Fast paced chaingangs, Benefits?

sven_jto

A little discussion to help me procrastinate at the time when I should be writing my dissertation.

Do you guys see benefits in double paceline chaingangs? In the area where I live we've managed to get the best riders to organize 2 50-60km chaingang sessions a week.
I've noticed that it keeps my hr high and hit 20-30watts under my critical power over 20 mins and Certain times my NP for the duration of the chaingang is at or above my Critical Power. I hit around 130-200 TSS for a sesh. I must say there are a few moments where I feel on the rivet, but generally cope well.
We hit 40+km/h on windy and twisty loops outside town with a few hills

What my question is what's the specific benefits of these sessions(except tight cornering, hairy car situations on narrow roads and a general breakaway feeling)? Does it help my vo2max, LT?

Would it be better to do structured training alone maybe over longer distance or the chaingang is a vital tool and a great, irreplaceable resource to have? I do sometimes include the chaingang to the end of a longer ride. What's your opinion?

twotyred

I reckon if you enjoy it and it doesn't leave you too knackered to do your other training effectively then keep doing it. If its all you are doing then it could be you are neglecting some other aspects of your performance like endurance but you seem to have that covered as well by tacking it onto the end of a longer ride.

crikey

It's training designed to mimic road racing, to teach you the skills needed to ride quickly and closely.

jibberjim

It also gives you speed specific training that you would not have the same training alone - the same reason for motorpacing - there are many benefits that you get from it that you don't in training alone.

colinsmith123

The benefit of riding chaingangss is it will give you something to talk about on Facebook in 30 year's time on the group Cycling - The Teenies Remembered.

Plus all of the above.

DeVlaeminck

The main benefit is probably that it is fun and that means you are more likely to do it. For a chaingang I only need to be motivated to get out of the house and ride to the start - after that I find the motivation easy because of the group. To do 40 minutes or an hour solo at a similar effort would be mentally much harder and I doubt I could sustain it week in week out - even if I could I wouldn't enjoy it as much which as I'm not paid to ride kind of defeats the point.

I guess that with any group ride you aren't going to be hitting your optimum power outputs for optimum time periods for whatever your goals are but as these are always going to be informed guesswork anyway (even if they are informed by a decent coach) you can probably get near enough to make very little difference and you get added benefits of refining your group riding skills, getting to know other riders etc

scott_w1987

Tuesday worlds and Thursday APR?