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Coach’s Tales with Cliff English: Key bike-trainer sessions for the winter

By Cliff English
www.competitiveedgetraining.com

January 26, 2006 -- If you are planning to get in a few winter miles on your bike trainer over the coming couple of months, you should consider spending at least some of your trainer time working on your cycling efficiency through a number of specific drills and workouts.

Coach Cliff English

Even if you are able to ride season-round outdoors, you should try to get in one session a week on the trainer in the off-season. The gains you will make in improving your pedal stoke and efficiency will pay dividends in the race season.

It is not too late in the off-season to include a six- to eight-week block of specific bike drills into your training program. And some of these drills can even be used throughout the season to keep your cycling skills finely tuned.

We will just stick to the elemental basics required for good cycling technique: get a good fit on your bike so you are comfortable and relaxed with smooth pedaling mechanics. Here are a few sessions you can use to improve your cycling efficiency this winter.

Note: All the following weekly sessions should include a 10- to 15-minute warm-up and cool-down.

Session 1: Cadence spin ups
After your warm-up, cycle through two rounds of the below workout on your trainer:

· 4 x (90 seconds at 100rpm/60 seconds at 110rpm/30 seconds 120 rpm). Take an easy 60-second recovery spin after each set.

· 2 x (20 seconds left leg/20 seconds both/20 seconds right leg/20 seconds both). Take an easy 60-second recovery spin between sets.

· 4 x (60 seconds at 110rpm/45 seconds at 120rpm/30 seconds 130rpm). Take 75 seconds easy-spin recovery after each set.

· 2 x (20 seconds left leg/20 seconds both/20 seconds right leg/20 seconds both). Take an easy 60-second recovery spin between sets.

· 1-2 minutes easy recovery spin before repeating the entire set for a total of two rounds.

Focus on keeping your upper body still and motionless throughout the above drill session, and try to minimalize bouncing on your saddle while concentrating on powering through a complete 360-degree pedal stroke.

The isolated-leg drill is effective for helping you work on a smooth 360-degree pedal stroke. It can be difficult to keep the isolated pedal stroke smooth, especially at the 12 o’clock position.

Session 2: Big-gear strength work
Use the big-gear segments to build strength and slow down your pedal stroke, again ensuring that you emphasize all 360 degrees of the stroke.

· 5-6 x 1 minute in a big gear (at approximately 60-70rpm)
· 1-minute spin at 100-110rpm
· 1 minute in a big gear (at approximately 50-55rpm)
· 1-minute spin at 100-110rpm
· 1min easy spin

After the above set, go directly into a 10-minute steady spin at 100rpm. Focus on a smooth pedal stroke.

Session 3: Cadence pyramids
The cadence pyramid is a challenging set you definitely need to build up to, as there is no rest once your reach your top cadence in the set. However, the drills are extremely effective at helping you develop a smooth pedal stroke – and maintain it despite fatigue.

· 2-3 x (2 minutes at 100rpm/90 seconds at 110rpm/1 minute at 120rpm/30 seconds at 130rpm/1 minute at 120rpm/90 seconds at 110rpm/2 minutes at 100rpm) Take 90 seconds easy-spin recovery after each set.

· 4 x (30 seconds left leg/30 seconds both/30 seconds right leg/30 seconds both). Take 90 seconds easy-spin recovery after each set.

Once you have gone through a few weeks of the above sessions and feel comfortable with the workouts you can increase both the length and number of intervals and your cadence – plus you can start adding resistance or moving into larger gears.

Enjoy becoming a smooth cadence machine, and until the next time, have fun with your indoor cycle sessions.

If you have a triathlon-training question for Coach Cliff, please e-mail Triathlete Magazine Interactive.

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Cliff English is personal coach of 2005 Half IM California and 2005 Wildflower winner Samantha McGlone, 2005 Tri California series winner Kelly Guest and swim and run coach to 2003 and 2005 Xterra world champion Melanie McQuaid. For more information on Cliff and his coaching programs, please visit Competitive Edge Training and Endurance Specialists.