Originally Posted by
Quinn8it
so the difference is not measurable? but the athletes body senses it? despite cadence being the same, speed being the same, stop watch reads the same and power is the same? what exactly is the athlete sensing?
the earlier comparison to saddle height doesn't really work for me.
i recently tested out a new frame. on my first track day (after a few roller sessions) i sensed that my saddle slipped. i pulled in and confirmed that my saddle had in fact slipped. I was able to confirm this with a very simple measuring device called a tape measure.. I sensed the change- and was able to measure the change. about 1.5mm..
Wouldn't it seem unreasonable to expect measuring a 1.5mm change in saddle height with a stopwatch? Some people add 1.5mm to their ass every winter! Would you expect a change in kilo time be measured if you had a change of 1.5mm in your saddle and couldn't feel it? What if you changed brands of shorts and ended up with 1.5mm less padding? Would the change in your kilo time be the same as if, instead of changing shorts (and having 1.5mm less padding), you lowered your saddle by 1.5mm?
I didn't say we couldn't measure changes in drivetrain momentum or response. I am questioning whether it makes a difference with a stopwatch
absent the athlete; say you put a set of electric pistons on the bike. But anything the athlete can feel, a 1.5mm change in saddle height, a slightly worn pedal cleat, a slight change in handlebar angle, or how the chain takes up slack, affects the athlete's performance because the athlete can feel it and it can mess with their head and their body mechanics. There's a lot of stuff happening under the skin. Optimizing your bike is not just about getting power from the pedals to the road, it is about getting power from the your body to the pedals as well.
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"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --
the tiniest sprinter