pc experts/veterans: as experienced users of powercranks, could you comment on what you think the best protocol is for a new user with about 7 months to IM Lake Placid? Thanks. Mike
I would pretend you do not own regular cranks. I would spend the first month or so adapting and trying to get your endurance up so you can go 3-4 hours on them and still walk afterwards. then go back to your regular training regimen, perhaps altering it to do a little more cycling and a little less running. Do most of your rides working on endurance and power but some work on trying to get the cadence up. After 3 months or so start to work on aero position.
Then, assuming you will want to do the race on regular cranks about a month before the race I would do one ride a week on regular cranks (don’t forget to adjust it to your PC aero position), concentrating on trying to learn how to ride them the same way you ride PC’s.
And, don’t forget to have “fun”.
Frank
Do most of your rides working on endurance and power but some work on trying to get the cadence up. After 3 months or so start to work on aero position.
Frank
Frank makes a good point about cadence. I’ve only been using PCs regularly for a little over a month, but I’ve found that it helps to work on cadence during each ride. One good way to do so is to simply pedal while going downhill. The sheer lifting of the cranks is enough to bring on fatigue at high cadence.
I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of cadences, fore/aft seating positions, and trying out the aero position as well in the attempt to become an all-around PowerCranker. So far my adaptation is much faster than I expected. For instance, I can maintain coordination while standing on the pedals easily now, and actually quite enjoy it. My longest ride so far has been just under three hours, but I’ve only resumed regular cycling over the past week following a running concentration.
It seems that PowerCranks can be thought of as classic time trial power building tools, as the mantra regarding time trialling is to be able to “push big gears.” PCs are more efficient at lower cadences/higher gears at first, and as power increases cadence is likely to follow - at least that’s what logic is telling me now.
I’m studying French these days (just to piss off Record9ti), so make me a demitasse instead.
New Order gets the cadence up, too!
Wow! You’re doing great! I wonder if it is because you were already very good at trying to pull up on the pedals? Even if you were, I’ll bet PCs taught you that you weren’t pulling up as much as you thought.
If you just came off of a running concentration, and are riding almost 3 hours on PCs, you are going to be a speed demon on the run this year. It may take a few months before your average bike speed really starts to move upward, but, I’ll bet you’re already running at near-personal best speeds right now! Unless, of course, you are an old guy like me, and you are simply running at speeds you never thought you’d see again, even if they aren’t speeds quite as fast as 25 years ago!
I’ve been moving, adjusting to a new job/city, nursing a sore back (from moving, twice!) and have been sick lately, and I’m really chomping at the bit to get back to my usual exercise routine. It will be mostly PC’ing, with some running a couple of times a week. I actually have a two-man marathon relay on Jan. 10th to get ready for…in the past year, PC’s have allowed me to get some very good work in, in a short time, without beating my legs up by running too much.
Even with so much down-time lately, if I can just get on the PC’s 5-6 times in the next 10 days, I’ll have a decent 1/2 marathon time. My best 1/2 is only 1:34, and that was 25 years ago, so I’m not fast. But, last year I ran a 1:37 with a bad achilles…PC’ing allowed me to get through that race even though I was limping, because I didn’t have to push off much with the bad leg…I was able to just pick that leg up higher. I THINK this is one of the ways POSE running works…and PCing helped me do this before I found out much about POSE-style running…I’m certainly no expert on POSE, though.
So, are you seeing a big speed increase in your running?
Yaqui, Itchyghost, or others : have you purchased the adjustable or regular PC’s ? Are the adjustable heavier ?
I know what the pro’s of the adjustables are, but what are the cons (except price that is much higher)???
Thanks for your many answers.
I’m also considering power cranks. So far from reading and searching the posts I have determined:
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The legs will slowly adapt to the newly recruited muscle groups, and allow you to hopefully return to your normal weekly mileage within 4-6 weeks?
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Your train on PC’s, eventually working into the aero position, however once a week before your race, you ride your “racing” bicycle on long distance rides?
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You will also need to reduce your weekly running mileage in the first 4-6 weeks of using PC’s?
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Most PC users place the PC’s on their “training” bicycle.
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Faithful use of PC’s will gradually increase my overall speed 2-3 mph AND allow more efficient use of running muscles to reduce run splits?
Please let me know if I"m in the ball park, or still drinking too many beers at the tail-gate party in the parking lot…
Diablo, I have regular PC’s.
Chris, I think you’re in the ballpark. Instead of worrying about mileage, though, consider riding the same time as you did pre-PC. At first, this takes into consideration your need for frequent pedalling breaks. Later, this takes into consideration your higher average speed on PC’s…which may demand you ride FURTHER than your old mileage 
If you just came off of a running concentration, and are riding almost 3 hours on PCs, you are going to be a speed demon on the run this year. It may take a few months before your average bike speed really starts to move upward, but, I’ll bet you’re already running at near-personal best speeds right now!
So, are you seeing a big speed increase in your running?
Holy crap! I just spent probably 20 minutes writing a long, detailed (and probably boring but perhaps somewhat valuable) account of my Powercranks use, my recent running concentration, aborted marathon attempt due to injury, my convalescence from the injury, my improvement with PCs, and my running strength upon returning to the road.
But the post was snatched from cyberspace!
To summarize briefly: I bought the fixed cranks with the same length as my others, 172.5 mm. Since working up to 45 minutes on the trainer with PCs during my marathon focus, I’ve ventured outdoors regularly 3-5x/wk. and worked up to 4:15 of riding on the PCs at a time, totaling 11.5 hours last week. I’ve been grappling with an Achilles tendonitis problem so have limited running mostly to the pool, and yet after three weeks off from road running, last week I came within a minute of my best time for a 10.5 km. course I run frequently at much lower than the effort it took to set my PR on that course.
I’m wondering if and when my cycling will show improvement with the PCs. I’m convinced they have already helped my running, and I think it’s hip flexor/hamstring strength and not toe lifting that’s made it possible.
I had nightmares about my adaptation to PCs, such as getting stranded on the road with one leg seized up and having to pedal one-legged back home for 40 km., or simply not being able to keep up with my training partner. But so far I’ve adapted quickly and the PCs are not holding me back in my resumption of regular cycling as I build towards Ironman Japan on May 23. I will run a 1/2 marathon race on March 28, which will come on the tail end of 12 weeks of purely aerobic work prior to my Build period, so I’m eager to see how I do in that “mid-term” test of my running strength and fitness after a solid four months on Powercranks.
I’ve been grappling with an Achilles tendonitis problem so have limited running mostly to the pool, and yet after three weeks off from road running, last week I came within a minute of my best time for a 10.5 km. course I run frequently at much lower than the effort it took to set my PR on that course.
Oops. So much for that PR. Just busted it by another 30 seconds - and it’s the off-season right now. Yeah, my running’s improved already.
A note to my competition: Powercranks are hokum, hogwash, hocus-pocus. They’re expensive and they don’t work. Definitely don’t buy them.