PowerCranks Update: PowerTap Ready to be Installed

Last week, I was able to get out on the road with my PC bike for a couple of hours. To my surprise, I had very little trouble keeping the bike up to speed on long stretches.

When I first rolled out, I had a little issue with my rhythm, as I hadn't ridden the PC's outside for quite some time. But by the time I was outside of the city limits, I was pedaling smoothly and was didn't feel obliged to "think" about pedaling properly.

I also spend a good amount of time riding out of the saddle. I am not sure if riding the PC's out of the saddle gives the user any training benefit, but logic tells me that it must. I found that if I kept my cadence low and applied even power throughout the pedal stroke, I was able to pedal out of the saddle for a minute at a time. The only problem was that in keeping smooth, I was sacrificing power output. When standing on hills and keeping everything smooth and even, I found that I was traveling slower than it I remained seated. Usually the reverse is true on a hill, you get out of the saddle to accelerate or to maintain the same velocity using different muscles.

Speaking of power, I just received my extra PowerTap pickup, which I will be installing on my PC bike. I also got a Campagnolo compatible freehub body so that I will no longer have to use the destroyed conversion cassette. The chain skip caused by the conversion cassette is my go to excuse for my poor TT test result 2 weeks ago.



Once I get this all installed, I will compare power outputs and corresponding heart rates on a PC bike and a non PC bike to note the differences. I promise that I will not post any power data, as always, I will keep all of the data qualitative.

Next week, after collecting a little data, I plan on attempting to complete some tempo workouts on the PCs, perhaps even some hill work. I may even post a schedule so that you all can come out and laugh at me.

PowerCranks Update--Update Overdue--Sprinting--PowerTap Ordered

It has been awhile since my last update.  There have been a few developments, none of them dramatic. 

 

My goal this last week was to pedal the cranks for 45 minutes straight through.  I succeeded, but was obliged to stop pedaling for one 15 second and one 35 second period due to outside stimuli.   Also, I must note that after 45 minutes my taint area feels like someone has been repeated punching it.  At this point, my legs are not my limiter, my grundle is. 

 

One solution to the taint beating issue is to ride out of the saddle.  I installed a 50 tooth chainring to the Powercranks, as I was finding myself spinning out my biggest gear when I had only a small ring installed.  





I would have installed a bigger gear, but my current PC bike set up will not allow it. 

 

I am now able to get out of the saddle and limp through a sprint.  While standing, it is very difficult to maintain a set velocity with the PC's.   I have to always be accelerating in order to stay upright and keep my pedal stroke smooth.   When I try to keep my cadence steady while standing I find the “deadspots” in the pedal stroke and eventually miss a stroke.  I fail to bring one of the crank arms upwards enough to get it over the top of the stroke.  This results in swift and violent backsliding of that crankarm and a serious jarring as my rhythm is broken unexpectedly.  I have not had this happen on the road yet, but I think that it could easily cause a crash. 

 

Also, I have ordered a Power Tap pickup to install on my PC bike.  After spending months becoming proficient at keeping these things moving, it is now time to start actually trying to product power with them.  Luckily my training schedule is also at the point where I am ready to start producing power in training. 

 

Up until now, I have been using heart rate to guide me through PC workouts.  In the future, I will be setting goals based on time and power output, instead of heart rate and power.  This will be a more effective training strategy, as my goal is to become faster on the bike which is the result of increase power output; my goal is not to have a high heart rate. 

 

According to my perceptions, at a given power output my heart rate is higher when that power is produced with the PC’s.  With the installation of the PowerTap, I will be able to gather data to back up or refute this perception.  Also, according to the PC website, I should see my heart for a given power output decline over time due to the use of PC’s.  Obviously, I don’t have the baseline data to accurately track such a development, but I can track any changes in heart rate for given power outputs with the PC’s. 

 

I still have not been able to use these cranks outdoors.  Every time that the weather and road conditions are appropriate, I have a workout scheduled that can’t be done on PC’s.   I am hoping that some of the issues, such as the taint problem, will be less intense once I am able to ride these on the road again.  

PowerCranks Update--Regular 10 Minute Intervals--20 Minutes When I Push

I have been having increasing success with the PC's.  It is fairly easy to keep pedaling for 10 minutes or long at low power output.  I have been keeping my heart rate in what a coach would call base.  If I push through the discomfort, I can now pedal the cranks for 20 minutes straight, which I do at the end of the PC portion of my workout so that I don't burn out early.  

 

My biggest problem with riding the PC's now is that all of my body weight rests on my saddle when riding them.  Normally when you pedal a bike for long periods, you shift your weight around and stand on the pedals every so often to relieve pressure off of the taint.  With the PC's these maneuvers are close to impossible.  Sitting on the trainer for multiple hours is hard enough on the nether regions under normal conditions.  

 

I have taken a couple of steps to alleviate the discomfort.  I installed a Turbomatic Saddle on the PC bike.  This is one of my all time favorite saddles.   If I am still experiencing unbearable discomfort next week, I will bring out the big guns and put my Regal on the the PC bike.  

