Being in synch will come much quicker than 2-3 weeks. However, being able to pedal for long periods of time will take much longer. Don't worry if you think you are just a degree or two off of perfect 180 degree positioning...close is close enough. You'll find this happens less and less as time goes on.

When you do notice you are able to pedal for longer periods of time, starting to get out of synch is the signal that your hip flexors are about to give up until you give them a short rest period....as you get better adapted, you will find that sometimes you get slightly out of synch just because...well, just because you haven't been pedalling in circles for your entire life until PCs force you to, and you'll find you can get back in synch in one pedal revolution...I won't try to explain it...it's sort of like trying to explain countersteering on a bike...it's easier experienced than explained. Once you learn to re-synch, it will be very much second-nature.

Using them multiple times a day is a great way to learn the pedal stroke, without getting too fried. Just don't get discouraged, keep at it, you'll get it.

I'm not concerned with their weight, they're worth every extra gram to me. However, I still don't race on them...even then, I doubt you could discern any difference in time due to weight in any endurance event you choose to do.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Almost everyone reports them feeling "normal" by 2 weeks.

Almost everyone see daily improvement in the beginning and you will be surprised, based upon your first time experience, how fast you are back to "normal" times and distances.

They weigh about 3.25 pounds which is about 2 - 2.5 pounds more than most cranks, although this varies a lot.

Stretching is probably good. Riding with knees in is just good form.

Have "fun"

Frank

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

Dave,



Initially I found that if I "visualized" a 180 bpm metronome" in my head and made sure that the cranks went down on each "tick", it was easier to keep in synch. Although counterintuitive, I found that if I hammered the downstroke, I built up enough angular momentum in the pedal/leg system, for it to be able to swing back and almost over top. Then of course you have to do the "heavy lifting" as Frank calls it with the hamstrings and then hip flexors. I found this helped me stay in synch in the early days. Riding indoors is tougher since you can't coast. If you can ride outside, you'll last longer. I did my first six rides or so on rollers and only lasted 40 min max. Then I went outdoors and covered 50, 70 and 125K respectively in my next 3 rides. Not quite up to TTN's 100 miles in three rides, but it was the best I could squeeze out of this body. I spent the last 5K of the 125k ride, standing up on one leg at a time and pedalling with the other. It must have been pretty hilarious to watch, but that was the only I was going to get home !

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http://www.endurancesports.ca
Coaching and Training Camps

Zulu asks: "Frank - typically how long does it take to get the cadence back to normal?"

Depends on what you mean by "normal" and for what length of time. But, with that caveate I would say it takes most people 6 months to a year of exclusive use to be able to ride them at a sustained cadence of 90+ for 3-4 hours. I had one customer who referred to himself as the "cadence nazi" who reported being able to ride them at a cadence of 110 for 2 hours within 3 months I think it was. Such a result is excedingly rare.

Frank

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

A different way to answer the cadence question is: Now, my "normal" cadence is lower than it used to be...this is true whether or not I'm on my PC bike.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

dave. if you are highly concerned with getting up to "time on the bike", do not be afraid to raise the bars up some for now. since you are on the trainer anyway it will not matter - and you can then have the distinct pleasure of mastering PC-ing at one bar height - and then lowering them back down and restarting all over again. :) i have sorta gone the other way over time and let the PC's dictate my preferred bar height which is a few cm up from where it had been for many a year.

you got two more days to go for that hundie miler, dude.

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http://www.endurancesports.ca
Coaching and Training Camps