General Cycling Discussion - Power surge

I am sure I am not the only one who has experienced this, no, no.

Sometimes when I'm riding, especially after getting warmed up nicely, I get a "power surge." When it hits me, I feel like my legs are an engine (almost not even a part of my body anymore) and I just start spinning like a fiend! I feel like I am a machine that could just keep pulling that chain and driving the rear wheel against all other forces.

Makes me feel like I am flying and nothing can stop me. (Maybe that's why so many cyclists run red lights--they don't want to stop!)

I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like that! The best feelings I get when cycling are (1) a kind of orderly feeling usually at the start of a ride before I become bedraggled, kind of hard to describe but maybe a feeling that I'm doing something that has fewer drawbacks--especially environmental--than a lot of other things I could be doing (such as driving a car). And along with it goes a feeling of alertness.

And (2) the runner's (or brisk walker's) "high." This doesn't happen too often.

Maybe if I were a more powerful cyclist I would get more powerful feelings.

I get that power surge. I got it bad once out on the highway when I guzzled and coke and a couple candy bars. I left my riding partner about a km behind me. I felt bad but I couldn't afford to waste that energy.
The only other time I get that is in heavy heavy traffic where a close call with a car sets me off and I just fly fly away. Bananas help too.

I get that power surge every once and a while, too. Lately, it's been pretty good. My usual route to the grocery store, and back has been taking me less than an hour now. I think more like 40 minutes. When I first started the route it would take me a full hour. Well, I'm still not as fast, but it's definitely improved.

I think one of the few times is when I'm either scared that I need to go faster, since there's a car behind me, or I need to make sure I hit the light before the light turns yellow or red. I usually don't go through a yellow light, but sometimes the light turns when I'm halfway through an intersection, so I gotta pump it up! :D

Hi Pete, yeah, I know what you mean. Once you're warmed up, and especially if you have some tailwind (not to mention blue skies!). You're right, that's exactly why we sometimes run lights or stop signs, hopefully after slowing down some, and making sure there's no traffic, especially early weekend mornings, like today!

I know what Kittyfury means about the adenaline rush you get after a close call. You can really harness that energy and get your speed up.

Originally posted by technogirl
I usually don't go through a yellow light, but sometimes the light turns when I'm halfway through an intersection, so I gotta pump it up! :D
That's the way I approach the yellow-light situation, too. In addition, if I'm going too fast to safely stop I will enter an intersection after the light turns yellow. I think this is in accordance with the spirit of the law, if not the letter. It's simply impossible to anticipate each and every light change.

Eighty to ninety percent of the time I can stop short of the intersection on yellow. This sometimes means a very quick stop, but I regard that as good practice for less pleasant times I might need that skill.

I get the power surge, but the trouble is that it usually takes about 40 km to hit, and my commute isn't that long :cry: . It's good in a way though, because it gets me away from the urban area and into places where there ARE no traffic lights to stop me (so there).

Chris

I get a power surge, so I use it and kick everybodies butt, and then I bonk!!!! Oh no!!!! But PowerGel saves the day at that point.

I notice different energy levels at times, usually related to my recent sleep levels - sometimes inversely.

On a similar note, Friday morning and afternoon, I hardly sweated at all. This was in spite of a high heat index, 95 in the morning with a temp of 25 C and sunny. This morning's heat index was 87 - 27 C temp, overcast - and I sweated as usual at the end of my ride.

At first, I thought, perhaps, I was dehydrated, but I had been drinking a lot of water the day before. The usual indicators (output) implied otherwise, as well.

Go figure.

Jonathan

Originally posted by jramsey
On a similar note, Friday morning and afternoon, I hardly sweated at all. This was in spite of a high heat index, 95 in the morning with a temp of 25 C and sunny. This morning's heat index was 87 - 27 C temp, overcast - and I sweated as usual at the end of my ride.


Humidity is a bigger factor than temperature in heat discomfort. I often sweat more on overcast days for the same reason.

Chris