Spinervals for Mere Mortals

[Thorn]

As winter hit hard up here in the northern end of the world , I find myself riding my bike (on a rear-wheel trainer) in the basement. Boring as that may be, multiple threads here convinced me to pick up some Spinervals DVDs. That's alot, ladies

On the postive side, I will admit that the workouts are less boring and I believe I'm getting much better workouts. On the negative side, I'm beginning to think I'm forever destined to be only a couch potato wannabe rider.

Do you gals really us the gears that Coach Troy says? Really? If not, how does one determine how to adjust the gears. That is, when ECT says, "big gear, 15 on the back" how do you determine what that means to you? How do you tell if you're wimping out and/or killing yourself?

[guest1]

I do what they say with my goal to improve my cadence as I develop strength. Sometimes I need to miss an interval because I need extra recovery time, but it is my time and my work-out, so I don't care. So if you need to change what they are doing on the tape then do it! If cogs are too difficult, simply raise it a cog or two and work your way down as you get stronger. For example, if they say big/15, then do big/17. It is an individual workout ... do what works for you so you get what you want out of the exercise and develop the way you need to!! Your time ... your bike ... your muscles ... your work-out!

[Bluestreak]

I'm with you, but possibly more confused! I just got Spinnervals 101 and am using my road bike on a trainer. I am not sure where on the rear chain ring 15 is. Also, when Troy says small or large in the front, do you just not use the middle chain ring?

[KayTee]

Troy assumes that your crankset has standard double chainrings, not a compact and not a triple chainring crankset. If you do have a triple, ECT doesn't want you to use the granny; only the big and middle rings. However...each of us has to listen to our own bodies and our own experience! If it's more comfortable for you to use lower gears, then by all means use them, and maybe later on you can start working up to riding higher gears. This time of year I start Troy's warm-ups and first set about one cog lower than what he says, then after I'm completely warmed up, I can ride all the gears as he calls 'em. If/when my bad knee is having a bad day, I just lighten up - exactly as us_wr suggests. Just experiment, try to set a goal and work toward it, but don't hurt yourself trying! And have fun!

[Geonz]

I never try to take that stuff exactly - I infer things like "okay, he wants me in a hard gear" so I get harder... I don't even try to figure out the exact stuff. He d0esn't know me, or my bike. GO hard, go really hard, back off a little... I do listen to the technique stuff.

[Veronica]

I try to do the cadence he wants first in whatever gear I can manage it. It's only recently I've been able to do the cadence and the gear he wants and only sometimes.

When Coach Troy says he wants you in the 15, he really means he wants you in the middle of your rear cluster.

V.

[Thorn]

Hmmm....so I'm not so alone...thanks. Up to now I've been taking the attitude that if my effort seems to match the expected and if my cadence matches what he is reading off the riders' machines, that I must be about right. Your responses make me think that I'm doing things right--thanks.

My DH uses a bike with a triple on the trainer and has found that he uses the middle chainring when ECT says "big gear" and the granny for the small chain ring. He's content with that, but I'm a tad bit more OCD-ish with new toys and wondered if the rest of the world was also compensating and how.

I have a old bike on the trainer with a 6 speed hub. At times I can run out of gears. I finally stopped to count teeth to see where my cassette mapped to a standard Shimano. For me my 15 is one up from the smallest (Bluestreak--the 15 gear is the one with 15 teeth--on a 9-speed cassette it will near the middle of the cassette, plus or minus one gear).

Thus, if I try the same mapping as DH of using the small chain ring and the right tooth count, I can run out of gears (and, of course, I always run out on the low end). Maybe it is best--this way I have to go by effort and cadence only and that could keep me from overdoing it.

[guest1]

KayTee says it best!

Spinervals and any other DVD workout is only as good as your desire and ability to make it happen! So everyone has to do what works for them!!Equipment is important, but all those tapes can be adjusted to fit what you have -- double, triple, 9sp, 8sp, or even 6spd! Count your cogs and write down your configuration, if needed. I did, taped it to my front block and if in question, I just look down to see which cog they are talking about. But bottom-line, do what works for you and your equipment.

[KayTee]

What she said . Also I've found it most helpful to use a heart rate monitor and bike computer with cadence (the pick-up's on my rear wheel, which is in the trainer). As the others have said, I try to spin the cadence Troy wants, and I watch my HR. When the latter goes up too high, I back off (lower gear and/or slower spin). Also after those big-gear efforts, I find it helps my legs recover better to spin quickly during the no pressure, "soft-pedal" periods - 80-90 rpm. But no way can I spin quite as fast as Troy wants in the big ring-12 cog! Keep doing what you can as well as you can, and you'll still get better.

[Geonz]

Yes... I really like having the heart rate monitor 'cause I tend to second guess myself about how hard I'm working. (I never remember how "hard" it was... I guess that's like childbirth or something :-))

[Bluestreak]

Thanks for the info re: the chain positions. At least now I know what I am *supposed* to be doing! I think Troy needs to include a glossary with his DVDs!

[kelownagirl]

Good discussion - I was wondering this too. My question is: what setting do you use then? Mine has 5 settings I think. I was using the one right in the middle but it's definitely harder than rding my bike on flat land. Should I try to find the setting that simulates flat land as closely as possible and works towards using the gears he suggests?

[KayTee]

Kgirl, do you mean the resistance settings on your trainer? Same principle applies - start at a level that perhaps provides some challenge but at which you still feel comfortable. If later you do OK with upping the resistance, that's great. If not, you're still getting great benefit from your indoor work, as riding a trainer is definitely tougher and more intense than riding outdoors where at least periodically you can coast the downs and spin the flats.

OK, I'm off to an outdoor ride now - too pretty out there today to sit here!