With winter weather well upon us, the days shortening and temperature gauge dropping,
getting out on the treadlie can become more difficult. Yet as the European Summer
racing Season starts and nights are spent watching the Tour these coming months are
the most important for any local cyclist wanting to do well in our local summer crits
or various sportive’s like the Audax Alpine Classic or the Degani 3 Peaks Challenge.
Time invested now will be well rewarded with improved endurance strength and power on
your bike.
If you are not one of the hundreds of Wattbike owners who have the secret weapon which
allows you to monitor not only your cadence, HR and Power but the effectiveness of
your pedaling technique tucked away in your garage, there are now plenty of cycling
training studios and gyms around the country where you can engage in some serious
indoor training. In this post I will introduce the various places where you can go and
be tested on or engage in structured indoor cycling classes on a Wattbike throughout
winter.
Over the coming weeks we will look at each venue in a little mote detail and interview
some of the participants and cycling coaches who are using the Wattbike to improve
their cycling performance.
For now you will find a brief introduction to each facility along with the suburb they
are located in and up to three ways of finding out more with their website, facebook
page or twitter details.
Victoria
Rebecca McConnell an ex Pro rider and Giro Stage Winner offers customised cycle
coaching over a 12 week block. The first Wattbike studio in Australia, her athletes
have found immense gains with some moving from D Grade to A Grade in one block.
Situated in Black Rock, just down from the infamous Clock Tower where the Hell Ride
participants meet every Saturday morning.
Sam Stapleton and Sarah Hammond provide energy and excitement in the largest Wattbike
Studio in the world with 31 Wattbike’s across 2 venues. Check out their North Fitzroy
venue across from Crino Cycles on Nicholson Street.
Tucked away in Murrumbeena behind Herb’s Fuel Performance Bicycle Mechanic Workshop, Andrew
Robinson from Stompa cycling blends a sport science background and 22 years of racing into developing the “underdog”. He provides exceptional advice and structured training on everything from Road themed Wattbike group ergo sessions to coaching, power profile, power data analysis and interpretation, Lab Testing and Biomechanical analysis of Bike Fit. Limit of 12 riders per session.
Another former professional cyclist with an overall Tour win at the 2001 Amalgamated
Tours of Delta and White Rock in Canada, Helen, along with her husband Bob Kelly are
heavily involved in the sport of cycling nurturing and training some of the rising
juniors. They have Lactate Testing available on the Wattbike in Macleod.
Jai Forster knows how to get results for both himself and his clients the 2009 and
2010 ITU 30-34 Age Group Sprint Triathlon champion has just opened a larger premises
in Canterbury Rd, Canterbury now equipped with 6 Wattbike’s and the TRX Suspension
Training System.
With over 30 years of competitive cycling experience and now a cycle coach to some of
Australia’s rising stars Peter Richards can bring about astounding cycling improvement
using a combination of Wattbike data and his knowledge. John “Jack” Anderson, 2010 2nd
place getter to Cameron Meyer used the Wattbike with Peter to shave 22seconds off of
his 5km TT in the lead up to the 2010 Australian Open Road Championships and is now riding
for a European Pro Team. If reaching the pinnacle in your sport is your goal check out
Teco Training.
Iain Sherrin of Ontic Sports is one of only 3 venues in South East Queensland to have
an ATS Altitude Chamber available for the general public. He has also equipped the
chamber with 4 Wattbike Trainers so that you can get the altitude and performance data
feedback as used by Cycling’s elite like Robbie McEwen. Ontic is able to cater for all
users and can use the Altitude chamber to enhance fat loss through an increased
metabolic rate both during and post workout.
Sharon Kearney of Reclaim PT is based in Rockhampton and offers personal training to
her clients in an aid to reach their goals. With her Wattbike she offers personalised
Cycling Training to improve your pedaling technique.
Bikelab is Sydney’s newest metabolic testing facility and Ergo Studio based in Bondi
Junction. It’s available to everyone from elite athletes and fitness fanatics to
individuals who just want to become fitter, faster and stronger. Bikelabs’ technology
is designed to improve technique and produce results within a third of the time – e.g:
an hour on one of our specialized Watt bikes is equivalent to cycling for three hours
outdoors.
Wattbike’s newest indoor cycling Studio based in the Sydney suburb of Rozelle with 15
Wattbike Trainer’s and 5 Wattbike Pro’s they are offering 2 weeks of free classes to
kick off June 2011. Get along to kick start your winter training.
One of the great things about being part of the Wattbike community is seeing Tweets and Facebook updates telling us how much people have beaten their personal bests by on a Wattbike, or better still telling us how much faster they have gone in a race, a sportive or a triathlon after a good block of training on a Wattbike. This kind of sharing of experiences and training data is the kind of stuff that gets us out of bed in a morning and puts a smile on our face.
With that in mind we want to make sure you're conencted in all the right places with us - whether it be here on the blog, on Facebook, Twitter or through our Newsletter.
We recently took on one of the Three Legs Cycling DVDs featuring World Champ Mark Cavendish (purely for research purposes!) and liked them so much that we thought we'd give a few away in a competition. The workouts are hard enough as it is so we won't tax you any more by asking difficult questions.
To be in with the chance of winning a Sprinting/Road Race bundle or a Time Trial/Climbing bundle all you need to do is make sure you're hooked up with us on Twitter, Facebook and subscribed to our Newsletter
For every place you're connected with us, you'll get an entry into the draw - so triple your chances with just a couple of clicks!
We'll pick the winners out at the end of March - Good luck!
The boring stuff...aka Terms and Conditions
1. This Prize Draw is open to all, excluding employees of Wattbike Limited, or any of its subsidiary companies, their families, agents or anyone else connected with this promotion. No third party entries, bulk entries or entries submitted by agents will be accepted. Wattbike reserves the right to verify the eligibility of entrants. Wattbikemay require such information as it considers reasonably necessary for the purpose of verifying the eligibility of an entry and the prize may be withheld until and unless Wattbike is satisfied with the verification.
2. The winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries received. Each winner will be notified within a reasonable time after March 31st 2012 either by email, Direct Message on Twitter or Private Message on Facebook. The prize is awarded conditionally upon acceptance and if a winner is unable to be contacted after a reasonable period or if any prize is unclaimed or declined within a reasonable period, the prize shall be deemed as unclaimed or unaccepted and a supplementary winner may be drawn at Wattbike's discretion.
3. Wattbike's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
4. This promotion is governed by English Law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
5. The promoter of this Prize Draw is Wattbike Limited, Vermont House, Nottingham South & Wilford Ind. Est., Wilford, NG11 7HQ.
GreenEDGE partners with Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
Posted Dec 08, 2011 at 09:53 AM
Great news that GreenEDGE cycling have been awarded World Tour status for 2012, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the big one day races and the Grand Tours. The team have linked up with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and will be using their base in Varese, Italy to prepare the riders for the upcoming season.
The AIS building in Varese is one of the highest spec fitness and testing facilities in the world and of course, has a number of Wattbikes. Take a look at the video below to get an insight into what it takes to produce a world class cycling team.
Due to a technical error with the SBS website, you'll need to scroll down in the window below to see the video...
Stepping up with Wattbike
Posted Dec 06, 2011 at 09:15 AM
We got some great news from a young track cyclist in New Zealand this past weekend, Jen Muhl took part in her first event at U-19 level at the 2012 Oceania Track Championships in Invercargill, New Zealand. The competition sees riders from New Zealand and Australia compete across all Olympic track disciplines at both senior and under-19 level.
For Jen it was the first time she had mixed it up with senior riders and put in an impressive performance. Jen tells us: "I've been training hard and raced as an U19 for the first time at the Oceania track champs. I had some success, coming 2nd in the scratch race and 8th in the combined women & U19 points race, finishing as the 2nd under-19 girl."
On competiing with the seniors, it was clear that Jen felt right at home: "It was a huge buzz racing with the New Zealand elite riders for the first time and I enjoyed all the racing immensely. I was pleased that I didn't feel out of place in the racing despite it being my first time at that level."
Jen has been training on a Wattbike for some time now and is a huge fan, she said: "These results wouldn't have been possible without the training opportunities provided by the Wattbike. I proudly wear the Wattbike kit on both the track and road because I really do believe that it's one of the best training tools available."
Jen's coach, Stewart Morley, has been impressed with level of support from Wattbike and told us: "Being on the other side of the world from where the Wattbike originated made me think hard and long about whether it was going to be difficult to get the backup and support that we would have from a local supplier, particulary if things should go wrong. But I'm glad that we made the decision to jump on board with what is turning out to be an effective and a necessary tool to help Jen with her cycling."
We look forward to keeping up with Jen's progress.
We often say this, but it never loses its importance or meaning to us, we're proud to support women's cycling at all levels.
Note: If you're in New Zealand and want to contact our local distributor please go to http://wattbike.com/nz/
Wattbike Locations Australia
Posted Nov 02, 2011 at 12:00 AM
We have put together all the Wattbike training locations around Australia on a map. If you know of any more please let us know. If you are looking at purchasing a bike these venues offer a great way to see what the bike is all about. Good luck and happy training!
Link: http://g.co/maps/3mdcy
Did Jimmy Watkins record the highest ever cadence on a Wattbike?
Posted Oct 10, 2011 at 04:52 PM
Wattbike sport scientist, Eddie Fletcher caught up with Jimmy Watkins the USA Olympic track cyclist last week. Jimmy does some of his training on a Wattbike Pro training out of Fire Station 55 in Lebec, California where he is a full time fireman working 48 hour shifts!
Jimmy reckons that ‘the Wattbike is by far the best training tool I have. Working as a firefighter full time as well as living 2.5 hrs from the nearest track I rely heavily on it to compete at level I do. It is a super stable platform with very realistic resistance. The information you get is unbelievable’.
He had a Wattbike workout already recorded from the day before for Eddie to look at, a punishing 2 set workout, the first set (seated starts) of 3 x 5 second sprints, a 10 second sustained power sprint and a 20 second sustained power sprint (seated starts), the second set (standing start) 3 x 5 second sprints, 20 second sustained power sprint and a 40 second sustained power sprint.
First set was on air resistance 6 and the second set on air resistance 8 – don’t try this workout at home!
Awesome leg speed and power output on the 5 second sprint sections of the workout topping out at over 2000 W and cadence of close to 170 rpm on each one
His pedalling technique is also awesome and Eddie identified some small improvements which Jimmy could make to get those all so important marginal gains.
Eddie then got Jimmy to do the Wattbike 20 minute cadence based warm up on air resistance level 1. During the first ‘rev out’ Jimmy set a record 214 rpm with peak power of 2069 W (unless any of our readers know a higher figure - and remember this is at air resistance level 1).
Truly awesome!
Jimmy’s comment ‘the leg speed warm up you had me do today is definitely harder than I normally warm up. But I hit the highest watts I ever have on that setting so I guess it’s my standard warm up now’.
We will be working with, and tracking Jimmy’s progress through to London 2012. Watch out for regular updates.
Jimmy is competing in the Pan Am Games later in October and there will be an opportunity to see him in London at the World Cup Track event in February 2012.
Newcastle Falcons power up their training on the Wattbike
Posted Sep 21, 2011 at 01:23 PM
We dropped off four Wattbikes with Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union club a couple of months ago and if you recall, the players were all keen to jump on to try to outdo each other on who can get the biggest peak power. Well, we’ve now got some scores from a few players and have entered these onto our Wattbike Ranking system. The three players have all made the top 25 in our rankings and we suspect there could be more in the future!
You can add your own peak power scores (along with a whole host of other distances) on our Wattbike Rankings system - word of caution though, please make sure you are sufficiently warmed up before doing a peak power test.
We also received this video from Falcons via their excellent Falcons TV YouTube channel, it features Andrew van der Heijden, aka Vanders, doing a Wattbike session. We’re pretty sure that he is grimacing and NOT smiling towards the end of the session and you can literally feel the thighs burning as you watch it. Thanks Vanders!
Carla Ryan heading to the World Championships
Posted Sep 13, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Great news to hear that Garmin-Cervelo pro Carla Ryan will once again represent Australia in the 2011 World Road Race Championship on 24th September. Check out a recent interview we did with her for the Wattbike Blog.
Carla recently sent us these photos of her training on her Wattbike…
Wattbike now an Official Sponsor of The Alpine Challenge
Posted Sep 01, 2011 at 01:04 PM
This is a really exciting development for us at Wattbike, we’re now an Official Sponsor of The Alpine Challenge. The Alpine Challenge is a 4 stage Alpine event which follows a similar format to the London-Paris, both of which organised by HotChillee Events.
The event is based out of the beautiful lakeside town of Annecy in the Savoie and the scenery and riding is breathtaking every day. We’ll have a couple of guys at the event next week so check the blog to see how they’re getting on. Three are some stunning climbs on this year’s Alpine Challenge route and combined with superb hospitality it really is shaping up to be a fantastic event.
Speaking about The Alpine Challenge, HotChillee director Sven Thiele is extremely pleased with the route that his HotChillee team have put together, an event which will once again take in some of the greatest bike riding country in the world, he states:
“We are very proud of what we believe to be one of the best ever routes that HotChillee has designed for one of our events. We were overcome by the response to the inaugural event in 2010, and people genuinely felt that the challenging environment and the event logistics made the event feel very much like a Continental stage race. Riders meet many new friends and riding partners, they create new business contacts and they all share a real passion for cycling.”
“There are no barriers to mixing and interacting and many participants of our events have become very close to all of the HotChillee events team. Annecy is a great hub for the event too, and is a beautiful part of the world to enjoy cycling and leisure time. With some great attractions and stunning places to stay we are encouraging participants to make this a family affair and bring their loved ones to enjoy this super Alpine environment. Overall we have a superb event planned for 2011, and feel that The Alpine Challenge will surpass people’s expectations once again”.
Follow our trip to The Alpine Challenge here on the blog and via Twitter
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
Posted Aug 26, 2011 at 09:01 AM
We get lots of updates from elite athletes who are using the Wattbike and we try to post as many as possible up here on the Wattbike blog but sometimes we get one which is, well, just a little bit different. Today is one of those days.
