Carry extra weight when training

souter

Apologies to the seasoned members of this board accustomed to hordes of newbies twigging the wicklow 100 is not quite the walk in the park - it must be as bad as municipal tennis courts during Wimbledon.

One of my cunning plans is that when I take the panniers and mudguards of my bike the reduction in weight will allow me to slip the surly bonds of earth and fly up the hills.
Exploring this thesis further I wonder why everyone I see on spins, presumably training, are in their finest lycra etc?
Would it not be more efficient training to load the bike with dead weight, make sure the brake blocks are rubbing, and deploy a small parachute?
Then come race day - kapow!!
But seriously, does anyone practise climbing with (intentional) excess weight?

Chips Lovell

souter wrote: »

But seriously, does anyone practise climbing with (intentional) excess weight?

If you want to work harder while climbing, just ride faster.

Civilian_Target

I cycle up hills on a 16kg bike, + panniers. But thats because work is at the top

It's the same in any sport, it's more effective to just go harder than to add weight. I guess adding weight builds muscles designed more for hauling weight than for stamina.

**Timbuk2**

As it was sunny yesterday, I cycled to the shop with a 10 L petrol can to fill it up for the lawnmower

I regretted it cycling back, a ~10 kg weight on just one side makes turning awkward (I should have walked like I normally do). However, I noticed that I had to work considerably harder to maintain a normal speed when I had the 10 kg weight (I thought only 10 kg wouldn't make a noticeable difference)

Obviously you want a weight that isn't pulling you down on one side only. A schoolbag filled with books/rocks/dumbells should serve you well

Although, as said above - working harder might do the same thing. Try pushing yourself to a point where you can just about talk

pburns

A friend of mine who NEVER strays off-road stuck to knobbly-tyred mountain bikes for years because he claimed he got a better work-out. He's a stubborn, resistant to change sort, eventually got a hybrid and is only now considering a racer.

He also cycles with a tracksuit bottom over his cycling shorts. There's a hole in the manhood part and it baloons out to make him the most unaerodynamic gimp in the world.

He isn't the sharpest tool in the box...

KStaford

pburns wrote: »

He also cycles with a tracksuit bottom over his cycling shorts. There's a hole in the manhood part and it baloons out to make him the most unaerodynamic gimp in the world.

jesus, has he ever been arrested ?

Lumen

Does every idea that you have involve unnecessary suffering?

If so I recommend filling your tyres with concrete, going fixed and cycling backwards with the cleats on the inside of your shoes.

gman2k

souter wrote: »

But seriously, does anyone practise climbing with (intentional) excess weight?

Well lots of lads have a training bike, which could be a few kilos heavier than their racing bike, but I reckon that's just for reliability/ expense of repairs on the expensive machine.

souter

Lumen wrote: »

Does every idea that you have involve unnecessary suffering?

Isn't that what cycling is about?
Ok, I was being somewhat facetious. I do carry a load of junk on my commute, but that's more a consequence of having 2 panniers and hoarding mentality than a conscious training plan.
Harder, faster, longer, not heavier - I will remember this.

victorcarrera

gman2k wrote: »

Well lots of lads have a training bike, which could be a few kilos heavier than their racing bike, but I reckon that's just for reliability/ expense of repairs on the expensive machine.

+1 on that. My hack bike gets all the wet spins, seldom washed but well lubed. Broken/worn parts are either second hand or cast offs from my racing bikes.

I have 6 bikes, lightest is 7.5 Kilos racer and heaviest is 20 Kilos Hybrid. I can get the same quality workout on any of the bikes but when riding alone my preferred choice is the heavier bike because it is more comfortable and I can ride slower hence more safe. It has a soft alu frame, flexible wheels, fat tyres with slime tube protection, flat handlebars and sprung seatpost. This allows me to ride those small traffic free link roads in relative comfort and safety. The terrain in my locality is relatively flat so i feel pushing the extra Kilos makes me stronger and doesn't permit too much dossing when Im training. My riding companions vary from two somewhat reluctant teenagers to hardened veterans so I choose the weight/quality of the bike to suit the route and ability of the group.

PS: Robert Millar sometimes used ankle weights in training so maybe there is something in it.

biker_joe

"The truth is that bike weight has very little to do with the work that we do on the bike (expressed in watts) and more to do with the speed. If I am riding at 350W, I can train at that level on a light bike and go faster, or train on a heavy bike and go slower, either way it is the same wattage. Bike weight does not necessarily increase resistance, the gearing and force that we apply to the pedal does."

From the Cyclingnews.com Fitness Q&A section ....

In saying all that I train on a slightly heavier bike, but it is one I used to race on ! but in saying that it saves the "racing" bike from getting wrecked during our lovely muddy wet winters ..... which moving parts don't like !!

biker Joe