Team BKool CycleChat

[BILL S]

Is there anything more soul destroying than a ftp test?!? Horrible, horrible things!!!!

Made Amateur 10 but need to find another ten watts from somewhere to make active. That's not going to happen for quite some time.

There are pretty horrible aren't they. At least you got yourself a decent starting point (I assume on your new bkool pro). As long as you put in the time I'm sure you'll be moving on upwards.

 

[RickB]

There are pretty horrible aren't they. At least you got yourself a decent starting point (I assume on your new bkool pro). As long as you put in the time I'm sure you'll be moving on upwards.

Thanks Bill. Still on the realtour for now. Bkool pro is due any day but on 2% resistance I don't think there's any difference. (Famous last words!)

 

[gbrown]

Last chance to do the final Chain Gang stage today. The short Cheddar Gorge Climb should close sometime this evening.

Kipster, if you can post a time a few seconds under 13 minutes for the final stage you should secure 2nd place in the league and keep me behind you!

Adam, if you can beat Bill's 8:48 and get very low 8 minutes you should over take me ... how's that for motivation? (Mind you, if you do I'll then have another go and try and beat my previous time!)

Tony, I can't adjust your time for the Handicap Chase dummy session, for some reason yours gives an error every time.

You are better off by several minutes to take the slowest time +5% anyway, and everyone else gets the same benefit!

I think the same glitch is currently making you top of the league ... no idea if this will adjust when the league closes.

I have published next months's League, it should start on Wednesday evening.

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

April Chain Gang League

Starts with one of the easier 100 Greatest Cycle Climbs, Exmoor Forest (No 6), Max gradient is 12% and average is only 5%, should take around 30-45 minutes
This stage is open for nearly two weeks to give everyone time to do it, even if they are away over Easter.

Stage 2 is a Velodrome session, probably 50 laps (12.5 km). There is a dummy session to save a short (around a minute) incomplete time so I can adjust the times to get the Velodrome results in the league.

Stage 3 is the new Handicap Chase, the Vuelta 2012 Stage 15. I'll be taking the times from this Months League Stage 2 to get the Handicaps. Anyone who wants to join but didn't post a time can have a go at the stage to get a handicap ... http://www.bkool.com/profile/detail/176281?durationType=DISTANCE&lapCount=1

Stage 4 is a medium length stage (20 km - 30-45 minutes), mostly gently rising which could be ideal for boosting Fitness Levels

Stage 5 is a longer stage (30 km 45-60 minutes) with a mix of climbs, descents and quite a bit of flatter rolling terrain. I put the longer session at the end to keep the final league standings in doubt, a good performance here could make quite a difference to overall standings.

I know the improving weather and longer daylight will tempt us to do more outside and less inside, but hopefully we can keep these leagues alive, with the Velodrome and Handicap formats keeping things interesting. The training benefits from the more intensive indoor sessions certainly seem to help strength and stamina.


Geoff

 

[bobinski]

A bit confused about what ride to do tonight: should i do cheddar gorge or the Motirolo? seems i can do cheddar and so long as i challenge Bill on Motirolo today, i can reserve it for tomorrow. Rick B has convinced me i should do this rather than an FTP!

 

[BILL S]

A bit confused about what ride to do tonight: should i do cheddar gorge or the Motirolo? seems i can do cheddar and so long as i challenge Bill on Motirolo today, i can reserve it for tomorrow. Rick B has convinced me i should do this rather than an FTP!

How about Cheddar then cuppa + snickers then about half hour later Motirolo? That'd take no longer than a usual Goats run.

 

[gbrown]

A bit confused about what ride to do tonight: should i do cheddar gorge or the Motirolo? seems i can do cheddar and so long as i challenge Bill on Motirolo today, i can reserve it for tomorrow. Rick B has convinced me i should do this rather than an FTP!

Cheddar should only take about 10-15 minutes, after the initial steep bit it is quite gentle, you could even do it as a warm up!

I'm not sure any of the Mountain Goat stages could ever be described as Gentle!

I'm off up the Mortirolo shortly ...

Geoff

 

[kipster]

I'm doing cheddar tonight, I'll challenge Geoff to give me a chance of keeping the 14 second or so lead I have in the league, although I will be trying to extend that if at all possible!

After Cheddar I'll be doing something easy and plan on doing Motirolo tomorrow.

 

[bobinski]

How about Cheddar then cuppa + snickers then about half hour later Motirolo? That'd take no longer than a usual Goats run.

See, I knew someone would come along and suggest that Cheddar as a warm up??

 

[kipster]

Targeted 10 minutes for Cheddar, missed it by 2 seconds = 10m 2s overall time.

@bobinski once not enough for you ;-)

 

[bobinski]

Targeted 10 minutes for Cheddar, missed it by 2 seconds = 10m 2s overall time.

@bobinski once not enough for you ;-)

Ha! First time I was in warm up when I realised I hadn't extended the stabilisers so go off to start doing it and the frigging thing started beeping to tell me to start! Jumped on, wrong gear ,blah ,blah, blah and decided to blame my time on that poor start. Took a break to gulp down some dinner and pride got the better of me. I too was aiming for 10 min but nowhere near as good a time as yours. I am not sure I can improve on my time but I have to find a technique and or tyre that allows me to get out of the saddle, if nothing else just to clear the tension in the muscles, without losing power or having to deal with inconsistent power. Great time there Kipster!

 

[gbrown]

42%!

Bill, I don't think I was riding the same stage as you ...

We weigh much the same (76Kg to 73Kg) so it should have been slightly LESS total work (kj) for me to lift my weight from bottom to top; in fact it it was 40% more work!

Yours - 16.4km Distance; 39:35 Elapsed Time; 284W Weighted Avg Power; 704kJ

Mine - 16.4km Distance; 1:13:53 Elapsed Time; 223W Weighted Avg Power; 988kj

Geoff

Climb segment (excluding Warm Up and Cool Down) in Golden Cheetah ...

 

[Monte]

Geoff, im keen to ensure I complete all stages in April but my daughter will be having big surgery next week, together with recovery time I might struggle to make the set Thursday night time, is there a way that to ensure I complete all stages

 

[BILL S]

42%!

Bill, I don't think I was riding the same stage as you ...

We weigh much the same (76Kg to 73Kg) so it should have been slightly LESS total work (kj) for me to lift my weight from bottom to top; in fact it it was 40% more work!

Yours - 16.4km Distance; 39:35 Elapsed Time; 284W Weighted Avg Power; 704kJ

Mine - 16.4km Distance; 1:13:53 Elapsed Time; 223W Weighted Avg Power; 988kj

Geoff

Climb segment (excluding Warm Up and Cool Down) in Golden Cheetah ...

View attachment 84241

That is indeed rather strange. However, Darryn also rode it today and was only slighty slower than me. I'm now wondering if the bkool is somehow tricked into misreading the steep gradients whereas the Kickr is perhaps not. I do know that the bkool does ride the stage far too quickly compared to real lfe. Strava was unhappy with my download and the big red warning siren went off big time saying the stage must have been recorded in a motorised vehicle. Yes, even with Stationary Trainer highlighted.
The only other possible theory (which I doubt) is that if you attacked the ride less aggressively and didn't carry big speed up the hills, or because the Kickr wouldn't go downhill fast enough to then zoom up the other side. I think its the difference between the bkool and the kickr but when some of the others ride it we'll hopefully get a better idea.

 

[Add]

No chance of beating Bill....tried...kept ahead of him for about 2 minutes, before the Snickers ran out, and lost by 40 odd seconds in the end! I am now going to bed, humiliated in defeat.