Bike Tips from the Top

Conquer Fool’s Spring with fresh tips for your bike training from Karen Smyers

While some reading this may belong to the small group of intrepid New Englanders who cycle outdoors year round, most of us have been living the indoor trainer life for months by now. And let’s be honest: March can be tough. It feels like spring is just around the corner, but then you see 30 degrees and snow on the forecast and you question all of your life choices that have led you to live in not California. New year’s resolutions and excitement about this year’s races might start to wane; the outdoor season feels as far away as ever, and the monotony of riding your bike without going anywhere can start to wear.

---

It sounds like the perfect time for a bike refresh! And who better to get tips from than multi-time triathlon world champion and cycling coach extraordinaire Karen Smyers?!?! Karen was kind enough to share some of her expertise with us here, including suggestions catered to triathletes, several types of workouts, and even some great jams to add to your cycling playlist (if you’ve been to a Karen class, you know: the playlists vibes are always impeccable). Newbies and seasoned cyclists alike can benefit from these nuggets of insight to improve or maybe just refresh how you approach bike training. And don’t forget - WWMS organizes green team exclusive indoor training rides led by Karen each year, and we have one remaining session on March 24th - you don’t want to miss it!



What are some areas you notice triathletes in particular tend to struggle with on the bike?
There are so many tools to help cyclists out there now:  power meters, HR monitors, cadence, GPS maps while you ride, not to mention all the equipment options: different aero bar set-ups, disk brakes, electronic shifting, water bottle carriers, tubeless tires, Garmin mounts…that it can all just be overwhelming in the beginning.  I think it is good to concentrate on the basics to start: 

• Learn how your gears work and how to shift smoothly and anticipate grade changes, and what is best for your particular riding style
• Learn what your power and HR zones are and how they relate to your perceived exertion and other body signals
• Learn pacing for different distances/durations and understand how training at different zones can help you improve
• Learn to ride safely outdoors both solo and with a group: how to communicate with other riders (On your left! Car Back! etc), how to feather the brakes or come to a stop quickly without crashing or causing others to crash (and when to do so), how to be as safe as possible with traffic on the roads (be visible, be aware and follow the rules of the road!)   
• Ride with other veteran cyclists/triathletes and watch and learn what they do; ask for feedback and tips if they see you do something wrong/dangerous/stupid!

What are your favorite drills / workouts for folks to try at your class and then take home to do on the trainer?
I have a variety of workouts that I like and try to keep it interesting as well as challenging.  Here are 4 main types that you could do a variation of:
1) Basic threshold workout: a straight-forward set like 3 x (3 x 2.5’ on :30 rest). The 2.5’ intervals should be hard enough that you are breathing hard at the end of each one. This set can be modified in lots of ways to make it progress from week to week: you can add intervals (do another interval each set or add a set), extend the duration (hold the interval for 3’ instead of 2.5’), increase the intensity (do more of them closer to your anaerobic threshold), or even shorten the rest (:20 instead of :30). 
2) Low cadence intervals to build leg strength: holding a power that is uncomfortable but sustainable, use a bigger gear so that more force is required around the pedal stroke. Example:  3 x 8’ @ 80-85% of LT watts @ 70-80 rpms on 2’ rest.
3) High cadence drills to learn smooth pedaling (5 x 1’ @ 110-120 rpms alternated with 1’ @ normal cadence at 60-65%)
4) High power intervals to boost V02Max, increase lactate tolerance, and learn more about how your body reacts when above your anaerobic threshold (10 x 105-110% on 1.5’ rest) or (8 x :20 @ 120%, rest=:10). 

Any tips for surviving training through the cold New England winter?
Bike indoors with a coach and a group at Fast Splits!  Seriously, if you can make it work with your schedule and budget, the social aspect of biking with others and the routine of having a scheduled time for a hard bike each week makes it so much more enjoyable and productive.

Zwift is a way to connect with others as well but if you are on a screen all day, it sure is nice to take a break from that when you work out.  That said, I do offer some classes over Zoom a couple of days a week for those that can’t make it to Fast Splits. 

And there is something to be said for doing shorter, quality workouts indoors that take less time over the winter and then feeling renewed and extra excited to get back outdoors when spring comes around.  It adds a variety to the routine that is important for avoiding staleness and it really makes us appreciate beautiful riding weather when it arrives.

Any current favorites for the bike trainer playlist?
I like Beyonce’s new release for the country charts, "Texas Hold ‘Em” (my attempt to include at least some music not from the 80’s). I am partial to almost any song by The Killers or Flo Rida for an infectious, upbeat tempo. But you can’t go wrong with Britney Spears’ "Work Bitch” for an all out effort! 



For more information on bike classes, you can contact Karen at [email protected]. And once again, don’t miss out on WWMS’ exclusive indoor training ride with Karen at Fast Splits on March 24th!