Top products from r/Velo

We found 86 product mentions on r/Velo. We ranked the 227 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top comments that mention products on r/Velo:

u/climb4fun · 15 pointsr/Velo

Cycling training, as you can imagine, is complex and there are many opinions on how to best train for races. I'm no expert on coaching/training but I have been a serious cyclist and racer for 25 years.

Today, the most common approach to training is to use 'periodized' training. The idea of periodized training is to structure your year so that you build a foundation of fitness over the winter (after an autumn break) and then tailor your workouts carefully in the spring and summer such that you peak in time for important races.

It is called 'periodized' training because your year is broken up into periods (and those periods are, in turn, broken up into smaller periods). The first of these high-level periods is a rest period around this time of year. Then, over the winter, you'll be in a 'base period' during which you develop a foundation for peak fitness next summer. Your spring and summer will have multiple 'build' and 'peak' periods designed to build your fitness ahead of important races (build) and then to taper off just a bit to reduce fatigue just prior to important races (peak).

Today's training methods (as opposed to training from 2 decades ago when I first started racing) is very scientific and prescriptive thanks to technologies that provide us with metrics on our performance. Specifically, heart rate monitors and, more importantly, power meters. Data from these can be used to maximize your workouts' impact and can be fed into physiological models of how bodies respond to and recover from workouts in order to predict and manage what's called your 'form' during the racing season. Because these model quantify your body's response to workouts, 'form' can be quantified and is defined as: form = fitness - fatigue.

Your goal is to maximize form on race days (so-called 'peaking'). But because your fitness is always dropping when you are not doing workouts and your fatigue is increasing when you do work out, managing your form is a dynamic and not so simple. Furthermore, each person is different and, as we age, our response to training changes. And, to add more complication, each type of race also demands different skills and abilities and so it all becomes complicated which is why coaches exist. Frankly, I find this fascinating though.

For amateurs like us who don't have coaches (or limited coaching), there are tons of online tools and books which can help. Book-wise, I recommend that you get a copy of a The Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel. Check out www.trainingpeaks.com for nice training/planning tools including - if you get the paid version - preplanned workouts. And, for sure, get a power meter (I can't recommend one as I have Vector pedals which, although I like very much, are (too?) expensive and, for some reason, not widely liked) along with a hear rate monitor. For winter training, get a trainer whose resistance you can adjust from your handlebars. You can also get rollers too but don't unless you also get a trainer because a trainer is more versatile.

Frankly, equipment doesn't make a huge difference as long as your bike is reasonably light (and then, this is only important if your races have lots of climbing) and your wheels and components are at least reasonably decent. A Scott Foil 15 and Specialized Allez are both fine bikes.

One last comment. When doing your workouts be sure to follow the planned intensity. Especially in your base periods, many workouts will be at a low level of intensity which will be boring. Don't be tempted to go hard during these long, boring, low-intensity workouts as they really do pay huge dividends in preparing your body for the heavy-duty 'build' workouts that will come a few months later. The metaphor to a building's foundation is not just a trite description - it really is true.







u/SAeN · 3 pointsr/Velo

> as opposed to 700 watts for a few seconds

Sprint training is difficult to plan and hard to improve, so it's more valuable to get to the finish fresh than to train your sprint. Sprint power is very dependent on genetics. /u/carpediemracing has written about this in a comment recently. Ultimately if you want to be a better sprinter then timing and positioning will benefit you more than raw Watts.

> I hear the weight room is the best place for developing that.

To an extent yes, but remember that the force production during a sprint and the force production during your 10rep max are leagues apart. If you're sprinting at full tilt then at best you'll produce the equivalent force of an equivalent 1 rep/sec (rounded and assuming 120rpm). For this reason it's generally recommended to do plyometrics off the bike and focus on technique when on the bike. Weight training can help with your initial jump if it's low speed, on a gradient or from a standing start, but the nature of power production means you'll never attain huge force production like you would off the bike. You'll never actually attain your best possible force production unless pedal velocity (cadence) is 0. Coggan has written about this with regards to quandrant analysis of the pedal stroke.

