


That said, the majority of the best indoor training apps for cycling ( Zwift, etc) are based around FTP, so it’s not always easy to integrate. How useful it is: Championed as an alternative to FTP, CP is quicker and easier to test, and it can give you a more in-depth understanding of your aerobic and anaerobic capacities. Usage example: “According to my Critical Power, I could ride at 200 watts forever.” Critical powerĭefinition: The maximum power you can theoretically sustain indefinitely (in practice, it tends to be a rider’s 30-40-minute power).
#20 tuck jumps how to#
Find out more on how to save watts for less here. In fact, by shaving just 0.05 off of your CdA, a person with a combined rider and bike weight of 80kg could hold 32kph for 22 fewer watts.
#20 tuck jumps for free#
Holding the most aero position places huge, highly specific demands on your body - maximising speed, therefore, requires a balancing act between power and aerodynamics.Įven so, reassessing your position to reduce your frontal profile could generate extra watts for free – win-win. There are limits to what the average club rider can achieve while remaining comfortable and able to generate power. You don’t need to fork out for a fresh bike fit to optimise and adopt the UCI-banned aero tuck, though. How useful it is: Not to be confused with ‘CBA’ (that feeling you get when you look outside just as it’s started to rain), CdA measures how aero you and your bike are. Usage example: “Reducing your CdA is a simple, low-effort marginal gain.” It’s based on an equation that takes into consideration factors such as the combined frontal area of the rider and bike, speed, power and drivetrain efficiency, and the aim is to get as close to 0 as possible. CDAĭefinition: The coefficient of aerodynamic drag, i.e. For general riding, 80-100rpm is the normal range. Training yourself to ride at a variety of RPMs can mean you’re prepared when you’ve run out of gears while slogging it out on a climb or maxing out in a sprint. How useful it is: You’re likely to settle into a cycling cadence that comes naturally but it’s important to get out of your comfort zone sometimes. Usage example: “Improving your cadence can improve your pedal stroke efficiency.” Cadenceĭefinition: The number of pedal strokes you perform each minute, displayed as revolutions per minute (RPM). While knowing your breaths per minute isn’t going to transform your riding, addressing a breathing problem might. When it comes to breathing, a lower number points to a deeper intake of oxygen than short, frequent panting.

How useful it is: Using a heart rate monitor for cycling, knowing your heart rate and its reaction to efforts is a great way of developing an understanding of your overall fitness – lower BPMs for a similar input suggest your body is adapting well to training. Usage example: “What is your resting heart rate BPM?” BPMĭefinition: Either the beats per minute of your heart or the rate you’re inhaling and exhaling – breaths per minute. Your chances of bonking if you wait for the cafe stop to fuel your long ride are very high. A rule of thumb is to carb-load before a big ride with eight to 10g carbs per kilo of bodyweight per day up to 48 hours before a demanding ride of longer than 75 minutes, and consume 30-90g of carbohydrates per hour during the ride. How useful it is: Bonking is a sign that you haven’t taken your nutrition for cycling seriously enough. Usage example: “I bonked hard on my first 100-mile ride.” It’s backed up scientifically too, with most research suggesting it’s the moment you run out of glycogen stores, when the body is forced to convert other, less efficient sources (fat, protein) into energy This informal term describes the feeling of being past your limit and unable to go on.
