Hank: Top speed, for many, this means winning bike races. I mean, you did more on that than
I did. Manon: Yes.
Hank: Or it basically makes the town signs, maybe even eking out some more kilometers
per hour. Manon: Well, in this video, we're going to
give you some pointers on how to reach your top speed goals.
Hank: Does that mean you're going for the high-speed record?
Manon: Maybe one day. But how do we do this? What's the easiest way? Well, I guess you'll
find a big long downhill and draft a car. A little bit dangerous though, but how do
we improve our top speed on the flat? More power?
Hank: Well, we do get to a point where we pass over with our power.
Manon: Yes. Hank: So what happens then?
Manon: Well, as pro cyclists, we're always finding a module getting to improve our total
speed in a sprint. So, in this video, we're going to share them with you. We picked out
just a few to share with you. Hank: Does that mean I get to [unintelligible
00:00:52] superman? Manon: No, no supermans, no dangerous ones
today. Hank: Oh.
Manon: Now, my first tip for increasing your top speed would, obviously, be getting a recumbent.
Hank: What? Manon: A recumbent.
Hank: No, can you just leave the recumbent out for this one? No, our first top tip is
body position. All right, you ready to get started?
Manon: But I want the recumbent. [cries] Hank: Come on, Manon.
[music] Manon: Right. Let's start off with a nice
easy one. The great thing about this one, there's no extra VO2 efforts involved. Oh,
yeah. Hank: No max efforts. Also, the great thing
about this one as well, is, it's free. So you don't have to fork out and buy any more
swanky upgrades. But this, if you look at the sprinters, the world-class sprinters I'm
talking about, they're getting in a really low aerodynamic position. Look at CAV, Caleb
Ewan, for example, look how low they get. Now, this takes loads and loads of training,
doesn't it, Manon? Manon: It does. Like, Caleb Ewan, he gets
seriously low on his bike, he looks like he's going to fall off the front and get [unintelligible
00:02:05] on his nose. Let's not try this one at home.
Hank: That is quite low, isn't it? Manon: Yes.
Hank: Then, on the other hand, you don't want to be sprinting like this, when you are about
as aerodynamic as a house. Manon: Oh, there is Connor.
Hank: Ouch. [music]
Manon: So why is it so important and beneficial to be more aerodynamic when you're looking
for more speed? Hank: Our biggest competitor as road cyclists
is the wind and the air density. We're always looking at ways to cut through the air that
bit quicker and make us a bit more efficient. Us road cyclists, the biggest surface area
that we're trying to shift through the air is our bodies. So the first thing we need
to look at is reducing that surface area, go smaller, lower, thus being able to cut
through the air quicker accessing more speed without adding more power. Win-win, hey, Manon?
Manon: Hey. So what do we need to think about when adapting our position? You want to be
as low and as small as you can, bring your head down, and remember to keep looking at
where you're going because when you're sprinting at high speeds, that's very important. Keep
your elbows and your back as flat as possible and bring yourself forward on the bike. Now,
these things might sound easy, but when you're sprinting full gas, using all your energy
to push through those pedals, they can be easily forgotten about.
Hank: Now, what you don't want to do is compromise your power output by putting yourself in a
position that you can't put the power out. So try engaging your core and get a nice strong
upper body. That way, all the power you generate is going into forward motion.
Manon: It's great to add some sprint drills into your training. When you're sprinting,
really concentrate on your position on the bike.
Hank: Right. You're ready? Manon: Ready.
Hank: Practice makes perfect. Manon: Here we go.
Hank: Three, two, one, up, up, up, strong, strong. Manon, Manon, Manon.
[music] Manon: The next force that we are fighting
against is friction, specifically from our tires. The rougher the road surface, the slower
we're going to go. So how can we overcome this?
Hank: Now, this seems like an obvious one, but what we want to do is find a nice smooth
road so we can access that top speed. If you find a rough road, you're going to have wobbles
in your power. It's far easier to keep a nice even fire throughout when you've got a nice
smooth road. Hey, Manon? Manon: It is.
Hank: It's more difficult when it comes to racing but in training, we can pick and choose
when to do our sprint. Manon: I always find I could eke out a few
more watts and get a higher peak power when I was on a slight downhill gradient and sprinting.
I'm not talking a 10% gradient, one or 2% like this road here, just use to get a few
more watts on, you know? Hank: I like it.
Manon: You wouldn't know. [music]
Manon: Hank, you really don't need to be that close to the ground to work out if it's a
smooth surface. Hank: No?
Manon: You can usually tell just by riding on the road whether it's a smooth fast surface
or a slow surface. If you go to places like New York, the roads are silky smooth and you
can really tell a difference in speed when you ride on them.
Hank: Yes. It's not just the surface that makes a big difference, it's also your tires.
Right, onto our next point. [music]
Manon: The first big swap you can make is going from your bulky winter tires to your
nice smooth summer tires. Ollie actually did a video on this recently comparing the two.
So go check that out because Ollie knows a bit better than I do about tires.
Hank: Yes, that's probably true. It's not just tires that can add a bit more speed but
it's also what goes in the tires. You could go for the heavy-duty inner tubes that last
a bit longer and that's good for durability. Or if you're looking for top-end speed, which
we are, you could add some latex inner tubes or go the whole hog and go tubeless. What
is it? Saving more watts, adding more speed. Love it.
[music] Next point, weather conditions. We have to
stress, and I'm going to repeat this, do not sprint into a headwind. You're just not going
to get top speed. Are you, Manon? Manon: No, it has to be one of the worst feelings,
doing a full gas sprint effort into a block headwind and you're going snail's pace.
Hank: When you're looking for that top-end speed, check the wind, make sure it's on your
back. That way, you're going to feel like an absolute superhero and you're going to
be getting some free speed, and who doesn't want free speed, hey, Manon?
Manon: Exactly. One more thing, sprinting in wet conditions isn't ideal. Wet road surfaces
and hazards and then top speed sprinting isn't going to end well. So keep the sprints from
the nice dry days, like this one. Hank: It is. Let me just check the weather.
Manon: Where's the wind coming from? Hank: I think we've got a tailwind.
Manon: Oh. Hank: We've got a tailwind. Getting bigger,
yes. [music]
Hank: When you're out on a group ride or on a club ride, make use of the riders around
you. Manon: The wind has a big effect on your speed.
So why not hide from the wind and hide behind the riders that you're riding with? To sprint
past them, you want to leave a quite big of a gap than you normally would. You don't want
to be right up on their wheel, buzzing the wheel. You want to leave around a wheel's
length of a gap. Then when the time's right and you want to unleash your sprint, start
your sprint and stay in their slipstream and then sling past them and give them a nice
slingshot, a little bit like this. Hank: Hey, Manon, you beat me.
Manon: Climb up. So those were some of our top tips on how to hit a high speed in your
sprints. Hank: Yes. Let us know in the comment section
below if we've missed anything. Don't forget to give this video a big thumbs up. We'll
see you in the next video, hey, everyone. Manon: [crosstalk] Oh, I left you hanging.
Hank: Ouch. [00:08:37] [END OF AUDIO]