The Free Cycling Speed That NOBODY Is Talking About | GCN Show Ep. 590

Do you worry about your cycling efficiency? ♻

When you are as out of shape as I am, you start thinking about efficiency just walking to your bike.

So, in my case an accident can lead to loads of more efficiency: a crushed vertebrea left me unable to cycle on my racing bike. Missed it sorely, until I remembered there are recumbent bikes that you can lie down on. And a fast version of such, with an aero tail, makes me cycle at average speeds above 30 kph consistently, just 3 Month of being bedridden for 2 Month. I am now preparing for an hour time trial in June, want to hit 40 km 😊

It's only my 3rd year as a cyclist (I'm 44) and I just learned to pace myself during longer rides using my heart rate monitor. Staying under a given BPM number helps me to stay disciplined and not to go all-out in the first climbs. This way, I can make it to the end of the ride with a smile on my face instead of struggling for the last 15-20 kilometers. Also, as rides will go by, I'll get to know myself better based on real data, so I'll know when and how to push more or hold back.

Yes, efficiency! I love taking the small hills like Dan did - well done Dan. Not pedalling downhill only makes sense. Your effort is wasted until you get to the point above which gravity itself gets you going. Much better to take the free recovery time. More Mark Beaumont, please. And yes, I am an engineer who cycles. Ollie never bores me either.

Maybe one aspect of cycling efficiency is off the bike, namely, diet. A good, healthy diet will help you recover quicker and improve overall performance.

Certainly it seems like volume and consistency over months and years is a sure fire thing - ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.

Waxed chain + TPU tubes + GP 5000 + aero tuck = Go fast!

The physics are fairly simple. Absent drafting, the work you do to cover a fixed distance on the flat is proportional to the square of the speed. If you only have so many calories in the tank you will run out of gas before the end if you go too fast. However, on a steep climb at a speed where aerodynamic drag is negligible, the work required to climb 1000 metres is the same however fast you ride it. It will take the same amount of calories to ride in 30 minutes as it would in 60 minutes. Hence you will not drain your tank by riding faster up a hill. Of course if you go up too fast you will kill your legs, and have a soaring heartrate, but the number of calories burned to the top is pretty much the same. What this means is that over a long ride the most efficient place to burn your matches is on climbs, not on the flat.

Anxiety equals inefficiency. Which was indirectly covered; 'calm'.

Talking about second laps: Ask Cillian about how cruel it was to be back in Oudenaarde at the feed station but still having to head out again with the Koppenberg, the Taaienberg, the Kwaramont and the Paterberg still to come and all in the rain.

I’m all about efficiency. I ride with lots of fast local riders, and many of them are a fair bit stronger than me in terms of pure w/kg etc. On paper I should get dropped on a hard chain gang by these guys, but I don’t, I’m almost always one of the few remaining at the end - and yes I do do my fair share of pulls on the front! I really think my biggest strength is being efficient - whether that’s with kit choice, body position, drafting, positioning, cornering, carrying momentum in the right place etc. Rather than trying to outpace people I try to use less energy than they are to travel at the same speed. It doesn’t go unnoticed by other riders either

I have a lot of fun riding the steep rolling hills here in Michigan, USA. I always pedal downhill running through the gears until my speed overcomes the gears. It takes 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the next climb , during which I'm running my gears down. Up the gearing starts to go at the summit, then repeat! Lots of fun, efficient, and comments about my climbing!

Caption contest: "I'm Alpecin's teapot short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout. Like all soigneurs hear me shout: this bottle's sticky, hold your hand out!" Go ahead and find a technicality in that, pedants.

Caption Comp: I'm a little teapot, Short and stout, Here is my handle Here is my spout

Thank you for adjusting the highlights at the start. Dan's lead-in and the sound fx between snippets makes it much clearer.

I like thinking about bunch efficiency as a good mental stimulation during long rides. Thinking about position in the bunch, where to put myself due to the wind, when to change gears, how to approach corners or short climbs so as to not have to accelerate hard. It all just makes several hours much more interesting than it would be solo. It even helps when knowing where to position slightly weaker riders to make the whole group work better.

Regarding what you mentioned on riding efficiency makes a ton of sense and I proved that for myself this past weekend when I rode in the Texas MS150 here in the US, which was 158 miles (254 km) in 2 days, through lots of hills. Speeding down hill never lead to riding faster up hill, because I was gassed pretty much every time. However, starting pedaling early at the bottom of a short’ish climb, definitely makes my speed up the hill much faster. I’m glad you talked about overall efficiency riding, because I haven’t seen it anywhere on other channels, but have heard it only from my local group riders.

An aero tuck and free wheeling down a hill are much more efficient than pedaling. Assuming not racing, but for the most efficiency, yes?

Efficiency thoughts: as it’s spring here in 🇨🇭 and we’re getting back at it, a friend of mine and I decided to ride the same route 7 days in a row to get our legs back. Nice 25k ride with about 450 meters of climbing. Anyway, on day 3 I decided to focus on my tuck during the descents and not push so hard; boom, PR. But I do agree with the push at the bottom of a descent or flat leading into a small climb. Absolutely works well. And on the 77k ride a few of us did today (998 meters of climbing) I desperately held the wheel of one of the better riders on the flats to regain some energy. Happy to mooch off his efforts!