I know, another dreaded PC post but let’s keep this to the point. Are experienced PC’ers using their pc’s for training exclusively or are you mixing it up with regular cranks? When and how much? My general feeling is that most people are moving away from exclusive use (other than racing) for various reasons. I am torn myself but tend to ride my PC bike more and the regular cranks just during race week.
Thanks…
I try to do one ride a week of 1-2 hours on PC’s. Sometimes, I use it to warm up for a run, and to cool down from a run, or to do ride-run-ride-run brickwork (which reminds me, it’s time I do that again!). It keeps my running mileage down, but keeps my run speed up.
Since I’m training for an Ironman, which I am not planning on doing on PC’s, I’m on non-PC cranks for the really long rides. I think my level of adaptation strikes a midpoint between the theory that: pulling up as much as is trainable is the best way to go, and the theory that: learning to consistantly unweight the rising pedal is about as good as it gets. (There is another theory that says only push down…I don’t buy that theory for the type of riding I do, but, I thought it’s only fair to state that theory.)
I don’t see myself ever doing less PC training than I do now…I think it’s a minimum amount to do, and I wouldn’t have dropped back to this volume if I was feeling like I was losing my adaptation. (You also should know that I did not force myself to become adapted to PC’s while in my “best aero” position…maybe a mistake, I don’t know.) It may be appropriate to note that even when I am not on PC’s, I try to mimic the PC pedal stroke…I have a squeaky Look pedal that audibly reinforces the PC pedal stroke when I’m pulling back and up enough to move the shoe on the pedal…and, yes, I’m a little faster during the squeaky pedal stroke!
but I knew that going in. I trained on them exclusevly from jan thru april while I had my road bike on my computrainer. Since MAy hit I’ve ridden my road bike very little. But when I do I find it’s very easy to reacclimate to the pc’s. So…I found the gains made earlier have not been wasted (plus I’m always trying to mimic the pc stroke on my tri bike as well). My overall bike has been elevated to a new level this year and pc’s have a lot to do with it. I will go back to them when the weather turns bad and stay on them all winter. I’ll decide next spring how long I’ll carry on with them…
i rode them all winter on the rollers. i ride them on the rollers now, watching the tdf, rainy mornings when i do not feel like getting wet, while working as a summer camp nurse on a porch, etc. i reckon i will always use them thus, and to me they are easily worth the asking price for that alone.
i have them on an extremely sweet riding rivendell - the stunning gold on the joe bell pink paint job is waaaay pimpy. so, i dig riding them outdoors, too - but - summer is short around here and there are lots-o-bikes to ride. between the sweet ox plat road bike, the singlespeed, the geared mtn bike, the fixie, tandem, 'cross bike come fall etc the PC’s get out maybe 25% of the outside miles these days? maybe less, but only by a little.
i can’t say if i have an opinion on whether this is 'optimum", or whathaveyou. couldn’t give a shit, either way, really. i do not feel the need to have them prove themselves to me anymore, and so i just use them when i feel like i want to, or maybe could use them, or need to. i have a 24 hour solo comin up, for example, so i reckon i will bust out the PC’s for some ass-whupping between now and then and ride them a little more. maybe not. if i was doing MOO this year i would prolly be on those mofo’s all the dang time.