Oli Beckingsale, elite XC mountain biker, crashed a couple of weeks ago in the UCI MTB World Cup in the Czech Republic, we’d heard about it on Oli’s Twitter feed first and, injected with a bit of humour, was the sad fact that he was going to be out of action for quite a while.
We’ll let him give you the background…
Hello
Life, sport and bike racing is a mix of highs and lows. After the high of my 9th place at the European Champs (my best result for 3 yrs) I came crashing down to a massive low only a week later at the sixth round of the World Cup in the Czech Republic.
The race was great with big crowds, well organised and a super tough course, which featured tough steep climbs, technical descents and lots and lots of roots. The Elite men were down for 8 laps and I knew this was going to be one of the most physical races of the year.
I pushed to move up on the start loop and took a few risks, one of which did not pay off as I hit a huge rock taking an off-piste line. The tire did not go completely but went to 10PSI and required a quick CO2 inflation. This meant i came round lap one mid pack in 70th. The legs were good though and by the end of lap 5 I was up to 32nd and going forward.
Then near the end of lap 6 things went wrong in a big way. On a flat rooty part of the course my front wheel slipped out and I went down. It’s the type of crash I have had a thousand times but luck was not on my side and I landed with my full weight on my hip onto a large tree root.
I never experienced pain like it as I dragged myself off the track. After a painful trip to hospital and an x-ray it turned out that I have fractured the neck of my femur, in other words I have snapped the ball of my hip joint of my leg!!!
Its a bad injury but I am lucky as there was a complete break but everything stayed in place and the hip did not dislocate. I was operated on that night and they pinned and plated the joint.
My Dad stepped up and flew out on the Monday to help me, which was fantastic, as being on a Czech hospital ward, language issue, dealing with the insurance company and being generally worried would have been far more challenging on my own.
I managed to get home to the UK on Saturday and go to a UK hospital. The consultant was happy with the work they had done in Czech and now I can begin to recover and rehab. Basically this involves 6 weeks on crutches with no weight on the bad leg and then another 6 weeks working up to full weight. I have exercise to do but no riding for 12 weeks!
At least it is almost the end of the season , I have only missed 4 races and like they say if it does not kill you it makes you stronger..
Photos are of me in hospital looking positive and a nice shot of some metal work ( i hope they put titanium in there!)
Thanks for the support
Oli
We’d like to wish Oli a speedy recovery from all of the Wattbike community - you can send Oli your own best wishes via Twitter. He”ll be using a Wattbike to aid his recovery once he’s allowed to pedal again and we’ll be catching up with him via a video blog to see how it’s going.
Bike Fit on the Wattbike
Posted Aug 23, 2011 at 12:44 PM
If you’ve ever sustained an injury on a bike (other than from falling off!) it’s likely that it will have been caused by an incorrect bike setup. The resulting injuries can make cycling a fairly miserable experience and more often than not cause other problems as one part of the body over-compensates for the pain being felt elsewhere.
To help you alleviate these problems we’ve recently added a new ‘Bike Fit’ section to the website which shows you how to set up your Wattbike perfectly; you’ll then be able to transfer these settings over to your road setup to maximise the benefits of your indoor training.
First thing you’ll need to do is ensure the Wattbike is level on the floor - there are adjustable feet which turn easily to change the height - and get your saddle parallel to the floor. There is a specific order in which to make changes to the Wattbike in order to get the best position, so get the saddle position sorted first and then look to get your handlebars in the correct position.
It’s best if you have a partner to help you assess your position by dropping a plumb line from the elbow, through the inside of the knee and finally it should bisect the pedal spindle. If you don’t have a plumb line then you could always tie something small and heavy to a piece of string (multi-tools are good!).
These are just the general guidelines, to get the detail from our sport scientist, Eddie Fletcher, see the fantastic Bike Setup section on the website.
I’ll be reassessing my riding position this evening in preparation for the 3 Minute Aerobic Test.
The 3 keys to triathlon success
Posted Aug 22, 2011 at 10:49 AM
We’ve just had an update on how Team Dillon’s Christy McKee has been getting on over the past few months which includes a significant amount of training on a Wattbike. Her triathlon results have been very impressive and it’s clear from what she says below that a combination of high quality training, a great coach and proper nutrition are the 3 keys to success.
It’s been a busy past few months since my last update. After taking a few weeks off work to train, in April I did TriStar Mallorca. Thanks to my regular Wattbike sessions the day before the race I rode the 50k course familiarisation loop with several pros (who of course were riding at an easy pace for us normal human beings). I am proud to say that by the end of the loop not only was I the only non-pro girl still in the group but one of only five that managed to keep up. Yeah!
I’ll focus on the bike leg of my races as it relates more directly to my training sessions with the Wattbike. Given I’m not the most impressive runner, I depend on having a strong swim and bike to give me a little more lead time on the girls that are better runners than me. In the TriStar Mallorca race the bike leg was 100km long (run was 10km long) and there was one steep 6km hill we had to do twice. I managed to keep a good strong pull despite some mechanical difficulties which meant I was stuck in one of my more challenging gears. Ultimately I finished 3rd in my age group as the bike gave me enough of a lead to hold off the other women on the shorter run.
A few short weeks after TriStar, I competed in the inaugural Mallorca 70.3. The race is in very familiar territory around Port Pollenca where I’ve ridden several times in the last few years. I know the route and the 10km hill (there is only one long hill on the course) went well and I felt comfortable racing on my tri-bike. Although I only came in 13th in my age group out of 59, my bike was strongest sector and if I had been 4 minutes faster in my run leg (and/or cut that time out of my transitions) I would have come in the top 5 in my category.
The bike course splits were at the 35.5km, 70.4km and 90k points. The 35.5km split was at the top of the long hill, and I was very excited to learn that out of the 219 non pro women competing in the race, my time in the first bikesplit was good enough for 19th place out of the 219 demonstrating my power up the hill. In the second 35km split, I was 39th out of 219 which is still reasonable but can be explained by my hesitation to descend the 10km hill at full blast and taking risks. Over the final 20km flat sector into the wind, I was 28th out of the 219 non pro women. Overall I was the 22nd fastest non pro woman on the bike compared to the 25th and 45th fastest on the swim and run respectively.
My biggest feat of the year was Ironman Nice, this was my first ever Ironman and a huge challenge as its known for having the toughest ride profile of all the Ironman race series. I spent a lot of time after work on my Wattbike and even more hours on my bike outdoors over the weekends trying to emulate same power on the road. Ultimately on race day I had the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike course – I got everything right, the amount of training, the nutrition, etc. I also had one of the stronger bike splits in my age group and this was despite the 36 degree weather which I had no way of preparing for being a UK resident! In Nice, I was the 7th fastest woman in my age group out of the 29 that finished the race.
More recently I did the Hyde Park Triathlon – I will definitely be doing it again next year as the race organisers did an excellent job. The day of the race I was still recovering from a bad cold, but I rode my tri-bike fresh with brand new Hed3 wheels and managed to rank 19th out of 183 other lady racers in the bike leg. I was pleased with this as I’ve been more focused on distance training rather than shorter power sprints and because I lost a lot of time in the turn around points (there were 5 laps which translated into 10x 180 degree turn around points) which are not exactly fun on a stiff tri-bike with toe overlap.
Finally, this past weekend I raced in the Germany 70.3 Ironman. Before I get into my race performance I have to say that I had hugely underestimated how tough the bike course would be as the race profile didn’t look too intimidating. I therefore made the very novice mistake of only taking 2 gels and one energy bar – what I’d usually take on a milder, relatively flat course. I had a great start to the ride, it was the first time I’ve felt able to push the pace since the Nice Ironman in June, and I stayed with the faster riders.
Around 40k I was getting worried because I had already gone through the two gels I had brought. I was holding off on eating the energy bar because I forgot to open the wrapper before the race and knew I’d loose time playing with the foil. At 70k I could tell I was losing power and some of the girls I put behind me early in the race were starting to catch up. I waited too long, and with the rainy weather I dropped the energy bar on what was a pretty steep hill.
At that point I had no intention of getting off my bike to get it – thinking of the time I’d loose - and in retrospect it turned out to be an enormous mistake. My fate? I suffered through the last 20k on the bike and my legs were shaking as I descended down the huge hill back into Wiesbaden – not an ideal way to start a 21k run. So a note to all those reading this – even a well tuned car won’t go anywhere if you don’t put fuel in the tank. So despite having a great coach like Michelle, a great training tool like Wattbike, and a great training partner like my boyfriend, if you don’t get your nutrition right you might as well stay in bed – in a longer race it will make or break your performance.
Thanks for the update Christy! Don’t forget we have our free Triathlon Winter Training Plan if you’re looking to take the next step in your own training.
Wigan Warriors sharing training sessions
Posted Aug 17, 2011 at 11:04 AM
One of the things I really love about the Wattbike community is the willingness to share training sessions here on the blog, on Facebook and Twitter, it really helps everybody that owns a Wattbike to get the most out of their training. We find a lot of people doing sportive or triathlons tweeting about their latest training session but it’s a rare occasion that those involved in the pro sports scene are able to share their Wattbike activity - many still refer to the Wattbike as their ‘secret weapon’.
So when Mark Bitcon, Head of Sport Science at Wigan Warriors rugby league club, let us get hold of his ‘Cards of Death’ (as seen on one our earlier visits) we pleaded with him to let us share them with the Wattbike community…and in an instance he said yes. It’s these kind of sessions which are helping Wigan Warriors to have one of their best seasons ever, they currently sit at the top of the Engage Super League and are in the final of the Carnegie Challenge Cup
The cards provide a lot of motivation for the players as they are of varying intensity although no player escapes the toughest workout as the cards are rotated so that each player completes each one.
Thanks to Mark for sharing these sessions. Remember these are completed by professional rugby league players under the watchful eye of a pro coach; we recommend you take a look at our free Training Guide to work out the kinds of resistance and cadence you should be working at when undertaking sessions on a Wattbike.
Ian Richards gives us the low-down on his Wattbike training
Posted Aug 16, 2011 at 08:54 AM
You’ve probably read about some of the great performaces Ian Richards has been putting in as he enjoys his first season of European road racing here on the Wattbike blog. From completing his first full UCI Tour to becoming champion of South Holland, Ian’s season has gone from strength to strength.
It’s fair say that Ian’s a perfect example of how putting in a tremendous amount of work and focus into your training will often not only reap the results you want but also at times exceed them. Ian is meticulous in planning his training, whether it be out on the road or indoors on his Wattbike.
I asked Ian, as a road rider, what he is mainly using his Wattbike for and how exactly it is helping him to gain the edge on his competition. It was no surprise to hear that the miserable weather we’ve experienced in Europe this summer has meant that his Wattbike is getting some serious use. Ian also shares one of his ‘favourite training sessions below which is well worth giving a try. Here’s what he had to say:
During the racing season the Wattbike is the best training tool; when I’m racing up to 4 times a
week and riding in week-long tours every couple of months training on the Wattbike fits perfectly into my European racing calendar.
My training is based around the power aspect of the Wattbike. Using the power readings on the Performance Computer I can safely
smash out my efforts at 100% without risking myself with traffic and the numerous other hazards on
the road. This isn’t the best bit either; the weather is also very temperamental in Europe, and with
any sign of rain I’m straight on the Wattbike without the risk of catching a cold or crashing in the rain.
My training is done in 2 segments each day, Either 2 sessions on the road or one on the Wattbike
and another on the road. These are called split days and enable me to train at a higher level without
suffering from high levels of fatigue. The benefits of having a Wattbike means that I can train at any time of the day without
having to worry when it is dark, cold or windy.
My least favourite type of effort on the Wattbike is called a 20/10; I say least favourite because
it hurts…A LOT! This is 20 seconds at high watts, then 10 seconds at lower watts, repeated for 4 minutes, 3 times. Ouch!
This effort represents the changes in speed during a race and enables my legs to get used to this
race-type lactate period and helps my aerobic system to adjust as well.
Wattbike has been fantastic in supporting me and it’s great to be able to use a Wattbike very day of the week.
Look forward to keeping up with your progress Ian. Thanks for sharing one of your training sessions with us.
Walter Thorburn coaching triathlon on the Wattbike
Posted Aug 15, 2011 at 02:32 PM
Monday mornings are usually full of planning for a busy week ahead, telephone calls, emails from the weekend to answer and working out where I am going to be over the next 7 days! This morning got off to a great start with an email overnight from a Wattbike user in New Zealand; it’s the kind of email which I forwarded to the rest of the team here at Wattbike HQ as it just makes everything we are doing to produce the world’s best indoor training bike worthwhile and spurs us on to keep on pushing the boundaries.
The email comes from Walter Thorburn, two-time New Zealand Half Ironman Champion and 2009 World Age Group Champion, he’s got over 28 years experience of racing with 6 years of this internationally - you could say Walter has been there and done it when it comes to competing at the highest level. He’s now coaching elite triathletes through his own coaching company, Go2Max. I’ll let Walter tell you what he thinks of the Wattbike in his own words:-
When a Wattbike brochure came across my desk I thought: “Cool, great idea!” but then proceeded to carry on with what I was doing anyway. Fast forward a few months and athletes in the local bike shop were raving about what they were achieving with the Wattbike, about the improvements they were getting and also that crucially, their improvements were directly transferring to the races they were competing in.
Never being one to ever let new ideas slip by me should there be a nugget of useful information, I decided to research it and see what potential it may have for what I do and how it might improve my systems as a coach.
So what are the benefits of using the Wattbike, and why it is (in my eyes) different from others stuff out there? I liked the idea that I could finish a workout and was able to get a full data screen of information on the session right away. Being able to track everything from heart rate, power, cadence and the effectiveness of my pedalling is a major advantage training wise.
