Georgia Death...er...Training Camp Update

So as many of you know, my team mate Matt Wheatley and I drove down to Georgia to hook up with the Cyclonauts to ride ourselves inside out in preparation for the upcoming spring campaign.

Instead of boring you with details about rides and climbs, I'll just say that I have ridden 3 days in a row and have none of the rides have been under 3000 kilojoules, or under 7000 feet of climbing or under 80 miles.

As for the camp, the level of organization is reminiscent of the military. Mike Norton has all of the routes in his Garmin. Acting like a general, when Norton says a ride rolls out at 9am, everyone is clipped in at 8:59 yelling for the last guy to get his shit together. Groceries and meals run smoothly with all of us sharing cooking and cleaning duties. In other words, we are keeping it tight.

Here's some pictures:

I played poker the night before the trip hoping to win enough to pay for gas for the trip. I only earned 1 tank out of 3 or 4. I felt like a failure.

We left Friday after I got out of school and drove straight to Georgia. I knew I was in the South when I saw this.

Then I considered ordering this for dinner



We arrived at the house and I set up shop. This is my bedroom dresser.



There was climbing. Not pictured is a gloating, victorious Mike Norton who rode us off his wheel on the climb.


Signs like this are all over the South. Notice that the hikers are shot multiple times.

This should give you some idea of the kind of riding we are doing down here.

I am trying to talk Mike Cavros into allowing me to post some of helmet cam videos he has taken. Hopefully he complies, as there are some great descents...

Illness and Training

It tickles in the throat, taunting you, daring you to get out in the cold and train through. There may or may not be a little voice in your head mocking you:

"If you were a real hardman, a little cold wouldn't bother you."

"What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger."

"Do you think that [insert arch rival/nemesis's name here] takes the day off due to such a minor cold."

"------ is probably training right now!"

"Pussy!"

Competitive cyclists are a dedicated lot. We train through the worst weather and endure grueling training regiments, all while balancing an adult life complete with mortgages, careers, student loans, household chores, significant others, family, other interests and even non-cycling friends.

Training through illness seems natural, after the privations of normal training. But unlike pushing a little harder on Watertower Hill, pushing through illness will only weaken you.

Every March, I become run down. I get a cold and have to take a few days off from training. And every March I beat myself up as a slacker, a laggart and a softy for succumbing to the illness.

This morning in the shower, I had the first signs of a cold, slightly scratchy throat, runny nose. I am curious how other competitive cyclists handle a slight cold.

Do they train through;

do they take a day off;

do they go easy in their workouts;

or do they power through and come out the other side as anointed hardmen?

Two Bottle Cages Break on One Ride--Explanations?

I rode lots this last weekend.  Some people noticed that I have a janky red Lucite/clear plastic second cage on my Basso.  I endured some ribbing.


It is because two weekends ago, I broke 2 cages on one ride.  The ride was 5-6 hours and the roads were bumpy, wet and salty.  



The cages are quite old. I got them when I bought a Tomassini as a complete bike 4 seasons ago. The cages had been used for 10 years before I got them.

They saw 3 winters of abuse with me and then I moved them to my mountain bike for summer and back onto my B bike for a 4th winter.

It is unclear what specific incident actually broke the cages, but I find it odd that they both broke on the same ride.

Lucky for me, they continued to hold my bottles until the end of the ride. I did notice that the cages seemed a little loose when I was reinserting bottles.  In my oxygen deprived state, I thought that perhaps the bolts holding the cages in place were loose.  I figured out that the cages were broken when I was cleaning the salt off of the bike after the ride.






I am curious if any of you science/engineering people can give me a statistical probablity of both cages breaking within the same 5 hour time period after enduring years, perhaps over a decade, of abuse together.  

Basso Loto--An Italian Lugged Steel Delight

This bike was a Craigslist score: $160 for the frame, fork and complete Shimano 600/Dura Ace gruppo. The parts were in a box, but it was the complete gruppo, Dura Ace hubs laced to Campagnolo Omega ceramic rims included.