If you haven't picked up a copy of Training and Racing with a Power Meter I'd recommend it, even if you do not own a power meter. In fact I'd say he should change the title at this point since it's a better general training utility than it is a power meter handbook (although power is important to understanding your ability).

u/sitryd · 3 pointsr/Velo

I can only tackle a few of those questions - I'm entering my second season on a team, but I joined the team a month after buying my road bike and only did one race last season so may not be the best source on all of this....

  1. First, where do you live? I live in northern California, and the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association (NCNCA) posts a pretty good calendar of races here. There will be time trials, road races, criteriums, and circuits posted once the calendar finalizes and different events announce their schedules. Time trials are classically solo events - you start off and ride by yourself, and ride against the clock. There are team time trials, but you're not going to see that as a starting racer (though i may be wrong about that). Road races are your longer races (the one I did last year was 49 miles). Criteriums and circuit races are shorter, much faster races (quick and tight turns, requiring good handling skills). I'll let someone else give details on those, though, since I havent raced in either type myself...

  2. You'll start seeing some races in February, but I think the season in chief starts around April and will end in August or September. This is purely based on the calendar of races I'm looking at this year, though, so grain of salt. There's other bike racing events in the off months (namely, cyclocross) if you can't keep yourself off two wheels...

  3. I cant speak to other races, but the road race I competed in (Cat 5) was won by a racer going an average of 18 mph over those 49 miles.

  4. I think in the Cat 5 races you can probably be competitive riding solo... You'll have riders working together despite team affiliations, and it's not like youre going to see Cat 5 teams forming leadouts in the final stretches to launch their sprinters. Unless theyre taking it reaaaaaally seriously.

    Unsolicited, but think its helpful: read up on how to train up... Last season I rode when I felt like it, usually one long ride on the weekend and then a few commutes to work (28 miles roundtrip), and was in decent shape so thought I'd do okay. Racing was faaaaar harder than I expected. I picked up this book and read it cover to cover for this season, and am working on building up a base to start out this season stronger (and it's already made a big difference). You can also find a lot of the information in various locations online, but it'll help lay out the transition/base/build/peak cycles that are helpful in training for a race, and what kind of workouts to do to reach your goals.

    Beyond that, just enter a race or two and see how it goes and if you enjoy it - theres no need to go insane without knowing whether you're going to like it.

    But that being said, enjoy your first season!
u/biciklanto · 18 pointsr/Velo

I think discussions on power meters fit right into the purposes of /r/Velo. Why don't you tell us a little about your riding and training background? How long have you been training, and what sort of goals do you have? Have you read Friel's Training Bible or Allen and Coggan's Training and Racing with a Power Meter?

As far as power meters go, there are a few different types on the market right now (and others will chip in here if i'm forgetting anything, because reasons). Here I'm sorting them from closest to power generation down the driveline:

  • Pedal-based meters measure at the foot, and can measure left and right separately (not a useful measurement...yet.). Examples here include Garmin's Vector pedal system and Look/Polar's Keos. PowerTap will be releasing their P1 pedals this summer as well.
  • Crankarm power meters are newcomers at a lower pricepoint. Stages Power is a left-only power meter that pulled prices down with their introduction of power for $749. Additionally, 4iiiis has released a power meter that is just hitting the market — this is priced insanely competitively, like $350 or something, and it'll be interesting to see if it's a useful player.
  • Next up is crank-based power, and there are a lot of players here. SRM has been considered the gold standard of power, with a price to match, but that is changing. Quarq (from SRAM) is also well known, Power2Max seems to be highly regarded and is very competitively priced, Rotor has a system, and Pioneer Electronics has a new model that's a little pricier but also quite advanced. PowerTap is also releasing a chainring power system this summer.
  • Finishing up is hub-based power with the venerable PowerTap hub, which has been around for about forever and is a known quantity and still a solid value proposition.

    Head on over to DC Rainmaker and check out his reviews, because his is the gold standard on incredibly detailed information on all things electronics. His reviews are excellent, and he's getting a 4iiii unit to review so we'll know how it fairs. That'd be the best option if you're really price sensitive because their pricing promises to massively undercut all the other players on the market.