The idea of the bike self-charging when you are riding is great. Also, not needing to calibrate it every time for accurate watts before using it is another reason I am passionate about using this bike. It has to be easy and this ergometer certainly is! Secondly, the Pro Trainer offers higher resistance levels than other indoor trainers, which was particularly important for myself as an athlete, but also for the purposes of coaching. I have athletes who range from beginner to national champions.
Maybe the greatest driving force in my decision to purchase a Wattbike was how it felt to ride. For an indoor trainer it is important to me that I want to get on this in all weathers and enjoy the experience replicating the exact feel of the pedal as if I was on the road. The same experience I like the athletes to have when I am doing any number of tests with them.
Because the Wattbike to me feels like a real bike I find myself very often “just riding” it as if I was on the road without following a special workout. However, one of my personal favourite workouts is the following:
Warm-Up 15 minutes above 90 rpm slowly increasing watts to my aerobic threshold in last 5 minutes.
5 x 3 minutes, between 80-90 rpm @ aerobic threshold focusing on best watts with an easy 1 minute recovery.
5 x 2 minutes, between 80-90 rpm @aerobic threshold focusing on best watts with an easy 1 minute recovery.
5 x 1 minute, at 90 rpm @aerobic threshold focusing on best watts with an easy 1 minute recovery.
Warm-Down 15 minutes above 90 rpm.
I can honestly say that I have not ridden a better indoor trainer, and can only recommend it to any athlete ranging from weekend warrior to elite.
Thanks Walter, we’ve just about stopped blushing here in the office after all that praise and thanks for sharing one of your training sessions, I’m sure the Wattbike community will want to have a crack at that one!
Our take on the Track Cycling one year out from London 2012 Olympics
Posted Jul 27, 2011 at 12:47 PM
Just 365 days to go the London 2012 Olympic Games so we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the track cycling events and (boldly/foolishly) make some predictions. We don’t know which riders will be selected for which event so we’ll have to wait and see as the track season pans out to adjust our selections. Feel free to add your own comments in the box at the bottom of this page, we’d love to hear what you think…bookmark this page and come back in 12 months!
Team Sprint
Women – This event wasn’t on the schedule in Beijing 2008 but recent results from the World Cup and World Championships suggest that the medals will be shared between Australia, Great Britain, China and France. Great Britain’s chances rely on the lead off for Victoria Pendleton who is arguably the fastest sprinter in the World but as a complete package we can’t see past the Australian’s taking the Gold medal. China has been improving dramatically in recent years and could well spring a surprise. Gold – Australia, Silver – Great Britain, Bronze – China
Men – Likely to be a real highlight of the track programme in London, the Men’s Team Sprint will be a gladiatorial battle between France, Great Britain and Germany. On show will the best of the rest (riders) who were unable to compete in the individual event due to the new UCI ‘one rider per nation’ rule as well as the stars of Sprint and Keirin. There have been some real tussles between Great Britain and France over the last decade and the pendulum has swung towards France over the last few seasons. Germany have firmly established themselves as one of the top three nations in the team sprint and we conclude that these nations will take the medals. Gold – France, Silver – Great Britain, Bronze – Germany
Team Pursuit
Women – Great Britain have a fantastic pool of talent for this event and we think this is one of their best hopes of a medal in the velodrome. The World Record Holders from the United States will push the British squad every inch of the way and could perhaps just pip GB to the line. The New Zealand team, like their male counterparts, have made great gains over the last couple of years in this discipline showing real consistency and are most likely to join GB and USA on the podium. Gold – Great Britain, Silver – United States, Bronze – New Zealand
Men – Dominated by Great Britain in recent years, we think 2012 will see a credible challenge to GB’s dominance by a young and highly talented Australian team. With two of the GB Pursuit team holding Tour de France ambitions it remains to be seen who will double-up and take part in the Grand Tour and the Olympics. Young riders like individual pursuit world record holder, Jack Bobridge, have helped the Australian team close the gap on Great Britain and it’s likely we’ll see a world record breaking performance from one of these nations. Denmark were showing themselves as a nation to be reckoned with in the team pursuit but seem to have dropped away recently with New Zealand showing serious ambitions in the event. As it stands, we think Australia will edge out Great Britain in the final. Gold – Australia, Silver – Great Britain, Bronze – New Zealand
Sprint
Women - two words ‘Anna Meares’, she spent much of the 2010/11 season standing on top of the podium and we think she’ll move on again from this to dominate the 2011/12 season through to the Olympics. Great Britain’s Victoria Pendleton and China’s Guo Shuang might well challenge Meares but we really can’t see either of these coming away with Gold. The podium spots very much depend on the draw and performannce of athletes in the earlier rounds but we think Shuang could well be up against Meares in the Final. Gold - Anna Meares, Silver - Guo Shuang, Bronze - Victoria Pendleton
Men – a rule change from Beijing 2008 means that each nation will now only have 1 rider in each event. For nations like France and Great Britain this causes a headache as they could well have secured all four spots in the semi-finals. It’s likely that Kévin Sireau will go for France and we think Jason Kenny will head up the GB effort in the Sprints (leaving Chris Hoy to take on the Keirin). Germany’s Maximilian Levy has placed himself in a great position amongst the world’s stop sprinters and along with Teun Mulder of the Netherlands he could well make the Final with a kind draw. Gold – Jason Kenny, Silver – Kevin Sireau, Bronze – Teun Mulder
Omnium
Women – Sarah Hammer of the United States and Tara Whitten of Canada look likely to be battling it out for Gold in London with both athletes illustrating the required consistency across all events in the Omnium. Sarah Hammer, as World Record holder in the individual 3km pursuit, is highly likely to win that part of the Omnium, while Tara Whitten’s all round ability means she’ll be in the shake-up come the final event. As for the bronze medal, well, you really could pick anybody, Laura Trott from Great Britain, at just 19 years old, just missed out on a top 10 placing at the World Championships so will be worth keeping an eye on over the next 12 months but we’ll go for Malgorzata Wojtyra of Poland, who is consistently good in the scratch, points and elimination races, to complete the podium. Gold - Sarah Hammer, Silver – Tara Whitten, Bronze – Malgorzata Wojtyra
Men – it’s stick your finger in the air time when it comes to the Men’s Omnium. Ben Swift of Great Britain has made a fantastic entrance to the pro peloton and, if selected, will be given incredible support by the home crowd in the velodrome. Michael Freiburg of Australia is the current World Champion and will be looking to follow this up with a good showing at the Olympics. New Zealand’s Shane Archbold of New Zealand topped the UCI Rankings last season for the Omnium and we think he might just cement his reputation as one of the best all-round riders on the track. Gold – Shane Archbold, Silver – Ben Swift, Bronze – Michael Freiburg
Keirin
Men – Chris Hoy is the man to beat here and we predict Great Britain will place Hoy in the Keirin given his blistering pace over the last lap. In the Manchester World Cup race last season. Hoy’s incredible last lap surge was overshadowed by the splinter injury to Awang but we recommend taking a look at why we think Chris Hoy will blitz the opposition at London 2012. France’s Gregory Bauge will be Hoy’s main threat but we can’t rule out the likes of Australia’s Shane Perkins, Teun Mulder of the Netherlands and Awang from Malaysia. Gold – Chris Hoy, Silver – Gregory Bauge, Bronze - Shane Perkins.
Women – In a repeat of the Sprint we’re foreseeing a shootout between Australia’s Anna Meares and Great Britain’s Victoria Pendleton. Pendleton is good tactician and rides the Keirin consistently well. Meares won’t give up the win easily though and will probably take the race on from the front. Clara Sanchez of France is usually in the mix and we see her making the podium in London. Gold – Victoria Pendleton, Silver – Anna Meares, Bronze – Clara Sanchez
Watch a time-lapse video of the awesome 2012 London Olympic Velodrome
Power through the Tour de France
Posted Jul 01, 2011 at 12:25 PM
So the 2011 Tour de France pedals away tomorrow in the Vendée region of France and you could say I’m pretty excited about it. Having watched the Tour live on the mountainside for the last 8 years I can tell you it’s incredibly inspiring and exhilarating seeing the pros climb mountain after mountain, day after day. If you live in the UK then it’s safe to say that nothing can prepare you for the sheer length of the climbs over which the Tour regularly passes.
Galibier, Tourmalet, Ventoux, Alpe d’Huez, Aubisque, Apsin, Croix de Fer, Izoard – all conjure up famous scenes from Tours past on TV and some personal memories for those who have followed in the footsteps of the pros. Once the circus passes you are left to descend the mountain, running through your mind what you’ve just witnessed and a little part of you becomes that pro at which you bellowed ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’. And then you reach the bottom and return to your hotel or campsite in the evening, discussing the day’s events and inevitably the conversation always ends with, ‘I just don’t know how they do it.’
Throughout the 3 weeks of the Tour we’ll profile what it takes to be a sprinter, a mountain climber and a rider who can take the overall win in the world’s biggest race. Eddie Flecther, our sport scientist, will offer up some thoughts on the kind of power being generated by the elite of the sport and we’ll take a look at some examples of what the pedal stroke of each rider might look like on the Wattbike’s Polar View.
Enjoy the Tour, wherever you watch it. It’s going to be awesome.
Phil Liggett talks all things Wattbike with us
Posted Jun 17, 2011 at 07:51 AM
When anybody mentions ‘the Voice of Cycling’ you really do think of only one, well actually two, people, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin. They have provided the soundtrack to many Tour de France performances and it was fantastic to find ourselves sitting and listening to Phil talk about how, and importantly why, he chooses to train on a Wattbike.
It goes without saying that Phil is a busy man, if he’s not sat in a studio voicing a commentary for a highlights reel then he’ll be perched halfway up a mountain providing the words to live images which will be replayed again and again as another page turns in cycling’s colourful history. What was clear from our visit is that he spends an awful lot of time on the road working, consequently time spent at home is of great value.
Phil’s passion for cycling knows no bounds and he still enjoys riding out into the local countryside but when his schedule dictates that, for example, he is only spending a short evening at home, he still likes to turn the legs over and keep in shape.
And this is where Phil has fallen in love with the Wattbike. It enables him to benefit from a high quality training session on an indoor trainer on which he can accurately replicate his road bike setup. His training sessions fit nicely around his work schedule and allow him to enjoy those rare occasions out on the open road even more, as he maintains his fitness through regular use of the Wattbike.
Watch as Phil tells us about how his Wattbike experience.
Winter Wattbike Training at Velocino Performance
Posted Dec 20, 2010 at 01:24 PM
“Who would have thought I would get stronger and faster over this cold winter – but it is true! With Rebecca’s expert personalised coaching – and the dazzling wattbikes – I have found a way to push myself harder than I could have on the roads in Melbourne. The most amazing thing….despite the pain these sessions are fun. I would recommend them to any cyclist who is seeking to gain strength, power and endurance” says Sonia.
A wide range of riders are currently training on the Wattbikes at Velocino Performance. Cyclists do between one to three one hour sessions a week. Each rider performs a RAMP test before and after a 12 week block of training. This helps to set training zones and demonstrates any improvements made.
Every cyclist has individual goals and needs that are incorporated into their Wattbike sessions. Each rider’s position on the bike is assessed using the Wattbike Software and tweaked to be in their most effective riding position. Pedal technique and effectiveness is constantly worked on and developed using the onscreen polar graph during the sessions.
Results demonstrate that pedal effectiveness and technique have improved over the course of the training. Every session allows the riders to monitor and adjust their pedaling technique. Constant detailed feedback offers the chance of continual improvement.
After completing a block of training sessions, riders results show that their power has improved, with some showing an improvement of up to 20%.
Rob has improved his power output by 20% over 20 minutes. Comparing his RAMP test results his MMP has improved by 13%. For Rob this is a fabulous outcome.
“I am a mature age rider (60+) and have been riding and racing for around 6 years. I have recently undertaken a 3 month program with Rebecca McConnell at Velocino Performance on the Wattbike. Rebecca has given me a specific program designed to increase my sustainable power output. With specific heart rate zone training and improved pedalling efficiency observable on the Wattbike, my power output has increased by 20% over 20 minute sustained effort. My take away is to train smarter not necessarily longer,” said Rob.
Fred who is focussed on improving his technique for time trialling has improved his MMP (maximum minute power) by 14%.
“The regular training on the Wattbike managed by a coach has assisted me in improving my power output and pedal effectiveness”, said Fred.
Another rider, Ray has also improved his MMP by 20% after working consistently on correcting his technique and developing his pedal effectiveness while sticking to the designed program.
“My aim was to learn more about technique, training and how to improve my overall racing performance. I am stoked with my power output and racing now that I can stay with the peloton and even aim for a win. The second block is now underway and I’m really enjoying the hard, albeit specific workouts,” explains Ray.
The Wattbike software is valuable to both rider and coach. The instant and constant feedback it provides assists enormously in developing and maintaining performance indicators that have never been evaluated and monitored so closely before. With all this data at hand Velocino Performance can assist in creating a more complete cyclist.
Go in the chance to win a 12 week Training package at Velocino Performance with Rebecca and Wattbike here.
Teco Training, Wattbike and Australian Masters Results
Posted Dec 20, 2010 at 01:17 PM
When Brett and Jane Youdan decided to compete at the 2010 Australian Masters Road Championships, they thought a change of direction may help. They contacted Peter Richards of TECO Training of Cleveland, near BrisbaneAustralia and wanted to aim high.
The initial tests on the Wattbikes at TECO Training showed up a few points that the husband and wife duo needed to work at.
Brett was back to racing after a two year layoff due to knee problems and Jane was looking to grow as an all round cyclist. The wattbike was used firstly to gauge the efficiency and balance of pedal stroke.
Testing was also done to set heart rate and threshold levels and the pair set off to train.
The plan comprised of training at power with periodic tests to analyze the pedaling efficiency and thresholds.
The wattbike allowed us to work on Brett’s rehabilitation and maintain balanced pedal stroke. Jane worked on lifting thresholds and increasing cadence and pedal stroke
With bad weather hampering the last weeks of preparation the wattbikes went into overtime allowing the pair to work on speed and a monitored taper.
All went well and Brett gained a 5th in the criterium and a superb silver in the hotly contested road race.
