Dear Dr. Lim-

I am a loyal PT owner and user. When I do interval sessions, I find it “easier” to maintain target wattage when going uphill as opposed to trying to maintain the same target when on the flats (“easier” really just means “less painful” in this context; believe me, it ain't easy). Why is this true, and is this just my perception, or is this generally true for the majority of riders (i.e. do some believe the opposite to be true)? Is it because going uphill, a rider is fighting all of the different components of resistance – wind, rolling resistance, and gravity – while when on the flats, only two components come into play?

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Dan
Columbus, OH

Dan,

I would agree that your experience on the hills versus the flats are exactly what other cyclists experience. The difference may be due to a number of factors, though I don’t have any definitive answers.

Anyway, one thought is that the on a grade your angle of attack on the cranks is different than on level ground, creating distinct torque profiles on the level versus a climb. On a climb, the impulse or area that peak torque is applied can range from 1 o’clock to about 5 o’clock. In contrast, the area of peak torque on the level is much smaller, ranging from about 2 to 4 o’clock.

Another issue may simply be the cadence or the combination of cadence and torque profile. Resistance may also be a factor as the external resistance to motion is much more consistent than it is on the flats. At high speeds, small pauses in power production don’t result in noticeable changes in speed as the momentum is so high. But at low speeds, especially on a climb, small pauses in power production result in very significant changes in speed. That is, if you stop pedaling on a steep hill you’re screwed, but if you pause for a few seconds here and there on the flats, you’re not. As a result, the average power on the flats, is always much lower just because of those micro seconds of “float” time.

Finally, one issue may simply be specificity. What I’ve seen is that my guys like climbing. They like doing intervals on hills. But if we make them train a lot on the flats, the power differential between the flats and hills begins to drop, though they tend to always still do better in the hills.

Anyway, I don’t have any good answers, and I just asked Danny Pate if he had any ideas, and we just spent the last 20 minutes talking about it, and now we’re both confused. So just make sure you don’t neglect doing intervals on both the flats and the hills, and if you figure it out let us know.

Last thought....if you are holding on the the bars and using your arms like a cable that help to hold your hips down during the pedal stroke, the issue may simply be that you are able to put down more torque due to the body position while climbing and the support from your upper body. The Italians once did the Worlds TTT with a hip strap that had a wire on the end of it that they tied down to the top tube. As they went hard, they would tighten the strap down and could push against it during the down stroke. They devastated the competition on a relatively flat course. The UCI later banned the hip/wire strap device.

Allen

I am recovering from a major illness and operation and have just competed in a recent TT and road race.

I would like to fix the problems I have discovered in my racing and capabilities. My sprint does not exist and hills are a challenge. Two very different areas, I know, but to improve is the goal; I do not need to be Chetchu or McEwen; I want to be good in both areas and not the best in one. What training regime would you recommend. Any help would be appreciated.

Kindest regards
Joel E

Joel,

I think it just comes down to specificity of training. Plain and simple. Most climbers neglect their sprint training and most sprinters neglect their climbing. I would suggest that you don't neglect either, and you should be fine. So spend equal parts of your training in the mountains, sprinting on the flats, and combining the two -- sprinting on climbs. Not knowing your work schedule and terrain, it'd be hard for me to give recommendations to maximize both without writing an entire program. So I'll stop here and just advise to not forget that specificity is key, that you need to remember to balance work with rest, and that if you take your time, stay patient and keep the goal in mind, you will adapt.

Best of luck,
Allen

HI Guys,

How come no wheat for the guys on the Tour?? Does that include white flour made from wheat sources?

Thanks!
Kate

Yes, no wheat or very little wheat. Some guys have very slight allergy, and in general it causes more inflammation than non wheat based carbs. That's all.

Allen