Training weights..

[Aaron98Disco]

I want to add some weight to my bike.. ideally around 30-40lbs to start with. I have searched high & low for weights made for bicycles but only found weighted gloves.. I was thinking some velcro ankle weights on the frame might work but was wondering if anyone has stumbled on a product made specifically for bikes.

 

[ThomD]

Pros ride with weighted vests. That keeps the bike handling the same.

My wife used to ride around with 2 good sized rock in a saddle bag.

Cement in the water bottles?

 

[SOAZ]

I wouldn't want weight bouncing around and possibly hurting the bike.
I just take my "hiking" camelback when I want to carry weight.
The first aid kit, emergency gear, food, water, tools, bike stuff etc add some good weight and the bike still feels the same.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I've never heard of pros or anyone else using weights or weighted vests for training on a bike. I'm a Cat 2 road racer, I've never heard of it. Doesn't make sense.

Bike power is measured in watts. The product of those watts is speed. If you're going up a climb, the magic ratio is watts (power) vs. weight (gravity). If you're going along the flats, the magic ratio is watts (power) vs. drag (aerodynamics).
So, added weight will not have an effect on the production of watts, it will only serve to retard your speed on climbs.

Let's say you go up a hill while producing 300 watts for 30 minutes. Let's say your average speed was 15mph. Strap on 20 pounds of weight and the only thing that will change is the speed. If all you can produce is 300 watts for 30 minutes.....that's all you got.

The beauty of a bike is the resistance is built into the system. Why add weight? Drop a cog, hammer a tad harder and go from producing 300 watts to 325 watts.

No weights. You'll also run the risk of developing muscle injury or maybe just developing muscles unnecessary for cycling performance. Ankle weights wouldn't even work in a captive pedal stroke as the weight going down would in part be offset by the weight going up.

Cycling fitness is all about aerobic efficiency, efficiency at or above lactate threshold levels and a host of other boring things that suck the love out of riding a bike.

If you want to improve your bike fitness give me a buzz. Up to this year, I spent the last 24 seasons racing on the national and international elite levels in road, mountain and cyclocross racing. Now I just ride for fun......FAST!!!!

No weights.

 

[ThomD]

I've never heard of pros or anyone else using weights or weighted vests for training on a bike. I'm a Cat 2 road racer, I've never heard of it. Doesn't make sense.

Nonethless, I have seen it. I only saw one or two photos, so it certainly isn't common.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Nonethless, I have seen it. I only saw one or two photos, so it certainly isn't common.

That just doesn't make any sense at all. Those photos must have been from ions ago before riders began measuring output on watt meters. I ride on a team with a dozen guys, each of us having been national champions or former pros. I can't imagine anyone of them using weights on their bikes. Weird. I didn't even hear of this when I raced in Europe for much of the mid 90s. If you dig up one of those photos, let me know. I'm a mega cycling nerd and I love the history of the training methods.

Cycling science is pretty simple stuff. That said, I guess some pros don't get it, huh?

 

[Aaron98Disco]

I've never heard of pros or anyone else using weights or weighted vests for training on a bike. I'm a Cat 2 road racer, I've never heard of it. Doesn't make sense.

Bike power is measured in watts. The product of those watts is speed. If you're going up a climb, the magic ratio is watts (power) vs. weight (gravity). If you're going along the flats, the magic ratio is watts (power) vs. drag (aerodynamics).
So, added weight will not have an effect on the production of watts, it will only serve to retard your speed on climbs.

Let's say you go up a hill while producing 300 watts for 30 minutes. Let's say your average speed was 15mph. Strap on 20 pounds of weight and the only thing that will change is the speed. If all you can produce is 300 watts for 30 minutes.....that's all you got.

The beauty of a bike is the resistance is built into the system. Why add weight? Drop a cog, hammer a tad harder and go from producing 300 watts to 325 watts.

No weights. You'll also run the risk of developing muscle injury or maybe just developing muscles unnecessary for cycling performance. Ankle weights wouldn't even work in a captive pedal stroke as the weight going down would in part be offset by the weight going up.

Cycling fitness is all about aerobic efficiency, efficiency at or above lactate threshold levels and a host of other boring things that suck the love out of riding a bike.

If you want to improve your bike fitness give me a buzz. Up to this year, I spent the last 24 seasons racing on the national and international elite levels in road, mountain and cyclocross racing. Now I just ride for fun......FAST!!!!

No weights.

Thanks for the replies, folks! Flounder, that was a very informative post.. Thank you!

 

[Christophe Noel]

Thanks for the replies, folks! Flounder, that was a very informative post.. Thank you!

Hope it was helpful. There's nothing more rewarding than getting really strong on your bike. If you ever have questions about getting uber bike fit, lemme know.

 

[ntsqd]

I won't claim to know diddle about training to ride a bike, I just ride. I've been riding since 1971 and I've never made any team. Never wanted to.
That said, I can see some possibilities in using weights at certain times. Most sports training methods use weights at some point or other. Why wouldn't cyclist's? With the very little that I know I can see where it would be pointless for endurance training, but could easily pay off in strength training. Limitless endurance with no strength won't get you very far.

