Cross Trainig: Competitive Cycling + Concept2

saltyflyguy · Post by **saltyflyguy** » October 2nd, 2006, 1:45 pm

Is anyone doing this?
Any opiniuons?
I just got the erg and that plus my TACX bike trainer + occasional forays on the road when conditions here in NYC allow will be my Winter program.

Byron Drachman · Post by **Byron Drachman** » October 2nd, 2006, 2:15 pm

Any opinions?

They are very compatible. Cycling is great cross training for rowing and rowers make strong cyclists. For example:

http://www.rebeccaromero.co.uk/

Byron

Yukon John · Post by **Yukon John** » October 2nd, 2006, 6:02 pm

I'm trying the same thing as yourself. I've been rowing for about 1.5 years and was at my fastest last spring. I cut back on the rowing over the summer to concentrate on cycling. This was my first summer of competative riding and I did better than I thought I would, sometimes beating out people who only cycle. I think the rowing gave me some good overall conditioning going into the cycling session. Since our winters are so long up here in the Yukon, it really helped. Now I'm about 3 weeks into rowing again and I'm a ways behind where I was last spring, but better than where I was at this point last year. I suppose there is a trade off to some degree when trying to do well in two sports instead of one, but I think the benefit of the diversity is less chance of burn out, a chance to get fresh air and more social contact (when the weather is warm) and a chance to use your muscles differently (good for the long term

.) The main trouble I've found with this is trying to figure out the balance of the two sports (how much of each to do and when throughout the year!)

By the way, how do you like your Tacx?

saltyflyguy · Post by **saltyflyguy** » October 3rd, 2006, 1:08 pm

The Tacx is a very nice stationary trainer. I've had others over the years but i like this one best. Easy to get the bike on and off, quiet, stable.
Your rowing times are impressive!! Is there a big bike racing scene up there?

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » October 3rd, 2006, 1:45 pm

This year, due to my wife working in the evenings, I've missed loads of the club time trials. But I've been rowing all year round and training hard since 14th Aug. I did loads of cycling at the weekends during last winter.

I'm a slow old fart, but I've still done PB times in seven of the last eight cycling time trials that I've done.

I've got an entry level tacx turbo, but that just gathers dust in my garage.

Yukon John · Post by **Yukon John** » October 3rd, 2006, 3:46 pm

Citroen wrote:This year, due to my wife working in the evenings, I've missed loads of the club time trials. But I've been rowing all year round and training hard since 14th Aug. I did loads of cycling at the weekends during last winter.

I'm a slow old fart, but I've still done PB times in seven of the last eight cycling time trials that I've done.

I've got an entry level tacx turbo, but that just gathers dust in my garage.

Your still a pretty young guy Dougie and getting faster all the time! Your times are starting to pull away from mine. I don't know if I can catch you, especially after taking off so much time cycling, but I'll see what I can do

.

saltyflyguy: Whitehorse is a really active town. Just about anything you can think of happens here. Individual sports are really well represented. My wife and son are in short track speed skating, I've also been involved for years with the running and cross country skiing communities. We have world class trails for both skiing and mountain biking. It's a pretty great place to live. Although our summers are short, the local cycling club has a lot of members and there is at least one race / week for most of the summer. There is one especially fun race that goes from Haines Junction here in the Yukon to Haines Alaska (on the coast.) It's roughly 240 kilometers long and you can do is solo or on 2, 4, or 8 person teams. There are over 1000 participants. It's a tough race that goes over the coastal mountain range then usually has big head winds as you approach the coast.
Thanks for the info. on the tacx trainers. I'll be looking at buying a new trainer sometime around Christmas, nice present eh?