As I am Campy rider, I sold most of the Shimano stuff on eBay, recouping my investment and even turning a modest profit. I kept the Turbomatic Saddle, ControlTech seatpost, Shimano 600 brakes and 600 front derailleur. I have found that Shimano 600 brakes from the 8 speed era are far more effective than the Campagnolo brakes of that vintage. In fact, the 600 brakes are among the best brakes ever made.



This is one of the sharpest looking frames ever. It rides like a dream, inspiring confidence on descents and in sprints. I suspect that, like my beloved Moser frame, it has a lowered bottom bracket which adds stability to a bicycle's ride.



The Basso currently weighs exactly 23 pounds built with Campagnolo 8 speed (Record/Croce d'Aune/Chorus mix), mid level Shimano SPD Mtb pedals and clip-on fenders.

I am considering building this frame up with contemporary Campagnolo Centaur 10 Speed in the near future.

Product Review: Greyhound Juice Embrocation--It Comes in Second Place

I like Greyhound Juice, only not as much as I like Mad Alchemy. Before Mad Alchemy was released last year, GJ was the benchmark that I measured other embrocation against. I have used it for 3 seasons and have always been able to rely on it to make my legs impervious to wet and cold.

Greyhound Juice comes in a stick, reminiscent of a deoderent stick (There are urban legends of tired and/or hung over cyclists that mistake the embrocation stick for deoderant and sear their armpits).



In theory, application should be easier and less messy than other embrocations, since you spread it via hand held applicator. In reality it is impossible to get an even application without massaging GJ in. Proper application of GJ ends up taking longer than application of other embrocations, because you apply it and then massage it in, while with liquid, gel or pasty embro, application and massage are part of the same step.

Furthermore, since the Embroction becomes more liquid as you spread it, the hot oil has a tendency to migrate onto where the cap goes. Then the cap pushes that excess embrocation down onto the applicator handle, thus negating the benefit of having the embrocation spread on via stick, since nor you will get your hands in the misplaced hot oil. While care may be used to prevent this, when you loan your stick to you sloppy team mate Joe, is he going to be careful? Notice in the photo below the small amount of GJ squirting out of the cap on the left hand side:




GJ smells medicinal, or like a spiced tea that your aunt who does lots of crafts would serve you at her potpurri smelling house. Though I am not normally a fan of scented body care products, I find the smell appealing and appropriate. Non-cyclists may find it a little strange, but will they be in the winning break with you?

There are three levels of heat available: Warm Weather, Original, and Super Strength. If you are new to embrocation, the Super Strength may be too much. The Original will get you through most occasions, providing steady warmth and a pleasant tingle. I have found the Warm Weather to be perfect for rainy days when the temperatures are between 55 and 70. The original is great to use on cool days under knee warmers. All three provide pleasant warmth that will increase in the presence of moisture. Dialing in which intensity is right for your body in a given set of conditions takes experimentation. One thing though, even the super strength is not hot enough for bare legged winter riding.

GJ stays where you put it. After a 5 hour ride in New England run off, this stuff will still be in place and still warming the muscles.



While I have become a dedicated Mad Alchemy user, I still have a little leftover GJ in the medicine cabinet. I will use it up over the late winter and early spring. I want to be clear, GJ is a good product, only Mad Alchemy is better.

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.  

Why Shave the Legs in Winter?

I was just in the shower shaving my legs after spending 2.5 hours sweating on the trainer. I was considering the absurdity of shaving in winter. No one is going to see your legs. Even on a group ride, you will be wearing tights.

My usual schedule is to shave my legs on Tuesday and Friday evenings. I maintain this same shaving schedule while in training, in winter and summer. I allow my maintenance to lapse when I am injured or otherwise spending time away from the bike.

Then I thought a little harder about it, while shaving of course. And I concluded that it makes sense to continue shaving, even when no one will see that you are. I came up with a number of reasons to shave, which I will list so that you can cart them out if you are confronted about your winter shaving or if you have doubts about whether to shave or not.

First, I am a competitive cyclist and I try to keep that at the front of my thoughts. In the winter when racing is 75 days away, as it is right now (as Kyle Smith recently pointed out), a person can forget that the competition will be fierce, that we need to train hard, that we need to maintain the diet and the discipline if we want to be at the front of the pack. What we do now determines how our season will be. Shaving is a subtle reminder that we are racers and a step in maintaining discipline when our target races are many months away.