If you're climbing with more weight, then you may not go as fast but you are working harder to go the same speed. More weight = more gravity effect. Could choose a steeper hill I guess.

If you are on the flats with more weight and want to "pick it up" you've got to work harder to do that (inertia).

I would not put it on the person. I would put the added weight on the bike. Add some panniers (sp?) loaded with rocks or lead shot and go for a ride. Tell me that wouldn't be a work-out. Then take the panniers off and watch what happens.
I would bet that that at the higher levels that the training bikes are nowhere near as light as the race bikes. Unless the budget is unlimited, just from a longevity point it wouldn't make sense for them to be so.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Ntsqd is correct Weights definately play a part in cycling. However, weight training for cycling is done OFF the bike. There is ample resistance work done on the bike, but it is done on the bike by using a zillion different methods, none of which involve weights.

Weight training for cycling is traditionally used to develope core muscle groups. I'm in the gym every winter building core strength. However.....using weights to develop leg strength has very, very, very limited success. That debate raged during the 90s. Not so much anymore. I've been to countless training seminars dealing with weights and cycling, including a great one at the Union Cyclists International Training Symposium in Geneva. The conlcusion there was - cycling is about thousands of muscle contractions producing say 10-20 pounds of force. Training in a gym doing say 20-30 reps of 150-300 pounds just won't translate to the bike. Entirely different physiological adaptations at work. *Exception - weights can be used to help correct muscle imbalances or to assist bone density which haunts most riders.

There are some weight training applications that can build improved power, but usually only for track sprinters, criterium racers, etc. Plus, it usually takes some serious lab work prior to initiating those weight programs to determine if the rider's muscle type is appropriate for those adaptations. Nerdy stuff. Long winded way of saying that statistics say about one in 34 cyclist benefit from weight lifting with their legs.

The real final word on weight lifting for cycling is summed up by one concept. Weights (for legs) should only be used when all other attempts to build strength ON THE BIKE have been exhausted. 24 years of riding for me and I've certainly not exhausted the on-bike strength building options.


Again, weights are simply a means to add resistance. Resistance on a bike is not measured in pounds but watts. To increase resistance on a bike.....add more watts. Sounds silly but...pedal harder.

For example:

300 watts produced by a 200 pound bike and rider combi on a 5% grade climb might equal 15mph.

300 watts produced by a 200 pound bike and rider carrying an extra 30 pounds of weight up the same 5% grade might only go 13mph.

Either scenario, the rider is producing the same watts (effort). However, in a gym, lifting 50 pounds and lifting 80 pounds is two entirely different efforts.



Take this science to the flats and it actually gets MORE complicated since the math now involves mechanical and aerodynamic drag. Oddly enough, there is a slight advantage to more weight on the flats. It isn't about inertia, it really is a bio-mechanical issue as skinny dudes often have to produce slightly more watts for relatively similar aero-drag variables to achieve the same speed as someone a tad heavier. The MIT Cycling Academy wrote a 300 page study on that one.

Anywho....I'm sure most of you stopped reading on line 5. I don't blame you.

No weights. No weights. No weights. It does not make sense.

If you ever want to learn a little of the nerdy, boring science behind cycling physics, log onto www.analyticcycling.com

 

[Christophe Noel]

I would bet that that at the higher levels that the training bikes are nowhere near as light as the race bikes.

Most riders in the elite to pro ranks ride the same bike they train on. Some parts may be swapped on training bikes for comfort and durability. Curiously, the UCI has a minimum weight limit, so many riders actually have to ADD weight to their race rigs. Most do that with a watt meter since it gives the rider critical performance data. Also, the trend for uber light wheels has somewhat croaked. Now, it isn't uncommon to see riders on 1800 gram wheels with super high aerodynamic qualities.

On race day, my road bike might weigh 15lbs. Training with my heavier wheels it might be 16lbs. When you combine my weight with the bike....that 1 pound makes me overall only .5% lighter at most. Not much.

 

[ntsqd]

I think I'm going to go ride my 35 pound bike down to the beach.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I think I'm going to go ride my 35 pound bike down to the beach.

Everything about that bike is cool, right down to the Dia Compe brake levers!!!!

Awesome!!!

 

[bat]

I think weights definately have a place in training when mixed with fixed gear.
Everybody has there own training methods and for most just a good club ride will put in in great shape.

 

[Topmounter]

I've been riding on the MTB and Road bike for 15+ years with some amateur racing, logged lots of hours working in bike shops and have many friends and acquaintances who are or have been pro cyclists in a variety of disciplines and I can't say I've ever heard of anyone artificially adding weight to their bike or body for training purposes. I guess if I wanted more resistance on a fixie (since you can't grab another gear and up the watts), I'd put a smaller cog on the back.

I suppose I could see carrying additional weight if you were training for some sort of self-supported multi-day cycling event where you needed to prepare yourself for having to carry a large amount of gear.