem to suffer when I’m trying them on the road bike, so this is my equivalent. So I’m confused, you’re saying broadly irrelevant, but then you say that you did same for big gear work? Does this mean that you don’t do big gear work that often or anymore? Forgive me for being stupid!
Broadly irrelevant, in that most sessions I’m targeting a wattage with whatever cadence feels comfortable. Occasionally I’ll do cadence ramps (i.e. increasing by 5rpm every 5mins) in which case as it’s not got erg, I’ll have to drop the slider a bit to achieve the desired cadence whilst maintaining the power.
Big gear is fine, but it seemed like you were saying you were using those settings all the time. I’m not sure I’ve seen people do more than one big gear session per week, for a short block. That’s all I’ve ever been set at any rate, and what I observe by people I respect on strava. As you say, it’s taxing on the knees, so I would not be expecting needing to use the 10&5 settings more than occasionally.
Big gear work is about muscular power. FTP growth, which is what you first made reference to trying to improve, is largely an aerobic steady state. Clearly muscle power will help that, but I have tended to find them targeted with separate training. Multiple ways to skin a cat however, and I’m far from a cycling guru as it’s by far my weakest discipline
Thanks for that, no sorry for the confusion, I’d be dead if it was used in all of my sessions.
Just once a week for FTP growth. My second weakest discipline after swimming, and I know that I lose time on Kirkstone, Hardknott and Wrynose, so this year I decided to pull my finger out, and a tri coach mate suggested that my FTP is shite and to do big gears weekly.!
The tri Extreme this year yep. Managed the bike last year but kept on getting off and stretching and taking my time chilling before I realised that I was going to miss the cutoff.
So this year, sorted now with salt tabs (to stop the cramp that slowed me down so, so much) and working on the FTP for those climbs. Did the X last year in a slowish 18 hours (winner 14 and 1st V50 15!)
Cramp I guess lack of salt in my diet and sweat rate - took a mate to explain about salt tablets last year after the Extreme, luckily all sorted for the X.
The weird thing is, years ago I bought that salt dispenser, something to do with handlebars (??), but never used it and never did anything about the cramp, not actually getting it until last year. D’oh.
That’s about 33 years of fell running and suffering on longer runs, and having to stop and stretch or just go slow enough to hold cramp on the cusp, stretching seemed to do nowt. That’s about 13 years of suffering on tris, same thing, having to go slow to hold off the cramp. Double D’oh. I think even on the X, I was quite tentative as I expected the worse. First ever time of endurance competition that I didn’t get cramp… well, apart from the odd bits on the run reminding me to take my hourly salt tablets!
Thanks btw, but I’d be really shite on a flatter tri, have no power at all - at least hills give me an excuse for my slow times.
I’m half and half…!
Not a bad climber… bit many people came past me on the incline last year, racing and training, but can’t remember ever going past anyone going down hill… I’m piss poor!
My power output is laughable but my 70.3 bike times are ok…?!
Recent aero bike fit should help…!
A work in progress…!
FTP test this morning. 5w increase over the last one. To be fair, the previous one was set last January. I won’t embarrass myself by telling you the numbers.
Looks like the more specific training has paid off.
Meant to be 11km today but paper stripping in daughter’s bedroom is not going as fast as planned, so need to get that done so she can sleep somewhere tonight!
Really enjoyable ride outside this lunchtime (first time outdoors this year on the bike!!!)… nice to have it dry again… my focus on building power over longer periods is really starting to pay off… trends on numbers are looking really positive!
