The Garage Beckons…
It’s hard to admit but the season is changing. The heat of summer has gone and mornings arrive with dew covered grass. Kids have returned to school and people are entering hill climbs. Soon we will have to think about training indoors.
Not everyone’s idea of fun but at Halo Cycles we see opportunity in staring at the garage wall. Accurate power recording and a trainer that helps build core strength and skills can help make your winter sessions efficient, challenging and a major part of your progressive training plan.
Power First: Power meters aren’t rare anymore, which is a good thing. Accurately measuring your total training load and the specifics within it are essential to improved performance. In the winter we use power in two ways, to measure the total work done so you can build on it month by month. Then to control the levels you train to during shorter indoor sessions. 20 minute Sweet Spot intervals, 3-4 min VO2 Max efforts or your highest average power at a defined high cadence. All great ways of moving yourself forward in a structured plan but all need power measurement you can rely on and that bears resemblance to the power you are used to getting on the open road.
At Halo Cycles we were one of the first retailers of Verve Cycling’s Infocrank Powermeter. Before British Cycling chose them for their national teams we had tested and confirmed their accuracy and more importantly, consistency. With Infocrank, what ever bike you use and which ever set of cranks you have on they all read and feel the same. Something we had never found before and ideal for multi bike winter training.
Trainers Second: The choice of indoor trainers is somewhat baffling: direct drive, computer controlled, Watt Bikes, turbos and rollers, it’s hard to know which way to go. At Halo it comes back to the what works best for our coaching clients and what develops more aspects of a person’s cycling. We believe rollers with resistance are the best option and are why we have just taken over the UK licence for Kreitler Rollers. Turbos and direct drive systems clamp the bike meaning all a rider has to do is pedal. Rollers with a flywheel give a smooth, road like feel and resistance enough for even the strongest riders to generate high powers. Crucially though, you have to balance on rollers. When doing efforts you are making micro adjustments all the time, engaging your core developing skills in the same way you do on the road. There is no doubt that a winter on rollers with resistance is better for your cycling than a winter on the turbo.
To find out more about Infocrank Powermeters click here: Infocrank
For Kreitler rollers click here: Kreitler Rollers