RPM Experiment
Today I tired an experiment with a Carmichael workout. It came about by accident.
On my old (wired) Cateye bike computer on the trainer backup bike I keep the bottom display on TIME, so that I can keep the Carmichael segments followed to the second.
On the top half I display speed.
Today, quite accidentally, I began somehow with RPM rather than speed displayed on the top readout of the computer. I left it that way, thus creating a new variety of Carmichael.
From now on there will be three versions of the Carmichael;
Carmichael-Easy
Carmichael- MPH (mid-15's medium effort/mid-17's hard effort)
Carmichael- RPM (75 rpm medium effort/90 rpm hard effort)
Today, rather than keeping a minimum mph in the various effort level segments, I paid attention to my rpm and form on the bike.
Here is how it works.
During the medium effort segments maintain about 75 rpm. When the time comes for those one-minute hard efforts, rather shifting up one harder gear and going faster, I keep it in the same gear, but up the rpm from 75 to a minimum of 90 rpm.
As I did this I noticed that my heart rate seemed to get higher than when I did the hard effort minutes in the harder gear. I also seemed to be more soaked with sweat at the end of the ride. In other words, it seemed like this rpm took more work than the mph version.
I looked forward to checking my total miles at the end to compare the two types of rides.
The mph Carmichael puts me at about 10.6 miles.
Today's rpm Carmichael was a bit more at 10.8 miles. It certainly felt like it was a more difficult 45 minutes.
If you try this, on those hard-effort segments at 90 minimum rpm make sure to work on your form on the bike. Keep a nice steady torso. No bouncing in the saddle. Perfect circles with your feet as you get into the higher-paced rhythm. Low 90's rpm has to be maintained.
Well, I feel I earned some of the chocolate cake my wife Sandy is baking for Valentine's Day.
Over 200 indoor miles as of today.
2021 OUTDOOR
RIDE ROUTE-- Neighborhood Crit, 6 laps
MILES-- 10.7
AVE. SPEED-- 14.1
WEATHER-- Partly Sunny, 36, Wind 0-5
TOTAL OUTDOOR MILES-- 10.7
.....................
2021 INDOOR
WORKOUT-- RPM Carmichael
MILES-- 10.8
TOTAL INDOOR MILES-- 202.6
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