High-Volume Training at
Low Intensity
Training a lot at low intensity conditions your body to work more efficiently.
It also burns fat (reducing your weight and therefore the amount of power
you need to propel yourself) and trains your body to use a more energy-efficient
method of fueling your muscles.
Strength Training
The stronger your muscles, the more power they'll deliver to the pedals
with the same amount of oxygen taken up. One way to improve strength is
by training with weights in a gym.
Speed Intervals
Speed intervals are designed to increase your body's aerobic capacity
and ability to clear lactate. Speed intervals are very short-lasting (10
to 20 seconds) and include complete recovery. They are designed, not to
tax your body, but to train your muscles to move very quickly without
exhausting them in the process. This leads to more efficient motion and
the ability to turn the pedals faster without increasing oxygen demand.
An example of a speed interval is to sprint full out for 10 seconds and
then to pedal easily for several minutes before doing it again.
Decrease Aerodynamic Drag and Rolling Resistance
If you can decrease the friction on you and your bike, you will have
more of your energy available to actually propel yourself.
The largest frictional force you encounter on a bike is aerodynamic drag,
and over 2/3 of the drag on you and the bike is on you. The easiest element
to address is clothing. If your shorts are baggy or your jersey, vest,
or jacket are flapping, realize that dressing this way is costing you
extra effort.
As for your body itself, the first thing to reduce is its width in the
wind. Look at your knees as you pedal; if they stick out to the sides,
you are paying for that. Consciously pedal with, your knees in close to
the top tube. If that causes pain or discomfort, look into what might
be happening biomechanically and correct it; Getting your elbows in out
of the wind is the next step and can be done with aero handlebars. Finally,
lowering your shoulders and chin will reduce your drag.
In so far as air drag on your bicycle, look first for the obvious things.
Eliminate handlebar bags, panniers, fenders, racks, etc. If you have a
big, wide under-the-seat bag, get rid of some of the stuff in it and use
a smaller one. Next, look at the wheels. Wheels with fewer spokes (and
flat spokes at that) and taller, airfoil-shaped rims will generally take
less energy to propel on most terrain, provided they are reasonably light.
Narrower, smoother tires also help. A fork with an aerodynamic shape usually
contributes more aerodynamic savings than an aero frame and saves you
money when compared to buying a new frame.
The other frictional forces to deal with are the rolling resistance of
the tires and the rotating friction of the bearings in the wheel hubs,
pedals, and bottom bracket. Smoother, better-quality tires with higher
thread counts generally roll with less energy than tires with fewer, thicker,
stiffer casing threads. Also, match your tire pressure to the conditions.
The only time you want super-high pressure is on a super-smooth surface.
For instance, on a chip-sealed road, a tire pumped up rock hard cannot
absorb the small variations in the road surface and is deflected over
each gravel hunk, forcing your entire bike and body up and back and costing
energy. But if the tire has less pressure, the individual gravel pieces
depress into the tread, and the bike is able to roll more directly, with
less deflection.
Also be sure to keep your bearings adjusted and well maintained so they
spin smoothly and freely.
Decrease Weight
As with aerodynamics, the greatest contribution to the total weight of
you and the bicycle is you. If you can decrease your weight without decreasing
your power output, you will use less energy to ride at the same speed.
As for your bike, the only barrier to having a lighter one is usually
$. When choosing where to allocate your budget, remember that rotating
weight (wheels, tires, shoes, pedals) gives you the most reduction in
energy requirements per unit of weight, so concentrate on those areas
first. Then, realize that swapping out large items like frames, forks,
and cranks can yield the largest weight reductions, whereas swapping derailleurs,
for instance, offers only very slight weight reductions.
Increase Comfort
Finally, if you are uncomfortable on your bike, you will not ride economically.
Squirming around to relieve discomfort is neither aerodynamically efficient
nor does it allow you to pedal efficiently.
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