Right now, I want a big bowl of ice cream, but my resolve against having it is firm, since I just got done training and shaving. I really feel like my resolve could slip if I still had the stubble. I am serious. As many of you know, I am in an all in or an all out kind of person.

I use embrocation in the winter. Ever tried to apply embrocation to hairy legs? It gets wasted in the forest, coating the trees instead of the floor so to speak. Even worse, how the hell would you remove said substance with all of the hair mopping it up. Your legs could be on fire for weeks!

Ladies like it. Just don't be a dufus and leave hair shorts behind, that they don't like. On that note, mind as well keep all the other areas clean while you are there.

I went to my soignier last week for a massage and she was very pleased that I was maintaining. Also, if you massage your own legs or talk your significant other into doing it, it is much better without the hair.

Riding on the trainer is hot enough, you don't need hair causing you to retain warmth. Also I towel off while I train to minimize the size of the puddle on the training mat. It's easier to dry shaved legs.

People can see your legs when you cuff your pants to ride around the city. You have nice legs, show off your muscle definition.

Surely there are other reasons to shave. Perhaps some of you disagree with my logic. Please feel free to comment on this important matter. I am interested to hear my reader's thoughts on this subject.

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.

Frustration

So I strap my Basso into the trainer to do 1.5 hours of base miles. Shortly after starting to ride, I try to shift into the big ring. The front derailleur wouldn't move far enough over to the right to move the chain on the big ring. I accept this and continue pedaling. 7 minutes into the workout, I realize that I am not going to be able to continue in the little ring; I wasn't working hard enough.

I happened to have my Hex keys and a screw driver nearby, so I tried to adjust the front derailleur. I messed with the set adjust screws and retentioned the cable. After 7 miutes, it's all set, I rode in 3 more minutes, this time in the big ring.

After getting my heart rate into the right place, I hear this scratching which quickly turns to grinding. The chain is rubbing the inside of the front derailleur cage. Now I know something is wrong. I dismount the bike and check the drive side crankarm. Loose. I assumed the the crankbolt had loosened, then I remembered that the Basso has an Italian threaded bottom bracket that unscrews in the same direction that you pedal. Italian engineers are brilliant.

Lacking the patience, time and tools to fix this, I went down stairs to get my race bike to put in the trainer. Only problem is that months ago I poached the seatpost and saddle from my road for my cross bike.

I take down the cross bike and loosen the seatcollar. I try to gently remove the seatpost. Stuck. I start twisting. Still stuck. I start bashing the saddle to break it free. No dice.

Luckily, I have a brand new seatpost waiting for the roadbike. I remove it from the packaging, grease it well and install it. I mount a Specialized saddle that I borrowed to test and dial the whole mess in, which is tedious. There was track standing, a plumb bob and a caliper involved.

When I get the bike upstairs and try to put it in the trainer, I realize that the rear wheel has a lightweight skewer that is incompatible with my trainer interface. So I remove the skewer, lean the bike against the wall and go downstairs to get a suitable skewer. I find an old Campagnolo skewer that I think will work, but once I get it installed on the bike, I find that it is not a good fit. The bike is able to move laterally while torqued into the trainer and, in addition to being unstable, it could result in frame damage.

I repeat the whole rigmarole. I end up making a trainer skewer from a vintage Shimano skewer body and the previously used Campagnolo end piece.

One hour after originally swinging my leg over the Basso, I begin my now abbreviated workout on my IF. Immediately, I figure out I hate the Specialized saddle. It irritates areas that you'd rather not consider and digs into my sit bones. The shape is actually fine, but I need a different width (indeed Specialized saddles come in 3 widths).

Sometimes you are just not meant to get in a good workout. I wish that I could accept this when it happens instead of messing about and half assing my way through repairs and fixes in order to squeeze in the workout.

Etiquette on a Road Ride.

1. If you see a disabled cyclist outside the city, ask if they need help. Even if they say no, ask again, many of us are embarrassed to admit that we forgot the pump. Getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere sucks. We all forget something sometimes and good deeds come back around. You never know when it will be you who doesn’t have a pump or a tube.

