This morning, I went for a 25 mile bike ride with a buddy. And I thought that, seeing as I've branched into triathlons, the posts of this blog could be used for all triathlon sports (good idea Mr Eldridge!). Also, a quick health warning; I don't claim to be an expert, or qualified in matters of sports science. The posts of this blog are my understanding of the theories, combined with my experience in race situations. Thanks.
Anyway, this bike ride. It was a hilly one. 1,600 feet or so over 25 miles. Towards the end of the ride, I noticed that my technique for climbing hills was different to my friend's. He grinds, I spin. Let me explain.
Grinding involves selecting a relatively high gear, standing up in the saddle, and using a 'stomping' movement to turn the pedals. There is generally quite a high level of stress on the chain, low pedalling speed, and you may see the rider sway from side to side as they stomp up and down on the pedals. There is also a definite speed up/slow down pattern as the speed they gain from the 'stomp' is countered by the drag of the hill.
Spinning involves selecting a lower gear, remaining seated, and turning the pedals quite quickly. The chain is less stressed, and the rider maintains a constant speed. Generally, riders will have their hands on the bars or the hoods, and their bodies SHOULD be relatively stationary above the waist.
Which is better? Well reading up on it, it depends on you as an athlete, as each technique has advantages and drawbacks.
Grinding provides a definite rest to the legs thanks to the standing position adopted, as this engages muscles of the back and stomach to assist. Also, because of the higher gear, it can be a faster way to get up the hill. However, spinning generally has a lower energy cost because of the reduced movement. It also makes gear changes on the hill more accessible because of the reduced stress on the chain. But it still depends on what kind of athlete you are.
I am a spinner for two reasons. Firstly, weight. My body plus my bike is close to 100kg. In cycling terms, that's a LOT of weight to get up a hill. This means that the speed up/slow down motion of grinding is not for me (that's a preference thing rather than a physiological necessity). Secondly, I have relatively good cardio-respiratory fitness, but I am not massively strong in the upper leg. Simply put, my heart is stronger than my thighs, and as such, I would rather my heart does the work to get me up a hill.
This turned out to be a good move during my Olympic triathlon. As I approached each hill, I reminded myself "Don't grind, don't grind". As a result, I still had some 'legs' left for my run stage, whereas some of my competitors did not.
What can people take from reading this? Well, if you're a runner by trade or your heart is in great shape, spin away. If your legs are strong as tree trunks and can handle thousands of squats and burpees, enjoy your grind. Just remember; if you must spin, breathe deeply to help the heart (often cyclists forget proper breathing), and if you must grind, try to keep the sway to a minimum!
And now, technically, I should change the name of this blog. Is triathloning a word?...
n.b. Reading for some of this post came from the Haynes Triathlon Manual, by Sean Lerwill.
Anyway, this bike ride. It was a hilly one. 1,600 feet or so over 25 miles. Towards the end of the ride, I noticed that my technique for climbing hills was different to my friend's. He grinds, I spin. Let me explain.
Grinding involves selecting a relatively high gear, standing up in the saddle, and using a 'stomping' movement to turn the pedals. There is generally quite a high level of stress on the chain, low pedalling speed, and you may see the rider sway from side to side as they stomp up and down on the pedals. There is also a definite speed up/slow down pattern as the speed they gain from the 'stomp' is countered by the drag of the hill.
Spinning involves selecting a lower gear, remaining seated, and turning the pedals quite quickly. The chain is less stressed, and the rider maintains a constant speed. Generally, riders will have their hands on the bars or the hoods, and their bodies SHOULD be relatively stationary above the waist.
Which is better? Well reading up on it, it depends on you as an athlete, as each technique has advantages and drawbacks.
Grinding provides a definite rest to the legs thanks to the standing position adopted, as this engages muscles of the back and stomach to assist. Also, because of the higher gear, it can be a faster way to get up the hill. However, spinning generally has a lower energy cost because of the reduced movement. It also makes gear changes on the hill more accessible because of the reduced stress on the chain. But it still depends on what kind of athlete you are.
I am a spinner for two reasons. Firstly, weight. My body plus my bike is close to 100kg. In cycling terms, that's a LOT of weight to get up a hill. This means that the speed up/slow down motion of grinding is not for me (that's a preference thing rather than a physiological necessity). Secondly, I have relatively good cardio-respiratory fitness, but I am not massively strong in the upper leg. Simply put, my heart is stronger than my thighs, and as such, I would rather my heart does the work to get me up a hill.
This turned out to be a good move during my Olympic triathlon. As I approached each hill, I reminded myself "Don't grind, don't grind". As a result, I still had some 'legs' left for my run stage, whereas some of my competitors did not.
What can people take from reading this? Well, if you're a runner by trade or your heart is in great shape, spin away. If your legs are strong as tree trunks and can handle thousands of squats and burpees, enjoy your grind. Just remember; if you must spin, breathe deeply to help the heart (often cyclists forget proper breathing), and if you must grind, try to keep the sway to a minimum!
And now, technically, I should change the name of this blog. Is triathloning a word?...
n.b. Reading for some of this post came from the Haynes Triathlon Manual, by Sean Lerwill.
So far, I'm a negative split, spinning kinda triathlete... Excited in anticipation of the swim blog to come!
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