Biking Faster

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  • tbright1965
    tbright1965 Posts: 852 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »

    Looks like I was a little wrong on the numbers. Here's a list of road tires:

    https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews

    Corsa Speed G+ costs 7 to 9.3 watts depending how much air you put in it.

    Lugano costs 22 to 28 watts, depending on air pressure. Per tire. That could be half the energy you're putting into the bike!

    Heck, I glanced over at my neighbor in spin class today and 28x2 was ALL the energy he was putting into his bike at times... and I do mean times we were supposed to be exerting beyond a flat road or downhill.
  • jhanleybrown
    jhanleybrown Posts: 240 Member
    edited October 2019
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    Another plug, but really liking Matt Wilpers powerzone rides on Peleton (I do digital and don't have the Peleton bike cause it's a lot cheaper).

    I'm doing 2 of his endurance rides ("powerzone endurance") per week, then two harder intervals ("powerzone" or "powerzone max") per week (then riding outdoors on the weekend).

    Significant and measurable performance improvements in terms of Watt output. (And losing weight so power/weight improving faster than
    that.)

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    aokoye wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    heytimsla wrote: »
    Just slap some clip on aero bars on that bad boy boom instant speed. Hip angle be dammed

    Time trial bike! Aero wheels! Shoe covers, skin suit, and aero helmet. Probably a small backpack to smooth the turbulent flow behind your head, if you don't go with the space invaders helmet.

    I once saw a commuter on a time trial bike while I was carrying a boat back in after rowing practice. It took a lot not to burst out laughing. I used to see a lot of people with the POC Octal Aero helmets while riding a hybrid or riding a bike with panniers. Gotta go for those marginal gains in mildly comfortable, or at the very least very warm, ways (I need helmets with a lot of vents).

    Last summer I saw someone commuting on a very high end Cervelo TT bike riding on the sidewalk - aero helmet and all, I practically pissed myself laughing.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Cervelo Man strikes again! :lol:
  • BuddysSurrogateGrandpa1
    BuddysSurrogateGrandpa1 Posts: 64 Member
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    huntersvonnegut wrote: »
    dzmp96gptxj8.jpeg

    That is the coolest pic ever! Is that real or photoshop?
  • BuddysSurrogateGrandpa1
    BuddysSurrogateGrandpa1 Posts: 64 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Supple tires. Or tyres if you prefer. People think narrow ones will be faster automatically, probably because of weight and maybe some aero. But there's more to it than that. It takes energy to flatten the bottom of the tire, and as long as the tire is rolling this is constantly happening. (You get some of that energy back when the back of the contact patch springs back to shape, but only some.)

    Tires are the #1 best upgrade you can make to any bike. But you can only do it once. Grand Prix 4000 and 5000 are excellent tires.

    Every 0.01 crr is like riding up an extra 0.1% gradient. Always, for every mile of every ride. Even when you're riding downhill it's like a less step hill, on the flat you're working exactly as hard as you would going up however step a hill the math works out to with a better tire. Unlike with air resistance this is constant at every speed and not helped by drafting or anything else.

    Supple tires grip better in turns too.

    Best tires ever --- Ikon 29 x 2.0 and they going out of production.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    BuddysSurrogateGrandpa1 wrote: »
    huntersvonnegut wrote: »
    dzmp96gptxj8.jpeg

    That is the coolest pic ever! Is that real or photoshop?

    Photoshop.
  • Inspirationalwaterjug
    Inspirationalwaterjug Posts: 384 Member
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    I have free months of trainer road if you want try indoor training that are just accumulating. So shoot me a message if you want to give that a shot.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    heytimsla wrote: »
    I have free months of trainer road if you want try indoor training that are just accumulating. So shoot me a message if you want to give that a shot.

    I'll second that, I also have three separate 1 month trial codes sitting waiting to be given out
  • isalsayourface123
    isalsayourface123 Posts: 2,153 Member
    edited November 2019
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    .
  • chazbike9
    chazbike9 Posts: 5 Member
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    There's a lot of good advice here. The type of bike may impact your speed as will the tire size. I did not see what kind if bicycle you are riding. Look at a tires in a 28-32cm width. Increasing your mileage on non-work days will help you increase your speed as you increase your fitness (and yes, hills are your friends). What I have found recently is that my weight loss has positively increased my speed considerably. Yes, leg weights, and more importantly, core exercises will assist your speed. To narrow it down: (1) weight; (2) tires; (3) fitness; (4) legs, core and light upper body weightlifting. Best of luck!

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