    So this should be a start.
u/hurricanejosh · 1 pointr/Velo

i'm 29, 5'9, 145 lbs and have always hovered around that weight. 2-4% body fat.

i've never really counted calories on account i've always been pretty happy with my weight, but i estimate i intake about 2500/day on average, with a weekly 'binge' day of 4000+. un-ideally, i get a lot of those calories from sugars and simple carbohydrates. i ride about 15000 km/year and i find it necessary to supplement my diet with calories through shakes and frequent snacks.

i start each day with a whey shake, creatine, cod liver oil and vitamins A+D. an hour later i have an espresso, a bowl of granola or cereal with high fat yogurt. i'll drink pu'erh tea in the morning as well. lunch is usually bread, pasta, rice, with vegetables. afternoon snack is fruit and nuts. most dinners will have meat, but i eat a veg dinner a couple times a week as well. i'll usually have another snack like crackers/chips/popcorn between 10 and 11, and then a tablespoon of unpasteurized honey before bed (helps me sleep sounder).

about once a week i'll do a super rich meal, whether it's 4-course italian dinner, or a triple cheeseburger with poutine. this might be how i maintain my feeble weight, or it might not change a thing given i've got pretty good habits otherwise.

allen lim is controversial of late, but i'd still recommend his feed zone cookbook for ideas and recipes.

u/cycletroll · 1 pointr/Velo

You are right. SO MUCH OUT THERE.

The training bible is a great start/must read - https://www.amazon.com/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Joe-Friel/dp/1934030201

From there, I'd think about what worked for you as a rower and try to build out a plan that makes sense for how you individually enjoy training. Success is heavily tied to your happiness during the activity/training grind (as I am sure you know from rowing).

I am happy to try and give you tips as questions come up, feel free to DM me. I am not the best rider, but I've been fortunate enough to learn from some very smart riders.

u/randoturbo33 · 4 pointsr/Velo

It's a real book, not an e-book, but Racing Tactics for Cyclists is a fantastic book for helping to learn strategy and tactics. it's written in an easy-to-follow conversational tone, not too heavy, with lots of interesting stories an anecdotes from pro racing mixed in there. Parts of it get a little more involved than you'll see in amateur racing, but reading that book has also made watching pro racing more interesting because I can see why certain moves are being made.

u/cat_46 · 3 pointsr/Velo

Great tool, hadn't seen that before.

And yep, OP your answer is right here. You can fuel yourself with pretty a mix of many "normal" foods while out riding if you're going gentle enough (all day endurance riding) but for any kind of hard efforts at least you're going to want to focus on carbs primarily, which are consumed by your body in the key metabolic reactions that give you energy.

Carbs range from things like fruits, candy/sweets, cans of coke, bread, rice, oats, starchy vegetables like potatoes, milk, honey, pasta, jam.

If you don't like energy bars or granola bars, consider some bananas, some dates or raisins.

Or if you're willing to put a bit more effort in, make your own bars based on your own preferences - see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Feed-Zone-Portables-Cookbook–Go/dp/1937715000 for some great ideas

u/rmalpass · 3 pointsr/Velo

My advice is to buy and digest Racing Weight. And also cut out/down on the refined sugar.

I started off by calorie counting and creating a small daily deficit. However as I also started eating the best I could I lost too much weight. So instead bought, read, and followed the advice from that book. I eat a lot more (high quality foods), but I'm not putting on weight and I'm stronger.

Are you doing HIIT on the turbo? I found I lost a lot of weight when I dropped my volume and focused on the turbo during the week. I've also introduced double-days as I continue to build volume. Some times these are both on the turbo. Other times I'll go out on the road for an hour or two of endurance after a vO2 Max workout in the morning.

> The other major advantage is that your metabolism is fired up twice. Following a workout, the body continues to burn fat – the harder the workout, the longer the burn. So it makes sense if both workouts are high quality, the fat burn is going to be greater than one session where half is quality and the rest is substandard.

To get an idea of the kind of workout I do during the week it's probably easiest to look at my Strava profile. Usually Tuesday and Thursday are a roughly hour long HARD turbo session. Occasionally I do two sessions a day. Weekend one endurance ride of 4-5hrs and a short recovery ride Sunday.

At the start of the year I was 57-58kg and I'm now 54-55kgg depending on what time of the day it is ;-).

