I noticed that Macca does some motor-pacing prior to Kona (using a moped) and wondered about it. How fast should you go, how long and whats the benefit? I know these questions are general and depend on many factors, but I’m trying to learn more about it. I know lots of the pro-cyclists do it, in fact I remember when Jan Ulrich crashed into his team car doing it! Anyway, tell me what you know about it.
I’ve used a fat kid on a scooter a couple of times just for fun. It was like getting a group’s pace and wind break without having to deal with the group.
For me, I went 4 mph faster than I would have normally went.
the only benefit is motivation
though people imagine other benefits like “working on your spin” etc etc
but its just motivation. the guy on the moto sets a hard pace and you have to stay with it. the moto never gets tired
I noticed that Macca does some motor-pacing prior to Kona (using a moped) and wondered about it. How fast should you go, how long and whats the benefit? I know these questions are general and depend on many factors, but I’m trying to learn more about it. I know lots of the pro-cyclists do it, in fact I remember when Jan Ulrich crashed into his team car doing it! Anyway, tell me what you know about it.
Funny you should bring that up! I was just chatting with a buddy up north about motor pacing and how I hadn’t done any since college, but will be this summer once I get into some speed work. For TT’s I can’t think of a single benefit, but for road racing I think it’s a hugely beneficial aspect of training. I did it behind a giant Honda Gold Wing in college and it was the only way to simulate pack riding w/o a pack. Variable power and also an environment for controlling the recovery. Pulling out of the draft and riding at YOUR race pace for recovery will raise your pain threshold if nothing else. Initially I found it very helpful with bike handling skills at higher speeds. I think it’s good to learn the ropes of this sill w/o taking people down in a pack ride if you can;)
I have thrown up during interval work at the track doing 400’s more times than I could count, but had never yakked on a bike until I went through my first few motor pacing workouts:)
the only benefit is motivation
though people imagine other benefits like “working on your spin” etc etc
but its just motivation. the guy on the moto sets a hard pace and you have to stay with it. the moto never gets tired
I noticed that Macca does some motor-pacing prior to Kona (using a moped) and wondered about it. How fast should you go, how long and whats the benefit? I know these questions are general and depend on many factors, but I’m trying to learn more about it. I know lots of the pro-cyclists do it, in fact I remember when Jan Ulrich crashed into his team car doing it! Anyway, tell me what you know about it.
I think you’re prob right - it’s just motivation. But that said it’s still a great tool, if you know why you’re using it and don’t expect miracles.
We’ve been doing it once a week for a while now, we’ve got a piece of ribbon that’s 10m long and attached it to the back, it kind of flaps around along the road surface (looks like a big snake from my rear mirror) so is never really exactly 10m but fairly close. The aim is to find the sweet spot at 10m without ever over lapping. I’ll sit at anywhere from 40km/h to 50, depending on the gradient, wind etc. And she’ll just grit her teeth and stay there. Every so often I’ll slow down just enough for her to attempt a pass and I’ll time it from the moment she passes the ribbon to the moment she gets up to my front wheel, as that’s an area she got penalized for last year, not making a pass quick enough.
Our two goals have been, to learn better to ‘draft’ at the legal distance, and also to make those passes within 15 seconds and then settle quickly back into the aero position and maintain current speed.
It adds variety to your sessions, and there is the motivational aspect to it. I wonder sometimes what the carbon monoxide risks are, but I’d say fairly minimal. We do have very quiet roads here so we get away with it, I imagine if you tried doing it in a more built up area you’d get some grief.