Dreadnought wrote:
Watt Matters wrote:
Well I don't know what
you mean by conventional training methods.
Let me give you some examples of conventional training methods.
Among many traditional road cyclists, it is fairly common for them to do a fair amount of high RPM training on a fixed gear bike. It would seem to violate the principle of specificity since they're not racing on a fixed gear, but many old pros swear by this training method. Where is the evidence that this method of training helps?
Another traditional training method is motorpacing, riding behind the draft of a motorcycle. Where is the evidence that it is more effective than just gutting it out on your own?
I'm not saying that these methods are not effective; they probably are. Is their use based more on tradition, or do we have any hard evidence to support their effectiveness?
Ah, I see what you mean. By conventional I was thinking of sound evidence based training. I realise now that equating
evidence based with
conventional was my error.
As for the
traditional road cyclists, you know I've been involved in competitive road cycling for a long time, and I think I've come across two riders in the last twenty years that use road fixed gear bikes specifically for
training purposes. Most that use such a bike are not doing so for specific
training. They might be just having fun or want to do something a little different. I doubt there is any evidence such training is of any particular benefit over using a regular road race bike, but then I've not claimed there is any, nor that such training is particularly beneficial of riding a regular bike. I've ridden plenty of fixed gear, but then I used to do a lot of track endurance racing, so that makes sense.
As for Motorpace, there are several reasons for it, but mostly it's about replication of race pace high inertia riding with highly variable power demands, which are hard to replicate if you do a lot of solo training. It also provide some additional motivation to push yourself.
Metabolically there's very little difference between a hard motor pace ride and a hard solo ride, but there are significant
neuromuscular differences that means the motorpace ride more readily replicate those emands experienced in mass start road racing. IOW the principle of specificity applies, plus having a buddy out there can help to bring along extra supplies for a long day and so on or look after things if trouble occurs. It's also bloody good fun but you need a quality motoman.
Even so, such things are red herrings.
Bringing up something else that may not be any more effective than regular training even though people might still choose to do it doesn't imply the use of such cranks is any more sensible.