Chamois creme.  Though I think that this is psychological, since the pain is from pressure, not chafing.  Either way, it makes me feels better about the whole thing if  my shorts are "all loaded up" as my father says.  

Lastly, I installed a large chain ring so that I can pedal standing for longer before spinning my biggest gear out.  I have not ridden with the larger chainring yet; I will report on its effect next week.  

 

While I am struggling with the PC's less, I still don't feel faster.  Once I get my second Powertap harness and sensor, I start testing power output with the PC's.  

PowerCranks—Failed Bid at Riding 20 Minutes Straight Through.

It has been 3-4 weeks since I started riding the PC’s. I have been making progress in all areas concerning the cranks themselves, but it is still unclear whether this progress is going to translate to increases in power output on a regularly outfitted bicycle.

Due to inclement weather, I have not had the opportunity to ride my PC equipped bicycle on the road since my last PC post.

It is getting easier to pedal the PC’s. It is no longer mentally taxing to keep my rhythm.

I have continued my strategy of steadily increasing the length of time that I pedal the PC’s for. As you may remember, when I started, I could only keep them moving for 1-2 minutes at a time with rests in between. At the end of every PC workout, I set a “breakthrough” goal, where I attempt to complete a pedaling interval that is significantly longer than I have been doing during the body of my PC workout.
My current interval length is 10 minutes of straight pedaling. Generally, in the last minute of each pedaling interval I increase my power output and cadence. I have continued with the 30-60 second rests.

I have felt that I could pedal for longer than 10 minutes at the end of many intervals, but have not attempted it since my plan is to steadily increase my pedaling intervals in such a way that I won’t ruin the rest of my workout or make myself too sore to have a quality workout the next day.

As one of my weekly training goals, I wanted to complete a 20 minute work interval on the PC’s. Since Sunday is the end of my training week and Monday is a rest day, I attempted the 20 minutes yesterday. I failed. I went out too hard, with too high a cadence and after 14 minutes, I was unable to pedal anymore. My heart rate was approaching race levels and I was breathing very hard. I probably could have continued for another minute or two, but it seemed that my goal of pedaling for 20 minutes was going to interfere with my greater goal of getting faster on the bike.

I am sore today. My legs are dead feeling. Luckily, this is a rest day.

PowerCranks Update: Week Three Breakthroughs

I have been incorporating the PC's into every other workout, if not more often. Since, the weather has deteriorated here in 02139, I usually shoot for half to 2/3's of my base workouts to be completed on the PC's and then I switch over to a regularly equipped bicycle. I am starting to embrace the Colin H. Murphy approach to winter training, and I am using the trainer even when I could get outside. Scary.

I am now up to 5 minute work intervals with 30-45 second rests between intervals. My personal record is 13 minutes of straight pedaling (accomplished at the end of the PC portion of my workout yesterday). I foresee being able to stop resting in the next couple of weeks. As I increase the interval length and decrease the length of the rests, I expect to get to a point where it will be obvious that I no longer need the rest. I am using care not to push too hard, as I don't want to ruin a 3 hour workout, by trying to pedal straight through in the first half hour.

I have found that if I lower my cadence, I can pedal the PC's for longer. Also, when I am putting out a minimum of power; base, aerobic, zone 2; my heart rate is up in the upper levels of what most coaches call base and lower tempo or zone 2, lower zone 3.

Mind you, I am not breathing hard, or pushing hard on the pedals, just my heart rate is high. I attribute this to the increased number of normally unused muscle groups that are recruited to keep the PC's turning. According to the PC literature, this increased number of utilized muscle groups will lead to an increase in my VOMax. Though I am skeptical about this claimed benefit, after making these observations, I could be led to believe that this is true, if my heart rate starts lowering while doing the same work with the PC's.

I plan on installing a 52 tooth chainring on my PC bike this week, as I am spinning out the small ring regularly on the trainer.

I have had the opportunity to ride the PC'c outside again. I found that they are feeling more natural. I am not struggling as much to keep the bike moving and keep the pedals turning. Also, I have significantly lowered my cadence when on the road with the PC's, which makes for a more stable and less jerky ride.

I can also "sprint" on the PC's. If I start in a huge gear and "run" on the pedals, I can get keep them moving while out of the saddle for as long as I am accelerating. Once I hit a high cadence, I get sloppy and it becomes dangerous. I have not really tried any significant climbing on the PC's, but I look forward to it once the weather allows it.

I no longer find pedaling these frustrating and I am not sore after my PC workouts. Nor have I seen any benefits yet. I guess that I am sticking with them due to faith. Others have benefited, so I feel like I will too. I will keep plugging away and updating you weekly.

PowerCranks Update

I have been faithfully riding PowerCranks for the last week. Since my first post, I have completed 3-4 rides, one outdoors and two on the trainer.

