Home/Blog/Aero Deep Dive in The Specialized Win Tunnel – Ask a Cycling a Coach 188

Aero Deep Dive in The Specialized Win Tunnel – Ask a Cycling a Coach 188

December 5, 2018 | Ian Meintjes | 2 comments

Gain 50 watts in a single day!? We went to the Specialized Win Tunnel to find out how to get faster. Episode 188 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast is live!

More show notes and discussion in the TrainerRoad Forum.

Topics covered in this episode

What’s so special about the Specialized Win-Tunnel?
Are aerodynamics important?
Pros vs Joes with equipment and performance
How does going into the drops effect aerodynamics?
Does bar length matter?
How to shift your head to gain watts
Why do some riders create a better drafts than others?
Does sitting up with a tail wind help?
Does optimizing aerodynamics make a difference on the draft?
When do you not want to wear an aero road helmet?
How to choose a bike based on your strengths
Glasses and Beards – do they cause more drag?
Head position on a road bike
Does lateral movement decrease aerodynamics?
Why are shaved legs faster?
Why is the UCI beginning to crack down on sock length?
Skin suit vs. skin tight race kit
The evolution of wheel design
Why aren’t mountain bikes aero?
Does Nate’s “Franken Bike” make sense for gravel racing?
Do downhill and enduro athletes benefit from aerodynamics?
What effects do number plates have on aerodynamics?
Aero bars vs. round bars
Are hydration packs beneficial?
Does Jonathan actually have a world class CdA?
Do the UCI rules cause frustration for product engineers?

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Ian Meintjes

Ian Meintjes is a pro enduro racer and the producer of the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast. Ian’s successful track record in cross-country and enduro racing, along with years of experience as a customer support agent have made him an expert on all things training and racing with power.

Comments

Wendy says:

December 29, 2018 at 5:00 pm

I would like to you know your thoughts on Polarized training.

Reply
1. Bryce Lewis says:
  
  January 7, 2019 at 10:11 am
  
  Here is a quote from our CEO Nate Pearson repsonding in a Polarized Training thread:
  
  “Woah, this is a long thread! I skimmed it but here are my thoughts.
  
  1. You can get fit in many different ways. I think one podcast seemed to say you can’t get fast on sweet spot. That’s crazy sauce. I went from 275 to 345 on almost only sweet spot.
  
  2. We’ve got a TON of data that shows that you can get faster with the periodized/Coggan approach…like a lot a lot.
  
  3. Seiler is not prescribing a training system, he’s describing what he’s seen in pro athletes (as far as I can tell). In a 90/10 time in zone split at 20 hours per week with intensity at 120% of FTP (for the intense stuff) you’d be doing 40×3 mins at 120%. Put that over three workouts and you’ve got about 13×3 @ 120% three times a week. If that was ALL you were doing that would be crazy. You can see how you could only do easy stuff for the rest of the time.
  
  4. Take this with a grain of salt because the analysis is not done: Our data shows that the main difference between 2-3 watt/kg riders and 4-5 watt/kg riders are that the 4-5 watt/kg riders do more 2-hour rides, and those rides are mostly between .80-.85 IF (aka sweet spot work). They don’t do longer rides on average compared to 2-3 watt/kg riders.
  
  5. Anecdotally, I don’t know anyone who’s stuck with a polarized approach. Justin Rossi tried it for a season, got slower, and switched back to periodized. We know of a pro who just left polarized and is having a breakthrough season. He’s actually adding more tempo GASP work! Other pro’s we’ve seen don’t follow the periodized approach.
  
  6. More anecdotal “evidence”; I’ve never ridden or seen Strava files of pros were they totally go easy for 90 percent of their stuff. They are always picking it up on the climbs (even if you take into account their superior fitness).
  
  I can defend points 1 and 2.
  I hope I’m understanding point 3 correctly.
  I hope to defend point 4 in the future.
  I can’t defend points 5 and 6 since they are anecdotal.
  
  In summary, I’m sure polarized training works (as most approaches do as long as there is added volume), but maybe a little too much is being made out of the recent polarized craze because a couple podcasts are pushing it? ”
  
  I hope this helps!
  
  Reply