Power above threshold...

JimboPlob

Ok

So I have been doing lots of chiangang riding and focusing on threshold/just below threshold workouts. My engine is getting bigger, but I have a problem.

When I am at/close to threshold, if I go slightly over it, I blow and then have to recover (usually loosing wheels). I also find it very hard to "jump" when I have been at threshold/close to threshold for any length of time.

My question:

1) What kind of sessions should I be doing to improve my jump when I am at/close to threshold
2) How can I improve my top end power to help increase the gap between threshold and top end
3) Are these sessions best done on a trainer or a road.

Thanks

SBezza

How are you determining threshold power, do you have a power meter?

JimboPlob

Lots of historic HR data shows threshold for me is around 160-165. I base all my sessions off RPE and usually double check with HR. Seems to be a trend I blow quickly when HR gets to 170 for a couple of minutes. No powermeter but would like to get 1.

amaferanga

I guess the nature of a chaingang means you're actually spending periods well above your threshold in power which are doing you in. You may not always see this in HR since for short efforts ~1min or less your HR may not respond.

As for workouts to do - try the Hour of Power or a 2x20 variant (ride just below threshold then every 2 or 3 minutes put in a big effort for 30s or so).

P_Tucker

I'd say that most people find it hard to jump when they've been near their threshold for a while. How's your "jump" normally i.e. from rest/easy riding? If you're happy with it, then in my non-expert opinion the best thing you can do is to increase your threshold so that you can ride at the same pace as you do now with less effort - then when it comes to jump you'll be fresher.

jibberjim

P_Tucker wrote:

I'd say that most people find it hard to jump when they've been near their threshold for a while. How's your "jump" normally i.e. from rest/easy riding? If you're happy with it, then in my non-expert opinion the best thing you can do is to increase your threshold so that you can ride at the same pace as you do now with less effort - then when it comes to jump you'll be fresher.

Got to agree with this.

Whilst some people can clearly explosively jump when riding at or near threshold others can clearly not. Look at Wiggins, almost certainly has a threshold w/kg which has him climbing with the fastest, but he's completely useless if he's attacked and forced over threshold at all.

I suspect it's not something that's very trainable in itself - obviously doing it more may well help, and improving your jump seperately too. But I expect for the average rider who's nowhere near maxed out their threshold, the bigger gains will come from trianing that.

phreak

Maybe it's a mental thing and the ability to suffer?

P_Tucker

jibberjim wrote:

Whilst some people can clearly explosively jump when riding at or near threshold others can clearly not. Look at Wiggins, almost certainly has a threshold w/kg which has him climbing with the fastest, but he's completely useless if he's attacked and forced over threshold at all.

I've often wondered whether this is really what's going on - for e.g. Contador is renowned as having a decent jump, but one suspects that when the favourites group is 15-20 strong and being towed along by one of his lackeys, he's probably only at 85-90% at most. Lots of people would be able to kick hard from 90% - I can for one and I'm crap.

RE the pros, obviously we'll never know for sure cos unfortunately we can never really tell who's riding at/over threshold and who isn't - most of them can hide it quite well.