tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77621999305546035892024-03-04T23:49:31.253-08:00Welcome to PowerCranksThis blog contains stories and experiences from users and athletes.
have fun, train hard and enjoy!PowerCrankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04918837352909191852noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-67097324064909368022021-10-08T07:25:00.000-07:002021-10-08T09:20:25.445-07:00Re: Oldies but GoodiesGood day. <br /> <br /> I'd some troubles with providing you documents. So I re-send it again.<br /> <br /> <br /> http://cereuio.com/nihil-aut/blanditiis.zip<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br><br><blockquote type="cite">Every once in a while we see some first generation PowerCranks being sent in for service. This particular set is about 11 years old and still going strong! Consider that the original clutches have seen about 80000 miles of use. After a little cleaning and cosmetic upgrade they are back out the door ... Happy Training, Andrew Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile</blockquote>PowerCrankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04918837352909191852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-73925815128677806822013-09-22T15:05:00.000-07:002013-09-23T17:54:33.622-07:00My first workouts with PowerCranksLast week I finally had my power cranks installed. Due to my busy schedule and already existing workouts the bike sat lonely waiting for me for a few days. On Friday sept 21st my coach finally handed me my first workout which was only to get familiar with them. The first 10 minutes were me just trying to figure out how to get a fluid pedal stroke with them. It was not easy, but I was finally able to get them moving correctly. The problem I had was being able to go longer than 30 seconds. It seemed that my abductor longus and iliopsoas were WEAK and just not able to go any longer. I spent an hour working on getting myself familiar. I had also had the cranks installed at 145mm and I think that hurt me as well since my legs felt cramped on the bike.<br />
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On Sunday I was assigned another hour long workout by my coach. 24 sets of 2 minutes on, with 30 seconds rest. I was worried I would not be able to finish the workout since only 2 days before I was struggling with 30 second sets. It took about 5-7 minutes of warming up to get into a rhythm, but once I did that I was able to get the 2 minute sets done. I definitely noticed that my legs were BURNING by the end of the 2 minutes. I had adjusted the crank arms to 165mm and put the bike into a harder gear which actually helped me to keep a consistent pedal stroke. When I had tried to use a lighter gear I noticed that I was unable to keep the pedal stroke slow and focused. The lighter gear caused me to spin to a point where I lost control and got out of rhythm.<br />
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I will say that the first sessions caused me to realize that I am weak in both a smooth pedal stroke, and strength in the pull up part of the stroke. My coach was quick to point out that this was normal and points to the fact that there are gains to be made in my overall cycling. That was reassuring for sure.<br />
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My goal for next season is a slot to Mt Tremblant and I am 100% sure that the PowerCranks are going to be the key to my success. Although the workouts were difficult I am definitely looking forward to the gains in both the bike and run. My weakness is being able to finish with a strong run off the bike and I can see how PowerCranks will help me to be able to run stronger off the bike. Super excited to see gains over the coming months. Happy I started with these now so I have time to get proficient with them.<br />
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Below are videos of me using the PowerCranks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z8Z4G5qNO4" target="_blank">Aero bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4c0Xbgkzsw" target="_blank">Out of the aero bars</a><br />
<br />Dave DiCoccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09637467719683243357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-27042338106200436952013-01-08T13:45:00.002-08:002013-01-08T13:45:43.787-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This post was originally posted on one of my other blogs: <a href="http://90dayswithpowercranks.blogspot.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;">http://90dayswithpowercranks.blogspot.com/</a></span><br /><div style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2WeYU8Y41j1eTI3vjVgZ_pp93PDWWKX0FuIrvNJ2EigGoyR4VyFN0gasbeLmJ1LDjxOGI_oFom_11X9cTmhnNahRVPSzOi3PrYMcHdwn3ifnLzqRa0R-isJ_Op6k3FL8hyO4opSgOBY/s1600/powercranks-entry5-big.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2WeYU8Y41j1eTI3vjVgZ_pp93PDWWKX0FuIrvNJ2EigGoyR4VyFN0gasbeLmJ1LDjxOGI_oFom_11X9cTmhnNahRVPSzOi3PrYMcHdwn3ifnLzqRa0R-isJ_Op6k3FL8hyO4opSgOBY/s640/powercranks-entry5-big.jpeg" style="-webkit-border-image: url(data:image/png; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 9; border-image-source: url(data:image/png; border-image-width: 9px; border: 9px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px; position: relative;" title="PowerCranks Entry Model" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">A season of adaption coming to an end and the results speak for themselves….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">My season is quickly coming to a close and after 4+ months of intermittent (2 to 4 days a week) PowerCrank usage I can say without a doubt they have (1) improved my power and comfort on the bike and (2) helped spur a fit revolution for me that will pay benefits through the off and into next season. I am also excited about transitioning to the offseason, because I will be using my PowerCranks for near “exclusive” use from September through January and will be continuing to post updates and wattage reports. I feel pretty confident in saying that I will see continued benefit in power, cadence, and comfort by virtue of “exclusive” rather than intermittent use, and can’t wait to see if I can blow away PRs in 2013 beginning with the Jack Frost TT in February.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Improvements in power and comfort:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">I went into this in-season PowerCrank trial with the hopes of improving my power on the bike, especially as I focused on a few big events (e.g. Cascade Cycling Classic and the Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge). While my luck in the races left a lot to be desired – <i>I crashed or had a mechanical issue in pretty much all of my major races this year </i>– I did experience some pretty significant in-season power improvements and am happy to report that while the adaption to PowerCranks took some time it was a valuable investment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">The following table highlights the <i>power</i> improvements I saw during the PowerCrank trial:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Time<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Wattage Before<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Wattage After<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">30 sec<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">692<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">765<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">570<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">570<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">2 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">470<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">470<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">5 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">382<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">387<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">10 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">362<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">367<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">20 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">329<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">355<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">30 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">331<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">335<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">60 min<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">303<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">303<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Key call-outs:</span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">My major improvements were in the 10 to 20 minute range, which probably highlights the near-term benefits from intermittent usage.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I think that leveraging the PowerCranks during the offseason will help in my sub-5 minute power as well as my endurance above and beyond 30 minutes.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">The following highlights the <i>comfort</i> improvements I saw during the PowerCrank trial:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">My pedal stroke has smoothed out and I no longer have as pronounced of a “hitch” at the top of my left pedal stroke. As a result I have become more comfortable over longer distances and have been able to increase my cadence (particularly on the track) without “bouncing” around.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I have less tightness and soreness in my hips and gluts and have developed additional strength in my quads. I spend less time having to “loosen” up my hips before and after races and I am more comfortable in car rides home.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Fit insights and revolution:</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">I feel it is honest to say that I went into the PowerCrank trial with little to no expectation of changing my fit dramatically, or beginning to identify ways that I could alter my saddle height and/or setup to provide better comfort, smoothness, and ultimately power on the bike. Luckily for me, I did, and even if I hadn’t experienced the power gains I’ve seen the fit insights alone would have been more than a success!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">In my previous post I talked about the changes I’ve been making to my fit based on the insights from PowerCrank riding and a few folks have asked “<i>how did you know you needed to make changes?</i>” The simple answer is I didn’t really know at first, but as I began to become more familiar with riding PowerCranks I began to be able to discern between “things that felt odd, because I was pedaling independently” and “things that felt odd, because something was off in my fit.” After I had transitioned out of my initial adaption period I began to notice that my left side felt “compressed” and didn’t fully engage throughout the pedal stroke. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Think of the sensation you experience as you walk up a flight of stairs. Your legs are “disconnected” and acting independently as you coordinate the lifting of your body from one step to the next. As you walk up the stairs you can discern differences in the way each leg reacts under load and while moving, and you can quickly identify if the differences are due to tightness, extension, or injury. If we use walking up stairs as an analogy for my observations, I noticed that (1) I was walking up the stairs is a semi-squat (knees always bent), (2) that my left leg was “squattier” than my right and didn’t fully extend before I began on the next step, and (3) since I was in a semi-squat position it took a lot of energy to pull my leg up to step up on the next step.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">PowerCrank riding provides you a similar sensation while on the bike (i.e. independent motion with the requirement of coordination) and provides you a platform for analysis if you are willing to (1) listen to you body and (2) try out different adjustments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">My immediate response was one of my old 1mm adjustments, but by sheer dumb luck I decided to throw caution to the wind and moved my saddle up by 10mm instead. The “jolt” of adjustment did both my mind and body well and helped free me from my micro adjustment habits and allowed me to look at changing my fit with an open mind. I have often wondered why my previous fit experiences didn’t throw caution to the wind in order to evaluate “bigger” changes and I think that is due to two facts. One, we often talk ourselves out of change, because the steady state is known while change is unknown. Two, fitters fall prey to the same thought process, especially with stubborn elite athletes, and often make minor changes rather than large adjustments. This is all complicated by the fact that our bodies are effective “masking” agents and adapt to whatever you throw at them, which means it learns to work fairly well in compromised positions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">In the end I have made the following changes to my position and will continue to evaluate future changes during the offseason as I transition to exclusive use as well as strength building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Saddle Height: Up 25mm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Saddle for/aft: Forward 2mm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Saddle Angle: Down 2 degrees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Results: My legs extend and engage more fully in my pedal stroke; I have better hip rotation; and I have reduced impingement on my psoas for lifting up my leg over the top of my pedal stroke. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>1/8/2012 Update: The results of 3 months (Sep. through Nov.) of 100% PowerCrank riding</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">During the past few months several folks have asked whether or not I have continued my PowerCrank riding beyond my 90 day "trial" I completed during last season. The answer is, YES, I have been using my PowerCranks and completed 90 days of 100% PowerCrank riding, which extended from early September (after the season ended) through the beginning of December. During that time period all of my riding (both inside as well as outside) was completed on my PowerCranks aside from my power tests, which were conducted on my Cervelo P4 using traditional cranks.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Now that I have spent more than 6 months riding my PowerCranks I no longer "think" about riding them, because the stroke and engagement has become second nature. They are still relatively fatiguing (you notice the extra effort/engagement after 3+ hours in the saddle), but no longer require me to "think" about what I am doing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>100% Focus Overview:</b></span><br /><br /><ul style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;">
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Period began after the end of the season (Eugene Celebration Stage Race), and after I had ended my initial 90 day trial period of intermittent within-season PowerCrank riding (see post and table above for background and details) and extended through the first week of December, 2012.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">During the 3+ months all of my indoor and outdoor riding was conducted on my PowerCranks aside from my tests, which were conducted on my Cervelo P4.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">During the 3+ months my program focused on my normal "post season" riding, which was primarily open rides with limited intensity and no structured intervals.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Historically, I have started my initial intervals to prepare for the next season during early December, so I wanted to compare my wattage baselines from 2011 to 2012 to see if my PowerCrank riding was helping to establish additional strength/power. Additional power at the start of my interval training should lead to higher values throughout the 2013 season.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Testing Overview:</b></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">I completed two wattage baseline tests during my 90 day focus period so that I could compare two reference points.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">The first test was completed mid-October, which was halfway through my focus period and more than 40 days since my last intense workout.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">The second test was completed during mid-December, which was after I completed my focus period and more than 50 days since my last intense workout (the mid-October test) and more than 100 days since my last race. Historically this has been my "low point" in the season for power.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Testing Results:</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Time<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">2011 Reference<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">2012 Results<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Mid-October 20min Test</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">318 watts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">344 watts<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Mid-December 20min Test<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">292 watts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>319 watts</b></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">As you can see from the table I saw a fairly significant "jump" in my wattage during my early offseason training, which should provide me with a higher base to build off of during the remainder of my preparation for the 2013 cycling season.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><b>What's next?</b></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Since late December I have started to mix in traditional riding with my PowerCrank riding and intend to do so going forward. Right now I am looking at setting up an additional bike and anticipate spending 3 to 4 days a week on the PowerCranks throughout the season. I enjoy the change-up of having both systems available to me, and while I would likely see more gains by continuing my 100% PowerCrank focus, I think that I am going to balance both to keep things mentally and physically "fresh."</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">I also am planning on a 3 to 5 month 100% focus period at least once a year (most likely September through December) to help maintain and hopefully further the gains I have already seen during my initial trial and subsequent focus period. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Let me know if you have any questions, because I am happy to add further details!</span></div>
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PowerCrankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04918837352909191852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-62242353755290736332013-01-08T13:38:00.000-08:002013-01-08T13:38:01.718-08:00Great feedback from a customer who went to shorter cranks<br />
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http://90dayswithpowercranks.blogspot.com/PowerCrankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04918837352909191852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-58703932495810146942012-04-23T12:28:00.000-07:002012-04-24T04:03:22.321-07:00First race on short powercranks<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBn0bkjP0SjgWb6gl-vr5ShKdJO4mtANVVTOFLU8cVzwrSokCDpLMJsYgZePBLs2Jc317bbVe04u9_5iCziUSs3UU4b3E1VnWd_j4ipsXs0iyemZIyTjHEvYzL5223sNlmN8P5XJaHalo/s1600/pc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBn0bkjP0SjgWb6gl-vr5ShKdJO4mtANVVTOFLU8cVzwrSokCDpLMJsYgZePBLs2Jc317bbVe04u9_5iCziUSs3UU4b3E1VnWd_j4ipsXs0iyemZIyTjHEvYzL5223sNlmN8P5XJaHalo/s200/pc.JPG" width="200" /></a>A small introduction of myself before writing this item: I have been training exclusively on powercranks for one year now and they have proved to be very beneficial in tilting both my running and cycling performance to another level. I ended up as my age group champion in Kona in 2011 and took off 40 minutes from my 2009 Kona time. But that's another story ;-)</div>
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This year I started to experiment with short (135mm) powercranks, which is 40mm shorter than what I was used to. "Why?" would most people argue. It was Frank from powercranks that got me interested in the idea because he assumed that shorter cranks (combined with higher seat and lower front) would put you much more aerodynamically on the bike and saving lots of watts on the bike. This was a plausible assumption that had yet to be proven with windtunnel testing and so on. Anyway, since a few months I ride these ridiculously short (although Frank still thinks they are too long) cranks. And I like them! At first I thought I would have to change gearing or pedal a much higher cadence to attain the same power output because of the smaller leverage of those cranks. This is not true: for some reason I manage to generate the same power output with the same gearing and almost the same cadence. I think the reason for this is the more efficient angles of your joints when the cranks are in the best position to generate power which is in the upper quarter of the pedal movement.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakhG5Ub4DJk0WHOuitKyNU_TDotG807j3LzIHwpkRQA2ziIYfY1d6iK8qpHzQoUllg-bHrTOmim4v4BiscaBodWcukC1APAZpHCLJvJ_VbvwVM_xsCYWkldA5xooYyitxfG3OKpW62aER/s1600/521966_3853020163016_1203645498_3816701_145736454_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakhG5Ub4DJk0WHOuitKyNU_TDotG807j3LzIHwpkRQA2ziIYfY1d6iK8qpHzQoUllg-bHrTOmim4v4BiscaBodWcukC1APAZpHCLJvJ_VbvwVM_xsCYWkldA5xooYyitxfG3OKpW62aER/s320/521966_3853020163016_1203645498_3816701_145736454_n.jpg" title="Sam Gyde @ duathlon Douai on short powercranks" width="213" /></a>So I was quite confident that riding short cranks wouldn't affect my bike performance (from a biomechanical point of view) too much. If there really were aerodynamic benefits I expected to gain some extra speed from going short.</div>
