- Hello and welcome to Ask GCN Anything.
It's that time of the week
when we go through your questions all about cycling.
- Now if you'd like to leave a question for next week,
then use the hashtag Torqueback
and leave your question in the comments below.
And if you'd like to ask a training-specific question,
then use the hashtag AskGCNTraining.
(light swoosh)
- So we've got a question from Ben Hinks,
"I live in the hills and want to get better at sprinting
"and riding fast on flat roads.
"Is there any way I could do this on hills?"
Well, the answer, Ben, is yes.
We actually spoke to Chris Opie,
who's our resident sprinter,
and he said that what you want to do is
look at doing about six efforts of around 12 seconds uphill
and that will work on your power.
Then you can also do the same effort going downhill
and that will work on your cadence.
So basically you're working on your speed
and your power which ultimately will give you a fast sprint.
- Yep.
So basically, it's the effort that counts
and you can use a hill, you just have to use it wisely.
You could actually also check out Chris' excellent
how to sprint video.
- Maintaining a really strong angle point
at the front of the bike.
Are you ready for these, Si?
- Yeah.
- Come on then.
(upbeat music)
(loud swooshes)
- Right, now we come to our special Zwift section
where the lucky questioner gets three months
of free Zwift subscription in return
for their excellent question.
You can submit your questions
using the hashtag AskGCNTraining.
- So the lucky winner this week
was Frederick J. Gomeringer, Jr.,
I think that's how you pronounce your name.
I apologize if not.
"Is there a way to train for endurance
"while being time crunched?
"So basically, what I'm asking is there a way
"to substitute a training method to increase endurance
"without riding longer or is riding longer
"and more often the only way to increase one's endurance?"
Well, I don't know if you want to start.
Do you want to start with that one?
- Yeah, well, I think it's an excellent question
for both time-crunched and professional athletes
because when athletes talk about increasing endurance,
they normally mean about increasing their aerobic efficiency
and traditionally, in the good ole days,
this was done by just doing really, really long rides,
like with you know, just water and no food.
But that is old school and it's not very time efficient
for anyone and I think these days,
even professional athletes who have more time to train
would do things a little bit differently.
So we did chat with Zwift about this
and basically the more efficient you are
at processing fat and carbohydrate aerobically,
the higher your sustainable power.
So that means you can produce more power
for fewer heartbeats basically.
So how do we do that?
Well, we did talk with Zwift about this
and we got some suggestions for sessions and here we go.
- [James] So do a repeated session, so 30 seconds
at VO2 max intensity, so around 106 to 120% of your FTP
with three minutes in recovery.
So remember that, three minutes,
'cause you're gonna need it.
And you know, you want to do around 20?
- [Emma] Up to 20, yeah.
- Up to 20 of these.
These efforts would actually be a really effective session.
- Yeah, and the key point is that
although the intensity is VO2 max,
the effort only would target your VO2 max system
if you did the interval for longer than three minutes.
So if you do a shorter interval,
so 30 seconds up to two minutes,
while it's at VO2 intensity,
it won't really be training your VO2 max system
because you won't have reached your VO2 max.
And so what it does do really well is train
your aerobic capacity.
You should feel your breathing rate increase
towards the end of the effort to cope with the load
but it shouldn't be a sprint.
So you want to hold it nice and steady
for the 30 seconds to two minutes,
however long you're doing it for.
- So a few key performing tips to perform the training is
riding with a high cadence for the interval portion.
This is an aerobic effort so maintaining a high cadence
really improves the aerobic stimulus.
And also, the intervals are not maximal efforts,
so remember that.
They are nice and controlled efforts
with stable power produced.
- Yeah, and so if you wanted to progress a session,
when you start out, you could do for example
10 times 30 seconds hard with three minutes' recovery
and then as you progress and you get stronger,
you could build it up to 20 times one minute
with just two minutes' recovery.
So don't start out with the hardest version.
Start out with the easiest version and progress.
- And these can all be done out on the road
but it is a lot easier to do it inside and on Zwift
because then you can really get clear power.
- Yeah, you've got no excuses, because out on the road,
there's always a traffic light, or a hill,
or a downhill, or a pothole, so on a trainer--
- The weather. - The weather, yeah.
So on a trainer, it's really time efficient
but also you know exactly that you're going to produce
the right power so it's quite a good one.
- And also you can just sit at a certain power, can't you?
