During our October 2010 Product Party with Cycleops, I gave a brief talk on how training with power can benefit your riding. For those that were unable to make it, I’ll try to touch on the highlights of the talk and Q&A in this post.
I began by explaining what power is. If you want a really scientific explanation, look up the Wikipedia article on power—but make sure you use the German version. Seriously—the German version is a much more reputable source than the English version of the popular online, user-edited encyclopedia (probably the result of stricter encyclopedic guidelines). But here’s my definition provided by my memories of 9th grade honors physical science: Power=the ratio of work done over time. And you get work by multiplying force (on an object) and displacement (how far the object moves). And force is mass times acceleration. Basically what this boils down to is this: The harder you press into the pedals (accelerating those pedals faster or pushing with more muscle mass into tem) or the faster you spin those pedals (more displacement in a given amount of time, plus faster acceleration), the more power you produce. Power is measured in watts, or if you’re my boss Joe or his comparably-sized teammate Brett (see at 5:06), horsepower (735.5 watts—or so says de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pferdestärke).
What all that sciencey amounts to is that power is an absolute measurement of how hard or strong you’re going. 300 watts is always 300 watts, whether your speed is 10 or 60kph, whether your heart rate is 120 or 180, whether your perceived exertion is a 2 or a 10, and so on. Every other training tool you can use—speed, cadence, heart rate, exertion—is a mere physiological response to one thing: the work being done—symptoms, not the source.
There are several devices for measuring power, called powermeters, amongst them the Computrainer, the Powertap, SRM, Quarq, and the iBike. At RPM workouts in the breakaway training center, we use the Computrainer. We also rent out a Powertap. In 2010 I trained and raced with a Powertap. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and I leave it to you to sort through what’s out there with regard to those. I will only note that I suspect prices of these powermeters to go down, as the market is quite likely going to be flooded with a number of new powermeters currently in various stages of development and testing, including cleat- and pedal-based systems, along with something called a LaserSpoke.
Once you start training with power, there are two “tests” you need to do to get maximal benefit from owning the power meter: a functional threshold power test & a power profile test. The FTP test will establish your training zones, and it is the first and most crucial step in tracking your fitness and evaluating your training. The power profile test helps you discover what sort of rider you are. By sort, I mean what your relative strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to utilizing different respiratory processes and recruiting different muscle fiber types. Without getting too sciencey again, suffice to say that some people are natural born sprinters, built for speed, at the expense of their stamina, and others end up like me, a rather compact, efficient animal built for endurance. These are the first workouts we have any of our RPM students and coached athletes do.
In the lecture, I went on to show how I track data from ride to ride, month to month, season to season, and so on. By using a powermeter along with TrainingPeaks and WKO+ software, we can get an objective Training Stress Score for every ride. We can track that score to plan peaks and tapers, see when you’re most fit, when you tend to overreach, how much you’re improving season to season, what sorts of training rides best suit you, and all sorts of other useful information. A powermeter can help you pace a time trial or bike-leg in a triathlon perfectly. It will calculate your caloric requirements during and after a ride. I’ve used one to determine optimum cadence. Really, the only limits to what you can do with a powermeter are the creative ones of you and your coach.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Talking with Jackie Baker from Giant for Women - By Sarah
As mentioned in October’s post, Breakaway Bikes will be hosting the Giant For Women’s Tour this month. Last week, I had the pleasure of corresponding with Jackie Baker from Giant Bicycles; she seemed very enthusiastic and had a lot of good things to say.
Me: How many women are buying bikes?
Jackie: The general concept is that about 1/3 of bikes sold in the US are women's-specific models. However, any given inline bike can also be ideal for any number of women, so the number of women actually buying bikes would be higher than 1/3 in the US. My question would be, of those girls who bought bikes, how many are still avidly riding them, and how can we make sure that every girl who buys or owns a bike gets excited about riding it as often as possible? The key is building a relationship at the shop to ensure she's on the correct bike size and on the bike that best fits her style and the terrain she'll be riding. With the shop's help, she'll be confident that every time she gets on her bike, she's going to have an enjoyable ride.
Me: What are you planning to show or teach our customers that they might not have known before?
Jackie: That's a tough question. Every group tends to have different levels of knowledge. But what I try to do is cater each clinic to the specific girls I have in attendance, so I make sure everyone gets something from the clinic. Often what I talk about are more simplified ways to take care of problems like a flat tire or skipping chain so that they're easy to do and easy to remember how to do. Also, I encourage everyone to practice everything we discuss on their bikes at home on their own time. That way there's no pressure, if you can do a task at your home by yourself, you'll know you can do it out on the road or trail when you are under a bit more pressure.
Me: What about our employees?
Jackie: With employee training, I try to work a lot on making sure we're getting girls on bikes that not only fit them size-wise, but also fit their riding goals and functionality. We want to get girls excited to get out on their bikes, and there are a few things we can do as bike shops to make sure that happens.
Me: How have you seen the cycling industry change, as far as the women-friendliness factor?
Jackie: Again, tough question. I started riding and racing in ‘97 with an awesome group of people. I started out as a collegiate rider, and there were a lot of guys and girls involved in cycling. It wasn't until I got involved with the gravity side of the sport that I really saw how male-centric the industry is. It's definitely still rough for pro women in all aspects of riding to get the recognition, pay, and respect they deserve. But I do feel like there are a lot of aspects where the industry is doing better – offering more fit and functionality options through women's-specific geometries and equivalent parts groupings for the same price as inline bikes, for instance.
Me: What are some aspects you find still need change?
Jackie: I think that the real catalyst for change comes from the bike shops. If shops are active in their communities and working to get more girls on bikes, and get them on bikes that are right for them, there will be even more demand for increased product selection and equal treatment from the beginning levels through the pro ranks. I think a lot of shops are doing a great job of offering resources to educate their female customers and make them feel like the industry values them. And I think that more and more, the industry is recognizing how valuable women are to its growth.
Whether you’ve already got a bike or don’t know where to start, please join us at Breakaway Bikes on November 10th and 11th. Jackie’s programs are sure to provide a lot of insight into how we can get more ladies on two wheels.
Wednesday, NOV. 10, 2010*
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Women’s Night at Breakaway Bikes
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunchtime Fix-a-Flat and Basic Repair Clinic
Me: How many women are buying bikes?
- Learn: How to pick out the perfect bike for you;
- What makes women’s bikes different;
- How a properly sized-bike should fit.
- Refreshments will be served.
- Spend your lunch break with us!
- Refreshments will be served.
- 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Giant for Women Bike Demo
- Try a Giant for Women mountain, road, or cyclocross bike!
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