A friend of mine has also written a few guest posts on my website about nutrition that might interest you.

u/goneBiking · 1 pointr/Velo

My fan looks similar to the Airking you mentioned. However I still find myself wishing I had more airflow, and tweaking the left/right angle of the fan to get max airflow on me. Where do you position your fan? Is it elevated, or floor level in front of your front wheel? I've been thinking of getting some like this air mover to compliment (or replace) the axial fan I have. I ride inside all year around, and probably spend total 60% of my training time inside...

u/willhickey · 6 pointsr/Velo

There is so much complexity in becoming a good bike racer... if you can hire a coach you should. But here's some generic advice:

  • Buy a copy of The Cyclists Training Bible and read it.
  • Work on your core strength and stability. This mostly involves static exercises like planks, not lots of situps. Friel's book discusses this in depth.
  • Go on group rides and pay attention. See who looks the most comfortable on their bike and the smoothest in the group and then learn from them.
  • After base season, train hard. If your training time is limited by school you can compensate somewhat by doing lots of really high intensity. Again, Friel's book gives good examples.
  • Be patient. You won't get a pro contract next year. But you could get mononucleosis or crash and end up completely burned out and never want to ride a bike again. It's important to think long-term and stay healthy!

    edit: clarified final bullet to not end on such a downer sentence.
u/kachewy · 2 pointsr/Velo

I agree with FastFreire being successful in bike racing is much more than power to weight ratio at FTP. (Although yours is a good start) You may want check out this post on power profiles.

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/power-profiling

Also I'd recommend checking out a few other resources on bike racing and power.

https://www.trainerroad.com/podcast


https://www.velopress.com/books/reading-the-race/


https://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-2nd/dp/1934030554



If you have the funds you may also want to look into getting a coach to help you interpret your power data and lay out a training plan.

u/OnlyFactsNoContext · 8 pointsr/Velo
  1. Join a local cycling club. Here's a big one in Chicago

  2. Build up your palmares so that you can ride something more than CAT5. Cycling racing demands that you move up categories based on your experience. Mostly to keep people who have never raced in a bunch sprint or a paceline from hurting competent racing cyclists. Having never raced before you're likely to start for a season or so at the lowest level (CAT5).

  3. Start racing in local centuries or cyclosportives. I don't want to stomp on your dreams, but unless you're clearly (I mean solo to victory 10+ minutes ahead) then you're probably not pro level. Here's a list of rides happening this year in Chicago.

  4. Commit this winter to doing Joe Friel's program, race a few races in the spring then get your personal physiological characteristics measured (VO2max etc). See how you compare to others.

  5. Start sending out packages (palmares, physio stats, any other value you'd bring to a team) to development squads.

  6. Hope that you got the stuff.
u/jugglist · 1 pointr/Velo

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tire-Bead-Jack/dp/B001AYML7K - your new best friend.

To make it fit into my saddle bag easier, I sawed off the entire handle, right up to the base that keeps the whole thing together. You don't need the extra leverage.

I've carried one of these forever, for various rims. Right now I'm on Hed Jet Plus rims and gp4k tires - same story as all the others. Those are hard to fit even at home - forget doing it on the roadside.

u/acerni · 3 pointsr/Velo

Personally, I'd work on over-unders, in your case going uphill; for a given work interval, stand up for 1-2 minutes bringing your HR/Power/RPE above threshold, then back down into the saddle and to tempo or sub threshold for 1-2 minutes (to start I would recommend doubling your work time to find your "recovery" time). Repeat this 3-4 times, then rest for an equal amount of time going very very easy, ie zone 1-2. Repeat. This mixed in with some steadier efforts. If you haven't read Friel that's a good place to start. Racing Weight and the Quick Start Guide help me lose weight. Depending on the type of racing you're doing, you may not have to lose all that much more weight. I race in NYC (virtually flat, no hill more than 40m) and I race fine at 5'10" and 165-170 lbs. Hope this helps.

u/mrswart · 3 pointsr/Velo

Lots of great information in this thread about training with power so far.

Training with power is much more than generating big numbers and showing off to your friends. It's a great tool for tracking your fitness and fatigue over time to make sure you don't over train and peak at the right times. Look into Performance Management Charts and how they are used for training.