dennish · Post by **dennish** » October 3rd, 2006, 8:15 pm

I started competitive cycling this year after about 10 years rowing and erging. I think they are very complimentary activities. I have had some success on the erg and in the boats, and did quite well this year cycling and at Masters Nationals rowing. I got asked to join the best local masters cycling club (ranked top 5 nationally) this spring after I did well in an early season road race and then battled to the wire for the gold (55+ category)in the big TT series in April and May. I only missed the podium once all season. Cycling success I believe came from a good solid training base from rowing. Like for Yukon, the winters here (mountains west of Denver)can be difficult to cycle through, I too spend a fair amount of time on the trainer, teach some spin classes, and have learned to ride when the roads are dry and the temps are around 40. Splitting my time currently between the erg and the bike, still nice enough to get out on the bike most days, but the water is getting dangerously cold for rowing. I get about 10k a day on the erg and about 250 miles a week on the bike. So short story, long. Yeah they are very good with each other. dennis

manos · Post by **manos** » October 4th, 2006, 1:01 am

Is any special program of train with erg that can help get better in cycling?

saltyflyguy · Post by **saltyflyguy** » October 4th, 2006, 7:41 am

How's the traffic out there in Denver? I live in Queens and it's pretty hectic here on weekdays!! I went out yesterdat at 7AM and headed east for a 50 miler and it was just CARS!!
Reminded me of the EE Cummings poem "Pity this Busy Monster Manunkind not". Most of my miles come on Sat/Sun with a group when it's not so bad. I imagine trhat this is not a problem in the Yukon.

dennish · Post by **dennish** » October 4th, 2006, 11:18 am

traffic in Denver can be a problem but usually it is not. Colorado is relatively bike firendly and the Denver metro area has hundreds of miles of bike paths and dedicated bike lanes. I do the majority of my riding up and down the canyon from my house in the moutnains down to the city. The canyon has very little traffic and the other big spot of riding is at Cherry Creek State Park. As a state park it is has very little traffic and low speed limits. Contrary to public opinion we have 300+ days of sunshine a year, so the biggest problem in the winter is not snow (well except for the big dumps of a foot or more) and wet roads but temps that struggle to get out of the 30's even in the sunshine. Rule of thumb for the group I ride with is 38 or better on temp and dry roads and we go. Erg every day, some combination that totals about 10k. dennis

Yukon John · Post by **Yukon John** » October 4th, 2006, 5:39 pm

Traffic up here isn't a problem either. I do get a bit worried though. We have a lot of large motor homes coming through here on their way to Alaska. Most of them are bus size and are being driven by senior citizens who hopefully aren't in too big a rush. Occasionally there is a wreck when someone falls asleep

.

Dennis, I take it that you are also working out at altitude? That must be a nice bonus when you go down to lower elevations!

I'm strictly erging right now to try to get a bit of form / conditioning back. I'll probably start integrating some cycling in November / December. Our temperatures now are staying in the upper 30's to low 40's. Over this winter I'd like to gather the clothing so that next year I can extend the season a bit longer.

saltyflyguy · Post by **saltyflyguy** » October 4th, 2006, 5:52 pm

It was 82° here today! For cold weather clothing I can't recommend Assos too highly! Great stuf and it lasts.. well worth the investment in comfort on the road when it's nasty.

dennish · Post by **dennish** » October 4th, 2006, 9:29 pm

the altitude thing is a mixed blessing. We live at just under 7700 ft. On the erg and in the boats it usually means that i can get a bit faster time when I go to sealevel to compete. On the bike the opposite seems to be the case, well with track racing anyway. Thats the only type of biking that I have experience with reliable comparisons, and then not many. A couple of guys on my team raced at Masters Track Nationals here in August at the Colorado Springs Velodrome. They were of the opinion that times on the track are better at altitude, particualrly the sprints. ~~~~ Winter here has been back and forth. Snow here last week but predicted 80 tomorrow. Dressing for the cold on the bike is always a crap shoot. You think you have it dialed in and then about 10 minutes into the ride your sweating like crazy. I agree Assos is good stuff. I have also found Pearl Izumi to be pretty solid cold weather gear as well. live well, live strong. dennis

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Cross Trainig: Competitive Cycling + Concept2

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