4/6/2020 – Bike #1 – Developing Race Effort Capacity
April 6, 2020
Welcome BTC members to the 2020 training season!
The first cycling workout is focused on starting to build the capacity to ride at race effort. Please review the video to get a briefing on this week’s bike workout. This workout is designed as a mid week quality workout to be done in conjunction with your weekly long ride and other workouts.
Next week, we will be working on force development! More on that later.
Detailed WeekLY Workout Instructions:
Indoor riders: Smart Trainer platform workout downloads:
How to load workouts:
Outdoor riders: Safety guidance:
- Covid-19: Only ride outside if it is safe to do so. Follow all CDC & city guidelines. Do not put your health or that of others at risk for the sake of exercise.
- Helmets: Concussion is a significant risk factor for cycling. At some point, we will all fall. A proper cycling fit is key to decreasing this risk factor. Here is a video on how to fit your helmet correctly. https://youtu.be/IyhyrITHDgw
- Riding safely in the park: Please execute all workouts (esp these faster workouts) in the park when it is not crowded. Always pass to the right of other cyclists. Notify others by calling “on your right”, so there is adequate awareness that you are coming from behind.
- Always assume there is a faster cat: Hard to believe, but yes there is always a faster cyclist in the park with you. Always move leftward when not executing a pass to allow space for passing bikes.
- Aero only where it is safe: If you are on a TT bike. do not ride down the hill in Aero position or through the bottom corner of the park. Similarly, do not drop into Aero around Grand Army Plaza. Both areas are accident prone & have significant choke points. Your interval PR is just not worth it!
- Don’t draft in Aero: Never draft in Aero position. It is dangerous and is only done in very controlled cycling race situations like team time trails, and track events.
- Single file: Always execute BTC workouts in single file (you are a triathlete) unless you are out there doing a recovery spin. If you are side by side doing a recovery workout, always stay left, no Aero, and allow others to pass. Do not straddle lanes and stay within approximately an arm length to maximize space on the road. Never 3 side by side because it traps the center rider. That said, with Covid-19 no one should be riding side by side. By definition that is too close.
- Be polite & socially aware: The park is a shared space. How you behave reflects on the club. It can be frustrating and more so as the park is a limited recreational resource during this Covid-19 period. Please no cursing, or erratic or dangerous cycling behavior. Cyclists already have a poor reputation in the park. Perhaps unfair, but let’s not reinforce this image. Let’s show how it is done. We are a big club all wearing BTC gear and we are far from anonymous.
Ride safe! Ride strong! Coach Peter.