Not to be outdone Jane took gold in both the criterium and road race and was named champion of champions
Well done Jane and Brett from TECO Training and Wattbike Australia.
The Bike Studio, Leicestershire (Video)
Posted Dec 10, 2010 at 10:38 AM
As promised here’s a short video of our trip to The Bike Studio in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. We will be adding a section to the site with information and advice about how to set up and run your own Wattbike Training Studio but for now if you have any question please drop Steve an email on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Russ and Kev from The Bike Studio
Cycling Australia
Posted Dec 08, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Cycling Australia High Performance Teams are pleased to work with Wattbike to assist with our goals to achieve medal winning success in London 2012 and beyond. Wattbike has developed a reliable and adaptable stationary training system which has been used by our senior coaching staff to introduce unique and challenging training programs to the athlete's overall plans, helping them to achieve their ultimate goals. Wattbike has allowed us to bring a fresh professional approach to stationary training for elite success.
Kevin Tabotta, High Performance Manager, Cycling Australia
The Bike Studio
Posted Dec 07, 2010 at 12:09 PM
Yesterday evening Steve and I ventured out in the cold to go and visit The Bike Studio above the Lutterworth Cycle Center in Leicestershire, and I’m really glad we did. They’ve got a great set-up and after only 1 month are already receiving huge demand for their training sessions.
We managed to get an interview with Russ Haines and Kevin Webb which was brilliant (full report with video to follow) and they were kind enough to let us hang about and get some video and pics of the bikes in action.
If you’re interested in getting a safe, structured and fun workout in these dark (and icy!) evenings head over to their website http://www.bikestudio.co.uk and sign up for a session with one of their qualified instructors.
I’d like to say a huge thanks to Kev and Russ for taking the time to tell us a bit about how they’re getting on and what it was like to set up a Wattbike training studio, and to the members who put up with me darting about taking photos and video.
Benefits of a Wattbike
Posted Dec 07, 2010 at 10:56 AM
We are regularly asked how the Wattbike compares to this turbo trainer or that indoor bike, and the answer is always difficult, because it really doesn’t – there is not another bike like it!
Accuracy and Calibration
Everything that makes the Wattbike special can be summed up by the fact that it provides accurate, comparable and repeatable data – something that everyone assumes all bikes that measure power do, but they don’t.
The Wattbike is factory calibrated, and will maintain it’s accuracy throughout its life. Other than adjusting your cycling position no setup/calibration of the Wattbike is necessary, and every session is comparable and repeatable
The Wattbike is extremely accurate +/- 2% across the range, in individual bands.
<100 Watts up to 6 % or 6 Watts
100- 200 Watts within 2%
200-500 Watts within 1.5%
>500 Watts within 1 %
The Wattbike is measuring real parameters in real time (which sounds silly to say, but not all testing bikes do), it measures the force applied through the cranks onto the chain.
As the force on the chain is measured from the rider input, and all the resistance is applied to the same axle of the bike, the power achieved is not influenced by the creation of resistance from the magnetic climb lever, airbrake gear lever or by environmental conditions, so no matter where you use your Wattbike or what setting you have it on you can still have confidence in the data it is providing you with.
It feels like riding a bike
During the production process, once the measurement system had been created we took the bike back to British Cycling for their feedback, and it took another two years of development to come up with a bike that they thought felt like riding on the road or track. The key elements to that is the specifically designed flywheel that maintains inertia so that if you freewheel it picks up where you left off.
Unique Polar view (force curve) to show pedalling technique
This is a major benefit that no other bike offers – the ability to monitor and record pedalling effectiveness for every pedal revolution of every session is extremely powerful. It tells the cyclist whether they have a consistent force profile and angle of peak force throughout every pedal revolution. The right force profile throughout the whole pedal revolution and an even contribution from each leg is very important to getting the most speed out of your physiology. You can see Wattbike Sport Scientist Eddie Fletcher explaining the Polar View in the Training Guide section of this site.
Most people can ride a bike but very few have been taught how to pedal effectively, immense gains can be made by ensuring the right mix of power application, cadence, gearing (resistance level on the Wattbike) and physiological response are selected for the individual and terrain. The Wattbike has been able to dispel many of the myths about pedalling technique and shows exactly what is really happening. This is a major reason why the Wattbike is used by the top cycling teams and nations as part of their training.
Whilst coaches always aim to teach the correct technique it has always been a subjective view as to whether the cyclist is actually doing it. The Polar view ‘exposes’ ineffective pedalling technique and can be used as a tool to improve pedalling technique for all levels of rider.
Monitor Everything
The Wattbike Monitors Everything (39 cycling parameters – some of which are really only useful in the lab) for a cyclist the main parameters to take note of are:
Pedalling technique
Power [W]/Power per kilo
Cadence [rpm]
HR [bpm]
Angle of peak force right and left leg
Balance of power contribution right and left leg
The Wattbike offers real time measurement with instant saving of all data for comparison and analysis, it also comes with the Wattbike Expert Software which is probably the most powerful cycling software in the market bringing in depth scientific analysis to all cyclists (and is free).
Accurately Test Cyclists and Triathletes
The Wattbike be used to accurately test cyclists and triathletes as well as for general fitness testing. A huge range of tests are possible, but most commonly used
Ramp tests
Step tests
Sub Maximal Progress Checks
The Wattbike can be used for any of the conventional cycling tests - most tests use fixed cadences OR fixed powers but the Wattbike is like a riding a normal bike using natural resistance (gearing) and cadence. Yet, it’s still possible to hold consistent cadences and power outputs for accurate, comparable and repeat test purposes.
Replicate any training sessions
The Wattbike can be used to replicate training sessions and provide consistent training performance, whether it is Sprint, Endurance or a combination of the two it can be used for training for all cycling disciplines, and there is never any need to miss a session due to adverse weather conditions.
Training sessions can be specified precisely by power/cadence/resistance (gearing) and HR
Training on a Wattbike is time efficient only needs 50%-75% of time on the road
Sessions can be viewed in Recall in the monitor for post training review/analysis or transferred to Wattbike Expert for analysis, retention, comparison, progress checking
Live recording into Wattbike Expert shows parameters in real time –where the default screen shows pedalling technique, cadence, HR and power per revolution although the screen can be customised to show any of the 39 parameters
The pedalling technique view can be switched live to a very useful real time graph of any of the 39 parameters
The relationship between the cadence and the resistance settings for each power output can be found in the Power, resistance and cadence tables, so it is possible to create any session or physiological demand your training demands. The impact of the training can be monitored through the ANT & ANT + SPORT Heart Rate functionality. It is very easy to structure precise training down to cadence, power and heart rate - link to pedalling technique and our software and you have a very powerful training combination
As if that was not enough you can also download free training guides directly from the website. There are currently two on offer, one for Sportive riders, and the other specific to training for Triathlon. Find out more at: http://wattbike.com/uk/guide.
The Wattbike can be used as an integral part of any training plan from testing to establishing heart rate and power training zones to very specific training sessions tailored to event specific training needs and skill requirements.
Don’t let a little snow spoil your training plans
Posted Dec 01, 2010 at 03:28 PM
Here in the UK we are having a few challenges with the weather right now. Whether you are running or cycling, snow and ice aren’t great for training regimes that need you to be out of doors putting in the miles.
The early arrival of serious winter weather, has clearly turned people’s minds towards better ways of training indoors. Every cloud as they say…
We’ve definitely noticed an increase in the number of Wattbike users who are talking on Twitter about staying warm and safe inside by jumping on the Wattbike for training sessions, either at home or in the gym. If that’s you don’t forget to follow @wattbike and we’ll follow you right back to hear how your winter training programme is going.
Having said that, we really have to salute all hardy commuting cyclists, who get on their bikes regardless of whatever the weather throws at them. Just search ‘snow’ and ‘cycling’ on Twitter and you’ll find lots of tweets about epic journeys through snow and ice.
But for the coolest cycling in the snow images, where else would you look but Scandinavia? For the best Viking biking images, take a look at how the people of Copenhagen handle the blizzards over at Cycle Chic.
On a more positive note, it seems new forms of cross training are emerging. Our favourite is Team Sky’s @RussDowning, who reckons “3hrs sledging is surely quality training”. We didn’t notice any obvious reply from the Team Sky coaching staff.
Today’s IG Markets Square Mile Challenge
Posted Nov 26, 2010 at 08:41 PM
If you were following our live tweets from the IG Markets Square Mile Challenge held today in London’s Broadgate, you’ll know everything was going as expected until about 1.00pm. The four Team Sky riders were doing a great job of taking on all-comers and keeping the crowd entertained. They even took it on the chin when the amateurs managed to get the better of the professionals in a few of the races.
Then, at 1.00pm one of the amateur riders collapsed mid-race. Obviously everything stopped as medical help was called in immediately to check on the condition of the participant.
Paramedics confirmed his condition was very serious, which immediately changed all priorities. The rest of the day’s racing was cancelled. Everyone’s attention was upon his well-being, and as quickly as possible he was taken from Broadgate to a local hospital.
Unfortunately, at this time, we have no further news to report. Right now, everyone’s priority is for the rider and his family. All our thoughts and best wishes are with him.
Latest at: 01.12.10
We would have hoped to give you an update on the condition of the rider by now but unfortunately aren’t in a position to do so. Just to explain, in this sort of situation the hospital’s first priority is the privacy of the rider, so understandably information is only shared with the rider and their family members. As and when we have any information that can be shared, we’ll add it this post.
Team Sky to take on all-comers in IG Markets’ Wattbike challenge
Posted Nov 25, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Tomorrow, 26th November, the Wattbike team will be at Broadgate in the heart of the City of London at an event to launch Team Sky’s new sponsor, IG Markets.
City workers will be battling four of Team Sky’s top professionals – Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Ben Swift and Russell Downing – over one mile in groups of seven on Wattbikes. There is a race every ten minutes and every race features one of the Team Sky pro’s.
To spice things up, Sky’s new sponsor IG Markets is offering one replica team bike – that’s £8,000 worth of sleek Pinarello hardware – to the fastest person who beats a Pro on the day. Interested?
We get to see and hear about the performance data from lots of professional athletes. Frankly, it is pretty awesome but… one mile is a relatively short test, taking only about two minutes. And those Sky boys will be working hard throughout the day in every race. Which is why we have a sneaky feeling some of the amateurs could be competitive and might just be taking a bike or two home with them.
If they do get to win the prize we’ll have captured all the action. We’ll be saving the Wattbike Expert Software data from each race as a video file then posting to the Wattbike Youtube channel. So every participant can play back their moment of glory, or unbearable pain, on the web. We’ll post and tweet links to the race files later.
If you want to see the action, Broadgate is right next door to Liverpool Street rail and tube station. Come by and say hello, or stay tuned to the @Wattbike Twitter account and we’ll post updates through the day.
The event kicks off at 10.30am and runs through to 3.30pm. As well as watching the races, the Sky guys will be around to sign autographs. And if you want to find out more about the Wattbike, we’ll be happy to chat. See you there.
City poised to take on Olympic Champions - IG Markets Square Mile Cycle Challenge
Posted Nov 24, 2010 at 04:32 PM
IG Markets, the leading provider of Contracts for Difference, will be throwing down the gauntlet for City workers on Friday 26th November by offering the opportunity to race head-to-head against Olympic Gold medal winning cyclists.
Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift from the Team Sky professional cycling team will be at Broadgate Circle, London, EC2 from 10am on Friday 26th November, ready to compete against riders of all standards over a virtual one mile course using a fleet of hi-tech Wattbikes.
This morning (18th November), IG Markets announced that it had become an Official Partner of Team Sky, with the company logo set to appear on team kit for the 2011 season. Those taking part in the Square Mile Cycle Challenge will have the opportunity to win a number of prizes including a replica Team Sky Pinarello FP1 bike. If any competitor is able to beat a Team Sky rider, they will receive an official Team Sky Pinarello Dogma team-issue bike, worth over £8000.
Cycling is currently going through a renaissance and we believe it has a specific appeal to our target audiences. We hope that our commitment to Team Sky will help them continue their pursuit for success, whilst helping IG Markets promote its products to a growing audience both here in the UK and across the globe.
Tim Howkins, CEO of IG Group
The ‘IG Markets Square Mile Cycle Challenge’ will take place between 10.00 and 15.30. Registration is open to everyone and must be completed in advance. To sign up to race, please visit www.igmarkets.co.uk/cycling.
For non-competitors who would prefer just to soak up the pro race atmosphere or cheer on brave colleagues, there will also be plenty to enjoy. Eurosport’s David Harmon will be on hand to provide expert race commentary while live footage of all the action will be displayed on a big screen. Spectators can also take advantage of a free bike service and can get autographs from Team Sky.
Duncan Nicoll Talks About The Wattbike
Posted Nov 23, 2010 at 03:41 PM
Duncan Nicolls talks about his experience with the Wattbike and how it fits in with his hectic work and family life.
Jurgen Grobler Talks About the Wattbike
Posted Nov 23, 2010 at 01:48 PM
Jürgen Gröbler, Head Coach of British Rowing, talks about the Wattbike
Jenny Meadows Talks Wattbike
Posted Nov 23, 2010 at 01:13 PM
In September we dropped off a Wattbike with British record holder and Olympic 800m runner Jenny Meadows and her coach and husband Trevor Painter. We also had the opportunity to ask Jenny and Trevor a little bit about how she would be using the Wattbike and what benefits she thought it would bring to her training.
Jenny Meadows Receives a Wattbike
England Rugby are using Wattbikes
Posted Nov 19, 2010 at 03:15 PM
For those eagle-eyed viewers out there you may have noticed not only the transformation of the England rugby team in recent weeks but also their chosen warm-up tool on the touch line at Twickenham. That’s right they really are Wattbikes pitchside. The Wattbikes have been used intensively in recent weeks at the Pennyhill Park training camp and are proving an excellent non-impact training tool for the team. Keep your eyes peels to see if you can see them tomorrow and next weekend.
