I saw a commercial advertising a show hosted by Neal De Grasse Tyson on science so I set my DVR to record each episode. Last night they talked about the science of cycling. It was very interesting!
For years they measured the amount of oxygen getting to the cells of a cyclist during training to maximize the performance of their muscles. Now, they measure wattage from the crank. I'm assuming they can only do this in a lab, right? They also discussed performance enhancing drugs. During the entire show, they cut to an interview with Lance Armstrong. He stated that today the riders are clean due to all the testing but they are riding just as fast as during the doping era. He attributed the speeds today to that wattage measuring.
If higher wattage is good for performance, could the development of a hybrid battery system to power an electric motor on a trike be in the works?
Comments
The great thing about training with a power meter is it takes away allot of variables you can train for example to 200w regardless of wind, weather, and road conditions. Giving feedback that the rider can then internalize so you have a gauge as to how much effort you are producing and how much you have left.
Great movie
I found a gazillion videos on YouTube at GCN (Global Cycling Network) that deal with cycling issues, maintenance, news, reviews, etc. The four hosts, all Brits, are interesting guys all with a good sense of humor.