Are we so unfit now?

[David B]

Re: Re:

In reality many TT times are not falling (the roads are getting smoother and courses easier), many old course records have stood for a long time now too.

From personal experience of the TTing scene, some of this might be down to the inter-linked factors below:

1) There's been a move away from super-fast trunk road courses for safety reasons (when I lived up in York, the A64 was infamous in this respect; later still when I was Hampshire based, the A303 was probably worse still, being as it was a kind of pound-shop M4).
2) For those "dragstrip" courses that remain, a good proportion of riders in my age group and below tend to give them a wide berth, again for safety reasons. That leaves a lot of vets riding such events, who often aren't getting any faster as the years roll by.

David

 

[pigman]

I'd say that the style of cycling has changed. The old days of grinding up hills at very low cadence are over. This was as much dictated by the rules and technology of the day, both of which have moved on. The emphasis seems to be now on maintaining cadence and using gears. This means that the modern cyclist can climb far faster than was possible 40+ years ago.

That's a good summary for me.

If you wanted wide gears and a compact BITD, with only 5, 6 or 7 cogs, that would mean massive differences when changing gear. So you lived without the big cogs. These days with 10 or 11 cogs, you can still run close ratios at the racing (12-21) end and some bale-out saucers at the other end.

Plus what constitutes a successful rider has changed. BITD it was all about big legs and lots of miles. Strength and power were the dominating pre-requisites - and with that goes the ability to push bigger gears. Nowadays it's about power-to-weight and cardiovascular fitness. This is because sports science (IMO pioneered by Boardman and Keen) recognised that quality training is better than quantity training.

So big legs = Thevenet, Hinault, Lemond. The smaller Columbians and our own Robert Millar were good, but not tour winners. They had their days to win stages and polka dots, but no more.

These days tour winners are lean and can spin. The big leg merchants like Cancellera are the one-day opportunists.

 

[Deleted member 24574]

Re: Re:

In reality many TT times are not falling (the roads are getting smoother and courses easier), many old course records have stood for a long time now too.

From personal experience of the TTing scene, some of this might be down to the inter-linked factors below:

1) There's been a move away from super-fast trunk road courses for safety reasons (when I lived up in York, the A64 was infamous in this respect; later still when I was Hampshire based, the A303 was probably worse still, being as it was a kind of pound-shop M4).
2) For those "dragstrip" courses that remain, a good proportion of riders in my age group and below tend to give them a wide berth, again for safety reasons. That leaves a lot of vets riding such events, who often aren't getting any faster as the years roll by.

David

The above is not true at all ... see the links I previously posted ... times are far quicker now than BITD ...

 

[pigman]

Re: Re:

.. times are far quicker now than BITD ...

Tri-bars, aero helmets, foiled frames, disc wheels

 

[Jonny69]

High cadence is without doubt better on the knees as well. I say this as a fixed gear rider and I've been commuting with big track gears for a number of years now. My legs are huge and I'll outrun most people in an all-out drag race and up most hills, but my knees are shot from it. I've recently switched to a geared freewheeling bike to take the load off my knees; ok it's still 52/42 at the front and 14-19 at the back, but I felt a difference within just a matter of weeks. You can't ride massive gearing forever. Some might be able to, but most people can't.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

Interesting posts.
Re equipment .Then its all there was .Even the early tours rode Fixed wheel .
One of the Derby based Wyld brothers could be seen in the peak district riding the hills in hob nail boots carrying tools . Every body got about on a bike . The late R Booty Rode to events . B&B,change wheels,ride course, then rode home . First man under 4 hrs for a 100 . How many ride to an event now?
All sports have progressed . Having said have I think all sports people used to be harder .

 

[Deleted member 24574]

Re: Re:

.. times are far quicker now than BITD ...

Tri-bars, aero helmets, foiled frames, disc wheels

As I said a couple of pages back faster riders on faster bikes.

Through advancement in training and recovery knowledge and aids such as power meters riders are producing more power to weight/CdA than ever before meaning that they are fitter to ride a bike.

Had some of the riders of the past had access to this then no doubt some would be better; probably the best genetic specimen ever to ride a bike was LeMond and he himself was a great advocate of power meters and the advancement they could support in training.

Of course the best genetic specimen for riding a bike was probably born in Kenya and never even got the chance to ride a bike ...

I would support the view that sportsmen of the past were tougher/harder than today's pampered riders but then that is all part of the advancement of knowledge. Make life easier off the bike then they will be faster on it ...

 

[pigman]

Re: Re:

[I would support the view that sportsmen of the past were tougher/harder than today's pampered riders ..

I would agree - tougher/harder, but not fitter

I had to laugh the other day. There's a guy in our club lives near to me. Saw him at the shops. I had walked and had heaps of shopping to carry home. He came in the car and hadn't much to carry ... and he lives closer to the shops. I jokingly remarked on his wimpiness of his driving and he brushed it off with some weak excuse.

Thing is ..... he's lean and mean and does 54 min 25's. I'm a heavier build (ok fatter and with asthma). I don't now race but reckon I'd be a good 10 minutes behind him.

So like I say .. tougher, not fitter