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This weekend was the first real life test during a long distance duathlon in France. The bikeleg was 85km long on a rolling course and there was a terrible wind and part of the course was a quite heavy traffic area. Despite all this I manged an average speed of 38.5 km/h which was much faster than I'd anticipated at this early stage in the season and this gives me confidence that going short really might have some real benefits! Next real life test is scheduled on June 10th at Eagleman 70.3. To be continued!<br />
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</div>Sam Gydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07566077259956582961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-84465083810212916292011-12-30T10:12:00.000-08:002011-12-30T10:13:01.482-08:00Tahoe on PowerCranks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I'm spending the last week of the year in Tahoe. Last year, I swore off writing anything this time of the year because I was playing in pow-pow up to my unmentionables, but this year, Tahoe is pathetically dry (so far). I knew the conditions were not ideal for skiing, so I brought two bikes: my cyclocross bike for some potential trail riding and my <a href="http://kanebikes.com/">Jack Kane</a> equipped with <a href="http://www.powercranks.com/cart/sc/ref.cgi?storeid=*1665c7b8cb12b0641784af5ff9&name=Vitaly_Gashpar">PowerCranks</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">On Saturday and Sunday I went to do some skiing and finished off the days with an hour and half hour, respectively, on the trainer spinning PCs. The sets were really clicking and I hardly ever had to think about how my legs should be moving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">On Monday, I decided that I'd get bored very quickly if I continued to ski the same few open runs, so I deiced to make it a day on the bike. I mapped out a route on <a href="http://www.strava.com/">Strava</a> and figured I'd hit Donner Pass summit first, and finish the day off with a near-seven-mile slog up Alder Creek/Skislope back home. Now I had to decide whether I wanted to ride PCs, or ride my CX bike. The difference between the smallest gears is one gearinch, so that wasn't really a factor. But I didn't want to ride 35s on the road because of how heavy they felt, so I decided to ride PCs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I've previously never ridden this far on PCs or climbed that much, so I had no idea what would happen to me. I asked my usual question: "What's the worst that could happen?" I figured that if it really got to be too much, I'd just turn around and head back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I rolled out of the house and headed toward Donner Pass summit through the first few flat miles. The first thing I noticed was how smooth my pedal stroke was. I didn't even have to think about what I had to do, my legs just knew it. I think having spent some trainer time on PCs the two previous days definitely helped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then I hit Donner Pass - a 3.2-mile climb that rises about 1000 feet - the pedal stroke remained smooth, but I definitely felt that I wasn't on my regular cranks. I didn't have any issues going up the climb, even when it pitched up, but I did notice that my legs were in a greater amount of pain than they should have been for the watts I was seeing. At the top, I flipped myself around and descended back down toward Donner Lake. I figured on the way back, I'd go around the lake on the other side, but for those of you trying that in the future, don't do that in December. There was about a 70-meter stretch of snow/ice that I had to hike my bike over, which could have been avoided had I gone back the same way I came. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My legs were feeling relatively good after coming down from Donner, so I decided to proceed to do the other major climb in the area - Alden Creek/Skislope. Strava has this at 6.8 miles (my Garmin measures it at 7.5 miles) and rising about 1500 feet; however, a good chunk of that elevation is gained in the last 2.5 miles, so if you feel like you're flying for the first four miles, don't worry, you'll pay for it soon enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That was roughly my experience, as the first four miles of the climb came and went relatively painlessly, but once I hit the last 2.5-mile stretch, the really hard climbing began and my legs were definitely in a lot of pain. The one good thing about reaching the summit of that climb was that from that point, it's a downhill shot back to the house, so I knew that once I was done with the climb, I was done!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="http://app.strava.com/runs/2899803/embed/e76bf3b5cdc449011027f9a9cfcd08d158dbc527" width="590"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday, I decided to go ride once again, and see if can better my time on Alder Creek. I rolled form the house up to Skislope and began climbing the road I descended earlier in the week. It's a 2.1-mile climb that goes up about 700 feet and it really hurts near the top as the pitches go higher and over 10%. It's especially unpleasant when you hit it 10 minutes into your ride without enough time to thoroughly warm-up. But once that was over, I knew I had a seven-mile descent down to the start of the main climb of the day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I hit the climb hard and took about five minutes off Monday's time, though I managed to lose about 30 seconds when I dropped a bottle and stopped to pick it up. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="http://app.strava.com/runs/2957040/embed/4e41210afa1cdf004a73eb6cdd321721c0ee3465" width="590"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Both rides above were done on Power Cranks. So how did they feel in comparison to riding regular cranks? There are at least three different aspects of riding you work while riding PCs. First and foremost, they force you to work on syncing your pedal stroke, otherwise you end up in a galop. Having never ridden PCs before September of this year, I've been on them for about three months now, and I no longer have syncing issues while riding them. From my experience, I feel that anyone who's willing to put in at least 2-3 hours a week riding PCs (on trainer first then outdoors), can get their legs consistently in sync in one to two months. Obviously, more time on PCs, yields faster results, but 2-3 hours is what I've been doing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The second wrinkle PCs help iron out is leg power disparity. I don't suffer from this to a great extent, but traditionally my left leg has been stronger, and on some climbs, I have noticed that my right is in just a little more pain than the left. Hopefully, with time on PCs, that will even itself out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The last, and in my opinion, largest issue is engaging muscles in your pedal stroke you never knew you had, or knew you had but didn't know you could use them to propel yourself on a bike. The need to engage the hip flexors and hamstrings definitely makes climbing harder - it almost feels like I'm riding with a heavy backpack. However, at the same time I realize that it's harder simply because those muscles were not developed enough in comparison to my glutes and quads which are likely more engaged when I'm on standard cranks. As the muscles strengthen, with time this third issue should go away, but in the meantime, I definitely feel it helping me when I jump back on my regular bike and head uphill. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">[Originally published on <a href="http://www.cyclingmusings.com/">www.cyclingmusings.com</a>]</span></div>
</div>Vitaly Gashparhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841211447943927157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-73174436651180612832011-12-14T15:10:00.000-08:002011-12-14T15:10:51.047-08:00Powercranks training update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been
riding these more and more, and no longer on the
trainer. Nowadays, all the <a href="http://www.powercranks.com/cart/sc/ref.cgi?storeid=*1665c7b8cb12b0641784af5ff9&name=Vitaly_Gashpar">PC</a>
work is happening outdoors and I’m enjoying it
quite a bit. As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s a challenge and makes
even the easy recovery rides interesting because while I’m pedaling
lightly,
I’m still training my muscle memory to fire the fibers in proper
sequence, and
I no longer have issues with the pedal stroke while on PCs. Now it’s all
about
building up stamina to go long distance on them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The most
recent PC workout was on Tuesday, when I did one
40-minutes set at tempo, averaging about 210 watts at HR of 159 (my zone
3 tops
out at 162). The first five and the last 10 minutes were the hardest.
For the
first five minutes, my hip-flexors were telling me to go “F” myself due
to some
residual soreness, but then the muscles got used to the motion and that
wasn’t
an issue at all. I went through the first 30 minutes without any issues
whatsoever, but as I crawled closer and closer to the 40-minute mark, I
did hit
a few dead spots and heard the familiar clunk. This only happened three
or four
times over the last 10 minutes, but it was still a sign of fatigue,
which
signals two things. First, more time on PCs is needed to build up
stamina.
Second, and most obvious, when I get tired, the pedal stroke gets
sloppy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The greatest benefit I feel I’m
already getting from
riding on PCs is my climbing feels much more comfortable. I’m not making
a
claim that I’m all of a sudden flying uphill. Given that I’m still in
base, no
serious hill training has yet taken place, but I am saying that my
biomechanics
are working better. I’m having a much easier time relaxing most of my
upper
body and just pedaling from the core. I’m very curious to see what will
happen
once I get to the build phase and actually start doing hill repeats on
PCs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">[Originally published on <a href="http://www.cyclingmusings.com/">www.cyclingmusings.com</a>] </span></div>
</div>Vitaly Gashparhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841211447943927157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-37410951743827520002011-11-04T18:00:00.000-07:002011-11-04T18:00:01.562-07:00Powercranks, first time outdoors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A week or so ago, when I wrote out
my training plan for this
week, today was to be a day on <a href="http://www.powercranks.com/cart/sc/ref.cgi?storeid=*1665c7b8cb12b0641784af5ff9&name=Vitaly_Gashpar">Powercranks</a>,
and I was really
hoping to make it a day outside. However, the forecast last night left
much to
be desired, and I went to bed convinced I’d have to spend an hour in my
garage
on a trainer. But luck was on my side, and the rains passed in the
night,
leaving a clear, but rather cold, morning – so the opportunity was
there. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Originally, I planned to drive out
to the polo fields with
my bicycle and just do an hour of outdoor powercranking and drive back.