Even if you have a coach, you should get this book and read through it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934030554/

Also, sign up for TrainingPeaks or learn how to use golden cheetah. TP costs money, is super nice and automated. Strava is a fun toy, but it sucks compared to a real tool like TP.

u/T3stdrv3r · 2 pointsr/Velo

Where is it, just behind your hip bone area tender? Sounds like IT band/weak hip abductors. Stretching will help that but not unless you are doing some strength training and core work too. Riders tend to be quad dominate and tight quads and hamstrings mixed with weak glutes will mess your hips up. I spent 4 months last year trying to get rid of it.

Hip raises, side leg raises, clam shell exercises with resistance bands are kinda the go to remedy. The stronger that stuff got the less tightness I had all around.

​

This book helps if you stick to the routine and goes into the reasons why.

Good info here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYtrdeGDlWs

u/imsowitty · 5 pointsr/Velo

Buy and read The Cyclists Training Bible by Joe Friel.
http://www.amazon.com/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Joe-Friel/dp/1934030201

Even if you aren't targeting a particular race, the best way to improve is to train in cycles.

"ride lots" is fine too, esp. since you aren't particularly interested in racing, but the truth is if you want to get as fast as possible as soon as possible, train like you're racing. This may not be as fun, but you have to decide what's worth it to you.

u/Giraffe_Racer · 9 pointsr/Velo

The Cyclist's Training Bible is the go-to introduction to training concepts. It's probably information overload if you're just getting into the sport, but there's a ton of good information.

The Time-Crunched Cyclist is a really good introduction to interval training. You'd need at least an HR monitor to do the workouts. I don't follow Carmichael's plans in that book, but I did adapt it a little to fit my needs last summer.

u/spectre256 · 2 pointsr/Velo

/u/blueg3 is probably right. Furthermore, even if you are going all-out, it sounds like you're doing at least one 60 minute all-out effort a week. That's a LOT. Most cyclists at any level cannot continue to get stronger doing that. It's possible your true FTP is higher than what your numbers are currently showing, but you're too fatigued to achieve the actual number. Fatigue in cycling is weird and insidious and this can be true even if you don't feel "tired".

​

Training books I've read, like Training and Racing with a Power Meter, first of all don't advise to do 60 minute all-out efforts outside of an actual race, and second suggest doing the 20 minute all-out power testing efforts no more than once a month or so.

​

You've been seeing increases in your max power, which is awesome, but you might even see MORE increases testing your power less frequently and with shorter efforts.

u/soutioirsim · 7 pointsr/Velo

These are just my two cents so interpret how you want. From the looks of things, it seems like you've got a lot of interval sessions in there and this time of year you should focusing on base miles (lots of steady efforts)

I know what you're thinking, '..but I've done a lot of long rides over the summer, so I've essentially already done my base miles?' The thing is that developing your aerobic engine (which is what base miles do) takes a lot of hours and this is the time of the year to do it. Also, doing lots of interval sessions can burn you out before racing season even arrives!

My advice, primarily taken from The Cyclist Training Bible by Joe Freil, would be to cut down your interval sessions to once a week. Also, you mentioned you wanted to help your sprint for next year and the perfect way to do that at this time of the year is some weight training once a week. Fill the rest of the time with base miles. Your running is good for base stuff as well so keep that up.

Finally, if you find yourself getting bored on the turbo you could always do some speed skill sessions which focus on how you pedal and to improve the 'smoothness'. Two sesssions that I currently do are:

Spin ups

  • For 1min, gradually build up to max cadence (without bouncing)
  • Maintain this high cadence for as long as possible
  • 3min recovery and repeat several times

    Leg Isolations

  • Unclip one leg and focus on form, especially at 12 o'clock position
  • When leg gets tired, switch legs and repeat
  • When leg gets tired, pedal with both legs for 2min and focus on technique. Repeat.
u/snowboardracer · 3 pointsr/Velo

> can you clarify? (new to this). Thanks!

