This looks all too technical, though I wouldn't mind a power meter if I could afford one. I seem to be getting a number of compliments about how my power has improved, so it would be very interesting to see what sort of power I am pushing. The only training I have been doing which I can attribute to this improvement, if you can call it training, is using my Brompton during the week for commuting - 1.5 miles each end of the train journey - I don't do any other cycling other than the CR. I can imagine this causing a few chuckles, special from the sports scientists amongst us. I guess I am benefiting not because my commuter bike has 16" wheels, weighs 10Kg, and folds away neatly, but because it only has two gears - one for the flat, and one for up hill and starting. My commute home from the station involves a 100m climb (distance) up a 11% gradient (probably 15% at its steepest), which doesn't sound much, but on a 50/16 gearing on a 16" wheel, sitting in the sadle (Brompton's aren't very stable when you get out of the sadle), it takes some pushing. Thing is, after a while this became too easy, so I started doing the hill in the second gear (50/12). I have now upgraded the chain ring to 54 teeth and swapped the fat tyres for skinny Schwalbes with less rolling resistance. I am now doing the hill almost every day in 54/12 - it hurts, but the hill is short enough to not be traumatised by it. I am not an expert on training, but if I was reading my body correctly, I would say that the key to getting the benefit is to push the highest gear possible up a hill whilst in the sadle, but regularly and in small enough quantities so to avoid any kind of muscle fatigue - so a Brompton isn't really mandatory for this program , but being severly limited on gears ensures the discipline.
As for the alternative 18s ride lead by Ian - enjoyed it thoroughly - thanks Ian. Just sweeping round further west as we did means catching a lot more hills - so a bit more challenging than the normal CR - and we still managed an average of 18.3mph - not bad considering. I am finding hills easier these days (Brompton power yeah
), and head winds don't seem to bother me as much either, so felt comfortable, even when I was at the front. Paul on the Pearson and Mr Locke seemed to be very happy on the front too, though I would rather tucked behind an "A1 size" person to act as a wind block
. Lost it on the sprint to the cafe - tried to hang on to Mr Locke, but felt a burning sensation in my thighs - don't normally get this but can guess why I did - so eased right off and settled for second place. Even with our late arrival, I was pleased to see some cake still left. Don't unerstand the fairy cake mixture stuff mind - I can't remember when I last saw some propper fruit cake
.
Enjoyed the sprint home - the hill up past the golf course into Redhill now becoming a favourite of mine. I use to hate the Merstram drag, but enjoying this too, where I am now finding I can often hang onto the wheels of the lead group. Love the last bit of the Coulsdon by-pass where it dips under the bridge - a deceptive gradient where 40mph can be regularly achieved in the empty bus lane whilst whizzing past slow moving traffic.