James Cracknell
Training on the Wattbike has helped me improve at a phenomenal rate this year, and to post really successful results. I can't say enough how much the Wattbike has helped. Not only has it ept me really honest on long rides and intervals, but also helped my pedalling.
I no longer just turn the pedals over, I’m more efficient and the results have been really encouraging. I make the most of limited training time to train effectively at home. Through the Wattbike ’ve learned the gearing and cadence that suits me best, and been able to glimpse into the future to see how much better I could be. When I first got on the bike I was pushing a high gear at low cadence and losing up to 56 metres per minute (over 3300 metres an hour) due to pedalling inefficiency.
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I’ve since improved my overall average power output by close to 40 Watts during a one-hour test, and reduced that loss to 34 metres per minute (just over 2000 metres per hour) with a lower gear, higher cadence and better pedalling efficiency. My first attempt at an hour ended with an average wattage of 303W, distance 43,138 metres at a cadence of 92, losing 3300 metres (0.6 of a metre every pedal revolution) and I was exhausted.
Just seven weeks later I produced a wattage of 340W, distance of 45,032 at 98 cadence losing only 2000 metres (0.34 of a metre every pedal revolution). Apparently I still used at least 240 more pedal revolutions than needed, so I know I can get better.
One of the most addictive things about the bike is the polar view. You can see the points during the revolution you generate power, and at points you don’t. Perfect pedalling results in a single large oval shape, which I’m always aiming for by trying to push and pull consistently throughout the drive phase.
According to the Wattbike I can improve by another 1000 metres over an hour and generate about 360W, that’s got to help me with future challenges! Without doing any more training I’m already more efficient, tire less quickly and am performing better as a result.
