Learning From Experience – CYCLING

Let’s ride...right into it? Ok, I tried…

Specialized Venge (Aero Bike)                                       Cervelo P3 (TT Bike)             

When I started cycling: I bought a new aero bike (Specialized Venge) to complete my first Ironman. The distance was very intimidating, so I decided to make a 120-mile ride my main goal to boost confidence. At this point, I had never changed a flat tire.

Now: I ride a TT bike (Cervelo P3), incorporate interval training, and have changed MANY flats.

Let’s break it down:

Venge to P3 – When I bought the Venge, I wanted to complete an Ironman and ride for fun once reaching my objective. It was supposed to be a one and done (what a joke!), so I didn’t even look at TT bikes. After completing my 2^nd Ironman on the Venge, I decided to set my eyes on Kona and bought a Cervelo P3. Most recently I added a power meter to my bike as well.

Plenty of people understand more about these bikes, but here is what I learned:

1. More Aerodynamic. With aero bars on a TT bike, a smaller body profile is created against the wind. With arms out front, the shoulders tuck in, and the body is stretched out. As you progressively become faster, aerodynamics become increasingly important. Clip on aero bars for a road bike can also help achieve this, but your road bike fit changes and you miss out on frame geometry differences.
2. Bike Geometry. From what Google tells me, the difference in seat tube angle is 78 degrees on a TT bike and 72 on a road bike. This allows the rider to stretch out over the top tube. The steeper angle becomes even more important in a triathlon when jumping off the bike to run. The position forces the hips forward to remove tension from the quads and hammies, sparing strength to hit that marathon.
3. Power Meter. The power meter is still very new to me, and I have yet to see the benefits from training with one. For the sake of this post, I’ll just share what I’ve learned so far.
1. CALIBRATE IT BEFORE EVERY RIDE. I didn’t learn this until after Ironman Louisville and thought I was pushing 50 watts higher. I got caught up in the numbers and fried my legs.
2. Power will be the most consistent measurement. This is very important to me as I track progression and improvement. I used to look at average speed and would think I’m having an off day when wind was a factor.
3. Ever wonder how much faster a set of race wheels are? Or how much does tire pressure/road conditions affect speed? With a power meter you can test this out for yourself! Just set a consistent power output, make the adjustments and compare speeds.

Hitting a Distance vs Intervals – Training in flat Illinois, courses with elevation has been tough. I discovered this when racing Ironman Wisconsin as my first full. At mile 40 I experienced my first real hill. This one even had a name… Barlow. My legs burned out and I suffered for the rest of the ride AND run. I learned to either go train on actual hills or simulate them with intervals. It is recommended to maintain a consistent power output, but this is easier said than done when you run out of gears climbing. Similar to what I mentioned with swimming, you are training your body to become stronger and work more efficiently at a higher intensity during an interval.

Changing Flats – One of my favorite pro triathletes, Lionel Sanders, feared flats while racing. To combat, he would yell “flat tire!” and go change a tire while watching TV. I believe he got it under a minute, and now a flat doesn’t end his day while racing. I am not nearly that fast, but I certainly won’t be waiting for SAG to come help me. PLEASE don’t let a race be the first time you change a flat tire…

Key Takeaways:

A TT bike is a great investment if you plan on racing for multiple years and want to be more competitive. If you are a more leisure athlete, a road bike will work just fine (I completed 2 fulls on mine). A power meter is also a great investment for tracking progress and having a value to target during intervals. It is far from necessary but can be a great training tool.  Riding in a hilly area may provide natural intervals, but Illinois does not have the luxury. I love to utilize intervals and believe they are key to improving speed. And if you haven’t changed a flat, just go do it ;)

Biking is my weakest leg of the triathlon, but Please let me know if you have questions and I’d love to discuss further! Next week I will break down the changes I’ve made with my run game.