If you are going and could possibly grab some photos of the bikes in action and send them through that would be much appreciated.
Wattbike Competition Winner Lisa Beck
Posted Nov 15, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Last week we met up with competition winner Lisa Beck as she took part in Eddie Fletcher’s 3 minute test. After getting her breath back here’s what she had to say about the Wattbike and what she hopes to gain from using it.
Lisa Beck on the Eddie Fletcher 3 minute test
Wattbike Competition Winner Nathaniel Williams
Posted Nov 15, 2010 at 11:01 AM
We met up with Cycling Weekly Wattbike Competition winner Nathaniel Williams last week as he took part in some testing work at Eddie Fletchers sports science lab.
Cycling Weekly Wattbike Competition winner Nathaniel Williams
Wattbike Event at Deansgate Evans Cycles
Posted Nov 10, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Stretford Leisure Centre will be taking their Wattbikes down to the Deansgate Evans Cycles for an open day on Saturday 20th November. They will be using the Wattbikes to introduce pedalling technique, and do peak power tests, 1k sprints and 1k climb races. If you are in the area, or want to try a Wattbike then they will open from 9am to 4pm. For more information please call 0161 8346732.
Ben visits PB Science
Posted Nov 08, 2010 at 04:16 PM
Last week Wattbike’s roving man of mystery Ben Addison took the trip to Eastbourne, East Sussex to visit Helen Carter of PB Science. Helen has an impressive set up for her mobile Sport Science lab, and sent us some information about her set up.
Lab Testing Mobile Style
PBscience has been using Wattbikes for exercise testing since the company moved out of the University of Brighton in 2009. Headed by Dr Helen Carter, PBscience offers a range of cycle coaching packages and bespoke services to athletes across all cycling disciplines. Lab testing is integral to the coaching we provide, and takes place in ‘Mobie’ – the only fully equipped mobile exercise testing lab in the UK….possibly the world! The lab, a converted motorhome, contains all the same equipment you would experience in university facilities, but with the benefit that PBscience can come to you. With the Wattbike providing the testing rig, we run full lactate threshold and ramp testing with online gas analysis and portable lactate analysers. The lounge area, fully operational kitchen and showers all make for a pleasurable testing experience, our aim being to make you feel as comfortable as possible! The Wattbike allows us to measure power, HR and cadence in the tests – enabling full detailing of exercise training zones, and establishing the strengths and weaknesses in your fitness profile.
At the heart of what PBscience offers is one to one coaching – athletes on the “Elite 1-2-1” package benefit from frequent lab testing, daily training file analysis and regular coach contact to get the most from their training and racing. Alternatively, the “Member Plan” offers coaching based on the same philosophy but stripped down to make it suitable for those who wish to retain more control over their training, those new to coaching or those on a budget. We also offer fixed length training plans which can be purchased with an exercise test. For example, what better way to prepare for the Etape du Tour in 2011?
For more information on how PBscience can support your cycling goals, visit www.pbscience.com or contact them directly at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
The original Wattbike League returns for 2010/11
Posted Nov 04, 2010 at 12:00 PM
The Lichfield Wattbike League starts again this week, and as always expect to see a huge take up from local cyclists and fitness enthusiasts, but don’t let that put you off. They are very welcoming, put your entry in, and pop down to Lichfield to see what the racing is all about. You can find out more at their website at http://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wattbikes
James Fletcher - review of a year using the Wattbike
Posted Nov 02, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Since we visited James and took some video of him talking about using the Wattbike he has been training hard and has had some very impressive results this year. Last week he sent through a short review of how he has been getting on with the wattbike in the last 12 months.
Having only sat on a Wattbike for the 1st time a year ago in October 2009, its fair to say its been used at every stage of my season and been a key part of my training during 2010. I had the most consistent year of training I can remember and made some big gains on the bike in the race season. To be honest my cycling is a different league to anything I’ve done previously, largely thanks to a good winter.
I started from the bottom this year by working on my pedalling technique. I wasn’t aware of any dead spots in my pedalling action until I sat on the Wattbike and looked at the graph for the first time. So the first month was spent ironing out these dead spots or in Wattbike speak moving away from the dreaded ‘figure of eight’ shape, then improving to a ‘peanut’ and then moving to the certified ‘peanut to sausage’ shape.
After the initial technique work the emphasis of my training changed into building in a solid winter base, building gears and working on cadence. Moving in towards the race season we used Wattbike to do some very specific interval sets and also specific bike to run sets (very hard but great to mimic the feeling in your legs in a race). During the race season we dropped a Wattbike set in favour of a road set but still used it to maintain race fitness and really work on that bike to run. At every stage I’ve been able to use Wattbike to monitor power levels, cadence, technique and train at the desired heart rate.
In comparable races from my 2009 season, my 2010 results speak for themselves. At Eton Sprint Triathlon, my traditional season opener, I improved 4% on my 2009 20k-bike leg. I had an 8% improvement on a 42k-bike leg at the British Triathlon Championships in Bedford and the same percentage improvement in my bike leg at Bala Triathlon recording a 63 split for 40k. Despite the Baltic temperature of Bala lake my overall time of 2.07.43 was the fastest time I’ve recorded at the Olympic distance. I also managed to sneak the last automatic qualifying spot for the European Age Group Championships in Spain next year. A great end to the season!!
After Bala I had a good 3 weeks off and have done very little in the mean time, apart from eat a few pies and drink a few beers to gain some winter warmth. Having just started training again I’m already starting from a much higher base power than last year. I’ve begun winter training this year with a max minute power test output of 380 watts on the Wattbike (power to weight ratio of 5.4 W/Kg). So it’ll be interesting to see how that develops over the coming season.
Feels like I’ve just started to scratch the surface in terms of the gains I’ve made over the last year. Hopefully much more to come over the next year, so bring on the winter training!!!!
James Fletcher
RYA Testimonials
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:40 PM
No question, the Wattbike is in a different league to all other indoor bike trainers
Wattbike provides our sailors with the opportunity to follow their training programmes more accurately than ever before with onboard power meter readouts
In my opinion the Wattbike will become the de-facto indoor bike trainer for all top flight gyms and individuals looking for the best return on their training investment
Stephen Park OBE, RYA Olympic Manager
Hogarth Club Members
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:39 PM
Wattbike should be renamed "Watt A Bike". As an avid cyclist no single piece of equipment has improved my fitness and speed like the Wattbike. With its readouts giving you the power output of each leg whilst visually demonstrating your cycling efficiency you can't fail to improve.
I used it for my Kilimanjaro and Everest training and it certainly gave me everything I needed. The Watt bike gives you a natural riding position with multiple adjustments for "reach, height" etc and is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of cycling minus the crazy drivers!
No single piece of equipment has kept me in shape better.Ride On.
Oliver
Moving from the old spin bike to the Wattbike totally transformed my training & definitely improved my performance, stamina & fitness during the long winter months. It did make a demonstrable difference to my cycling once I was able to get out on the road.
One of the things that I find really helps is the variety of rides that you can programme. I vary it from doing a sprint one day to slogging up a hill the next , to an hour rolling at pace on a flat road, to doing 10 min interval training of both speed & hill
It's hard to imagine how an old, nearly pro rider like me used to compete at such an awesome level before the Wattbike came along!
Mike
The Wattbikes are absolutely terrific machines, the most important thing being that they feel realistic (as opposed to spinning bikes) and you can actually see the effort that you put into them. This makes an unbelievable difference to the quality of training, and more importantly, how you can mentally appreciate the sessions. Lastly, the pedal profile showing pressure in all four quadrants, is obviously great for making technical adjustments.
Pete
Nottingham University
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:39 PM
We originally came across the Wattbikes as part of the British Cycling Everyday Cycling Scheme, later chosen to be a Cycling Focus University. So impressed were we with the Wattbikes that we bought 5 of our own to compliment the 6 British Cycling Scheme Bikes.
We've been able to use the Wattbikes to encourage a wide range of users, from schools to 80 year-olds in activities from standard gym-cycling, in supporting lower-limb rehab programmes, for club & group training and cross-training, through to club race-nights & to support elite-athlete in-depth feedback sessions.
Probably the most versatile and useful bit of kit I've ever purchased, it's not just a bike.
Nigel Mayglothling, Assistant Director of Sport, University of Nottingham
GB Rowing
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:38 PM
The Wattbike has provided our athletes with an excellent cross-training alternative to rowing. The ability to accurately monitor intensity allows the coaching and support team to prescribe training and determine progress easily, while the ergonomic flexibility allows athletes of all shapes and sizes to safely train. The bikes have been particularly useful for injured athletes unable to row as the software provides information regarding relative leg contribution which has helped the physiotherapists to monitor recovery.
Mark Homer - Sports Scientist, GB Rowing Team
British Cycling
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:36 PM
British Cycling is completely sold on the Wattbike’s capacity to provide a positive benefit to every level of the sport. The Wattbike will help us contribute to the health, education, participation and performance agendas.
Ian Drake, Deputy Chief Executive
British Cycling prides itself as an organisation that operates on the cutting edge, and in Wattbike we have the perfect partner. We share the same vision, and values. Together, we have developed a piece of equipment that will support us in everything from increasing participation in the sport to underpinning our World Class Pathways and International success. The Wattbike will provide a positive benefit to every level of the sport by linking indoor and outdoor cycling and helping us continue to make a substantial contribution to the health, education, participation and performance agendas.
Peter King, Former CEO British Cycling
The GB Cycling Team have played an important role in the development of the Wattbike to ensure that it is capable of supporting and making a valuable contribution to our World Class programmes. The Wattbike is already assisting the GB Cycling Team in identifying our future stars and its potential in terms of indoor competition in schools and clubs can only be positive in terms of the number of young people coming into the sport in the future.
Dave Brailsford, Performance Director, British Cycling
The Wattbike is exciting because it offers so many more opportunities to engage children. It will enable us to extend our delivery to schools, and to confirm Go-Ride as a year-round programme. It will stimulate intra-school competition, drive the development of school-club links, and enable us to feed those youngsters who excel into our talent programmes.
John Mills, Coaching, Education and Development Director
The Wattbike offers tremendous potential in terms of talent identification and will undoubtedly assist us to be far more effective in that area of our work as it does much of the job for us. It will encourage children into cycling, support us in spotting potentially talented youngsters, and provide us with a means of measuring their physical progression. The technology will give us the capacity to draw down results online, and we have complete faith in the consistency of the data.
Gary Coltman, Talent Programme Manager
The Wattbike provides a great platform for all types of cycling. It has the potential to signpost indoor cyclists to outdoor activity, and offers an alternative for those outdoor riders, who tend to hang their wheels up for the winter. The technology involved presents riders with the personal challenge of interactive competition against themselves, or others. Put simply, it will broaden peoples outlook.
Jonny Clay, Cyclesport and Membership Director, British Cycling.
Banks O Dee Sports Club
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:35 PM
Just a note to say how pleased we are with the watt bikes. Our members have started using them frequently as they provide a good road bike feel as opposed to other magnetic resistance bikes.
One of our members who time trials in Scottish events has been using the watt bike over the winter and has set new personal bests in:
10 mile time trial-22.15
25 mile trial-58.35
Several other local cycling club members have since joined the Sports Club due to the fact we have watt bikes.
I have been very pleased on the response of members to watt bikes and would consider in the future replacing our other bike models with Watt Bikes. They are both an affordable commercial gym machine and have so far withstood heavy use.
Who needs inbuilt TV screens with internet and iPod docs. Let’s get back to basics. Get training with Watt bikes.
Iain Watson, General Manager, Banks O Dee Sports Club
Aviron France
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:35 PM
Wattbike is a great training tool that gathers consensus among athletes at Lyon rowing training center. Top internationals rowers do spend 50% of their training time practising others activities (running, cycling, swimming, weight…) and cycling is a second sport for rowers.”
Daniel Fauché (former World Champion and Olympic medallist, coach for the French Olympic Team).
As a coach I notice that the two wattbike we have are always used as a warm up, warm down or real training session. I would also say they even spend two much time on it… The after sales services offered by Wattbike France are up to our expectations and the others indoor bikes we got are less used since we‘ve got Wattbike. This is why we will order two more.
Charles Imbert (Former Olympic Rower 1984, currently Head Coach at Lyon Training Centre - France)
The wattbike is a real training tool. The adjustment is easy to do and it is very specific in terms of control of the session. The problem is that they are used continuously at the training center and therefore not always available.
Jean Christophe Bette (Rowing World Champion 1998-2001-2005-2009 and Gold Medallist Sydney Olympics 2000)
Because we are both bike enthusiasts, we appreciate the fine tuning installation (saddle and handlebars) pedaling that approaches the road bike and the comfort of the saddle.The digital dial is very attractive.
Fabien Tilliet (2005 & 2009 World Champion and 2008 Olympic Finalist in Rowing)
Altered Images
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:34 PM
These Wattbikes are proving extremely popular. In fact we are providing new classes almost daily as our existing class timetable is at capacity.
From the outset we have been delighted with the performance functionality of the Wattbikes. Quite simply, they provide relevant, timely and accurate information as demanded by our clientele which range from elite sports athletes, individuals and clubs, through to sedentary people and registered disabled.
What has particularly excited us is the appropriateness of the Wattbikes for use during our AIRbiking classes. AIRbiking is group exercise to music and is similar in structure to spinning. What sets us apart from ‘the rest’ (other than our fantastic facilities, expertise and care of clients of course!) is the Wattbikes. Standing climbs, seated climbs, endurance, sprints, intervals, power climbs…you name it we can do it on the Wattbikes, and all with the precise performance feedback too. Race nights and virtual cycling are an exciting addition to our menu of options; offering unique experiences for users.
No ‘testimonial’ would be complete about Wattbikes without a mention of service. My experience after over 20 years in the business is of hollow promises and lack of interest once the sale has been made. Not so here. In fact you have excelled.
Adrian Lowther and Suzie Deutsch, Altered Images
Rachel Armstrong
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:32 PM
Rachel is a Triathlete and Personal Training who uses the Wattbike both for her training and with her clients. We visited her in July 2010 to talk to her about her experience of the Wattbike.