On there you see what power you're sitting at,
you can sit there, it's easy to do, it's there, no excuses.
- Yeah, I found personally with Zwift
that physically it was hard, but psychologically it was easy
because it would apply the power and I just had to do it.
So I didn't have to decide to produce 250 watts.
I had no choice or I stopped pedaling
because I couldn't do it.
(loud swoosh)
Alright, the next question is from Eli Chris Brown
and he asks, "Is there a maximum size a break group can be
"before it is no longer regarded as a break?
"Say if there are more riders in the break
"than in the 'peloton' itself,
"which group is actually the peloton?
"And how big does the break need to get to
"before the aerodynamic advantage of the peloton
"to be negated, assuming the break collaborates?"
Well, that is a very complicated question, but we love it.
- I mean, it is a great question
and it did get a lot of chat in the office, I have to say.
- Yeah, we think basically, that the peloton is
where the GC riders are.
So if the GC riders stay behind
and big group goes up the road,
it's still a break, we reckoned.
- Yes, so basically a race is split up
into three parts normally.
So you've got the breakaway at the front
and the breakaway is getting away from the peloton,
which is the main GC riders.
And then the guys that are falling out of the peloton--
- Out the back.
- Out the back, is known as the grupetto.
So basically, it's a difficult one
because there's no right or wrong answer.
But I would say, the peloton is the racers
that are still racing and the breakaway is the racers
that are getting away from that group.
- And then we come to the aerodynamics question,
which I thought was a really good question.
And that is actually the subject of ongoing research
so I had a bit of a look and it turns out
that Bert Blocken at Eindhoven University of Technology
has recently started doing research in a wind tunnel
with really large groups of cyclists.
So previously, we already knew that a group of cyclists,
obviously you save energy if you're behind someone
and previously it was thought you saved 50 to 70% of energy
by riding in a group.
But Bert Blocken at Eindhoven has found
that with a 121 model cyclists in a wind tunnel,
if you ride at the back, you're actually only using
five to seven percent of the energy--
- Big savings.
- Yeah, exactly, which is why riders who are good
at riding in the peloton save so much energy.
So that means that obviously the big group,
you get more of an advantage, but how big the group has
to be to get that big advantage, we don't know.
We'll have to ask Doctor or Professor Blocken I think.
- I think more research is needed.
- Yes.
But fascinating question, thanks.
(loud swoosh)
The next question comes in from Fleinsoppmannen.
- "How do I know when to buy a new bike?
"I'm pretty new at cycling, especially road biking,
"but I feel that my road bike is a bit too small for me.
"I don't know if I should try to ride it
"for a big longer before I invest in new gear."
I personally would say get down to your local bike shop
and get a bike fit.
I think once you know black and white
what your measurements are,
and then you'll know exactly if your old bike fits
or if it doesn't fit.
I know you did a video on this not too long ago.
- Yep, yep.
You can check out this video of my bike fit with Shimano
which was really interesting to me
even though I have obviously been racing and riding
for years and years, just the details of how
a bike fit happens and what's important
to look at in your own bike fit.
I think especially if you're new in cycling,
that will really help you to be sure
that bike frame is at least the right size
and to avoid injury potential
which you don't want to get injured obviously.
- Definitely don't want those problems.
- And even if your bike does fit you currently,
it'll give you peace of mind to know it's okay.
- Yeah.
There you have it.
So the next question is from Sajmon495,
"What's the newest approach to stretching/rolling,
"straight after exercise?
"Heard an opinion that might actually develop muscle damage
"already done by the training,
"or is it better to do it a few hours later,
"for example at the end of the day?"
Well, I personally would get in from a ride
and then I would straightaway stretch
and then I would kind of work on recovery,
shower, change, chill out for a bit.
And then if I have still some kind of like knots
and stuff that I kind of want to iron out,
I jump on the roller.
What's your kind of opinion on that?
- Well, I don't like doing my stretching
straight after riding because the first thing I want to do
is get showered and fed.
Normally, I'm quite hungry, so that's a priority,
otherwise I'm hangry and hangry stretching
is bad stretching. - We don't want a hangry Emma.
- No, no, bad.
But basically, I have to say I was pretty lax
about stretching because there's no scientific evidence
to show that stretching reduces your injury risk
or indeed makes you more flexible.
I'm not saying you shouldn't do it,
because I do still sometimes stretch.
