Originally Posted by 53-11 alltheway
What? B.S. It only will only help your climbing. However it definitely helps if you have accompanying arm strength so you can position your handlebars And especailly your seat forward.
Biggest problem people have with very forward and low bar positioning is inabilty to move the seat forward also (lack of arm strength forces them to move seat back....so they balance instead of just letting their arms support them. Unfortunately the are now forcing there back and neck to take the load)
The foward seat position is essential if you want to get the best spin you can....it positions you in a nice sweet spot over the cranks. Furthermore, the farther forward you can move your seat....the lower and farther forward your bars can be.
Climbing out of the saddle is easiest for people with low forward bars.....those with good arm strength can take advatage of this the best. Good arm strength in turn allows your legs to get a more advatageous position over the cranks due to the forward bars.
THe upshot is you cannot train one part of your body and not the other. It all integrated. Super powerful legs will be a wasted if you haven't built up some strength in your arms.
Another question are you training for a crazy marathon race like the TDF.....or do you just want to completely kick everyone's ass for 3-4 hours non-stop.
P.S. The biggest mistake I see is someone who is trying to drop their bars too much and overcompensating by having the seat back (instead of forward like a truly powerful rider would). All you are going to get from doing that is a sore back. Your neck is going to killing you too becaue with that seat back like that your shoulders are going to drop and you will strain your neck trying to hold your head up).
In addition to back and neck problems you will have a weak spin on the flats.....now how are you going to draft me with your lousy saddle postion and consequently weak spin? Even if you can manage to somehow stay with me .....I'll probably just smoke you when the next hill comes.....and that's when things really get ugly for you because now It's just a straight power to weight ratio battle (no air resistance) and I've got the super forward low racing angle that really comes into play when the nose of your bike turns up..By the time you finally get to top that hill....I'm long gone after I've blasted down the otherside that hill in 53-11. See ya!
lemme ask you something 53-11, have you ever done anything BESIDES lift? have you actually tried replacing your gym time with more riding? how would you know that your lifting makes the difference? maybe you should try losing some weight to see if you climb better. at 209 pounds, I'm sure you have weight to lose.
and I'm not sure why you are attacking my positioning...I didn't mention my positioning at all. I'm one of the fastest decenders in my club here. I've NEVER had neck problems, and haven't had back problems since I first started riding. so I'm not sure why you are rambling like you are.
anyway, I dont want to get into a pissing match with you, 53-11, you are in your own world, and have no idea what you are doing. you've never even raced, and yet you're giving training advice and (unsolicited) pointers on positioning.
Anyway, back to the original poster, I think that a core-strength program would be good for you, and if you have trouble keeping up on the flats, then possibly it might be worthwhile to look into a weight-training program. be prepared to drop your milage, though. Your legs will feel awful, so get used to it, and stop lifting when the season starts.
however, if you are the type that gains muscle easily, and has trouble climbing, I wouldn't lift. do the core strength, though. a solid core will help you have something to push against when you're hammering.