Ann Harding, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator at Rodborough School in Surrey bought a Wattbike:
I originally got it to use as part of an alternative to the P.E curriculum for three disabled youngster in the school. We asked the physiotherapist for each child to give us advice on what they could and couldn’t do so each one has an individual programme.
This has all gone according to plan but we have extended the use of the Skills Gym to work with some of the students who present more challenging behaviour. They have been given a programme of exercise to do every day – including the bike – and we have found that they are less disruptive in class and have such a fantastic sense of achievement when they achieve the targets they have been set. In fact we are finding now that they are setting more challenging targets for themselves and look forward to their time in the gym.
I took a bit of a gamble with this idea but the bike has been so successful that I am really glad I did. The support and advice has been gratefully received and I would recommend the bike to anyone.
James Fletcher Testimonial
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:31 PM
Video Interview from July 2010
In July we met with James Fletcher, triathlete (and son of Wattbike's resident Sport Scientist Eddie Fletcher) and recorded the following video.
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Case Study from March 2010
Like hundreds of other age groups triathletes or cyclists I fit my training in around a full time job. With three sports this is often a tricky business and mostly about having the time to fit sessions in around work and life in general.
Getting out on a bike on dark nights and cold weather has little appeal, but its important to get in a consistent winter’s training. Morning visits to the gym and lunchtime visits to the pool generally take care of my swimming and running but I have always struggled to get the consistent cycling I need.
Frequently this has left me playing catch up coming in towards the race season and as a result cycling has always been a weakness for me in triathlon terms. If I’m honest I lost some of my enthusiasm for the sport because my consistently poor bike leg.
However this winter, I’ve been using a Wattbike and had a winter like no other in terms of my cycle training. Having used Wattbike since October I have a renewed enthusiasm and have been able to train consistently three sessions a week.
I have made significant measurable improvements in my power and technique since starting on the Wattbike.
For example in a 20min test I averaged around 215watts (average HR 176 – max HR 185 this is how weak I was on a bike!). In comparison in a recent set I averaged over 280 watts for a longer time period of 35min for the same or slightly lower physiological cost (average HR 169 – max HR 181).
This is a significant measurable improvement in power on an equivalent but longer duration of set.
One of my problems was a very weak pedalling technique, I’ve been able to use the Wattbike’s Polar View to work on my technique to balance up the power produced and angle of peak force in each leg – I’ve still got some imbalance to sort out but I’m much improved. It’s taken some time with gradual improvements in technique over the 6 months
This has enabled me to work comfortably in a higher gear and higher cadence to produce the significant improvement I’ve been able to make.
My three weekly Wattbike sessions have consisted of a long endurance ride (the winter has been so bad has been virtually impossible for me to get out on the road), a very specific technique session to improve my pedalling technique, gearing and cadence and a focused 20 minute to 40 minute ‘test’ ride to put it all together.
It’s March now and I feel like a different athlete. Seeing improvements and getting measurable calibrated data really helps you chart your progress. It also allows you to alter or tweak sessions where appropriate. The range of data provided by the Wattbike allows you to take control of your bike training taking the guesswork out of your cycle training. Plus there is much more information than you get from conventional turbo trainers. I often find my mind so occupied by the statistics and the graph of pedalling action that it takes my mind off the more painful sets!
I’m currently coming into a new phase of training where I’ll be looking to get out on the bike once a week and do a few evening 10 milers. I’ll be looking to use the Wattbike to build on the winter training I have in the bank and begin to sharpen up. It will also allow me to get some monitored bike into run sessions done, which will be invaluable coming in towards race season.
With three sports and limited time you need to make the most of the time you spend training. The Wattbike is a top-notch tool that allows you to do just that.
Specific monitored sessions based on good data that you can monitor over time. In the end you can only improve on what you’ve done previously, by knowing what you’ve done in the first place. So in my opinion cycling has been waiting a long time for a training tool like this. It’s just not possible to monitor a road ride, spinning bike, or turbo session to this degree.
I’m excited by the gains made over the winter using Wattbike and really looking forward to seeing what the race season brings.
James Fletcher
James Beckinsale - Optima Racing Team
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:30 PM
James Beckinsale M.Sc, Head Coach, Optima Racing Team
As a coach, you are continuously looking for ways to improve the service you are providing to your athletes to improve their performance.
Over the years I have had my triathletes/ duathletes do bike time trials to assess where they are on the bike. However, there are far too many factors that come into play when doing live time trials that it was just not a suitable answer. I needed a bike test that was repeatable and where variables would stay as constant as possible.
Four years ago I purchased an Ergomo spin bike (power meter fitted to a spin bike), but the spin bike adjustments where too great to get the guys fitted correctly. So in 2009 the Watt bike seemed like the answer to my prayers!
Here you have an indoor bike that is adjustable to the finest millimetre, the testing you carry out, you are happy with the repeatability and accuracy of the test and you can contrast and compare with other test results with confidence.
One further part of the Watt Bike, that I have found invaluable, is the combination of a spin scan with real time average wattage output. Seeing even the strongest of cyclists come onto the bike to be tested, when the get towards the end of a test, with maybe 3 – 6mins to go, they start to mash down on the peddles (peddle in squares), their bodies start to move around and guess what… the wattage starts to drop.
This is the biggest learning curve they could be given on a bike and as a teaching tool for me it’s magic… as you get them to watch what is happening to their wattage as they think they are working harder but are failing to hold smooth/ controlled revolutions… With some coaching and smoothing out of their peddling, the wattage goes back up… lesson learnt!
Friary School
Posted Nov 01, 2010 at 04:29 PM
The Friary Grange Leisure Centre applied for funding from the South Staffordshire PCT for 3 areas of equipment, indoor cycling being one of the main focuses. Having received funding the leisure centre, which shares the site and facilities with the Friary School, bought a package of 11 Wattbikes and received them in September 2008. The project is aimed to increase participation in cycling amongst the local schools and community, and the project is supported by the regional coaches of British Cycling.
Last week we spent our Friday travelling from Nottingham to Guildford and back to speak to James Fletcher. It was great to catch up with him, and there is no doubt that he is his father’s son, and unlike all Eddie’s other athletes, when asked about his coach, he did not use any of the words that we have come to expect, genius, deity, living legend, James chose his words very carefully and settled for “He’s a slave driver!” We were with him for about an hour, then spend the rest of the weekend trying to get home, trying every single motorway in the land. That is the last time I go anywhere on the last day of the summer term! Anyway, James says it best himself…
Interview with James Fletcher
In Conversation with Rachel Armstrong
Posted Aug 05, 2010 at 01:34 PM
A couple of weeks ago I took some time out to go and visit Rachel Armstrong, a Triathlete and Wattbike user. Rachel has been using the Wattbike over the winter to supplement her cycle training and I had heard on the grapevine (actually her Coach Eddie Fletcher told me) that she had been posting some very impressive results in her early races. I joined her in her Studio to talk about Wattbiking and training in general.
Interview with Rachel Armstrong
Rachel owns and runs Personal Best Fitness, in Bedfordshire.
Kettering Cycling Club event
Posted Jul 16, 2010 at 07:39 AM
Here at Wattbike HQ, lots of groups decide to use Wattbikes for fundraising and public attractions for cycling. Read the report below by Kettering Cycle Club for what they did when they hosting the Halford’s Tour Series in June.
By Gavin Hinxman. Kettering Cycling Club
Halfords Tour Series – Kettering, 10th June 2010 - Wow, what a spectacle!
We were asked by Kettering Borough Council if we were interested in promoting cycling and the Kettering Cycling Club at the Halfords Tour Series that came to town on June 10th. This was too good of an opportunity to miss but we needed some ideas of how we could make the display a spectacle.
One of our initial brainstorming ideas was to enquire about the use of the Wattbike. A number of us had seen them work well at other events. We needed something to draw the crowd over to us. Getting the use of the bike proved very easy thanks to Wattbike.
Prior to the day we had put together a large collection on old and present photographs of the club with pictures dating back to 1890 right up to include the technology of the present day. We also had some carbon Colbert Bikes on display kindly leant to us by club member Stephen Colbert.
By adding the Wattbike on the stand we had something for everyone.
The Wattbike is a static exercise bike that can be adjusted to suit riders of all shape and sizes. It needs no external power so it was so easy to set up and use.
Organising the Wattbike hire was very easy. Thanks to Steve Marshall for sorting us out here. I collected the bike from Nottingham on the Thursday morning. (Thanks to Jerry for being there at 7am, and loading the bike into the car). We set up our exhibition by early afternoon and set the bike up for a 200m sprint and invited people to have a go.
The club riders were the first to get their names on the board – We had a simple white board with post-it notes that we moved around so the fastest time were always at the top. Straight away we had people wanting to top the time sheet. This brought lots of people to the stand.
We had many people give it a go including the brother of former British Best All Rounder cycling champion Gary Dighton; we had members of the council (male and female) and many children including go-rider Bailey Hodson who had two goes despite not being able to reach the pedals!
Kettering council event organiser and CyclingBargains RT rider Michael Cowland was the fastest rider overall until 2009 Gladiator TV show winner David Staff took the top honours. This was only bettered towards the end of the day by a guy that wasn’t even a ‘cyclist’ – what other undiscovered talent do we have out there!
The event was a success, lots of people watched the race (televised the day after) and we had a lot of interest in the club.
The bike does a lot more than we used it for, they can do pedalling efficiency testing (to see if you push on just the downstroke or if you push and pull for the full 360 degrees, all interesting and valuable analysis). It would be great to get one for a winter club night session in the future.
Help for heroes raising money
Posted Jul 15, 2010 at 02:00 PM
We just got an email from Flight Lieutenant Kenny Kemlin who hired 2 Wattbikes for fundraising at the RAF Waddington Air show. Lots of cycling, great peak power scores and plenty of money raised. Full report below.
Steve,
I wanted to write to you to thank you for your assistance in our charity cycle challenge by hiring to us two of your fabulous Wattbikes for the international RAF Waddington Air Show last weekend. Thanks to your bikes, and the innovative software you supplied, our stand was one of the busiest and it provided scores of people, of all ages, with a fantastic opportunity to race one another. The leaderboard concept worked brilliantly too and bred a healthy competitive edge for those that were feeling brave! We had a few quick times over 200 m and one gentleman even achieved a peak power of over 2200!
As a direct consequence of your generosity, we managed to raise in excess of £300, which has helped us surpass a total of £8000 so far for Help for Heroes.
Once again, many thanks for the loan of the equipment and I have attached a couple of photos of our stand for you.
After I met a few of the Team HTC - Columbia at their wind tunnel testing last year, I have been following them with interest.
This is a great service allowing you to see exactly where they are on the road at the Tour de France. You know that things are going to get interesting when, at the end of a stage, the black dot leads the red dot into the last few hundred metres! Check out http://www.google.com/landing/mytrackstour/ and you will see what I mean!
James Cracknell Takes on America
Posted Jul 12, 2010 at 08:41 AM
It was not enough for James Cracknell to be the highest placing Brit ever at the Marathon des Sables, (made slightly harder as he also had a broken toe)! We have been following James’ exploits since he retired from competitive rowing - he has been training on the Wattbike and working with resident Wattbike Physiologist and legend Eddie Fletcher, so we were not overly surprised to hear that he has a new challenge!
Starting this Thursday, July 15th on the west coast of Southern Californian (in Santa Monica) James is taking on America. He is racing non-stop across the US to the Statue of Liberty in what may be his ‘toughest challenge yet’! - which lets face it would mean that he expects it to be pretty tough!
He has chosen four Olympic disciplines to complete the challenge as follows:
Cycle 350 miles from Santa Monica to Death Valley National Park in Nevada
Run 80 miles through Death Valley
Cycle 2,500 miles from Death Valley to Toledo, Ohio on the western tip of Lake Eerie
Row 250 miles the length of Lake Erie from Toledo to Buffalo, New York
Cycle 500 miles From Buffalo to New York City
Swim 15 miles to the Statue of Liberty
James will be followed every step of the way by the Discovery TV documentary film crew (if they can keep up), and he hopes to complete the challenge in 16 days. To help him along the way he will have the support of multi-endurance sport and survival expert, Bernie Shrosbree and the backing of Merida Bicycles. We spoke to James about it when he popped into the office a few weeks ago, and then on Thursday when we caught up with Bernie for a coffee - both were very upbeat about the event and were looking forward to the challenge (and also suggested that Matthew Pinsent may put in an appearance at Lake Eerie and row some the distance alongside James, we will report back on that one!)
For us normal people the scale of the challenge is quite mind-boggling, and James is well-aware that he will need to call on all his reserves of energy and motivation to keep going which is why he would like as many people as possible to support him. If you’d like to send James any messages he can be contacted at http://www.twitter.com/jamescracknell
Wattbike in the news
Posted Jul 08, 2010 at 01:48 PM
It has been a busy few weeks since coming back from holiday, and now the tour has started so I have been rather distracted…
Here are a few of the articles that have come across my desk and are worth a look:
Wattbikes have been making an appearance at the British Downhill Series and have been very well received, and produced some unusual location shots. Normally we think of the Wattbike as an indoor trainer, but Adam from PF Performance had a different idea.
Wattbikes at Headley Court
Posted Jun 18, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Headley Court is a cutting edge rehabilitation facility for wounded service men and women that has recently been funded by Help for Heroes. We are pleased to say that the Wattbikes have been very well received and are being used every day. They feature in the video below of Prince William formally opening the new facility.
Alastair Campbell shows true colours - polka dot
Posted Jun 08, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Tuesday morning and I see this little tweet from Alastair Campbell:
"tip to Wattbike users - put Ipod on shuffle, adjust hill climb setter on right of bike to allow you to pedal in time. Good hill workout"
Having used the Wattbike for hill training before the pictoresque hill-fest ride which was the Spud Riley ride, I could not agree more!