But
when I got ready, the whole process of loading the bike, driving,
parking,
unloading and then doing the whole thing in reverse seemed a bit much
for 6:45
a.m. After looking at all the possibilities of what could go wrong if I
rode
from my house, and death or bodily injury having not popped up on my
radar, I
decided to just roll and see what happens. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pics or it didn’t happen, right?
Here you go:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCprvkbcfAk/TrQYFE5s-II/AAAAAAAAB3o/ekTwqOlnhxE/s1600/11+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCprvkbcfAk/TrQYFE5s-II/AAAAAAAAB3o/ekTwqOlnhxE/s400/11+-+1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along JFK drive on the
way home.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p>I’ll start
with descending because when I roll from my house
(which is on top of a hill), that’s kind of what I have to do first. I’m
glad
that the first time I got on PCs outdoors I was going downhill because
clipping
in with the crankarm down is a bit unusual, so the momentum gave me time
to
find the pedal. I have to admit that going downhill with both legs
hanging down was a bit weird at first, but as I got used to the
sensation, it actually
felt good – both of my legs could relax and neither had to stay in the
flexed
position. I was afraid that balancing may be an issue, but it wasn’t, at
least
not today. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then came the stop signs and the red
lights. I quickly
figured out that for stop signs - where I stop but don’t unclip because
the
stop is so brief - it’s best to pedal backward with one leg and then get
started. The alternative is to come to the stop sign with one leg in the
up
position, but why stress it when you don’t have to? A plus of PCs is
that when
you pedal backwards, the chainrings don’t move, so there’s no risk of
chain
drop. Of course, there is a third option of starting with one leg and
then picking up with the other when the first reaches 12 o'clock, but
that's a lot of unnecessary pulling in what could be a high gear, or
unnecessary shifting into a much lower gear than necessary.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For a red light, where I’d have to
unclip, I made sure to
start in a very easy gear. As I mentioned above, clipping in with the
crankarm
down is a bit tricky at first, and I wanted to make sure I could pedal
with one
leg for at least a few strokes to gain forward momentum. Once I had that
figured out, the rest was simply a matter of getting the muscles to fire
in
proper sequence and keep it upright – the latter was never an issue.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Riding PCs outdoors is definitely
different than on a
trainer. Probably an obvious statement, but just in case you were
wondering. The road comes as is and the
terrain slowed me down, sped me up and not necessarily in the most
expected
ways. It’s easy to keep a good pedal stroke on a trainer, where I know
when I
will shift, when resistance will vary and when my cadence will change.
Not so
much outside. I had to pay attention to these changes and anticipate
them to
make sure I was in the proper gear and could maintain constant cadence
if that
was my goal, or change my cadence if that’s what I wanted to do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I messed up quite a few times, but
never for longer than
just a few seconds and I was always able to recover quickly and get back
into
rhythm. I found that slowing the cadence down and going into a higher
gear
helped a lot to even out the pedal stroke, similar to how I started on
the
trainer. Then I could gradually go into a lower gear and speed up the
cadence
while keeping in rhythm.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">About half way out to the polo
fields, I realized that I was
riding PCs like I was on a track bike – I always kept pedaling. “Why am I
doing
this?” – I thought to myself. So when the next little downhill came, I
just let
both legs down and coasted for a bit. It felt good! As I mentioned
above, both
legs relaxed and after five or so seconds of coasting, I was able to
pick up
the pedal stroke again. This was also great practice for starting to
pedal from
both legs being down and picking it up in rhythm. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Once on the polo fields, I just went
around in a loop for
about 20 minutes before turning around and heading back. It’s a flat
.7-mile loop,
so nothing exciting really happened, but given that the two longest
stretches
run east/west, the changes in tail/headwind meant I had to pay attention
to my
effort. Otherwise, when the tailwind would hit, it would become easier
to pedal
and a few times one of my legs would go a little faster and caused me to
lose
rhythm and gallop, but this was fairly easy to get used to and wasn’t an
issue toward the
end of my session.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One last item that I didn’t really
have to deal </span><span style="font-size: large;">with</span><span style="font-size: large;">
this morning - because I was never really going that fast or leaning my
bike that much - is unweighing the inside leg when making a
turn. It’s important to unweigh the inside leg as to not hit the crank
on the
ground. While my crank length is set to 145, the whole arm is about 190
(185
being the maximum adjustment).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In case you’re curious, yes, I did
do the dolphin kick. It’s
pretty neat, but better done in a low gear or on a downhill. In high
gear,
Newton’s second law of motion causes the bike to rock back and forth a
bit –
not very efficient. I also did it a number of times as I rolled back
toward
home on JFK, always either in the presence of other cyclists or when
passing
cars stopped at a stop sign. I figured I may as well give people
something to
talk about. Strangely, no one asked me about how I can do that.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On the way home, all I could really
think about was going
over Clayton on 17<sup>th</sup> Street. It averages about 14% for .1
miles –
not long, but I was afraid that if I screwed up my pedal stroke, I
wouldn’t be
able to recover and would fall over. But I figured the worst thing that
would
happen is I would have to take the walk of shame up the hill with the
bike –
not a big deal. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I began to climb up Stanyan to 17<sup>th</sup>
Street, I
started to gain more confidence. In fact, I was very surprised that
climbing a
steeper pitch, pedaling PCs felt no different than my regular cranks,
but I
knew that my muscles were not working in quite the same way. As I turned
onto
17<sup>th</sup>, I had a bit of a downhill to let my legs hang –
honestly, this
feels so awesome, I think it was probably one of my favorite sensations
of the
whole ride. Then it was just two short but very steep blocks, and all
downhill
from there. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span>This was a great first ride outdoors on PCs,
and now that I know I can navigate short steep streets of San Francisco,
I’ll
be getting out on them more often – and by that I mean that unless it’s
pouring
outside, I’m not getting on the trainer. Perhaps one of the days next
week I’ll
try to go a bit longer with a bit more climbing. By the time I hit my
build phase, I hope to be training on them almost exclusively. </span></span><!--EndFragment-->
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
[Originally published on<a href="http://www.cyclingmusings.com/"> www.cyclingmusings.com</a>]</div>
</div>Vitaly Gashparhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841211447943927157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-11974293465659328392011-10-18T20:27:00.000-07:002011-10-18T20:27:12.812-07:00More on Powercranks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It's that time of the year for me where long rides are few and far between and burritos are frequent and abundant. After all, I need some fat to burn during those long base miles that will start in less than two weeks. In addition to regular gym workouts, I've also started training on <a href="http://www.powercranks.com/cart/sc/ref.cgi?storeid=*1665c7b8cb12b0641784af5ff9&name=Vitaly_Gashpar">Powercranks</a>. You may have seen <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7762199930554603589#editor/target=post;postID=5229127019896286432">the post</a> about my first training session last week. Today was session number four, and boy do I have some stuff to tell you. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After the first three 30-minute sessions, I decided to take it up a bit and go for 45 minutes. One of the many things I love about the Powercranks (yes, I just used the "L" word), is that I'm actually looking forward to doing workouts on my trainer. I usually hate to sit on a trainer, alone, at home, creating a pool of sweat under my bike, but the challenge of turning PCs actually motivates me to do just that. I'm always curious as to how far I can push myself and how long I can go without screwing up my rhythm. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That notwithstanding, sitting in one place doing exactly the same thing, even a very challenging thing, can get a bit stale, so I made up a routine for myself to work on my pedaling stroke and to hopefully adopt faster to PCs. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I began with some steady pedaling under a moderate load for 10 minutes. My cadence was in the 80-90 range and my power was in the 150-200 (but I tried to stay closer to 150 as much as possible). Another element of difficulty I added to this workout was doing it in the small ring. If you think of a LT workout, that would seem counterintuitive, but PCs are actually easier to spin correctly (that being the key term) under a heavier load with very low cadence. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After 10 minutes, I went into progressive cadence increases, while keeping my power as constant as possible. I began with a heavier gear and cadence of 65, pushing about 180-200 watts. Then, each minute for five minutes, I would increase by five to seven RPMs and shift into a lighter gear to maintain approximately the same watts. This way I could focus entirely on cadence and pedaling technique and not have to worry so much about muscle failure or excessive fatigue (still in prep period). This followed by 5 minutes of rest at the same effort as the warmup.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another thing I love about PCs is that while resting, I'm still doing the skills workout. Even when I'm pedaling easy, I have to pedal correctly, so while the training is not under any heavy load, or very difficult (coordination-wise), the pedaling skills are still being worked. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then came time for some single-leg pedaling drills just to focus the mind on each leg independently. I did the following three sets. Three times with each leg for 30 seconds, followed by three minutes of rest. Then two times with each leg for one minute, again followed by three minutes of rest. And finally, I attempted once with each leg by two minutes, but this was at about minute 37 of the workout and I was starting to pedals squares by 1:20, so I cut it short to 90 seconds. Followed by another three minutes of recovery. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was surprised to see that when I went from single-leg pedaling drills to active recovery, where I had to pedal with both legs, it was actually easier to keep my legs in sync, as if each one still remembered what to do from a moment ago.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I finished off with a few spinups, starting from a cadence of about 80 with load that's moderate (200 watts), taking my cadence up as high as possible until my legs started to gallop - I was able to hit 150 a few times. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I'm still in prep mode, so none of this was done under heavy load, as I'm still getting my brain trained to keep both my legs fully engaged and synced. My overall impression of tonight's workout was good. It felt much easier starting with PCs and getting in sync was much faster (within a couple revolutions), even in a much lighter gear. It is almost as if the body remembered what to do; that first moment of clipping in and starting to pedal was much more natural than the first time I tried PCs. I'm hoping that in a few more sessions, I'll be able to take the bike on the road with them and see how I do while in motion. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">[Originally published on <a href="http://www.cyclingmusings.com/">www.cyclingmusings.com</a> on October 18, 2011]</span></div>
</div>Vitaly Gashparhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841211447943927157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-52291270198962864322011-10-12T10:13:00.000-07:002011-10-12T10:13:06.155-07:00Powercranks - the first workout.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">After some time off the bike, it’s now time to slowly move into the prep period before getting into some serious base miles down the line. This season, I’m introducing something completely new into my training routine, <a href="http://www.powercranks.com/cart/sc/ref.cgi?storeid=*1665c7b8cb12b0641784af5ff9&name=Vitaly_Gashpar">Powercranks</a>. For those of you who never heard of them, they are cranks that hang neutrally (not opposite one another) and require both legs to make the “perfect” circle to get the crank around. If you’re not pedaling equally with both legs, you start to develop a gallop-type stroke or stall at a deadspot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today, was my first Powercranks workout, and after pedaling just for 30 minutes, I learned several things about my pedal stroke that I hope to improve in the months to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned above, I’m in prep mode, so the workout I did today wasn’t as much about pushing a lot of watts or getting the legs worked, as it was about training my brain – something much harder. The plan was to pedal relatively easy for 30 minutes with some one-legged drills in between and see what happens during this virgin session.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the workout, I worked under the presumption that every pedaling error I made with Powercranks, I would have likewise made on regular cranks, but it would have gone unnoticed due to the other leg being able to compensate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As recommended, I started with the shortest crank length possible on my Powercranks – 145 and began pedaling at a low cadence in a high gear just to get used to the motion of both legs moving independently. I was able to pedal relatively error free for the first six minutes. I did go out of sync a few times, and it was immediately noticeable as I felt one of my legs doing more work than the other because it was starting to do more work while waiting for the other leg to catch up. Or alternatively, it started turning too fast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After six minutes, I did one 30-second drill with each leg, followed by a minute of regular pedaling and then another minute-long drill with each leg. Granted, considering I was on Powercranks, the whole workout was like one single-leg pedaling drill, but I found it helped to focus on each leg separately to get the motion correct and to get used to throwing my knee over the handlebars – a common way to describe a proper upstroke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By the time I was done with the above, I found one weakness that I felt needed work. It was easy for me to start pedaling slowly and then pick up speed, but it was much more difficult to slow the cadence down, as my legs would slow down at different rates, resulting in an uneven pedal stroke and even causing me to stall at the top a few times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having discovered a weakness, I figured I’d work on that specific skill for the remainder of the workout. So I proceeded to pedal for several minutes, taking my cadence up 10-15 pedal strokes and then practicing bringing it down 10-15 strokes. After a few tries, it became easier to slow down the cadence without much break in the pedal stroke, but this is definitely a skill I that will require more work because if that’s how much stroke I’m losing each time cadence changes in a ride or a race, there is a lot of wasted motion and energy that can be put toward something better. Say, a winning sprint! It also required a lot of mental concentration when it was time to slow the legs down, something that cannot be wasted on pedaling in a race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the last few minutes of my 30-minute workout, I did another set of single-leg drills, which proved very informative, as my legs were now a bit fatigued. All of a sudden, I realized that having shorter cranks to start practicing with Powercranks was highly beneficial, as my stroke was short and I was able to turn a much smoother, efficient circle even at the end of the workout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Additionally, as I went from pedaling with my left to pedaling with my right, I started hearing a lot of noise and clunks, which suggests that as in everything else, my left leg is the dominant one in cycling. This is likely an imbalance I’ve been riding with all these years, but now that I’ve been able to diagnose and have the tools to address it, getting equal output from both legs is something I can work on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The plan going forward is to continue with 30-minute sessions for the next week or so, then go to 45-minute sessions, then hour-long sessions and finally be able to ride outside without stalling. Ideally, I’d like to be able to do most of my base training on Powercranks this season and continue using them for parts of my build phase.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stay tuned for more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">[Originally published at <a href="http://www.cyclingmusings.com/">www.cyclingmusings.com</a> on Oct. 11, 2011]</span></div>
</div>Vitaly Gashparhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841211447943927157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-73393820037359184132011-08-27T11:17:00.000-07:002011-08-27T11:31:59.843-07:00size matters<div>Common sense. The longest crank you can turn will maximize your leverage, or more accurately in this situation "torque" over a given gear ratio. This thinking has lead to the common 165-175mm crank length. Leverage and torque are easy to comprehend. What is more complex and challenging to fully wrap your head around is power, or, the amount of work done as a function of time. The utmost concern of the dedicated cyclist is to optimize power output at a given fitness level, while maintaining an efficient position. Torque, I've found, is irrelevant. Old fashioned thinking lead me to believe that riding the longest crank that didn't hurt my knees was going to be fastest, and certainly best when the road turns upward. I now know that at least for me, this is not the case.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Five years of cycling culminated in the ability to average 19.5 mph. Nothing to write home about. In 4 months 172.5mm powercranks built me up to average over 21 mph, but more importantly allowed me to train knee pain free for the first time ever. As a bike messenger, an overuse injury would put me out of work. After hearing about Courtney Ogden winning an ironman on 145mm cranks and subsequently shortening to 115mm, I couldn't resist the urge to try out shorter cranks.
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<br /></div><div>A quick google search revealed that my initial experiment would cost me 30$ for a set of 145mm sinz juniors bmx racing cranks. I was a little worried that changing my position on the bike and pedaling a drastically smaller circle (intended for 10 year old kids on bmx bikes) in the middle of my buildup for the 204 mile seattle to portland classic would spell disaster for my knees. I was ready to scrap the idea at the first sign of knee pain, and maybe try again when my training volume is reduced.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>The first trip around the block was interesting, pedal stroke felt buttery smooth, difficult to "spin out" and it didn't feel like I lost any power, but they did feel strange. The next day, I went out on my first ride. My standard fitness testing route, 25 miles of rollers with a 2 mile hill that maxes at 10%. What I noticed most was how much smoother the short cranks are, and how comfortable I was in the drops. for the first time, I felt like I could ride in the drops all day long. My best ride on 172.5's put me at 21.06 miles in one hour, and the hill in 8min 14 sec. Rough wattage estimate for the hill 260. First time out with the 145's put me at 22.5 miles in an hour and the hill in 7min 34sec. Rough wattage estimate 292! Knees felt fine, I ordered a pair for my work bike. The next ride was 120 miles, I was amazed by how fresh I still felt after the ride.