It makes me feel better, it's quite relaxing,
and it can make you feel more relaxed.
But personally, I would do any stretching or core work
either before...
Well, I do my core work before the ride
and I do stretching in the evening when I'm clean and fed.
So there you go. - Good point. (loud swoosh)
So the next question's from Chip Thomas, Thompson, sorry,
"Does regular donation of blood components,
"platelets and plasma, have any impact on fitness?
"Thanks from Northern California."
- I mean it's clear that if you lose red blood cells,
your performance will reduce.
Whether or not you can feel it is a different matter.
I think that's why the jury's out in some cases,
but it's only the fact that people used to dope
by adding red blood cells would indicate
that losing red blood cells is not great
for your performance. - Would decrease.
- Yeah.
And although your blood plasma volume will return
to normal within 24 hours, it'll take weeks
for your red blood cell count to go back up
and longer possibly if you're vegetarian.
I actually have anecdotal evidence
because when I was a student,
I gave blood right until my early 20s
and I noticed it one week when I was running in the summer.
I did a track session the week before
and a track session the week after donating blood
and the difference in my 800 times just doing reps
was huge, it was like 20%.
I was the same effort.
There weren't any other real major factors
that were different and it was a real eye opener.
So since then, I've not donated blood in the race season.
- [James] No, and I'd probably advise the same.
- Definitely, definitely,
'cause it will affect your performance.
But good on you for being a blood donor.
That's a freaking brilliant thing to do
and just maybe think about your targets.
Right, the next question comes in from Jens Digmann,
who asks, "Hi GCN.
"I was just wondering if you think that 'foam inner tubes'
"like the ultra boost sole, shoe sole,
"is the future of inner tubes.
"Will we maybe see them in the Tour de France peloton
"in a few years time or is it a gimmick?
"I think the concept is very cool
"but I haven't tried them yet so I don't really know
"how efficient they are.
"And also, do you guys fancy football
"and if so, do you support any team?
"I've always wanted to know."
- Do you support a football team?
- I'll be honest, I'm not hugely into football,
but I'm from Norwich so by default,
I'm a Norwich City supporter,
especially when they're playing Ipswich Town
who are our arch rivals.
- And when I was younger I did get a chance
to go and visit the Chelsea football ground
where I met John Franco Zola,
if that's how you pronounce it,
so I kinda started following Chelsea.
But now I'm just full gas cycling.
- There you go, to the real question.
- To the question.
- What do you recommend?
- Tubeless, I personally ride tubeless on my road bike.
And I do think it is amazing.
You don't have to bring a pump, an inner tube,
you don't have to worry about puncturing,
and you don't have to worry about those really annoying
like pinch punches so you can ride at lower pressures
and not worry about pinch punches.
So I think that's where we're going.
- And what do you think about this foam?
To me, that's quite new to me.
So I--
- I'm not convinced personally.
- No, but then I thought about tubeless,
I thought that sounded like a terrible mess
with all that sealant and now they're everywhere
and I used them last year and loved them.
So I reckon, I'm gonna gamble and say yeah,
I think foam is the way to go.
- I reckon tubeless, so...
Jury's out.
- Watch your speed.
- Yeah.
(loud swoosh)
Next question is from Emily.
"What's the easiest way to clean chainrings
"without removing them?"
- Elbow grease, Emily, elbow grease.
- Yeah. - And degreaser.
- I think degreaser's the main one here.
So what I would do is I would get in from your ride
and when you want to clean your bike,
get an auto stand or whatever,
spray as much degreaser on the chainrings
as you think you need, and--
- [Emma] Or you can use a paintbrush dunked in degreaser.
- Exactly.
And then just kind of like spread it around the chainrings
and then get kind of a wide brush
or kind of a relatively hard brush
and just kind of scrub the rings
and then just get a hose and like normally,
it comes pretty clean.
- Yeah, the thing you have to remember, obviously,
is you have to also clean the chain,
because if your chainrings are dirty,
then your chain may be dirty
or your chainrings may need changing.
So if you don't clean the chains as well,
they will just get dirty again straightaway.
So clean your chain and I'm sure we have lots of videos
on cleaning chains.
So clean the chain and make sure you lube it afterwards
or it'll go rusty and squeaky which is horrible.
- [James] Yeah, and it's horrible riding with no greaser
on your chain, so make sure you do lubricate it back up.
