Dare To Tri Life: Dare to Cycle ?

DareToTriLife offers coached indoor performance cycling sessions based at the Mid Argyll Community Pool in Lochgilphead, Argyll (here). These workouts are person-specific and use the very best available CompuTrainer technology to help you be the cyclist you were born to be.

Why cycle ? Here's 7 reminders ...

Be smarter -> get pedaling. Researchers from Illinois University found that a ﬁve percent improvement in cardio-respiratory ﬁtness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 15 percent in mental tests. That’s because cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the region responsible for memory, which deteriorates from the age of 30. “It boosts blood ﬂow and oxygen to the brain, which ﬁres and regenerates receptors, explaining how exercise helps ward off Alzheimer’s,” says the study’s author, Professor Arthur Kramer.
Beat illness. “Moderate exercise makes immune cells more active, so they’re ready to ﬁght off infection,” says Cath Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London. In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, people who cycle for 30 minutes, ﬁve days a week take about half as many sick days as couch potatoes. Riding’s the way to keep the doctor at bay
Less injury : Cycling: injuries per 1000 hours: 6 ; Running: Injuries per 1000 hours: 11
"Shockwaves compress your vertebrae," says Harley Street podiatrist Simon Costain. Marathon runners shrink by a centimetre during a race. Ok, it's temporary - but still not great if you're tiny to start with (although see what 5ft 3" can do here).
Live longer. King’s College London compared over 2,400 identical twins and found those who did the equivalent of just three 45-minute rides a week were nine years ‘biologically younger’ even after discounting other inﬂuences, such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking. “Those who exercise regularly are at signiﬁcantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, all types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity,” says Dr Lynn Cherkas, who conducted the research. “The body becomes much more efﬁcient at defending itself and regenerating new cells.”
Improve your sex life. Being more physically active improves your vascular health, which has the knock-on effect of boosting your sex drive, according to health experts in the US. One study from Cornell University also concluded that male athletes have the sexual prowess of men two to ﬁve years younger, with physically ﬁt females delaying the menopause by a similar amount of time. Meanwhile, research carried out at Harvard University found that men aged over 50 who cycle for at least three hours a week have a 30 percent lower risk of impotence than those who do little exercise.
Heal your heart. Studies from Purdue University in the US have shown that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. According to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves ﬁtter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who take no exercise.
Reduce the risk of cancer. There’s plenty of evidence that any exercise is useful in warding off cancer, but some studies have shown that cycling is speciﬁcally good for keeping your cells in working order. One long-term study carried out by Finnish researchers found that men who exercised at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to develop cancer as those who didn’t. And one of the moderate forms of exercise they cited? Cycling to work. Other studies have found that women who cycle frequently reduce their risk of breast cancer by 34 percent. (Find 24 more great reasons here).

Why indoor cycling ?

It doesn't rain
There's no loose dogs
Potholes don't feature
Cars and forestry trucks would be very unlikely
No junctions, roundabouts or traffic lights
It won't (usually) get dark
You can train specifically at your own level - not at the pace of a group
Less expensive clothing (actually less clothing altogether)
More sociable
Safer
A more controlled environment - enables us follow your statistics and coach your training
Access to great facilities eg showers, swimming pool, changing areas
It's tough to do quality, intensity-based, workouts on the open road

What's a CompuTrainer ?

DareToTriLife provide CompuTrainer hardware for MultiRider Performance Indoor Cycling. A CompuTrainer is more than a premier bike trainer. It's also a precision bicycle ergometer measuring wattage, heartrate, and cadence. USA Triathlon and USA Cycling rely on CompuTrainer to test and train their national team athletes. For the individual it's like having a personal exercise physiology lab.

More Powerful than other electronic bike trainers CompuTrainer has a peak power rating in excess of 1500 Watts to simulate road grades up to 15%. It's the Rolls Royce of bike trainers and you'll be training on the same kit used by 8 of the top 10 2012 Ironman Kona pros. Cat Morrison (for example) ...

"Computrainer is an integral part of my training. From indoor training in the harsh European winter months to fine tuning my bike legs in the summer, Computrainer allows me to be smart in my training all year round."

What does this MultiRider experience look like ?

You'll get the idea from these folks in Dallas ....

How exactly is this a "Coached Class" and "Person-Specific" ?

Glad you asked. In several ways actually. This gets a bit complicated so lets start with the Software. DareToTriLife MultiRider Performance Indoor Cycling uses CompuTrainer's own MultiRider software - with an option for coached Spinscan pedal analysis (here) - but also uses ERG Video for coached sessions. ERGVideo is a Canadian partner for CompuTrainer and has over 50 titles of "Real Course" video. These are actual videos of real people doing real cycling in really nice places. You'll get the idea from below ...

Our coached classes will use long intervals, short intervals, sprints, hill work, tempo rides and races based on the ERGVideo sofware. Everyone does the same course at the same time - but works at their own level. You could be riding alongside Bradley Wiggins, or Chris Froome - they'd be working at the same relative effort as you but not the same power output.