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<br /></div><div>The Seattle to Portland is not a race, but more akin to a marathon where the majority of the 10,000 participants are just there to finish. I was hoping to be in the top 100. I ended up finishing 4th, 6 min behind a recumbent rider and two guys who were working together the whole way even though I was riding solo for about 90 of the last 100 miles! The guy behind me was 20 min back.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>It has been about 10 weeks since my first ride on 145's and I am continuing to see gains that I mostly atribute to the adaptation to shorter cranks. My new best ride on my standard training route put me at 23.02 miles in an hour and the hill in 6min 44sec. wattage estimate for the hill is 349. The way I see it, the advantages of short cranks are least apparent in cx where aerodynamics plays less of a role than being able to repeatedly pull hard out of corners. The first cyclocross preseason race of the year was this week, and I won on my 145mm sinz. This was my first race in 3 years, with no off road training, and the first cross race I've ever even finished.
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<br /></div><div>I belive strongly enough in my experience with shorter cranks and their superiority at least for my genetic stew, that I sent my powercranks in to be irreversibly shortened to 145mm. I plan on experimenting even shorter to find my perfect length after I hit a plateau on 145's.
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<br /></div>Stay tuned for updates regarding short powercrank adaptation, and gearing discussion. Mike Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11896648633118129979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-85179278485102764322010-12-09T16:14:00.000-08:002010-12-09T16:25:56.668-08:00Trial on 145 cranksWell Frank was kind enough to get me a set of PC's to try that had a bit more adjust-ability for length. My PC's only went to 160 which I have been riding on for quite some time now. But I really wanted to start playing around with the shorter stuff and see how it felt. So as soon as I got them I hurried like it was Christmas and put them on to ride them and see how they felt. I actually had a chance to go and do some training on the IM St. George course. As soon as I got riding I felt an immediate difference with the 145's it was crazy. It felt easier I was able to get my seat higher due to the shorter crank, which is making me more aero on my bike due to the lower front end, which I am able to get lower than ever before. I never thought I'd be able to get as low as I am. But with the non impingement in my hips from having shorter cranks I am not as scrunched up in my hips which is making a world of difference in my breathing cause that was the other major thing that I noticed was my breathing was way easier in the aero position.<br />I am in the process of doing a real test and trial with different lengths on a computrainer to really see what length is good for me and to see what a difference in power I can and will have with shorter cranks. So we shall see shortly. But for now I am loving the 145's. <br /><br />HeathHeathtrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209938434179919192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-42089652577733959702010-08-31T04:38:00.000-07:002010-08-31T04:53:05.793-07:00New Poster!Hello fellow Power Crankers! This is my first post on this blog and I thought I would share my background with using Power Cranks.<div><br /></div><div>I was first introduced to Power Cranks via a professional cycling friend. I was retiring from cycling, took on a 'grown-up' job, and started into triathlon. Without a running background Power Cranks really assisted me with making a 'transition' to the triathlon world especially in regards to my running. I could keep run volume low to start and supplement with Power Cranks. To my surprise I was improving tremendously on the bike as well, especially sustained climbs which were never my specialty especially living in Minnesota.</div><div><br /></div><div>One key element that I find Power Cranks to be extremely useful for, but is rarely discusses, is bike fit. So often I see people with extremely high saddle height especially in the triathlon world. The extension/ plantar flexion of the lower leg coupled with rocking hips leads to calve cramping and low back pain. I've used Power Cranks to demonstrate that you can't even pedal with independent legs in such a position. I've also had success dialing in cleat position with the Power Cranks. Just another use for this great tool.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps my biggest story is in regards to a brutal accident and recovery. In April of 2008 I was in great shape coming into the season. My main goal for the year was the Hawaii Ironman which I had qualified for at Ironman Wisconsin the previous September. I was commuting home from work on my motorcycle when a car swerved over 4 lanes of empty freeway (it was late evening) and took me out. The impact was on my left side and I shattered my tib/fib and pelvis. 5 surgeries and 10 weeks of training after getting off crutches almost exclusively on Power Cranks allowed me to finish the Hawaii Ironman. I continued religious use and baffled my doc in regards to the expedited rehab especially in regards to bilateral strength. In 2009 I came back strong winning a few local races and setting a course record on 1 occasion in which I averaged 28mph for an olympic distance, more than 2.5mph faster than the next fastest on the bike segment. I also had the fastest run time - I hate run training and only run 25 miles per week. </div><div><br /></div><div>This past year my wife and I had our first child, a boy named Kai. My focus has been on him and 90% of my limited training has been on Power Cranks. Although I'm certainly not as fit as last year I am able to stay in relative shape with limited time. I plan to make another go next year with the main goal of getting back to Hawaii to actually race versus simply finishing. </div><div><br /></div><div>My experience with Power Cranks has thus served many purposes: performance (both bike and run), rehabilitation, bike fit, and time crunched training. There are obviously many more uses out there and I'm excited to check this blog frequently to get more ideas. </div><div><br /></div><div>Happy training!</div><div><br /></div><div>Jeremy</div>jsartainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15863249568325735539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-91485374211306476372010-08-26T16:30:00.000-07:002010-08-26T17:01:13.750-07:005th in NS ProvincialsLast weekend I finished 5/12 in our 40km Prov ITT (B Ability Cat). Only 55sec separated me from the leader but it was my lower power:wt ratio that held me back on the two hill portions. The 7wk Chris Carmichael TT Program I followed had the desired effect as my Aug 17th lab test indicated I was pushing more wattage at threshold. Lab test - completed 3 min at 354 watts/85rpm. I did miss a couple of TT sessions due to the really high humidity in weeks 3 and 5, so only completed 80% of the program. I am happy with my placing. The P4 is a great bike!<br /><br />My power to weight ratio for the lab test was 4.2 (354 watts at 84.3 kg for 3 min duration). In 4 months time I start riding with the Senior 2/3 riders in Halifax so my goal is to drop 10kg to get my p:wt over 5. I recently saw a chart displaying the average pwr:wt ratio for all cats with Senior 2/3 being 4.5 for 20 min duration. I am going to change my lab test procedure so instead of trying to continually hit a higher number I will hold 396 watts for as long as I can. I figure, as no race next season will have a climb of more than 15 min duration, at race pace a 15 min duration at 396 watts at 75kg computes to a 5.3 pwr:wt ratio. Now I only have to get to 75kg.<br /><br />I have 5 rides planned per week til then including a 20K TT session, 2 hr climb workout, 2 hr race simulation, and a Sunday 120+ km EM ride. Except for the race sim w/o all sessions will be completed with PowerCranks and PowerTap unit. 2000 cals/per day and additional calories burned in the spinning classes and run workouts I complete a few times per week should do it.<br /><br />I'll let you know how I did in Dec.<br /><br />Hope everyone had a great summer.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-23910517885442206642010-07-17T07:14:00.000-07:002010-07-17T07:33:03.648-07:00TT WORKOUT 4/12Without a doubt a really bad workout. Warm-up 20 minutes with four 45 sec LT intervals to prep my system for the 7.5 km distances to come. Exact same conditions/start time as last Sat but just didn't have it today. I think I started out too hard as well.<br /><br />Honestly, the PC's felt like they weighed 10lb s each. If I didn't stop pedaling on the downhills I would never have recovered as much as I did for the next roller.