- And the next question comes from Eoin Gray,
who asks, "I recently got a new gravel bike
"and every time I go out on longer rides,
"I get neck pain.
"Is there any way to avoid this?"
What do you reckon?
I think that if you've got a new bike
and you're used to riding an old bike,
but you don't get neck pain on the old bike,
then it does seem to indicate there's something
about the new bike's position that is giving you neck pain.
Or it's the bumpiness of the gravel potentially.
But it might be worth comparing the positions.
- I would definitely look at your position
because it might mean that you're a bit too lower
than you're used to so you're looking up
and that's when you're gonna get a bit of a sore neck.
- Yeah, you crick your neck because you're...
So the drop to handlebars is too much.
- But I used to always, when I started racing,
so I was always training on the tops
and then I started racing and I'd sit on the drops
for four hours and then I would get neck pain.
So that's just 'cause you're kinda not used to it.
- Yeah, exactly, so train in the position
and you might get used to it.
- Yeah, but if not, just kind of adapt the position.
- To be more similar to your old bike
where you don't get neck pain.
- Exactly. (loud swoosh)
- Next question comes in from James Webster who asks,
"How do you remove old sealant from a tire?
"I have a tire with good tread and a bunch of dried sealant.
"I've been using my thumbs to rub off the sealant
"but I have removed the skin from my thumbs.
"Don't laugh."
Well, I confess that I've never removed sealant from a tire.
What do you do James?
- Is that because you keep having all your pro mechanics?
Is that what it is?
- Well, I just didn't use tubeless--
- This world champ over here.
- When I used tubeless, yeah, I had a mechanic
and now I don't use 'em too.
- So I have come and had this problem
and like you, I was scrubbing away
and still couldn't get it off.
But what I used was a wire brush.
So if you just wanna get a wire brush
and just scrape the inside of the tire,
that normally helps it loosen off.
People have used Windex to kind of loosen it off.
But yeah, just use a bit of elbow grease and scrub.
- So if you use any kind of soap basically, or Windex,
you want to be sure it's nothing that will damage
the rubber compound because obviously then,
you'll ruin the tire.
So don't use anything too harsh
or you might end up nattering the tire anyway.
- Just get a good brush.
- Scrub. (loud swoosh)
Next question comes in from Luis Solaegui who asks,
"I just broke my collar bone in an accident
"and I won't be able to ride for some time." Sorry.
"Is there any way to decrease muscle loss
"and or maintain aerobic condition while I heal?"
Well, sorry to hear about the injury Luis.
- There is, I mean, there's plenty out there
because this is the most common cycling injury.
You only have to do a little bit of Googling
to find out all different kinds of ways,
but I've personally never, touch wood, broken my collarbone
but a lot of friends have.
What they've used is they've kind of spun their bars around
so they're a bit higher, so you're sitting a bit higher
so you're not putting so much pressure on the collarbone,
and jumped on the turbo.
Because you can do the same amount of effort
on the turbo and you just have to kind of sit there
for longer.
- Yeah, it's a super effective training tool,
the Turbo trainer, so it's maybe not as fun
as going out for a ride with your friends on the road,
but you can definitely maintain your fitness.
It's just that you have to be a bit dependent
and sit on the Turbo.
But with modern training tools like Zwift frankly,
it makes training on the Turbo so much more fun.
Yeah, so when I broke my collarbone,
I was just on the balcony on a Turbo trainer.
And of course, a lot of pros who break their collarbones
get back to racing very, very quickly.
For example, you mentioned--
- [James] Yeah, Matthew Hayman who rode
for Orica-GreenEDGE back then,
he broke his arm or collarbone or something
and he actually used a step ladder
to kind of get back on the Turbo
and kind of lift his weight off.
And yeah, he won an entire race, so--
- [Emma] Straight afterwards,
after all his training on the Turbo.
- [James] It can be done.
- [Emma] Yep, it can be done and you have no excuses now
for not winning after your broken collarbone.
Sorry.
But best of luck for your recovery
and let us know how it goes on.
(loud swoosh)
- So thanks for watching.
I hope we've answered all your questions
and I hope you've enjoyed watching this video.
So if you have, give us a thumbs up.
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Tour de France t-shirts.
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I like 'em, I feel quite sunny in this t-shirt.
- Yeah, your's needs iron, Emma (laughing).
- Oh, hush.
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