2. Do not spit into the wind or blow snot rockets into the riders behind you. Either get the back of the group, or shield them from you fluids with your arm.

3. Don’t share water bottles. Cyclists are delicate little flowers and prone to illness. Chances are that either you or your buddy has a bug. Don’t even ask.

4. Carry extra food. Firstly, running out of grub midride can be devastating. Better to finish with a bar in your pocket than bonk 30 miles from home. Wouldn’t you rather be the guy giving your buddy or teammate a Gu instead of the guy cadging one?

5. Take your pulls. If you are on a fast ride with your friends, don’t sit in and then sprint for every townline, its bad form. On the same note, there is no rule against timing your pulls so that you are fresh for the sprint.


6. Wait for your friends at the top of the climb. In a race you drop people; on a friendly ride, even a fast one, you should wait for everyone before hammering down that confusing part of ride following the climb. Besides, the strongest guy on the ride may have gotten dropped because he flatted through no fault of his own.

7. Carry all of the stuff that you could need on every ride. At the very least this includes a tube, levers and an inflation device that works. Obviously more is better. Everyone loves the prepared guy who has an extra tube, a functional multitool and a working frame pump. Everyone despises the guy who has nothing and needs to borrow all of the supplies to fix a flat every time.


8. When your buddy flats, roll up his flatted tube for him. If you really like the guy, you can even hold his disabled bike so that he doesn’t have to make the choice between laying his derailleur in the dirt or flipping the bike and dirtying his white bartape and matching white saddle.

9. Oil your squeaks before the ride. No one wants to be behind the guy with the poorly tuned bike, it makes people uneasy, like the bike may explode at any minute. We all know that guy, don’t be him.

10. Your bike should be well tuned at all times. Fine tuning at the meeting spot is acceptable, but showing up with a derailleur that needs major work is amateurish.

11. Keep your power and heart rate data to yourself. It’s fine to recount how you won a field sprint or bested your fellow riders on a climb, but keep those geeked out numbers to yourself. Since no one is going to do the math using your weight and power numbers so that the power files make sense, the numbers mean nothing to anyone but you and your coach. No one gives a shit that you can put out 1400 watts. Keep the stories qualitative and you will keep your listeners interested.

12. Don’t complain. I am guilty of this. If the roads suck, the pace it too high, and there is too much traffic, don’t go on the ride next time. For now, shut it. If the ride is faster than you and your coach thinks is prudent ask nicely if the hammerheads will slow down (if it was agreed beforehand that this was an easy ride), otherwise just drop back and ride alone at your own pace.

13. Don’t ramp up the pace on an easy ride. If everyone agreed that the ride was going to be long and steady or a pastry ride, don’t be the douchebag who sprints for townlines or tries to cook your friends by ramping up the pace. Chances are they are saving it for an upcoming race or have some training goals for the ride. If you are killing it when everyone else if trying to take it easy, perhaps you should evaluate your own goals.

14. Don’t put the other people on the ride in danger. This deserves a whole post.

15. Point out or call out obstacles in the road. Ice, large rocks glass and deep potholes are all worthy of pointing out and calling. Don’t point out minor items that would not take a rider down, it becomes tedious for everyone behind you to sort the real obstacles from the minor ones.

16. Don’t make unexpected moves in a group. If you are in a tightly packed group and you see a manhole cover at the last second, better to ride over it than to swerve and take out the rider beside you.

17. If your buddies are not going to make it through the intersection with you, you should stop and wait for a gap in traffic that is long enough for the whole group to get through together.

18. Carry money. A ten spot is enough for most circumstances. Be the guy who buys everyone coffee sometimes.

19. When the roads are wet, put fenders on your bike. Not only will you stay drier and save your drivetrain, the people behind you will be pleased. Clip on fenders are cheap and fit on every road bike. You spend 1000’s on the bike, and race tune it regularly, there is no excuse for not having a set of cheap fenders in the bike closet.