<br /><br />Interval #1 - 6km only/9:46 min/36.41 avg (down 4km/hr)/77 rpm (down 8)/264 Avg Watts (down 50+wts avg since Tue)<br /><br />Interval #2 - Completed first 2km with a 50.1 km/hr avg (strong tailwind) and was DONE. I'm not an extreme humidity/hot temp rider so the effort felt much harder than it really was I'm sure. The cranks felt like they weighed a ton on the second interval. So, I did 5 more really hard 1 min on 1 min off intervals on distance remaining and called it a day.<br /><br />Next week are Tue/Fri 2x10km w/10min rest with Powercranks. For the remainder of the TT schedule Wk 4 10k/Wk 5 20k/Wk 6 25k with 5 min recovery between efforts I'm going to switch over to my regular cranks.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-11159045894250400152010-07-14T00:41:00.000-07:002010-07-15T19:06:41.126-07:00TT WORKOUT 3/12Tue, July 13th at 6:00 p.m.<br /><br />Conditions: 25C feels like 35C/Sunny/15km steady headwind on 1st effort/Rolling course - Bishopville/Was extremely humid.<br /><br />I was a bit off on distance because I didn't reset my PowerTap computer with each effort but choose the interval function instead. Distance was suppose to be 2x7.5km w/10 min recovery between efforts. 167.5mm crank length.<br /><br />Effort 1 - 11:17/7.66 km /40.62 km/hr/avg / 85 avg rpm / 315 avg watt<br />Effort 2 - 10:48/6.9 km / 38.2 km/hr/avg / 85 avg rpm / 298 avg watt<br /><br />Effort 1 perceived level of exertion was very high (18-19/20 BORG SCALE) so I wasn't surprised that the averages were lower on the second interval even with the tailwind.<br /><br />Next entry on Fri or Sat. Three hour ride planned for tonite.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-2897598727153950902010-07-10T06:28:00.000-07:002010-07-10T06:51:35.171-07:00TT WORKOUT 2/12I did two 2.5 hr days back to back on Wed/Thur so when it came time to do my TT workout Fri nite my legs were already feeling kinda fatigued. (I guess I went harder Thur than I thought I did.) So, I moved my 2x5km TT session to this morning.<br /><br />Results:<br /><br />Conditions: 25C Feels like 35C/Overcast/25km steady headwind on first effort/Start time: 9:15 a.m./Course: Rolling course<br /><br />Effort 1 - 5km - 41.08km/hr / Avg Watts - 334 / Time 7:14 / Avg Cadence: 84<br />Effort 2 - 5km - 39.46km/hr / Avg Watts - 313 / Time 7:34 / Avg Cadence: 86<br /><br />Eventhough there was a tailwind with the second effort I was slower. Felt a higher than normal level of fatigue + the humidity is at 83%. Speed on one hill, at 2km mark, I dropped below 30km/hr. Wasn't happy about that.<br /><br />Haven't spent any time standing on the PC's yet but, being a former bodybuilder, when I climb out of the saddle I feel like I'm standing a 4x8 sheet of plywood up into the wind. (probably not that bad but I am a lot wider than most cyclists thru the shoulders and with much larger lats)<br /><br />I may have to stand on race day and if it turns out that I am faster with the PC's than without, I will have to perfect my standing effort in the next 6 weeks.<br /><br />Next results on Tue.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-30163888976034157992010-07-07T14:28:00.000-07:002010-07-07T14:53:44.065-07:00Back on the CRANKSI haven't been using my power cranks for the last couple months since race season began. My lab testing though indicated a huge improvement in VO2 max from April to June test. VO2 increased from 58 to 67. Last nite I started my TT specific training for the Nova Scotia Provincials on Aug 22. I am using the power cranks in each session and a Chris Carmichael TT program from his first training book.<br /><br />Tue/Fri workouts<br /><br />Wk 1 - 2x5km w/10min recovery between efforts<br />Wk 2 - 2x7.5km w/10 min recovery<br />Wk 3 - 2x10km w/10 min recovery<br />Wk 4 - 2x10km w/5 min recovery<br />Wk 5 - 2x15km w/5 min recovery<br />Wk 6 - 2x20km w/5 min recovery<br />Wk 7 - Tue - 1x7.5 / Sun - Prov ITT<br /><br />I will be substituting my final lab test for the Wk 7 Training session.<br /><br />The first session went excellent. As I mentioned I haven't been using the cranks for about 10 weeks I guess but they felt really great. I shortened the length to 167.5 after reading some of the latest info on the PC website. I am currently 176lbs, using a Cervelo P4 with Easton Aero wheels equipped with a SLC+ Powertap unit. I was given a 3hr bike fit with the purchase and am not set-up in a overly aggressive position as my hams are tight and need some flexibility training.<br /><br />First session data<br /><br />Conditions: 22 degrees / overcast / no wind / 6:15 p.m. start / A-B rolling course - Bishopville<br /><br />5km #1 - Avg Speed - 41.8km/hr / Avg Watts - 343 / Time: 7:08<br />5km #2 - Avg Speed - 40.8km/hr / Avg Watts - 334 / Time: 7:23 (a bit more uphill on return)<br /><br />I would have easily broken 7:00 min on the first attempt but couldn't get into my 11 cog. I think its a limit screw issue.<br /><br />I will continue to update twice a week for the duration of the program, shorten the cranks next Tue as well for the same course, and finish up with posting my final lab results on Aug 17th.<br /><br />I am using the 40k Prov ITT course for my Fri session. By Wk 6 I will be completing the entire out and back with a 5 min recovery in between 20km efforts.<br /><br />Keep the rubber side down<br /><br />AlanDirector1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-3716037642980254702010-05-31T10:57:00.000-07:002010-05-31T10:59:23.126-07:00My Powercrank experience so far...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">After my 2 spinal fusion operations of my L5-S1 vertebrae I was seriously lacking core stability, an overcompensated right leg and a very weak and skinny left leg, and not much glute or hip strength! I started using Powercranks mainly to rehabilitate myself before doing any serious training.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">In November and December I had a bit of difficulty getting used to Powercranks. This took a bit longer than usual but it was to be expected after the work I had to do initially to rebuild myself post surgery. I was doing 20-30 minute rides on the rollers to start off with. It was hard (to say the least!) trying to keep both legs pedalling for long periods of time so I had to use a range of different techniques to complete longer rides. These included pedalling with one leg for a few rpm’s, then the other for the same amount of rpm (in and out of the saddle). To help with my core that little bit extra I would do some 2 minute drills in a big ish gear (53×13-16) with both pedals going around at the same time. Towards the end of December I was able to do 50-60 minute rides on the rollers.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Going into January I was able to get out on the road to do some rides. These started off at 30 minutes partly due to the weather, but increased to 2 hours by mid March. This period was mainly the same as my roller riding, basically just getting used to riding, ensuring the muscle balance, and mostly getting used to riding outdoors. It was a major step up riding up hills, riding into headwinds from riding indoors. By March I was fairly confident in myself that I had recreated the balance in my legs muscles and also built up my core strength and hip flexors to enable me to do longer rides and more specific efforts.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Going into the later part of March I was able to do rides consistent of 1hr45 to 2hrs30. Many of these included doing sprint drills, one leg drills, hill efforts and tempo drills.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Along the way I learned more about Powercranks other benefits that I would not have expected beforehand. I have no doubt that my strength has increased from using the Powercranks. My pedalling overall is very efficient, especially on climbs where I now also have the combination of efficiency and strength that I did not have before. This was a good base for getting back into racing and longer training rides.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">My first 2 races back were 50km handicap races. The first race was to test the waters after not racing for 2 and a half years. I have no idea where I finished but it was very near last. In the second race I was able to do turns on the front and be there in the final for a 5th place after leading the sprint out. A few days after that I did my first big road race which was the Welsh Road race champs. It was 130km completed in 3 hours, and I ended up finishing 9th! I was just hoping to finish… It was a lot easier for me to complete the harder and longer rides after coming off Powercranks; my legs were much stronger to be able to cope with the stresses of racing, and my breathing and heart rate was lower than it previously was. I have also noticed a huge improvement in my walking.