Small ring vs big ring training advantages

[sorin]

Isn't he going faster than 48mph ? Cos when passing moto is definetly 5-10miles more -but not sure what speed moto had at that moment... I tried counting how many times he reaches 6'o clock position in 1 sec.-seems is ~ 120-140rpm. Really enlighting this thread has answer many questions about what is "good efficient training ".

[stella-azzurra]

The moto speeds up to keep the same speed as Tyler.
No need to count count his revs on the clip it's pretty clear from the gear calculator when you plug in the values what the rpm and speed is in any given gear.

[Tapeworm]

It would be rare for a roadie to hit 150 rpm in a sprint. That doesn't not mean one should not try to obtain meaningful power at this rpm in training but I think most could (and should) aim for 120+.

[Geoff]

I routinely top-out at 150-160 in road sprints (but I have lots of track time). In certain circumstances, it can be a big advantage. I would recommend training for high rpm sprints for road, too.

[KWalker]

I've hit 165 in a road sprint, but my max average was 135.

I'm not sure the ring matters. On a group ride this year I managed to mess up the pinch bolt on my front derailleur on a bike that didn't have a barrel adjuster. It pulled through and I was stuck with the little ring for the first half of the ride. At the regroup point I had to manually set the derailleur in the big ring and rode it the rest of the ride. The terrain was the same both ways and other than my cadence being 10 RPM different in some gear combos there was no difference in power or PE.

[buikpijn]

Keep in mind that this speedometer on this kymco scooter most likely isn't calibrated, it might be off by quit a bit.

the 'bpm counter app' tells me he's doing 122 rpm on passing. Later it seems like he's shifting up (or slowing down).

I'm nowhere near a pro, but from the years of cycling I was intrigued by finding my most efficient rpm sweetspot. I think it differs from one person to another. My way of finding my most efficient rpm was is by simple calculating the bpk (beats per kilometer) With a powermeter you can simple observe your poweroutput/heartrate vs RPM. The rotor q-rings made me more efficient btw. I'm not a good sprinter, by all means, but sprinting at higher RPM's helps me recover faster.

[Mike S.]

The original idea behind low cadence intervals (LCI) is to allow a rider to maintain constant tension on their crankset through all 360 degrees of its rotation thereby minimizing dead spots, improving efficiency and still getting a workout.

A possible side benefit of LCIs may be to stimulate muscle growth and maintenance.

Riding in a small : small (ring : cog), a.k.a. "cross chain", causes loss of power.

We often have more important things to pay attention to during group rides or races, so the place to do LCIs is on a continuous hill of significant grade, during independent ride(s).

The heart has no idea why it's beating faster, so heart rate is a separate issue, but it does have to be elevated during LCis in order to be getting a workout.

Exactly how high and how often, is a different subject.

I'm banned from Rodale Press (Bicycling Magazine) message boards, because I told them the truth, which they try, desperately, to avoid.

[Tapeworm]

Well thanks for sharing the, er, uh... "truth" with us.

Which is what exactly?

[devinci]

Hell no wonder why you are banned from that place: lolz

[stella-azzurra]

Keep in mind that this speedometer on this kymco scooter most likely isn't calibrated, it might be off by quit a bit.

the 'bpm counter app' tells me he's doing 122 rpm on passing. Later it seems like he's shifting up (or slowing down).

I'm nowhere near a pro, but from the years of cycling I was intrigued by finding my most efficient rpm sweetspot. I think it differs from one person to another. My way of finding my most efficient rpm was is by simple calculating the bpk (beats per kilometer) With a powermeter you can simple observe your poweroutput/heartrate vs RPM. The rotor q-rings made me more efficient btw. I'm not a good sprinter, by all means, but sprinting at higher RPM's helps me recover faster.

Maybe a difference of +/-5kph on that scooter but they are not that much off.
Once the sprinter has committed to the gear selection for the sprint they are not going to shift again unless the line is quite far.

The most efficient rpm sweet spot is between 80-100 rpm or 90 rpm to be exact.

When you do the extreme such as sprinting the higher rpm the better in the given gear.