Ride Stats - Tues Oct 5

[Plawless]

A comment first - I still think that I am seeing a bunch of guys trying to save themselves for the sprint. That is cool - don't get me wrong but if you want to get a real training benefit from these rides I suggest taking a page put of Josh and Roland's book and gutting yourself early and often. That will allow you to develop a lot better as compared to having a mindset of needing to conserve conserve conserve so that you have some gas left to sprint for the "win". In my view the conserve approach is 100% appropriate for racing (mostly) but for training you want to shatter yourself (mostly).

........Or ride a Fixie

A couple of guys were asking and it turns out that my max cadence this am was 163 which explains the way I feel right now! Stats here: http://connect.garmin.com/player/51805340

[sylvan]

I still think that I am seeing a bunch of guys trying to save themselves for the sprint... I suggest taking a page put of Josh and Roland's book and gutting yourself early and often.

Otherwise the guys who are going hard at the front and making those "pointless" attacks will eventually end up staying away every ride and it'll only be a consolation sprint for the rest. I was gutted just lamely sitting in today, relegated to retrieving multiple pieces of detritus from the course around Beacon Hill.

[Lister Farrar]

A comment first - I still think that I am seeing a bunch of guys trying to save themselves for the sprint. That is cool - don't get me wrong but

Weird eh? The newer riders leave gaps, try too hard, pull too long, and crack themselves, and I'm always saying to ease up, pull shorter, look for a wheel, don't start the sprint from too far out.

Maybe we should go back to one group, and hope they rub off on each other?

Maybe there's also an opportunity in this tendency? How about picking teams to ride for a designated sprinter. So, one week you might blow your brains out setting tempo and chasing breaks, and another, sitting on, commanding your leadout train? Then rotate roles.

Or rouleurs vs the climbers, top three positions in the sprint count? Or, last guy on each team across the line determines the 'win'. So you have to go back and pull up who ever gets dropped.

I even have a name for the game. "Protour Lite-Everything But The Blood Bags."

[AdamD]

Maybe there's also an opportunity in this tendency? How about picking teams to ride for a designated sprinter. So, one week you might blow your brains out setting tempo and chasing breaks, and another, sitting on, commanding your leadout train? Then rotate roles.

+1

[4827north]

Lister has a great suggestion... not that I have ever ridden the Tuesday workout, but the idea of 'teams' and riders taking turns in roles within teams... designating the 'sprinter' is a great idea. Lead outs was what I did... to setup my team mates with exceptional sprinting ability.. i.e. loads of fast-twitch fibers with equally load of fearless drive to win.

[Josh.E]

speaking of "saving yourself for the sprint"....

who was that guy on the orange bike who sat on my wheel around the last beacon lap this morning, followed me when I jumped, and then sprinted around me for the win?

I think he was too ashamed of himself to come for coffee after that....

[Lister Farrar]

who was that guy on the orange bike who sat on my wheel around the last beacon lap this morning, followed me when I jumped, and then sprinted around me for the win?
I think he was too ashamed of himself to come for coffee after that....

Nah. He had interviews to get to.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php ... _merckx_38