Road Cycling - put more weight on road bike, good way to practice?

What do you think? We all know that climbing hill is all about your weight and the bike's weight, so Is it a good idea to put more weight on your bike when practice alone? Such as *sand* bottle water and heavy pads on your knees? Just wondering.

If you are going to do that just attach a seatpost rack and carry something cold to drink in a insulated cargo bag and whatever else you desire. Most rewarding after a hard ride.

yah - it is good training. Lots of folks ride with heavier wheels during early season races, etc when the races aren't goals.

What do you think? We all know that climbing hill is all about your weight and the bike's weight, so Is it a good idea to put more weight on your bike when practice alone? Such as *sand* bottle water and heavy pads on your knees? Just wondering.
Let your tyers down afew psi .. less chance of back, knees - damage

I don't see how adding weight is going to increase your performance. It may have some physological effect, but I don't think it has any performance gains. If you're putting out 200W going 10mph up a hill, and add weight, you'll be pushing 200W still but you'll be going 7mph instead. If you want a better workout, just go faster (easier said than done).

Let your tyers down afew psi .. less chance of back, knees - damage

How does tyre pressure affect whether you would get damage to the back, knees? Do you mean the back of the knees or the back and knees?

When I was commuting and riding my 22# road bike (plus the weight of rack, panniers, lights, etc.) I had bigger and probably stronger muscles than I do now riding my 17# road bike. :rolleyes:
I remember a few times I passed a roadie or two out on a "training" ride. They caught up with me at the next stop light. :)
Give it a try.

Weights helps a lot, even if it slows you on the uphills, by the time you're riding your light bike, that same hill will feel like a walk in the park and will enable you push harder and faster.
Corsaire

You could always pull a couch: http://www.digave.com/couch/main.htm

Definately a good idea to put some weight on your bike, I wouldn't put any weight on your knees or anything like that, it may stress the ligaments a bit too much.

What do you think? We all know that climbing hill is all about your weight and the bike's weight, so Is it a good idea to put more weight on your bike when practice alone? Such as *sand* bottle water and heavy pads on your knees? Just wondering.

I am here to testify that this DOES work! I haul my 40 pound four year old in a +/-30 pound trailer up these hills by my house all week after work. Then early Saturday and Sunday (before he gets up), I burn those same hills without the extra poundage. I can fly without the added weight!!! It feels great!

Two full water bottles weigh about 3lbs

Riding to work has helped me accomplish just that, by loading my panniers with daily stuff and choosing steep uphills, boy ! am I getting pumped, specially when I step on my toes!, hehehehe!!!!
Corsaire

Commuter bike: Bianchi Volpe (steel frame, armadillo tires and panniers)

No need for extra weight, push a bigger gear same affect!

I get a good workout from pulling my daughter in her trailer.

How does tyre pressure affect whether you would get damage to the back, knees? Do you mean the back of the knees or the back and knees?
Personaly I would'nt ride with extra weight in a backpack for resistance ridding. What im saying is don't any carry extra weight on your back, as this may case problems with back and knees and wheels.Lower psi in tyers =more resistance+bigger hills=resistance ,safely.

Get a cheap mountain bike and wear something loose and flappy.
Someone I ride with in prospect park told me that instead of just mashing away, I should work on my spin and getting a smooth motion in. I found that that helped me a lot more than just brute force.
There's this subtle refined form that I find in a lot of good professional racers that makes it look so easy but it's not. I think a lot of it has to do with form. If you get a good spin, instead of tiring out a particular group of muscles trying to mash down all the time, you spread the force evenly along the whole 360 degrees of your pedal. So in effect you're using different groups of muscles at different times and giving the other groups time to rest inbetween.

No need for extra weight, push a bigger gear same affect!


To do that is to pu strain on the knee, not a good thing.

Corsaire

What do you think? We all know that climbing hill is all about your weight and the bike's weight, so Is it a good idea to put more weight on your bike when practice alone? Such as *sand* bottle water and heavy pads on your knees? Just wondering.

I thought climbing hills was all about a riders weight vrs muscle mass. Try using a higher gear than what would seem right to make it harder and just keep ridding through the burn, get up out of the saddle and stay up as long as you can.You have to hurt! and the worse the better!

I really hope it's a good way to practice, if it is, I'm going to be a machine when I upgrade from my current, 35 lbs Specialized mountain bike, to a Giant TCR Composite 2 in a few weeks. :D

Pushing a bigger gear and winding it out will do the same. Everyone wants to find a training trick to make them stronger w/o all the effort. Sorry, there isn't any. If anyone has a pic of all the posties pulling trailers I might change my mind.

Buddy of mine (a national-level track cyclist) rode a winter bike that had a 12V lead-acid battery (a big one used in emergency building lights) on the back rack which drive a 7" diameter motorcycle headlight, Fiamme air horns and added to this he had two waterbottles full of lead shot. The bike weighed around 80 pounds.

I am not making this up. You had to see it to believe it. When he got on a 20 lb road bike he flew.

Wasn't there once a product designed specifically to add extra weight to a bike? It was called a "Pig something" or "Hog something" and it attached to the bottom bracket, I think.

You could always pull a couch: http://www.digave.com/couch/main.htm

<threadjack>

Why pull a couch, when you can ride a couch? (http://bikeforest.com/cb/)

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<threadjack>

Why pull a couch, when you can ride a couch? (http://bikeforest.com/cb/)

</threadjack>


That's so cool, people are so creative.

To do that is to pu strain on the knee, not a good thing.

Corsaire

This is why you must 1st have a strong base, and ease into bigger gears on hills.pushing a big gear at low rpm's builds strenth, i don't think my coach is wrong.

Wear ankle weights and spin more!

Buddy of mine (a national-level track cyclist) rode a winter bike that had a 12V lead-acid battery (a big one used in emergency building lights) on the back rack which drive a 7" diameter motorcycle headlight, Fiamme air horns and added to this he had two waterbottles full of lead shot. The bike weighed around 80 pounds.

I am not making this up. You had to see it to believe it. When he got on a 20 lb road bike he flew.

If he pushed the same watts on the 20lb bike as he did on the 80lb bike the results would be the same regarding his strength. Of course he will go faster on the 20 than the 80 but were talking increases in strength.

Wasn't there once a product designed specifically to add extra weight to a bike? It was called a "Pig something" or "Hog something" and it attached to the bottom bracket, I think.

Sales really took off since it was such a great way to train. :D