Let’s say I didn’t have three kids, a full time job and basically more time to train in all three sports.
Let’s say my wife / anyone would be willing to give up 1-3 hours a week to drive the car with the rear gate open or just drive the car with me riding behind the car motorpacing at 23-30 mph.
Does it have practical applications for the sprint / oly distance racer who is a top 10 finisher or top age grouper? or is something that is really only for the pros?
It sure does require you to work on form and your spin…and if you’re riding behind it requires more focus than you thought possible. Letting your mind wander at that point is not an option.
What exactly is the point or purpose of motorpacing? Does it force you to ride differently somehow?
I have always wanted to have that done-but I can’t find a place that is set up for that-roads that are nice but not used much.
where are you giong to do it?
Does it have practical applications
No, not really. But it is neat.
Unless you are going to Road race, then motor pacing is not worth the time or danger for Tri’s. It would serve you better to spend the same time doing TT intervals and work on going faster under your own power. BUT intervals are not as Euro cool as motorpacing!
-mb
I’d love to have a car follow me around on training rides so I would not have to worry about packing tools and a buch of nutrition in my jersey, that way, I can ride non stop!
I’ve seen a guy in full TT gear out in the country near where I live, motor pacing off a woman on a scooter. I see no real training benefit to doing it but it looks fun.
I’ve done 100 miles in about 3 hours motorpacing. It was a blast. We did a training camp in NM around '92-'93. They had frontage roads that went on forever. It was a big Suburban with a hatch type back. Flip that thing up, turn on some tunes, and it was like being in a vacuum.
the only training benefit this could possibly have is to prepare you for higher speeds should you one day quit worrying about gimmicks and started training hard and often instead.
Let’s say I didn’t have three kids, a full time job and basically more time to train in all three sports.
Let’s say my wife / anyone would be willing to give up 1-3 hours a week to drive the car with the rear gate open or just drive the car with me riding behind the car motorpacing at 23-30 mph.
Does it have practical applications for the sprint / oly distance racer who is a top 10 finisher or top age grouper? or is something that is really only for the pros?
For TT type riding - seems a waste of effort to me.
Just look at your power meter files for each scenario and you’ll see why.
For a roadie looking to simulate demands of racing, then riding behind a motorbike pacer is one way but you may as well just race.
Useful for track sprinters looking to do overspeed work or to get up to speed for a sprint without the initial energy cost.
track enduros can do team pursuit / points race simulations.
There’s one benefit to motorpacing, let’s see if anyone knows what it is.
Winner gets the right of continuing to call himself a coach. Entries close by midnight.
It’s helpful for getting used to the way a bike handles at high speeds and the power required for keeping in the draft over 30 mph, which is useful for someone doing long hard road races but much less so for triathletes, especially on a TT bike, that just sounds dangerous. Getting a few pals together for a team time trial would be a better use of time and energy.
It certainly is fun.
Useful for track sprinters looking to do overspeed work or to get up to speed for a sprint without the initial energy cost.
track enduros can do team pursuit / points race simulations. <<
I understand it’s in my future. Can’t wait!
clm
Let’s say I didn’t have three kids, a full time job and basically more time to train in all three sports.
Let’s say my wife / anyone would be willing to give up 1-3 hours a week to drive the car with the rear gate open or just drive the car with me riding behind the car motorpacing at 23-30 mph.
Does it have practical applications for the sprint / oly distance racer who is a top 10 finisher or top age grouper? or is something that is really only for the pros?
For TT type riding - seems a waste of effort to me.
Just look at your power meter files for each scenario and you’ll see why.
For a roadie looking to simulate demands of racing, then riding behind a motorbike pacer is one way but you may as well just race.
Useful for track sprinters looking to do overspeed work or to get up to speed for a sprint without the initial energy cost.
track enduros can do team pursuit / points race simulations.
I like the ‘just race’ option as well–but I live in an area where I can race almost every day of the week if I want–remember though, a lot of people don’t have that option.