20. Wave to other cyclists. Obviously, if you are in the middle of a time trial effort, you can pass, but otherwise, be nice. Just because Fred has his legs splayed out on the sides of his poorly fit Trek Team Discovery replica and is wearing a pro tour jersey and black non bib shorts over his unshaven legs, does not mean Fred is not a fellow cyclist. Also, Fred could train hard and start smoking you in races.

This list is obviously incomplete. If you have something to add to this list feel free to post it in the comments section. If it seems reasonable, I will edit the post and add your contribution.
Admittedly, most of us are unable to fulfill all of these requirements all of the time, but if you strive to, you will be designated as one who keeps is tight and you will be invited on the secret training rides that are not posted on the group lists.

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.

Product Review: CapoForma Winter Wool: A Mixed Bag

Two winters ago, I was looking for a winter training cap. I opted for this CapoForma Retro Wool Cap, MSRS $79. I was between a few different caps, but I found this cap listed for $9.95 on a new triathlon website. I put the cap in my cart and wasn’t able to order it because my single cap didn’t fulfil the minimum amount for the site. I put a set of Keo cleats (regular price) in the cart and made the cut. I may have spend $25 on the entire order including shipping.
The first thing that I noticed when I got the cap was the softness of the material. It was finer that a cashmere sweater. It felt like high quality T shirt cotton. The bucket has two layers of material, both 73% wool and 27% Spandex blend. The outer layer is thick, about as thick as a winter arm warmer, perhaps ½ a millimeter thicker. Make no mistake, this material is not rigid or stiff, in fact it is rather shapeless. The inner fabric is very fine, like athat 15 year old concert T shirt that you can almost see through, think breathable.
The cap itself molds perfectly to the head. It is very comfortable on the head. My only complaint about the bucket is that it is rather deep. If I pull it all the way down on my head tight, the bill is too close to my eyes, resting on my eyebrows. This cap is “One Size fits All,” which always really means that one size fits most. The cap stays securely on the head when not wearing a helmet. Even 2 years and many washes later, it remains stretchy and holds it original shape.
The cap fits comfortable under a helmet. It does not feel bulky or bunch up under the helmet. The cap remains securely in place even on long rides.
The back section that is meant to keep the back of the neck warm has a tendency to bunch up at the back of a helmet when you keep your head in a logical riding position.





Perhaps this section could be made shorter on future models? But perhaps then I would complain that the back of my neck was cold. Perhaps this is a comprise that CapoForma has considered already.
The cap retains warmth even when saturated with water. I have ridden a number of 60-70 mile races in driving 35 degree rain this cap and I my head has never felt cold. In fact the cap is too warm for temperatures above 40, even with driving rain. I have not ridden in conditions that are too cold for this cap. I usually train outdoors in any temperatures above 20 degrees. This cap has served my head warmth needs well in all of the these conditions.
The bill has a great shallow shape that points down at a perfect angle for keeping rain, snow and sleet out of the eyes when traveling at standard cycling speeds. The bill interfaces well with both pairs of Specialized glasses that I regularly use.





Despite my like of the bill, my only problem with this cap is the the bill’s flexibility. Most cycling cap’s bills have rigid pieces of plastic inserted between the material so that they remain in place and retain their shape in the wind and rain. The CapoForma bill is constructed of two layers of the thicker wool material with no reinforcement. When the bill gets wet it flops down and dangerously obscures my vision. This also happens in dry conditions in a strong headwind or when descending. I usually flip the bill up, which negates the point of having a bill. I find that the bill fails exactly when I need it the most. When I am descending at 45-50 miles an hour in 35 degree rain, I NEED an effective visor to keep the rain from slipping in through the top of my glasses and blinding me.
Obviously, I seriously underpaid for this cap. Overall, I have been satisfied with the cap, though I don’t know if I’d be as willing to accept its visor’s shortcomings if I had paid anywhere near full retail price for the cap. The quality and workmanship is top notch; it is certainly a durable piece of clothing. None of the threads have popped, there are no pills on any part of the cap and there is no visible wear anywhere after two full winters of training in New England.
Some of my friends heard about the deal that I got and went on the website and ordered multiple caps. The website wised up and refused to fill their orders. I am the admiration of them all when I wear this cap, since they all know that some triathlete basically gave it to me for free.