Rachel Pryblski takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test
Posted Jun 04, 2010 at 05:14 PM
Rachel Przybylski of Rapha Condor Ladies takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test on Cycling TV.
Peak Power Test - Background Information
The Peak Power Test measures short term anaerobic capacity (STAC) and is defined on a Wattbike as the highest peak power in Watts achieved during a maximal 6 second burst. It is usually achieved in the first 3 revolutions (but not always).
STAC is an important component for sprint cyclists, in particular during a flying 200 m when short sprints of 10-15 seconds are required, at the start of a 1000 m time trial, individual and team pursuit and the sprint finish at the end of a road race.
A peak power score needs to be seen in the context of the type of cyclist, an apparent ‘low’ score may be good for an endurance cyclist but ‘poor’ for a sprinter.
Top male sprinters, on a Wattbike can maintain cadences in excess of 150 on resistance level 10 for 200 m - under 10 seconds for the 200 m with average watts close to 1600.
A quick experimentation with the resistance setting and cadence level will indicate the optimum combination.
James Millard takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test
Posted Jun 02, 2010 at 03:09 PM
James Millard of Cyclepremier.com / Metaltek takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test with Cycling TV.
Peak Power Test - Background Information
The Peak Power Test measures short term anaerobic capacity (STAC) and is defined on a Wattbike as the highest peak power in Watts achieved during a maximal 6 second burst. It is usually achieved in the first 3 revolutions (but not always).
STAC is an important component for sprint cyclists, in particular during a flying 200 m when short sprints of 10-15 seconds are required, at the start of a 1000 m time trial, individual and team pursuit and the sprint finish at the end of a road race.
A peak power score needs to be seen in the context of the type of cyclist, an apparent ‘low’ score may be good for an endurance cyclist but ‘poor’ for a sprinter.
Top male sprinters, on a Wattbike can maintain cadences in excess of 150 on resistance level 10 for 200 m - under 10 seconds for the 200 m with average watts close to 1600.
A quick experimentation with the resistance setting and cadence level will indicate the optimum combination.
Dan Lloyd takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test
Posted May 31, 2010 at 03:07 PM
Cervelo Test Team Rider Dan Lloyd takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Test with Cycling TV, with impressive results.
Peak Power Test - Background Information
The Peak Power Test measures short term anaerobic capacity (STAC) and is defined on a Wattbike as the highest peak power in Watts achieved during a maximal 6 second burst. It is usually achieved in the first 3 revolutions (but not always).
STAC is an important component for sprint cyclists, in particular during a flying 200 m when short sprints of 10-15 seconds are required, at the start of a 1000 m time trial, individual and team pursuit and the sprint finish at the end of a road race.
A peak power score needs to be seen in the context of the type of cyclist, an apparent ‘low’ score may be good for an endurance cyclist but ‘poor’ for a sprinter.
Top male sprinters, on a Wattbike can maintain cadences in excess of 150 on resistance level 10 for 200 m - under 10 seconds for the 200 m with average watts close to 1600.
A quick experimentation with the resistance setting and cadence level will indicate the optimum combination.
Phil Liggett takes on the Wattbike Peak Power Challenge
Posted May 27, 2010 at 02:48 PM
Legendary cycling journo Phil Liggett took on the Cycling TV peak power test a couple of weeks ago with some impressive results. He is now training on the Wattbike so we are looking forward to seeing his Sportif results later in the year.
Peak Power Test - Background Information
The Peak Power Test measures short term anaerobic capacity (STAC) and is defined on a Wattbike as the highest peak power in Watts achieved during a maximal 6 second burst. It is usually achieved in the first 3 revolutions (but not always).
STAC is an important component for sprint cyclists, in particular during a flying 200 m when short sprints of 10-15 seconds are required, at the start of a 1000 m time trial, individual and team pursuit and the sprint finish at the end of a road race.
A peak power score needs to be seen in the context of the type of cyclist, an apparent ‘low’ score may be good for an endurance cyclist but ‘poor’ for a sprinter.
Top male sprinters, on a Wattbike can maintain cadences in excess of 150 on resistance level 10 for 200 m - under 10 seconds for the 200 m with average watts close to 1600.
A quick experimentation with the resistance setting and cadence level will indicate the optimum combination.
Perfect Wattbike set up - there’s an app for that!
Posted May 27, 2010 at 09:24 AM
Ever since getting a road bike several years ago, I’ve slowly learnt the nuances of positioning for my optimum riding position. How useful would this have been to have had a look at this back then - http://www.sizemybike.com/ Just .input your measurements and the app will tell you the correct positioning for your road bike or mountain bike. The great thing is you can replicate both on your Wattbike, so you can get perfect your aero position, fitness and cycle technique on the best static bike in town!
The Wattbike Polar View Explained
Posted May 24, 2010 at 06:15 AM
One aspect of the Wattbike that makes it unique is the Polar View display on the performance computer and software. This view allows you to monitor at what point in the pedal turn you are applying power, and where you are applying the peak force. This can become a very powerful training tool, making the Wattbike, not simply a great physiological training tool, but also the best technique training tool available. When combined with the ability to review all sessions through the software this can make the process of learning to pedal more effectively an exciting challenge. In the video below Wattbike’s resident Sport Scientist explains the polar view.
Wattbike Videos added to the site
Posted May 21, 2010 at 02:12 PM
It seems like weeks ago that we filmed these - I suppose that is because it was! I have now added some of the footage that we shot with Eddie Fletcher, John Wilson and me talking about the Wattbike and different elements of the Wattbike. They have been embedded into the site, for those of you who are interested I have dropped the first three into this post. Enjoy.
An Introduction to the Wattbike
A Tour of the Wattbike
Wattbike Frequently Asked Questions
England Footballers using the Wattbike
Posted May 19, 2010 at 07:21 AM
Back in October Steve posted that the England Football Team were preparing for the World Cup on Wattbikes, and that Ben had been down and dropped off the Wattbikes. The team were using the Wattbikes to do hypoxic training, in the same way that the British Lions’ had before their tour of South Africa.
On last night’s BBC ten o’clock news there was a feature about the England Football Team doing altitude training and at 1:07 in it featured the Wattbike being used in anger. Check it out at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8690766.stm
Wattbike Expert Software Version 2.50.47 Released - Including training peaks WKO+
Posted May 07, 2010 at 02:28 PM
Over the last few months we have been working hard to develop the Wattbike Expert Software. Version 2.50.47 was released today with a number of exciting additions:
Training Peaks and WKO +
You can now upload your Wattbike training sessions to Training Peaks & WKO + directly from the Wattbike Expert database or when transferring files from the Wattbike Performance Computer.
In the database simply high the file you want to send right click and select ‘Send to Training Peaks’
If you are transferring a session from the Wattbike Performance Computer a dialog box will appear once the transfer has been completed with an option to ‘Send data to Training Peaks’
Other Changes
There are also a number of other small changes that have been requested – you spoke, we made the changes. The list is below:
In version 2.50.47 we have tidied up the database area reducing the commands to the most used 5 when right clicking on a database file with a fuller command ‘Menu’ at the bottom of the FIND PERSON RECORD (S)
Data transfer are now dated the day of the session rather than the date of download
The bug in editing personal data has been fixed so that changes can be done e.g. weight
Default screens now lose the Properties bar and Polar bar (Pult bar) so that in recording mode Polar/Analysis modules graph are full screen and default display parameters are Cadence [1/min], Heart rate [1/min] and Power per revolution [W].
Similarly when you open a file Polar etc is full screen. The Summary tab is the default in the Analyse bar - the Analyse tabs have been renamed Summary, and Pedal revolutions.
When you go into Pedal revolutions rather than all 39 parameters there are 11 default parameters:
Cadence
Velocity
Distance
Pace 1/km
HR
Power per revolution
Power/kg
LL%
RL%
LL angle
RL angle
All of them have calculated average value (except Distance of course) and can be tracked in the Summmary
There are three new parameters (increasing from 36 to 39)
Velocity average [Km/h]
Pace/Km
Pace/1km average
Finally changing to Time mode is made easier there is a short cut ‘Change’ button in the Analyse bar which switches from Time mode to Pedal revolution mode and back - if Time mode is selected a dialogue box appears automatically and the time interval required can be specified in mm:ss - The polar view is not seen in Time mode (as it is based on pedal revolutions) - this should avoid users thinking that something has gone wrong with the Polar view.
All functions can still be accessed from the Main menu and Tool bars.
The main icons have changed to just images to help with language translation.
Hamish Bond - World Rowing Champion and Wattbike legend
Posted May 07, 2010 at 02:18 PM
Over the last few weeks I have been privy to a few emails from New Zealand, once I had sifted through the usual banter I did stumble across some pretty impressive information. Hamish Bond, winner of the coxless pairs at the 2009 World Rowing Championships (beating the GB pair into the silver medal) has been doing his training recently on the bike, and in the process set his mind to the ranking, and now holds all the ranking records from 750m all the way up to the hour.
There is a short article about him at http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/3667613/Wheels-of-recovery-keep-turning-for-Bond
Warm up on the Wattbike for the Southern Downhill
Posted May 05, 2010 at 11:25 AM
This year at the Southern Downhill competitors will be given a chance to warm up on Wattbikes. Our friends from PFPerformance will be leading the riders in getting the most out of their bodies by preparing correctly for racing. You can find a full explanation by Adam Powell of PFPerformance at Warm up at the BDS
In conversation with Nick Dempsey
Posted Apr 28, 2010 at 10:25 AM
In February I spent a day with Pete Cunningham, Head Physiologist of the RYA, and Nick Dempsey, World Champion Windsurfer, to find out how they make use of the Wattbike in their training. We spent much of our time in their training centre - which was pretty chilly that day. I recorded much of our conversation and have uploaded a section of it onto our Youtube channel.
Wattbike featured in RIDE magazine - Australia
Posted Apr 28, 2010 at 08:54 AM
The Wattbike has been featured, and offered as a prize, in the Australian magazine - Ride Cycling Review
Click on the images below to view the full page as a PDF.
Charline Joiner has the right idea
Posted Apr 26, 2010 at 07:59 AM
We spotted this story over the weekend - cyclist Charline Joiner identified that the Wattbike was the tool of choice for training when the weather is inclement. She had been using it for sprint training, and making sure that her pedalling technique is correct. Find out more at
Corporate Ascents are a new company offering team building and personal development through cycling. They offer a wide range of cycling activities from riding up Alps to mountain biking and track cycling in the UK. The Wattbike supports their Track Cycling days as well as forming an activity in its own right. We are looking forward to working with Roland and his team and I will be updating the blog with information as we have it.
Wattbike warm-up service at British Downhill Series
Posted Apr 21, 2010 at 08:44 AM
New warm up service at the British Downhill Series
On the weekend 10th and 11th April 2010, Adam Powell took 3 Wattbikes as warm up machines for the BDS - this is his report.
The British Downhill Series (BDS) kicked off last weekend on the hills of Rheola in South Wales, with rounds at Fort William, Langollen, Moelfre and Caersws to follow over the next five months. Attracting top riders from all over the country, BDS is the UK’s top showcase for downhill racers, with categories ranging from juvenile (12 – 14) to veterans (40+).
Brand new to the series this year is fitness and warm up support at the start line for all riders. Introduced by PF Performance, a specialist in race performance and exercise, the service gives all competitors the chance to optimise their race run preparation, both mentally and physically.
While the concept of warm up is new to downhill racing, it’s no secret that the sport is one of the most demanding; physically, psychologically and mentally. For those few minutes of adrenalin filled descent, the body is put under enormous strain – few would disagree that fitness and stamina are crucial success factors. Up until now however, riders have had little or no opportunity to keep warmed up between exiting the uplift and starting their race.
As seen at Rheola, PF Performance is providing 3 Wattbikes at the start line for riders to warm up upon before commencing their descent. Endorsed by British Cycling, Wattbikes not only offer users performance feedback but also stats on force and power delivery, helping riders analyse and improve their technique. Riders used the bikes in the precious minutes before their race runs to work through their nervous energy, warming up their legs before pumping them ferociously down the tough Welsh terrains.
Adam Powell, Director of PF Performance, commented: “Starting a race cold is unheard of in every other sporting discipline yet downhill racing competitors have had to accept it the norm. Supplying effective warm up and fitness support at each BDS race will hopefully begin to break down these disadvantages. Ensuring the body and mind are both warmed up for the race ahead will not only reduce muscle stress and impact but also potentially increase speeds and efficiency.”
Si Paton, BDS race Director commented: “Racers’ body strength, fitness and mental control are all put to significant test in each BDS race. Having a proper warm up service at the start line will greatly aid riders in preparing physically for the descent and it’s a valuable addition to the series.”
PF Performance is a new company set up by fitness and performance specialist Adam Powell. A racer himself, Adam specialises in providing all mountain bikers with everything they need to be fitter, stronger and faster. From training and equipment to race support, helmet cams and nutritional advice, he also offers various race membership packages to help riders maximise their performance.
James Fletcher Testimonial
Posted Apr 20, 2010 at 01:37 PM
I have just uploaded a new testimonial from Triathlete and Wattbike user James Fletcher. James has been using the Wattbike since October and has seen his motivation, and power output increase as he focusses on the numbers. You can find the full testimonial with a picture of James in the lab warming up at http://wattbike.com/uk/wattbike_world/case_studies/james_fletcher_testimonial/
Clancy not bothered!
Posted Apr 09, 2010 at 10:22 AM
An interesting article on morethanthegames.co.uk from the 30th March about the possibility of changing the rules to ensure that all bikes used at the games are available to buy at a reasonable cost. This has been done by windsurfing (the current board is the RSX), but it would be a big change for British Cycling who currently invest heavily on the bikes and skin suits that their athletes wear.
Ed Clancy makes a good point though - "The bike does not win the gold medal but the cyclist does"
The article: Clancy couldn’t care less about UCI’s proposed bike rule changes
Wattbike in the news
Posted Apr 08, 2010 at 11:26 AM
It has been a while since I updated you with where the Wattbike has been mentioned online - so here it is:
Countdown to Skipton Triathlon - featuring a Wattbike on the day.
