Article out of Cycling Weekly.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/late ... ing-486088
Focus is on rowing to cycling, but the converse is true also - it teaches you how to go longer. A one hour erg session at UT2 or UT1 all of a sudden seems pretty short compared to the hours long bike rides.
Another rowing/cycling confirmation
Another rowing/cycling confirmation
Mark Underwood. Rower first, cyclist too.
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Cant Climb
- 500m Poster
- Posts: 96
- Joined: June 15th, 2007, 12:48 pm
Re: Another rowing/cycling confirmation
Good article, thanks for posting.
Re: Another rowing/cycling confirmation
I’ve rowed for years never seriously until the last few months. I’m a cyclist so a bit of cross training helped. However once I started rowing about 5-7 hours a week I’ve seen a 20W jump in my cycling FTP. Rowing I think has given me stronger arms core back connecting my legs better. I’m keeping rowing in my training. I feel stronger on the cross and MTB bike off road as well
Re: Another rowing/cycling confirmation
Ok, I have 40 years of bike racing under my belt, and all of three months of novice rowing before I went back to the bike (in 1987), now trying to erg.
My take is that the static erg is good for using some quad fibers that you don't use in the same way on the bike, and strengthening your core. But, the technical demands of rowing on an erg preclude it from being a training mode for anything above basic endurance level until you get the guidance, and put in the practice, to have really good technique.
Bike has a lower force component, so you can do more low-intensity volume to get those adaptations. Erg has a higher force component, so you get a little more strength endurance, but when you get back on the bike you have to watch falling into the habit of grinding too big of a gear up hills, as when you get used to 20-22spm, you want to start climbing in the saddle at 65-70rpm (great for lowering VLA, bad for the knees).
I'm going to get some slides and focus on easy technique work through '21, then try to do some intensity on the erg again next fall/winter.
(and that guy is dead wrong about more teamwork in rowing vs. cycling -- in a cruddy amateur club, ok, you have 6 guys wearing the same jersey but they're usually all riding their own race, but once you get into the higher categories, you have to learn team tactics and how to play your role...the cool part is that on a good team, everyone splits the winnings equally as long as everyone did their job. the most fun I had racing bikes was in the years where my club team let me play my own hand in the mountain/hilly races, but I was basically a donkey for our sprinter 90% of the time -- but if I'd turned myself inside out to help control the race and put our guy where he wanted to be with 500m to go, it was really satisfying, even if I was buried on the results sheet)
My take is that the static erg is good for using some quad fibers that you don't use in the same way on the bike, and strengthening your core. But, the technical demands of rowing on an erg preclude it from being a training mode for anything above basic endurance level until you get the guidance, and put in the practice, to have really good technique.
Bike has a lower force component, so you can do more low-intensity volume to get those adaptations. Erg has a higher force component, so you get a little more strength endurance, but when you get back on the bike you have to watch falling into the habit of grinding too big of a gear up hills, as when you get used to 20-22spm, you want to start climbing in the saddle at 65-70rpm (great for lowering VLA, bad for the knees).
I'm going to get some slides and focus on easy technique work through '21, then try to do some intensity on the erg again next fall/winter.
(and that guy is dead wrong about more teamwork in rowing vs. cycling -- in a cruddy amateur club, ok, you have 6 guys wearing the same jersey but they're usually all riding their own race, but once you get into the higher categories, you have to learn team tactics and how to play your role...the cool part is that on a good team, everyone splits the winnings equally as long as everyone did their job. the most fun I had racing bikes was in the years where my club team let me play my own hand in the mountain/hilly races, but I was basically a donkey for our sprinter 90% of the time -- but if I'd turned myself inside out to help control the race and put our guy where he wanted to be with 500m to go, it was really satisfying, even if I was buried on the results sheet)
55, 1m84, 76kg
RHR 40, MHR 165
10k 37:56, 5k 17:52, 2k 6:52 60' 15720m
2021 power bests on bike: 405w 5', 370w 20', 350w 60'
RHR 40, MHR 165
10k 37:56, 5k 17:52, 2k 6:52 60' 15720m
2021 power bests on bike: 405w 5', 370w 20', 350w 60'
Re: Another rowing/cycling confirmation
Neat story. Author, though, does not row anywhere I've been.
"The unavoidably flat nature of lakes and rivers is comparable to the velodrome: it is consistent, and effort can be precisely measured (weather conditions aside)."
No one has ever found a good way to compare on water runs. Wind is crazy, tides, current, waves produced by the interaction of the previous make comparison of even simple things like "is the boat faster with Sue or Sally, lets try it with both and compare" really hard. Even head races they try to bunch up the compeitors in a class because water conditions are going to change.
"The unavoidably flat nature of lakes and rivers is comparable to the velodrome: it is consistent, and effort can be precisely measured (weather conditions aside)."
No one has ever found a good way to compare on water runs. Wind is crazy, tides, current, waves produced by the interaction of the previous make comparison of even simple things like "is the boat faster with Sue or Sally, lets try it with both and compare" really hard. Even head races they try to bunch up the compeitors in a class because water conditions are going to change.