I have a number of observations and comments:

First, I find it much easier to use these cranks on a moving bicycle. Pedaling rhythm was problematic in my first couple of PC rides on the trainer. But when you get a PC equipped bicycle moving, you must keep your pedaling rhythm steady or you will find the bike unstable, since your uneven pedaling will cause weight shifts. I also found that I am able to complete longer intervals on the street than on the trainer.

After 4-5 rides, I have found that, while painful, pedaling the PC's seems normal. In fact, when I switch over to a regular bike mid-workout, the attached crankarms feel strange.

When putting out low power pedaling the PC's, my heart rate is in a much higher zone than if I was on a regularly equipped bicycle. I don't have a power meter, but when I in "base 2" my heart rate reacts as if I was in base 3. I have not attempted to put out high power yet, but I plan on building to that.

I still can not pedal the PC's for more than 4 minutes at a time. At the end of 4 minutes, my legs are screaming and I am gasping. Remember, I am not putting out much power.

I have taken the advice of the PC website and am pedaling at a low cadence. Consequently, I am going to have to change my chainring setup. Currently, I am running a single chainring with a 44 tooth ring. Once I am able to put out higher power, I plan on upgrading to a double with an extra large big ring.

I have started learning how to pedal out of the saddle. It was not all that hard to learn. The problem is that I am unable to actually sprint with PC's. The gear is spun out earlier than normal and I get sloppy, which is dangerous, since if you fail to pull one of the crankarms over the stroke, it will fall backwards, which subsequently make the bike jerk. I almost crashed my first few times, but I am becoming more confident.

Apparently, Mark McCormack is a three season PC user (see the comments section of my last PC entry). Once I am able to ride these for 3 hours straight, Mark has offered to take me to the Blue Hills and trash me on the PC's. This is a huge motivator. Its not everyday that an equipment purchase helps you get a workout with a such a distinguished rider.

Lastly, Since there is no neutral standing position with these cranks, potholes and bumps are problematic. On a normal bike, I become light on the bike by sort of hopping a little when faced with an obstacle that I can't avoid. With PC's hopping would cause the saddle the stab me in the...Anyway you hit bumps hard since you have little leverage to pull up on the front end and no leverage to get the bike off of the ground. Obviously avoidance is the best option, but that is not always possible.

PowerCranks-First Impressions, First Ride

I don’t feel any faster. Then again, I have only ridden them once. This was the one of my most frustrating experiences on a bicycle. It was like in a dream, where I was trying to do something that should have been simple, but some illogical malfunction was thwarting me.
First off, let me explain how PowerCranks work. They are an incredibly heavy set of cranks where the crank arms each move independent of the other. In order to complete a pedal stroke, the rider is required to pull on the upstroke, since the other crank arm will not assist in raising its mate.







I bought these cranks instead of a power meter. Many of you will chuckle at my folly, but before you do, allow me to explain. While I understand the theory behind power based training and even recognize its benefits, I am more of a qualitative type of person. Numeric data does not excite me. I would like to increase my power output without constantly monitoring it. Moreover, I want to avoid becoming one of those people who posts the power data from every workout on their blog and drones on incessantly about their power output while at social gatherings. We all know that guy. And I don’t plan on being the LCC’s version of him.
The theory behind PowerCranks is quite simple: Since the rider is required to regulate the cadence and pedal stroke independently on each leg, the user will become more efficient while also developing muscle groups that are underutilized in cycling. The development of these muscle groups will lead to adaptation that will be used even when using regular cranks. PowerCranks claim to increase power outputs at every level of exertion (measured by heart rate). More spuriously, they also claim to increase VOMax, asserting that the newly developed and utilized muscle groups consume oxygen. I would put it even more simply: by training with something difficult to pedal, it will seem easy to pedal normal cranks.
Installation is straightforward with a 8mm and a 10mm Allen Wrench. They are only available in Square Taper and Octalink with a 130 BCD.
I popped in a video and gave them an initial spin. I was frustrated immediately. I found that I lacked rhythm; one leg was spinning faster than the other, especially at lower cadences. When I spun up faster, I was able to maintain a steady tempo on either side for up to a minute at a time. But I think that this may be cheating, since when you pedal at high cadence with low resistance, you are able to allow the momentum from the fast downstroke to carry your feet through part of the upstroke.
As I struggled to keep my cadence even on each side, I fought through severe muscle soreness in muscle groups that I had never felt while cycling. In particular, my hamstrings and my inner quadriceps were searing with pain. Also the fronts of my ankles were throbbing with a dull soreness that I normally only feel only in an all out time trial. Please note that I was barely producing any power in this workout.
The goal of my workout today was to become acclimated to the cranks and to ride on them for 20 minutes straight. I was unable to keep them moving for more than 3 minutes at a time. I absolutely understand why many users give up after a few workouts, these things are difficult.
I plan to continue to try to get used to these things over the next week or so. I would like to be up and running on these in a week or two so that I can do part of my base training on these. Since I know that many of my readers have considered or are considering the purchase of these cranks, I will post weekly updates on my experiences with them.