Kelly Cycle Coaching - Testing on the Wattbike
Pinkbike Wattbike 1000m challenge - Mates vs Mates
British Cycling picked up our Wattbike training days on their site
Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club - Wattbike Results (PDF)
Wattbike Indoor Trainer video from Australia
Nick Dunn - The Clocks have changed
Posted Apr 04, 2010 at 07:40 AM
The clocks have changed and it is now lighter, warmer (just), legs have been shaved! and im ready for action!!!!!!! Getting a few Personal bests in the pool and the biking is going strong - I have been mixing the Wattbike sessions with some easy longer rides on the road. My Wattbike pedal shape has improved as has my power output and time on the bike has been good so I am very happy with it.
Got my new bike delivered the other day from Total Fitness Nottingham (TFN) triathlon shop - its a Ceepo - same as I used last year but a newer, cleaner model! Can’t wait to get out on it for some sessions. Got an Easter bank holiday monday time trial tomorrow (approx 29 miles) - not in the best shape at the moment to race but its all good training.
Races start in May so looking forward to preparing for them.
Train hard and I look forward to seeing some of you at a race in the near future. Nick
Wattbikes being used in Australia
Posted Mar 31, 2010 at 07:10 AM
Our friends at Wattbike Australia have been busy recently, they have been working with a shop to set up a Wattbike centre. Here is a short video with some more info.
What are you looking for in a sportive?
Posted Mar 29, 2010 at 01:00 PM
What are you looking for in a sportive? Lots of miles, lots of hill climbs? But you wouldn’t expect a flat short course,would you? But why not??
Well I went to a very anormal sportive in Duncton near Portsmouth this Sunday. There was a 25k short-course and a hilly 50k ride through the South Downs at the but the key thing was you could do whichever you fancied, and you could ride as little or as much as you liked. Some just did the flat 25k, one chap blasted round it 4 times! Other riders just did the 50k hilly ride a couple of times, whereas most did a combination of the two, stopping off the sustenance and Wattbike training in between sessions.
The event was the Sportive Training Day run by SouthernSportive.com, and riders came to and through from the hub location in Duncton. It was a really good format as novice riders got to sample the longer rides, and keen cyclists got to attack the same course twice to improve their times.
When not on the road, riders relaxed with a technique analysis and power testing on the Wattbikes as well as nutrition advice from SIS. Improving your cycling technique really drew in the cyclists and they loved the instant feedback the polar view force curve gives you. Lots of the riders said they were very interested in the Wattbike and are going to buy or hire to get some really time-efficient training in at the start and end of the days.
Debbie Flood - Faf time is wasted time when there are things to be done and worked for.
Posted Mar 24, 2010 at 03:51 PM
Guest post from Olympic Rower Debbie Flood:
Faf time is wasted time when there are things to be done and worked for.
With my limited training profile at the moment, I need to be making the most of my spare minutes of time. I have come to the conclusion that I can be good at faffing and wasting precious time, particularly aimlessly looking on the internet and my facebook page. But over the last few weeks I have learnt to swap my wasted internet faf time to spend time on my new friend the Wattbike.
When I get back from work if I have a spare bit of time whilst I am waiting for my dinner to cook in the oven I will jump on the Wattbike for 30 minutes. 30 minutes passes in no time, and I feel much better for having done a productive training session without pushing myself over the edge. Perhaps this may seem slightly extreme when i should be just relaxing or winding down from work, but I am an Olympic athlete - and at the moment I do not make the grade. My focus is on getting fitter and closer to achieving my dreams and this takes a high priority in my life.
The Wattbike, I am finding, is a good way of keeping my legs moving fast without killing them like it would on the rowing machine if I rated high. I am able to spin along whilst still at a low heart rate keeping those fast movements and keeping my legs used to moving like they would if I was racing on the water. It is motivating to see my power splits getting better though I am being mindful not to go too hard at the moment as that is not the current purpose of my training on the Wattbike.
It would be nice if it was as easy as spinning the legs along at a high cadence and low heart rate then be able to jump on the water and race flat out, but in a week or so time I will be mixing up my training with racing practice on the water on training camp. I am hopeful that the high cadence work have been doing on the bike will have prepared me well for starting to take my fitness into the boat.
30 minutes is such a small amount of time out of a day and is easy to find if we want to do it. If you have a Wattbike of your own there are no excuses!!
Microsoft, Scary Spice, Disability and a Wattbike - in conversation with Pete Devery
Posted Mar 23, 2010 at 03:15 PM
Last month I took a trip to the Microsoft offices at Thames Valley Part to talk to Wattbike owner Pete Devery, our chat took place in one of the coffee areas and in the film below you can actually hear the coffee machine - maybe not ideal, but some interesting comments never the less.
It’s official Robbie McEwen has a better TV than me!
Posted Mar 22, 2010 at 12:49 PM
We should clarify things here, the only reason I know what sort of TV Robbie has is that he tweeted that he has his Wattbike set up in front of his 46 inch TV!
One of the things that I am asked fairly regularly is how to keep interest on the long sessions - I have two answers, first watch the polar view to make sure you are riding well, and second - get a TV! I have my 23 inch LCD next to the lap top so I can be watching the polar view and The Wire at the same time. I do feel somewhat inadequate now though as Robbie’s TV is 4 times the size of mine, but then……
he has won the Green Jersey at the Tour de France TWICE
he has won at least 10 stages of the Tour de France
he has won stages of pretty much every major road race
he also has his own page on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_McEwen - enough said
Good luck to the British Cycling team
Posted Mar 19, 2010 at 02:01 PM
It’s Track World Championships time! This time Team GB are competing in Copenhagen, and it starts this coming week!
Ben and I have heard on the QT that the Wattbikes are proving popular choices for some of the top Britons over the winter and we wish the British squad the best of luck from the 24th to the 28th.
For full news stories, check out the British Cycling website and if you are not lucky enough to be there and are following them on TV (like I am), check out the schedule below.
Track Cycling World Championships on TV
The Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark (Copenhagen) are going to be figuring heavily on two TV stations between March 24-28.
BBC will have Jill Douglas presenting live coverage every day with commentary by Hugh Porter and Chris Boardman.
Wednesday: BBC2, 7pm - 9pm, Red Button 6 till 9
Thursday: BBC2, 6.30pm - 8pm, Red Button 6 till 8.30
Friday: BBC2, 7pm - 8pm, Red Button 6 till 8.30
Saturday BBC1, 2.15pm - 4.30pm then BBC2 4.30 till 5.30pm
Sunday BBC2, 2pm - 5.30pm
Free Wattbike training
Posted Mar 18, 2010 at 03:50 PM
We are running Wattbike Cycling training for Cycling and Triathlon clubs and coaches - and they are absolutely free!
Training sessons take place in Nottingham and we can accommodate a group of up to 10 people at a time.
Take a look at the Wattbike cycling training page for more details!
Altered Images going strong
Posted Mar 18, 2010 at 12:29 PM
Ben and John recently went down to Hereford to take a look at Wattbike Centre Altered Images.
They have a great set up, just on the riverside in Hereford, and run a variety of Wattbike races, group cycling sessions and individual fitness and weight-loss programmes. If you are in the area, why do you not drop in?
Take a look at their website and their videos for details
Great Notts Bike Ride launch
Posted Mar 18, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Ben took the Wattbikes to the nearby Nottingham County Hall for the launch of the Great Notts Bike Ride.
The Wattbike teamed up the the Nottingham Outlaws BMX team who put on a great display, jumping across, in front of and occasional over councillors and VIPs riding on the Wattibke.
In the picture below, Councillor calmly rides on as the Outlaws BMX team jump over him.
BMX riders Councillors, local sporting heroes and the NHS laid out the details and the route of the county’s largest ride. The are family-orientated 5k laps, and fun rides all the way up to a 75-mile sportive for the more serious cyclist. The event is on Sunday 20th June.
For more details see the Great Notts Bike Ride website or find out more on the history of the event.
Nick Dunn - Blog
Posted Mar 15, 2010 at 03:34 PM
A short but sweet entry from Nick…..
Wattbike 0 nick dunn 1 - smashed the bike today - 350 watts and didnt feel it! may pay tomorrow though!!
Altitude Centre training World Cup teams
Posted Mar 08, 2010 at 04:13 PM
Ben was recently down at the England Training camp with the guys from Altidude Centre during the build to Eygpt game and as part of the preperation for the World Cup in South Africa this summer. Although we do not want to give to much away the youtube clip gives you an idea of what the players had to go through and we can say they all did very well. The Wattbikes are about 45 seconds in.
News from Debbie Flood - From training camp to trials.
Posted Mar 04, 2010 at 08:19 AM
Below is an update from two time Olympic Silver Medal Rower Debbie Flood who is attempting to break back into Team GB for London 2012. She has been training on the Wattbike to test the premise that cycling helps rowers.
From training camp to trials.
Camp (in survival mode) was my first marker. It was not an easy time, but I never thought that it would be. Olympians achieve their success through hard work and training and I have a bit to catch up on. Racing closely followed the camp and I approached the unknown with an open and positive mind set. Racing, much to my surprise, turned out better than I expected coming 6th at trials (with 2 out injured) and gave me a good starting point - the good news is that from the video footage and current fitness level, i have lots to improve on!
For the last few weeks after a combination of individual and crew boat trials, the Wattbike has become my ‘friend and recoverer’ rather than my tester. After racing in the boat I find it hard to stay in the same position and prefer to warm down on the bike. With a short time between races, clearing the lactate and restoring pH in the muscle is key in being able to repeat subsequent races and active recovery has been found to be the best way to do this however much I may want to just lie on the floor and not move for an hour! My recovery strategy worked well and I was able to hold my form (as it is) between races. This has given me confidence going forward knowing that I can still perform to a certain standard even though I have much to improve on.
Having woken up my competative senses again with some racing, I now look forward once again to training and making those technical and fitness improvements to take into the next trials - watch this space.
Wattbike at the Southern Sportive’s March Training Day
Posted Mar 03, 2010 at 05:02 PM
Wattbike have been confirmed to attend the Southern Sportive’s March Training Day on the 28th March. We will be offering product testing, training advice and our resident Sport Scientist and Coach Eddie Fletcher will be delivering a training talk on how to get the most out of your training using power and pedalling effectively. Check out http://www.southernsportive.com/ for more information
Inter-school competitions with Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson
Posted Mar 03, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Darlington’s first Inter-School Wattbike competition supported by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson
GOLD medal-winning paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson visited a school to present awards to the winners of a cycling challenge.
Darlington’s first Inter-School Wattbike competition was won by a team from Carmel RC College. The Wattbikes were loaned by the British Cycling North-East regional team to three Darlington schools, Carmel, Haughton and Longfield. Team members from the schools took turns to cycle one kilometre. An average was then calculated for the teams. The results were: Carmel, 86 seconds, Haughton, 92 seconds and Longfield, 97 seconds.
The competition was organised by Sustrans, a sustainable transport charity, and backed by Dame Tanni. At yesterday’s presentation, Maura Regan, principal of Carmel, told pupils, staff and guests that she was delighted with the energy and enthusiasm of the pupils involved in the many Sustrans cycling initiatives at the college.
“They all promote and encourage young people to cycle,” she said.
“It is fantastic that there are so many of you here today to celebrate with Dame Tanni, such a great ambassador and advocate for young people.”
Kevin Kilcullen, of Sustrans, said it had been a tough challenge.
He said: “Some riders found the short test really tough and there were many wobbly legs as riders got off the bikes after their turn.
“I plan to run the competition on an annual basis for the secondary schools in Darlington that work with Sustrans.”
Wattbike stories online
Posted Mar 02, 2010 at 04:35 PM
Over the last few weeks we have been inundated with good news stories, which I have listed below. If you have any Wattbike news that you would like us to post on the site email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Marek the Orienteer - Blog entry - Attended a wattbike session in Estonia.
Robbie McEwen - Twitter - rainy recovery day. easy session on my Wattbike.probably best training tool ever. Power+indv. L+R pedalstroke analysis http://bit.ly/dAR8rA
Robbie McEwen - Twitter - try this link insteadhttp://wattbike.com
John Lee - Pinkbike blog - Review of training on the Wattbike
Norwich race results - EDP24 - review of the Norwich Wattbike racing
Tanni Grey-Thompson to attend Wattbike Awards - Sourcenews - The 11 time Paralympic Fold Medallist Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson will attend a presentation for the winners of the Wattbike Compatition in Darlington
Wattbike Racing at Welwyn - Forum post
Norfolk Wattbike Series and free Wattbike session - from RoadCyclingUK forum
Update from Nick Dunn
Posted Feb 26, 2010 at 04:25 PM
Nick popped into the office to see me this week, and download some of his data from his monitor. He arrived at about 10am having already done three sessions - the man certainly gets some training in early! Here is his latest update:
"It’s cold, wet and more snow is on the way (not again!) - time for a long steady Wattbike session - its so much nicer indoors and soooooo warm! It was going to be a rest week this week but forgot about it (not very professional) so am going to have to take it next week - can’t risk getting injured. Had a great week though, two tough Watt Bike session - one interval and one 20 minute test at about 350 Watts. Not been out on the road bike as I am too scared of the ice - seen to many crashes recently. Loads of swimming though and some running (never like to do too much!), plus yoga and body balance - so the hours are adding up nicely - season starts soon(ish).
Nottingham Clarion Wattbike Nights
Posted Feb 24, 2010 at 03:39 PM
Nottingham Clarion Cycling Club are offering a Wattbike night every Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:30 pm at the Sports Hall, Holme Pierrepont. If you are in Nottingham, check it out.
Robbie McEwen is using the Wattbike
Posted Feb 23, 2010 at 03:11 PM
We already new that Robbie McEwen was using the Wattbike, but we did not know how much he loves it. We do now!
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However this winter, I’ve been using a Wattbike and had a winter like no other in terms of my cycle training. Having used Wattbike since October I have a renewed enthusiasm and have been able to train consistently three sessions a week.