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">The most significant improvement is hip flexors and my left hamstring muscles which were previously non-existent on my left side. The one thing that did surprise me was my flexibility. Using the Powercranks combined with my home stretching and core stability routine, Powercranks have helped my flexibility to no end, which I did not expect. For someone who has had 2 spinal fusion operations, I should not be able to fit my head between my knees whilst being able to plant my hands flat on the floor! Once I have completed my racing season in 2010 I will be using my Powercranks to start off my winter training, and to do harder efforts and rides until the racing season starts in 2011.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">I recommend Powercranks to anyone. Whether it be for rehabilitation purposes or for improving your cycling, running or walking. They are by far the best piece of cycling equipment I have ever purchased!</span></p></span>SMIFFYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15011526202024958942noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-61444104342078215062010-05-29T07:15:00.000-07:002010-05-29T07:27:29.943-07:00Killington SRHey<br /><br />Sat, May 29 and I'm here at Killington and 3 hrs away from start of Stage I. Last hard ride Tue, 50km ride yesterday checking out the TT and hill climb for Sun/Mon. Legs feel really great.<br /><br />Stage I relatively flat for the sprinters (eventhough I'm a sprinter was advised not to get involved as these guys will be using 55x11 and I'll just get in the way) and will try to be with the pack and finish 10 sec same time leading into the 17km TT Sun afternoon. Looking forward to finally racing on my new P4.<br /><br />I'm not in contention here but one of the guys I'm with is, so the rest of us (3 riders) will try to help him out on Sunday.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-43605953442046868862010-04-29T19:30:00.000-07:002010-04-29T19:47:17.185-07:00New personal long distance on PC'sI finally went over 100 miles in one day on PC's last week during the Chico Wildflower Century ride. It was actually 115 miles at the end of the day after riding to the start from my house. My previous highest mileage was 75 about two weeks prior. Still training to get up to riding a double century on PC's by the end of the season.Chainedaddictionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09746640537315776555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-44960087066095377622010-04-27T16:06:00.000-07:002010-04-28T02:16:32.736-07:00Test resultsBack in the lab a couple of weeks ago for a 6mth retest. Performed a ramp-up test with increases every 3 min - 167/250/292/333/354 (90sec) watts @ 85RPM. The 354 watt level was an increase from Nov, 2009. Results: VO2 up from 5.5 to 6.6 and lactate levels dropped from 10 to 8.8. Techs said that results indicated my base training had the desired effect. Next retest in 8 weeks is scheduled 5 days before my first goal event, the Nova Scotia Provincial Road Race Championships.<br /><br />Did a 1 hr TT the other day (road bike/regular cranks) producing the following numbers:<br />Averages: Watts 260 and 32 km/hr. When I got back to training last Sept I would have puked after five minutes at that intensity so I'm feeling really great about my conditioning going into my race season in three weeks.<br /><br />Peak power records to date (PowerTap Pro+):<br />5sec - 1023 / 30sec - 507 / 60sec - 468 / 5min - 324 / 10min - 287 / 30min - 274 / 60min - 264 / 120min - 212. Love the PowerTap everyone should have one. Seeing a new PB after a hard ride only motivates me more to see how much I can improve.<br /><br />This Friday I'll pick up my first TT bike, a Cervelo P4 equipped with an SLC+ Powertap with Easton EC90 Aero Tubulars. I'm placing my powercranks on the Cervelo for my 2nd season goal on Aug 22, our NS Prov ITT Championships. So, between now and then (16 weeks) I'll be doing ALL TT training with my PC's.<br /><br />Safe riding everyone.Director1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-40076241469332715632010-04-26T13:35:00.000-07:002010-04-26T13:42:41.101-07:00Oldies but Goodies<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnPc7nx3fPcMTQZ2kVRKKQMXaIIrX28_jsyPTSvZatP4-qFrPohVl9VTBdLqnRnSQ6uSeEHi_FLLU7RXavCf03a6wz6uUSUKbCXNEunNKjiz9__1nrnesWF8f2ngvOXYBNg_DeJdPgQRS/s1600/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDgtMjAxMDA0MjYtMTE1MS5qcGc=%3F=-719054"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnPc7nx3fPcMTQZ2kVRKKQMXaIIrX28_jsyPTSvZatP4-qFrPohVl9VTBdLqnRnSQ6uSeEHi_FLLU7RXavCf03a6wz6uUSUKbCXNEunNKjiz9__1nrnesWF8f2ngvOXYBNg_DeJdPgQRS/s320/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDgtMjAxMDA0MjYtMTE1MS5qcGc=%3F=-719054" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464548822150375682" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsZd0c-Nd4mUYsiWeXWXOQT-hym6pL9uZIS32cQBPy0XY8Cm_KozUPg75A47rns7QtzTS8SoZQ18tFn5y4KjzMi9_cy1SAd9VJPSxk-YQewQ1x2KPQhlGMXRtc1Mv7cxNZSnhyfu2qNuV/s1600/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDktMjAxMDA0MjYtMTE1Mi5qcGc=%3F=-720740"><br /></a></p>Every once in a while we see some first generation PowerCranks being sent in for service. This particular set is about 11 years old and still going strong! Consider that the original clutches have seen about 80000 miles of use.<br />After a little cleaning and cosmetic upgrade they are back out the door ...<br /><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsZd0c-Nd4mUYsiWeXWXOQT-hym6pL9uZIS32cQBPy0XY8Cm_KozUPg75A47rns7QtzTS8SoZQ18tFn5y4KjzMi9_cy1SAd9VJPSxk-YQewQ1x2KPQhlGMXRtc1Mv7cxNZSnhyfu2qNuV/s1600/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDktMjAxMDA0MjYtMTE1Mi5qcGc=%3F=-720740"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsZd0c-Nd4mUYsiWeXWXOQT-hym6pL9uZIS32cQBPy0XY8Cm_KozUPg75A47rns7QtzTS8SoZQ18tFn5y4KjzMi9_cy1SAd9VJPSxk-YQewQ1x2KPQhlGMXRtc1Mv7cxNZSnhyfu2qNuV/s320/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDktMjAxMDA0MjYtMTE1Mi5qcGc=%3F=-720740" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464548824471608402" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>Happy Training,</p><p><br />Andrew</p><p>Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile</p>PowerCrankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04918837352909191852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-23581101965432838652010-03-23T08:57:00.000-07:002010-03-23T09:18:42.138-07:00New SS BlockHey<br /><br />Well the weather here in the Maritimes last week was just amazing, eventhough on the nicest day of the week at 18 degrees Celcius I didn't even get out on my bike. Last week finished tempo block with a 50 min 275W avg workout and 12 hours outdoors. It was a very nice week.<br /><br />Today 30 mm rain! Just finished my first Steady State session - Two 8 min intervals with 15 min ramp up warm-up and 8 min rest period between intervals.<br /><br />INT #1 - 85 AVG RPM / 265 AW<br />INT #2 - 86 AVG RPM / 275 AW (this is what I was aiming for)<br /><br />Thur 2 x 10 / Sun 2 x 12 with 1:1 W/R Ratio / Week 3 doing 3 sets / Week 4 doing 4 sets<br /><br />Goal is to get all intervals above 275 AW and 90 RPMS. We'll see how it goes.<br /><br />But, it was a great but tough workout. I find the first one always is.<br /><br />I know I'm suppose to take a week recup between training blocks but since I got lazy and started my Tempo block a week late, I think its better to take an easy week before I head on my three week vacation where I will be doing average 20 hrs per week + a few 5-10k runs. The goal there is climb/miles/weight loss of 5-7 lbs<br /><br />I'll keep my total volume the same this week instead of adding an hour and a half as planned.<br /><br />The result of the Rusko recovery test on Wed might indicate differently though.<br /><br />CiaoDirector1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7762199930554603589.post-7251405014746691232010-03-15T08:39:00.000-07:002010-03-15T08:57:06.031-07:00Much progressHi<br /><br />Training has been going great. Finally starting to feel one with the PC's on the road. New X-Lites are much lighter and feel much lighter. Definately feel a difference in picking less weight up over the top of the stroke.<br /><br />Twelve hours last week with third/final week of Tempo block starting today. Started at 20 min two weeks ago tomorrow with PC's on CycleOps Alum rollers. A great workout! Much less boring and more challenging than on a trainer. Program consists of 3 Tempo workouts per week T/Th/Sun and added 5 min per session. Yesterday felt great with Tempo 45"/72Avg RPM/242 Avg Watts. Tomorrow 50 min (tempo all indoors) finishing with 60 on Sun and shooting for a 245 avg watts.<br /><br />I'll have to cut back on the volume a couple of hours next week (14 hrs this week all outdoors as the weather is +10C most days) because Steady State training block begins and I want a good rest week before I leave for Umbria, IT for CR/EM Phase on April 17th for three weeks.<br /><br />Hope everyone's training is going well and, even if you may not be interested, I'll keep you updated as to my Powercrank progress anyway. :-) If you're not familiar with terms such as tempo, steady-state, or EM, check out Chris Carmichaels book "The Ultimate Ride".<br /><br />If you don't know who Chris Carmichael is, you really need to find out.<br /><br />AlanDirector1http://www.blogger.com/profile/08442529544284037614noreply@blogger.com1