Cross Training with Weights

I am about halfway through reading Bike for Life by Roy M. Wallack and Bill Katovsky. Wallack is a world bike tourer and Katovsky is a former Ironman Triathlete. The theme of the book is about being able to ride a Century at 100 years of age. Sounds good to me.

The best advice given is that cyclists should NOT do only cycling. For longevity on the bike, they highly recommend weight training and yoga to maintain all the body's muscles and joints. To them it is not controversial, serious cyclists must weight train.....no debate. That is good enough for me, so I have started up weight training again, as cross training with cycling.

I used to be an avid strength trainer. Unfortunately, I gravitated away from weights when I became an avid recumbent cyclist. Although I have hit the gym intermittently, I have not observed any organized training program for about 2 years. That changed last week. I have committed myself to at least two sessions in the weight room per week in addition to cycling 3-4 days per week. I am aiming for 150-200 miles per week on the bike.

I did my first return to weights workout late last week and the next day I rode the Carbon Aero 47 miles. Boy, was I sore. The long steep climbs were torture because my legs were stiff and sore from the weight workout. I assume that after my legs get acclimated to the strength training I'll be okay, but I should probably avoid a session in the gym the day before important rides.

Wallack and Katovsky advise a program that concentrates on three groups of muscles: Those that are used by cycling, those that are ignored by cycling, and those that are damaged by cycling. The routine that I will follow is shown below. I have done two sessions and it feels very good. I have modified the routine a little but from the authors' recommendations, but what follows is essentially their program.


On-Bike Benefits of Strength Training

Strengthen the Core (Abs, hips, lower back)
Improve power
Maintain reaction time and balance


Off-the-Bike Benefits of Strength Training

Corrects imbalances
Adds stability
Strengthens unstressed muscles
Keeps you younger

The Program


Cycling specific exercises

Decline situp
Bench leg raises - lower abs
Stretches
Barbell dead lift
Leg curls
Calf raises
Zane squat
Single leg presses
Bench press
Single arm cable rows

Muscles that don't get worked by cycling

Leg presses with heel for Glutes
Upright rows
Pec flys
Tricepts
Seated rows
Deltoids

Exercises that undo cycling's damage

Back extension
Hip flexor lunge stretch
Row
Scorpion tail raises

Carbon Aero and VK2 - My Thoughts

I really hesitate to comment about speed because there are so many factors involved and it is impossible to be entirely factual. That having been said, here goes. You can take my experiences for what they are...my experiences.

I am a middle of the pack (MOTP) rider who has ridden a ti Aero for three years, a VK2 for one year, and a Carbon Aero for 1.5 months. My conclusion: they are all wonderful bikes. Unless you are a serious racer, I wouldn't worry about the speed differences.

The only real speed comparison I can give is between the Ti Aero and the VK2 because I have ridden those two bikes over and over again on exactly the same route under the same varying conditions. The route is an approximately five mile loop at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta with about 360 feet of climbing per loop. There are some longish climbs reaching 10 % grade and some sections that you can build up optimal speed on downhills and rollers. For 3 loops I was consistently about 1.5-2.5 minutes faster on the VK2.

But, I have not done this comparison yet with the Carbon Aero, which I will do when I return to Atlanta (I am now in flatland Florida). The Carbon Aero is stiffer and I will not be surprised if my speeds on the CA compared to the VK2 are very close.

There is a school of thought out there, that I cannot yet prove, that highracers are better climbers than lowracers when you hit mountainous terrain. Seems logical, but, to me, the VK2 climbs very well. It feels about the same to me on steep climbs as compared to the Ti Aero. Again, when I hit the steep grades in Atlanta with the CA I'll get a better feel for it.

It is my "guess" based on nonscientific experience that the Carbon Aero and the VK2 are very, very close. Both are beautiful bikes and it depends upon whether one likes the high or the low racer configuration.

I will chime in on some other issues as well. The Carbon Aero is better engineered and more user-friendly than the VK2. I had a bit of a struggle getting my VK2 dialed in and working properly. For example, getting the boom length correct was a major event on the VK2. Adjusting the seat and dialing in the CA is a piece of cake. But once set up properly, the VK2 bike really flies and is very, very comfortable. The VK2 is a bit harder to transport because the front forks don't mount on a traditional bike rack. The chainline runs right next to the wheel and rubs against the wheel in sharp turns - a minor issue that rarely affected riding conditions. I am more confident riding the CA in almost any circumstance whereas I was a little hesitant to ride the VK2 in heavy traffic (I know, all in my head). Having ridden both, I feel a bit more at home on the highracer. The VK2 tended to freak out my local bike mechanics more than the Aero. If one is mechanically gifted, this is a non-issue. One drawback of the CA for those living in very mountainous terrain is that it will not handle a 34 tooth rear cog. The chainline likes a 32, but not, I discovered yesterday, a 34.

Finally, I am not a conformist, but the CA fits in better with other bent riders and DF riders. I wouldn't make too much of this, but there are a lot more highracers out there than lowracers. This does impact a bit on the social aspect of riding. When I ride with my buddies on their Corsas, we can converse more easily. There is a large contigent of Bacchetta riders in Atlanta and hardly another lowracer to be found.

This is more than you wanted, but I think the VK2 with all its strengths is a bit more tempremental than the CA. But, for lowracer lovers, it is probably hard to beat the VK2. The highracer design works better given the circumstances in which I ride.

New Bacchetta Giro 20

I picked up my new Giro20 from Power On Cycling in Plant City, Fla. this afternoon. Power On's owner, Mark Powers is an excellent recumbent dealer. His service is outstanding. He carries a wide selection of bents, and best of all, he is a bent rider who is very familiar with all the peculiarities of my favorite bikes. He is especially experienced with Bacchetta bikes.

This is my second recumbent purchase this year and it is only April. Well, I decided to complete my inventory of bents with a city assault bike to be used mainly in Atlanta and Sarasota for running chores and visiting family and friends. I am committed to spending less time in the car and more time on the bike, not just for training, but for activities of daily living. My Aero and Monster will undoubtedly get many more miles, but the Giro will be my functional bike.

Atlanta, and Sarasota in the high season, have lots of aggressive traffic and I needed a bike that would withstand the rigors of urban life. So I set up the Giro with wider tires (Kenda Qwest), fenders, front (Light and Motion Vega) and rear (Dinotte Taillight) lights mounted on two Terracycle accessories mounts, a Hostelshoppe seat bag and a kickstand. I have not had a bike with a kickstand in several years and I will welcome not having to find a post to lean the bike against. The lights will be used in flashing mode during daily rides as an extra safety feature. I have installed a Garmin 305 mount so I can keep track of my mileage even when piddling around and not training.

I suppose I could use either the Aero or the Monster for city riding, but decided that a more upright bike would be a bit safer, at least in my head. The Aero runs tubular tires and flats are very expensive, so using the Aero for daily runs to the store or visiting my mother, while doable, is not ideal. And I tend to employ the Monster as an alternative training bike used for country and trail rides. I ride the Monster in heavy traffic, but I'll feel more comfortable on the Giro for that purpose.

This is my last bike purchase for a long time (yeh, right). My stable is complete and barring any unforeseen circumstances I will be happy with this bike group for several years to come.

I haven't had a chance to get any mileage on the Giro20, except for a short test ride. As I get more experience I'll post my impressions. It is certainly a good looking bike and my impression thus far is that it will be ideal for its urban assault duties.