Big or small chainring for bike workouts?
Is there prevailing wisdom on when it is appropriate to use the big ring during the interval workouts?
I have been experimenting with both chain rings during the various duration bike sessions for the last month. Sometimes I find that the big ring is a Godsend. Makes hitting the power numbers a bit more of a guarantee without feeling like I’m going to spin my legs off. My HR tends to be lower for the same power output when I do that. Other times (like on the longer intervals) I drop into the small ring. I spin a lot higher cadence, obviously, which really can seem frantic, but sometimes it helps to ease the load on my legs. I can tell you for sure that I can’t use the big ring for two 20’ intervals. The pNorm for the second one suffers too much. It starts to look like mix of the two may be the answer. I’m going to experiment again on Tuesday, but in the meantime thought I’d see whether you lot have any experience or thoughts that might shed some light.
Comments
I have a compact crank and a 11-25 on the back. So it's pretty easy for me to "live" in the big ring unless some hills are involved. I hardly ever see the small ring around here unless I'm pushing into a pretty big head wind.
I ride a compact and 12-27 on the back. Indoors...I'm on a fluid trainer so my cadence suffers a bit to keep the watts up. I'm either small ring and down in 13-12 range or big ring and 25-27. Outdoors I'm a 90+ rpm so big ring all the time except for hills.
For my I am on an 8 speed so have some gaps. This forces me to spin a bunch and or push the harder gear at a lower cadence. I still do most of the training in the big ring. I think the cadence difference is a good thing. That is I will be more comfortable in a wider cadence range. I am very comfortable between 85-95 but can do 80-100 reasonably well.
I also feel more muscle fatigue (i believe or maybe I am just getting tired) on the 2nd interval with the lower cadence but can hold the second if needed.
Gordon (aka Devlon)
I always find it interesting when we discuss this stuff. I never really look at my ring or my cadence. As has been discussed in EN many, many times it really comes down to what you are comfortbale in pushing the watts. If it is small ring at 100 RPM or big ring at 80 RPM's . . . whatever you work best at to get the WORK done is where YOU should be at.
Another n=1, I do the FTP intervals in the big ring and the 85% in the small ring spinning the cadence higher when on the trainer. My cadence naturally goes up outside. I ride compacts and 12-25 on both road and tri bikes with 700 wheels and have always mostly lived in the 34 rather than the 50 but probably never really consistently worked outside either nor lived anywhere flat except the Maine seacoast and that's relative. Trainer work is a different story because Coach Troy and I had a close winter and busy other seasons relationship which is probably why I adapted pretty well to the EN style riding.
That is one of the great things about being "in haus". I was having this thought process on Saturday morning doing the 2x10' at FTP and 2x15' at 85%! Think I will experiment a bit. Thinking of getting a compact set up since we have lots of hills here in CDA, but equal opportunity to push a bigger gear!!
I have a compact and 12-23 (um, should I change that out before I get puched in the ovaries?). I spent all trainer timei in the big chainring, unless I am really suffering. I like to start big and think of all the easier gears I have if my legs get really tired.
Rich, can we get an ovary update?!
I think you are okay but as your race approaches in 2010, the 12/25 in the back is the way to go!
P
When I am forced indoors, I mix it up throughout the interval keeping watts constant. Intervals within intervals if you will, breaks up the long set.
A WHAT update???? This I gotta know.
Glad I wasn't the only one reading that and going "huh?" See Beth's post about getting punched in the ovaries (female equivalent of kicked in the nuts, I guess).
Mike
That said, indoors I warm up in the little ring. Everything else is big ring. The 80-85% intervals could be done in either I guess but I start to run out of gears if I'm in the little ring.
Will be really interesting to see what Rich does at Mile 18 of IM Chica (formerly known as Ironman Wisconsin) in his speedo and afro.