You may want to check this book and this book out from your local library. There is a "new competitor" plan in the first book that focuses on the goals you outlined in your post. But, even the "time crunched" plans require 6+ hours on the bike per week over 3 to 4 days. Is she able to hop on a trainer once or twice a week in addition to heading out with you and the groups? Those books with the included plans may help.

Have you considered riding with your wife outside of the group setting for a bit? You'd be able to train with her and get her endurance up so she'd be able to hang with the groups you both would rather ride with.

In the end, the shortest answer to help her is "ride more" but that's more of an /r/bicycling response than an /r/velo response.

Edit: And in case anyone is curious, it seems OP is in Florida. Around my parts, 30 mile routes at 18-20mph is no joke, let alone 22 or 24mph. But, rated climbs are about 5 miles from my driveway ;)

u/SirQuadzilla · 2 pointsr/Velo

Max: 1592w ---- 5s: 1363w ---- 20mins: 345w 4.2w/kg

Played basketball for 15+ years which I would say attributed to my fast twitch muscle fibres.

With structured training you'll see your FTP increase heaps. As others have mentioned, get a copy of Training and Racing with a Power Meter, by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan.

Other option is get a coach which will help heaps too !

u/pinkpeach11197 · 7 pointsr/Velo

I use a spread sheet I'm fairly sure it was made or at least endorsed by Joel Friel. You can download it here: https://www.trainingbible.com/resource.php.
If you don't have a plan I strongly recommend getting this book called "The Cyclists Training Bible" which will guide you in all aspects of creating a personalized plan and answers a bunch of other training questions. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934030201/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419837779&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=519fhwt12TL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40. It is also available as an ebook.

u/PMs_You_Stuff · 3 pointsr/Velo

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Friel-Joe-ebook/dp/B00AWE96CW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422167770&sr=8-1&keywords=cycling+training+bible

I recommend you buy the cyclist's training bible by Joe Freil. I learned about it through this sub and it has helped me SO much. It teaches you nearly everything you want to know and gives examples and walks you through making a training program that fits you.

But in short, something like 3 weeks of load and 4th week should be rest, with mostly endurance, that means staying in zones 1 or 2, with some fitness testing. Give your legs, body and mind time to take a breather. Bring volume down to 4-5 hours, so take 3 days off leaving the rest for endurance and testing.

u/Tarpit_Carnivore · 2 pointsr/Velo

I mainly stretch on the days I ride, and then only after I finish a ride. I'll hit the quads, hamstrings and hip flexors. I'll also throw in a foam roll session to target the sorest parts of the body. On non-riding days the most I might do is an easy foam roll.

Also not sure if this really qualifies, but I've been trying to do Tom Danielson's core workouts 3-4 times a week. I'm finding this to be just as beneficial, if not more, than regular stretching.

u/spokesmanfornoone · 1 pointr/Velo

A small blower on low works well for keeping the sweat dry on your face, that plus a box fan would be ideal. This is what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-655704-Purpose-Pivoting-Utility/dp/B006O6FA22/

u/smithtys · 2 pointsr/Velo

I use this one (~$90). It works so well that I sometimes have to turn it off as I get too cold w/it even on the lowest setting during all but the hardest workouts. Very happy w/ the purchase.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DNGSCM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/DoctorAwkward · 1 pointr/Velo

I picked up this recently, some interesting ideas, and I'm sold on adding a gym day to improve my endurance for long distance events. Anyone else see this? Here's a shorter article with the core of the workout.

u/DidacticPerambulator · 1 pointr/Velo

I'm guessing the book is this, but I would be surprised if that were truly something Coggan had written. It doesn't sound like him.

u/dgran73 · 2 pointsr/Velo

I haven't read it, but I've heard good things about Graeme Obree's (hour record holder) book:

https://www.amazon.com/Obree-Way-Graeme/dp/1408196425

u/velo33 · 3 pointsr/Velo

What kind of HRM is it? If it's a Garmin and using the soft strap, that's your issue. Solution: Buy the plastic hard strap like myself and everyone I know has done. Or spend hours on Google researching, then buy the cheapo plastic strap. http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-10997-00-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000UOD5QM/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1383158761&sr=8-6&keywords=garmin+strap

u/john_wayne_pil-grim · 14 pointsr/Velo

This is literature, not training, but I still very much recommend this book.