This is possible as we first test you to find your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). To do this you cycle as fast as you can for an hour and we note your average Watts of power output. You might be 200W - Bradley might be 400W. We then make a coached interval session based on your own numbers. If we ask you to cycle at 110% thats 220W for you and 440W for Bradley.

How this happens in practice is that your own CompuTrainer is controlling your ride via the ERG software - just for you. At the end of every series of weekly workouts we re-test you and (hopefully) put your Watts setting up - as your fitness increases.

However there's more and with a twist. Outwith the weekly coached session is a regular Saturday endurance ride. This can be an ERG Video eg. of the Tourmalet or Ventoux but it can also be one of CompuTrainer's own Real Course Videos. Here's one of the iconic Olympic Tri "Escape from Alcatraz"...

and, of course IM World Championship Kona, Hawaii ...

These Saturday "Super-Specials" are a little different in approach. In CompuTrainer MultiRider mode it's all about absolute power and the course video is driven by the best cyclist. You get to see your own performance relative to theirs and, if you can, you can steal the lead at any time. These are designed to be endurance rides - 40k-180k in length. You experience the course exactly how it is in real life - if the gradient jumps to 5% you'll feel the CompuTrainer exerting that same force on your bike. You'll need to dance on the pedals - just as you would if you really were climbing "The Beast" at St. Croix or sweating through the lava fields of Kona.

We can even ride the Mid Argyll Triathlon course. This is yet another Saturday option. It's not real course video but the route data has been collected by a Garmin GPS and downloaded to build our own simulated course profile.

You have your own screen slot and all your own metrics. It's the absolute cycle course raced in real-time. This is an excellent way for children to experience a real cycle course in perfect safety. There are countless pre-established courses available in this mode. Want to ride the Tour next July ? We can do that.

Ok, so you get the idea of what's possible by now? Lets jump back to the coached weekly sessions based on our ERG Videos - where we all train on the same level playing field. Not competitive & not racing - just you on a routine interval session. In the setups below you'll see the expected Power Profile

Sharp Hill Repeats - up to 140% of FTP

Long Hill Repeats

Anaerobic Lactate Capacity : 8*45s Intervals * 2 Sets

Criterium Ride - not full-on but plenty of rapid surges

2h.20m of Mt Tremblant Triathlon Course

Threhold Intervals : 2*10m + 2*8m

Long Threshold Intervals : 2 * 20m

Tempo Ride : In the Pyrenees

How does this weekly session integrate with my training ?

Great question. We'd be doing this to replicate the benefits a runner might get from a high quality interval session. But that's not the only run they'd be doing per week. If you follow a cycling or triathlon training plan (see the resources section of this website) chances are you'd be doing tempo rides, interval rides, long steady rides and hill work. Multi-Rider won't replace that completely. It will take the place of an interval session once a week and the quality of the indoor session will be very high. You'll also be able to observe your general fitness improvement on the re-tests between each 6 session series. Triathletes cycling 3 times weekly will make real gains from the quality workout.

If demand was high a second weekly session could easily be developed - the most likely scenario being a more regular Saturday session for a longer or tempo cycle. MACPool have made it clear they can be flexible. If you have a specific request for a type of workout let us know.

We now hope you are feeling excited about this ? You need to be in good health to undertake these coached classes - you'll be cycling already and you should always consult your GP before starting any new exercize regime. If you sign up to a 6 week series you'll need to pre-fill in a medical screening questionnaire. 1st Aid and a defibrillator are provided by MACPool but there'll be a H&S pre-workout checklist. Your safely is paramount. Also please check out the indemnity terms at the end of this posting.

Here's a checklist of what you'd need to bring with you...

a road bike or tri bike
bike shoes
towel
water
indoor workout clothing (cycling shorts - tri shorts if you want a bike-swim brick)

DareToTriLife provide ...

CompuTrainer
Instruction & calibration
Projected Video
Trainer skewers
Bike Pump - aim to have your tires 90-110 psi (refer to manufacturers recommendation on tyre wall)
HRM
Cadence Sensor
Access to MACPool facilities - including 1st Aid
Coaching advice from Level 1 Triathlon Coach with Session Plans pre-Approved by Level 3 Triathlon Coach.

So having reached this far - are you feeling inspired ? Take the survey below to give us feedback ...

Click here to take survey

Try a taster session for yourself and face the new season more bike-fit than ever before. The most fun you'll have with your helmet off ! Enjoy the journey.....

DareToTriLife strongly recommends that you consult with your GP before beginning any new exercise programme. You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise. DareToTriLife has no expertise in diagnosing, examining, or treating medical conditions of any kind, or in determining the effect of any specific exercise on a medical condition.You should appreciate that when participating in any exercise or exercise programme, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release DareToTriLife from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of DareToTriLife's negligence. You will be required to sign a disclaimer pre the 1st Series session.