Gears, cadence & speed

I'm in the process of writing an online speed calculator given gearing and cadence values. I know there are several out there but I was doing it for my own website and to practice my web scripting skills.

I was looking at Sheldon Brown's bicylce gear calculator Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Gear Calculator and saw that his values change depending on crank length. I don't understand how crank length affects cadence or speed - surely one revolution is one revolution whether the crank is 1cm or 100cm? Anyone more mathematically/scientifically minded like to enlighten me?

 

You are correct, it does not matter. Sheldon's calculator does not take crank length into account when calculating gear inches - try several different lengths (holding the other variables constant) and you get the same result.

 

Thanks for the quick response. It just leaves me wondering why he included it as a field to fill in. At least now I know my brain does have some logic.

 

Crank length would affect power transmitted to the rear wheel and torque, but as already mentioned as no effect on developed gear ratio.

 

Can you translate this to me and say your opinion on it?
 
This is Andy Coggan program for increasing functional threshold power (for 3 months) i found on the internet (some forum, can´t remember which):

M: 1 h at upper level 3/low level 4 or SST (roughly 91% of FTP)
T: 1 h w/ 2 x 20 min at 100% of functional threshold power
W: same as M
Th: same as T
F: same as M
S and S: 1-2 h at level 3 or between 76-90% of FTP

"The conventional wisdom is that once you've built a solid foundation around FTP you can add/or block train vo2 and then top it off w anaerobic work to peak for race season."
 
Can i use this program with heart rate monitor?

 

A couple of thoughts:
 
- Yes you 'could' do a program like that based on HR or RPE, the power numbers tell you something about how well you managed the workout but it's the work you do that counts and those workouts in particular are the type that can be monitored fairly well with HR. Check out this piece: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/cycling/power-training-levels,-by-andrew-coggan.aspx
for info on the relationship between power training levels, HR and RPE understanding that HR takes time to respond so don't try to hit the desired HR right at the start of an effort or you'll be going way too hard.
 
- You probably don't want to do exactly what you've laid out as almost everyone doing consistent higher end training like you describe needs at least one and often two rest or very easy days per week. 2xL4, 3xSST and 2xTempo is a very stout week.
 
- That schedule was almost certainly not suggested by Andy. He has occasionally shared workouts that he's done but doesn't generally offer specific training advice like that. Maybe Hunter suggested something like that in the book they coauthored but I doubt Hunter suggests many weeks without a single rest day. But the basic idea you suggest of building a solid base of sustainable aerobic fitness and then building in high end race specific work as your season approaches is used by a lot of folks with great results. Charles Howe has a really nice primer for training with this approach here: http://velodynamics2.webs.com/rcgtp1.pdf you don't need a power meter to use this basic approach, just an understanding of what you're trying to accomplish and what sort of rides target those goals.
 
Good luck,
-Dave

 

 
yes (active) rest days are missing,
one thing that too structured training methods lack is how to maintain your peak level once you get there,
and that would be: using your < instinct >
you get so structured over the months that you forget then how to take it easy once your calendar gets packed up with your targeted races and events.

 

 

Not one that I have suggested, but one that I have in fact often followed in recent years, and hence shared. (I used to do more structured high intensity stuff on Saturdays rather than "just ride", but as I have gotten older I have found that I canot handle it, at least not week after week after week.)

 

Fair enough, I'm surprised you're doing 7 days a week with nothing below Tempo but that's probably another reason you're a Cat 1 and I'm still a Cat 3...
 
-Dave

 

Note the limited durations of my M-F ergometer sessions...
 
That said, 25-30 y ago, when I was young (and ambitious), my weekly training schedule looked something like this:
 
M: 1.5 h at level 2 (or what I now call level 2)
T: 1.5-3 h at level 2 in a.m., 1.5 h of structured intervals in p.m.
W: 2 h at level 3/4 in a.m., 1-1.5 h training race in p.m.
Th: same as T
F: same as M
S: race (usually a crit)
S: race (usually a crit)
 
The W morning rides were some of my favorites...I had a flattish 45-50 mi loop that I would ride, w/ only one rule: I had to finish in under 2 h. So, sometimes I ride a steady tempo the whole way, other times I'd start out slower then would have to hammer like crazy to make the cut-off, etc. I called these my TAN (vs. LSD) rides, where TAN = tough as nails...