u/conipto · 1 pointr/Velo

Graeme Obree touches this a little in his book. He was somewhat OCD about his trainer setup, and while a lot of the book is a little out there compared to modern sports science, this section about getting consistent measurements with trainers was pretty eye opening.

u/retrac1324 · 10 pointsr/Velo

Friel's training bible is very popular - http://amazon.com/The-Cyclists-Training-Bible-Friel/dp/1934030201

For GoPro style race videos, sometimes with commentary - http://bikevideoarchive.com (seems to be down at the moment)

u/chock-a-block · 1 pointr/Velo

Yes, quite good. However, save your "powder" for the last prime. Keep in mind the attack is kind of long. You want to be very close to the front of the sprint, THEN attack, hard. Do not wait for the field to start coasting. We all know how the pace drops off after a prime. Go before for that. Most should be busy sucking a wheel to see you go.

Get this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Tactics-Cyclists-Thomas-Prehn/dp/1931382301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479749134&sr=8-1&keywords=thomas+prehn+cycling+book

u/I_am_not_at_work · 13 pointsr/Velo

If you already have the 500, I would really suggest getting a cheap HRM.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-10997-00-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000UOD5QM

$36 for the hard strap really isn't a lot if you already bought the 500. You can then figure out your LTHR (there was a thread about it yesterday) and base your intervals of off that.

I rode 2 years without power or heart rate and my the largest gains I made were right after I finally bought a HRM. Having an idea of what training zone you are in is a much better gauge versus using perceived effort

u/aix_galericulata · 3 pointsr/Velo

Yeah!

I made baked eggs with some cheese in a muffin tin, wrapped each of them in foil, and brought them instead of Gu.

I found them in https://www.amazon.com/Feed-Zone-Portables-Cookbook-Go/dp/1937715000/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PS60KEEY7HCR6HA8XS6P

u/c_zeit_run · 3 pointsr/Velo

There's a book on tactics from Chris Horner? How do I not own this already interrobang?!

Quick link to amazon.

u/vertr · 5 pointsr/Velo

No, you aren't harming your legs. For track you want explosive energy, so intervals are key. Most people start intervals in January and do base up until then. I don't think a lot of base will be required in your case beyond your commute if you are doing that five days a week.

This is the book you want to read regarding training: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cyclists-Training-Bible-ebook/dp/B00AWE96CW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382911324&sr=1-1

u/White_Lobster · 14 pointsr/Velo

Joe Friel's book is good. Take your time with it and really understand what he's recommending. It's a bit complicated to figure out at first, but he knows what he's talking about.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cyclists-Training-Bible-Friel/dp/1934030201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375132557&sr=8-1&keywords=joe+friel+the+cyclists+training+bible

u/RhindleLAK · 1 pointr/Velo

I use a very similar Lasko blower, which I chose after seeing them at my LBS's CompuTrainer studio.

But if you really need the power, try what my buddy at work uses: Power Cat 1200XL.

u/JoeJoeJoeJoeJoeJoe · 5 pointsr/Velo

Training and Racing with a Power Meter and Cyclist's Training Bible are probably the closest two. Also check out Reading the Race for strategy tips and race craft.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/Velo

And if you are using a power meter, Training and Racing with a Power Meter is probably the way to go.

u/jawnpee · 2 pointsr/Velo

You need to read the Eddie B. book - http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Road-Racing-Complete-Competition/dp/0941950077

Talk of eating horsemeat.

One I personally subscribe to is legwarmers below 70 degrees. Keeps the knees from getting crispy.

u/theenriquesuave · 6 pointsr/Velo

I have an abnormally large number of roommates and our walls are pretty thin. I use two of these and start my workouts wearing a windbreaker until I’m generating more heat: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-655704-Velocity-Blower-Yellow/dp/B006O6FA22

I’ve had no noise complaints from my roommates so far.

u/w33tad1d · 1 pointr/Velo

OP, if you have not yet, please read Training and Racing with a Power Meter. If you have not read it I recommend just reading it through once, even if you start saying "what the hell is this part getting at?" Then once you are done reread it. It makes a ton of sense the second time through when you can see what he is laying ground work for later in the book.