Any advantage to training w/ extra weight on bike?

[[email protected]]

No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training? I'm a fit
mtn biker, training (on the road w/ slicks now) for my first real road
ride - a century w/ 10k ft of climbing (Mountains of Misery, in VA).
Anyway, I'm not in any superhuman shape, but have pretty limited time
to ride during the week, so want to maximize my training opportunity -
would I get any advantage to hauling a few bricks or such around w/ me
in panniers on some training rides? I live/ride in a hilly area (near
where the MoM is to be held, actually), and am on a mtn bike w/ slicks,
so the frame and tires could handle some extra weight (plus, I only
weigh 140lbs myself...) Anyway, if someone can give me some helpful
input on this thought, I'd apprecite it.

 

[Ken]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
> to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training? I'm a fit
> mtn biker, training (on the road w/ slicks now) for my first real road
> ride - a century w/ 10k ft of climbing (Mountains of Misery, in VA).
> Anyway, I'm not in any superhuman shape, but have pretty limited time
> to ride during the week, so want to maximize my training opportunity -
> would I get any advantage to hauling a few bricks or such around w/ me
> in panniers on some training rides? I live/ride in a hilly area (near
> where the MoM is to be held, actually), and am on a mtn bike w/ slicks,
> so the frame and tires could handle some extra weight (plus, I only
> weigh 140lbs myself...) Anyway, if someone can give me some helpful
> input on this thought, I'd apprecite it.
>
Well I am no expert, but it certainly wouldn't hurt you, or your bike. Just
try riding in a lower gear to work your legs a bit more, slow your cadence
down a bit. But I think if you are already riding hills and wind, you aren't
going to see much difference. I would just try to squeeze in more riding to
your schedule.

Ken

 

[Patrick Lamb]

On 1 Apr 2005 12:55:16 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

>No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
>to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training?

Load your bike up and commute on it. Carry clothes, a towel, heck,
add a light with a good heavy SLA battery. The advantage comes when
you take it all off -- you feel like you're riding something illegally
light, responsive, and fast!

Pat

Email address works as is.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

> No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
> to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training? I'm a fit
> mtn biker, training (on the road w/ slicks now) for my first real road
> ride - a century w/ 10k ft of climbing (Mountains of Misery, in VA).
> Anyway, I'm not in any superhuman shape, but have pretty limited time
> to ride during the week, so want to maximize my training opportunity -
> would I get any advantage to hauling a few bricks or such around w/ me
> in panniers on some training rides? I live/ride in a hilly area (near
> where the MoM is to be held, actually), and am on a mtn bike w/ slicks,
> so the frame and tires could handle some extra weight (plus, I only
> weigh 140lbs myself...) Anyway, if someone can give me some helpful
> input on this thought, I'd apprecite it.

The usual advice in these cases is "ride faster." And it's good advice.
THe reality is that while riding your bike up a hill with extra weight
on won't hurt your workouts, if you ride your unladen bike up the same
hill, but faster, it will be just as good.

The only even halfway sensible reason I can think of to add extraneous
weight (as opposed, say, to the stuff you bring for a commute) is if you
want to effectively extend the duration of a hill. That is, you could
load your bike up really heavy, and for the same level of exertion,
would go up a given hill slower, thus making that exertion last longer.
Since you're in a hilly area, it sounds like you don't really need that
sort of benefit, though.

If you have limited time, you just have to make your workouts count more.
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

 

[Michael Warner]

On 1 Apr 2005 12:55:16 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

> No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
> to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training?

Why not just ride the bike faster in a higher gear? Weighing it down
will merely wear out your tyres faster, make pinch flats more likely,
make you unused to the way it really handles and depress you when
other riders fly past on hills.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

 

[Ken]

"Patrick Lamb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Load your bike up and commute on it. Carry clothes, a towel, heck,
> add a light with a good heavy SLA battery. The advantage comes when
> you take it all off -- you feel like you're riding something illegally
> light, responsive, and fast!
>
> Pat
Well I agree with you on that one, and not only will he benefit from the
extra weight, the extra ride time will help too!

Ken

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, I commute w/ a change of clothes, a pair of shoes, towel,
washcloth, etc and its _amazing_ how much that little bit of stuff
weighs! That's what actually got me to wondering about carrying extra
weight on longer training rides (I've been doing 20+ miles of hills on
the way to work some days, so am hauling that stuff around anyway...
Appreciate everyone's input - I'll probably try increasing the
pace on some of the longer rides, and just keep hauling the day's
clothing around on the mid-length rides. (The 50 mi ride planned for
the morning is now to be during 30mph sustained winds, with 60-70mph
gusts - won't need any extra weight for that!
Thanks All!

 

[Peter Cole]

[email protected] wrote:
> No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any
benefit
> to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training? I'm a
fit
> mtn biker, training (on the road w/ slicks now) for my first real
road
> ride - a century w/ 10k ft of climbing (Mountains of Misery, in VA).
> Anyway, I'm not in any superhuman shape, but have pretty limited time
> to ride during the week, so want to maximize my training opportunity
-
> would I get any advantage to hauling a few bricks or such around w/
me
> in panniers on some training rides? I live/ride in a hilly area
(near
> where the MoM is to be held, actually), and am on a mtn bike w/
slicks,
> so the frame and tires could handle some extra weight (plus, I only
> weigh 140lbs myself...) Anyway, if someone can give me some helpful
> input on this thought, I'd apprecite it.

That sounds like a pretty challenging ride. If I were preparing for it,
I'd try to both do as much hill climbing as I possibly could and try to
get in at least a 75-80 mile ride the week before. For the ride itself,
pacing will be the key. For that much climbing, I'd try to spin as much
as possible to hold off muscle fatigue/cramping. I try to follow the
"no burn" rule on such long, hard rides -- try to keep the climb rate
below where your muscles start to burn, since above that point fatigue
quickly accumulates.

I don't think pulling etra weight will help. You need endurance, and
that comes from mileage.

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Michael Warner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 1 Apr 2005 12:55:16 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
> > No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there
is any benefit
> > to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while
training?
>
> Why not just ride the bike faster in a higher gear?

I can think of one reason: to get more exercise when riding
with a slower buddy.

When I walk with my wife, I routinely wear a backpack with a
25 lb weight plate and a pile of magazines in it. That way I
don't get irritated at her 3 mph pace, and she doesn't get
irritated by my going too fast.

 

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>,
Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>> No flames please, but I'm wondering (seriously) if there is any benefit
>> to carrying a few extra pounds on your bike while training? I'm a fit
>> mtn biker, training (on the road w/ slicks now) for my first real road
>> ride - a century w/ 10k ft of climbing (Mountains of Misery, in VA).
>> Anyway, I'm not in any superhuman shape, but have pretty limited time
>> to ride during the week, so want to maximize my training opportunity -
>> would I get any advantage to hauling a few bricks or such around w/ me
>> in panniers on some training rides? I live/ride in a hilly area (near
>> where the MoM is to be held, actually), and am on a mtn bike w/ slicks,
>> so the frame and tires could handle some extra weight (plus, I only
>> weigh 140lbs myself...) Anyway, if someone can give me some helpful
>> input on this thought, I'd apprecite it.
>
>The usual advice in these cases is "ride faster." And it's good advice.
>THe reality is that while riding your bike up a hill with extra weight
>on won't hurt your workouts, if you ride your unladen bike up the same
>hill, but faster, it will be just as good.
>

_ Wasn't there a training fad a few years back of putting lead
weights on your bicycle during the spring?

_ Booker C. Bense

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