For those folks w/o access to training races–even for a TT’r or triathlete, I see some* potential* benefit. That said, this is for people who’ve run out of things to worry about otherwise–the real ‘cherry-on-top’ sorta thing. I suspect there’s some buffering capacity improvement seen from the different fiber recruitment that occurs in a super-variable effort like motorpacing. That’s one of the reasons I normally try to do the weekday training crit the week of (and week prior to) a 40KM TT.
For the OP, my advice is ‘worry about this when you’ve covered absolutely every other base’.
it build muscular endurance 
.
There’s one benefit to motorpacing
generally speaking, when one makes a declarative statement such as ‘there’s ONE benefit’ to anything, particularly something as obscure as motorpacing–I tend to not wait for an answer
Personally, I can see a few ‘potential’ benefits (buffering capacity, helping w/the power/kinetic energy equation(say applying power downhill or in a big tailwind), drafting at Clearwater…), but I certainly don’t feel confident enough to say it provides a ‘clear benefit’ to anything–except maybe the ‘learning to draft in a triathlon’ part…
It is interesting reading theories of why it is not beneficial to motorpace written by people who have never done it. Motorpacing is freeking hard work, and you will ride way harder behind the motor than you ever will by yourself. Trust me on that one. Unlike riding in a pack you and your coach can control your efforts on the motor by controlling your speeds yet still be riding at pack speeds.
My advice to newbies is that a car isn’t the best vehicle to use and may be against the law in some areas. A moped or small motorcycle is better as you can communicate very well , see road hazards and your speeds can be a bit lower. Motorpacing is not something you should do all the time but can help reach peak speeds in small segments.
Just saying motorpacing in general is good or bad is pretty vague. Motorpacing can be as varied as… One to two hours behind the motor steady, Intervals of of getting the motor up to speed of 35-40mph and popping around the motor on your own (better be a hero if you break 40 much). Long /short intervals. Motorpacing is not for every program, but you should not be suprised when you read a lot of pros will do motorpacing as a training aide during parts of the season.
If you don’t believe in it, don’t do it. There are lots of ways to train, motorpacing is a method or tool, not a program in itself. I have never heard of a major cycling coach that has stated they can see no benefit of motorpacing. I don’t think I have ever met a pro cyclist that has never motorpaced at some time in their career either… flame away
flame: whatever power profile you can generate behind a car you can generate not behind a car. Are you trying to say that there does not exist a better motivational tool than following a car/motorcycle? what about a powermeter and a coach that will kick your ass if you don’t hold a certain wattage?
what about a track workout with an audible timer forcing you to maintain a certain pace? (runners do this)
what about a garming and a dedicated athlete maintaining an average speed on a short loop course?
what about hanging onto the wheel of a guy thats fitter than you?
It is interesting reading theories of why it is not beneficial to motorpace written by people who have never done it. Motorpacing is freeking hard work, and you will ride way harder behind the motor than you ever will by yourself. Trust me on that one. Unlike riding in a pack you and your coach can control your efforts on the motor by controlling your speeds yet still be riding at pack speeds.
My advice to newbies is that a car isn’t the best vehicle to use and may be against the law in some areas. A moped or small motorcycle is better as you can communicate very well , see road hazards and your speeds can be a bit lower. Motorpacing is not something you should do all the time but can help reach peak speeds in small segments.
Just saying motorpacing in general is good or bad is pretty vague. Motorpacing can be as varied as… One to two hours behind the motor steady, Intervals of of getting the motor up to speed of 35-40mph and popping around the motor on your own (better be a hero if you break 40 much). Long /short intervals. Motorpacing is not for every program, but you should not be suprised when you read a lot of pros will do motorpacing as a training aide during parts of the season.
If you don’t believe in it, don’t do it. There are lots of ways to train, motorpacing is a method or tool, not a program in itself. I have never heard of a major cycling coach that has stated they can see no benefit of motorpacing. I don’t think I have ever met a pro cyclist that has never motorpaced at some time in their career either… flame away
There’s one benefit to motorpacing, let’s see if anyone knows what it is.
Winner gets the right of continuing to call himself a coach. Entries close by midnight.
It allows the coach to ride in the car, eat a bag of chips, and “motivate” the athlete through the whole workout;-)