Motorpacing
Carl Sundquist
using an e-bike wheel for motorpacing? Where I live there is a
distinct lack of riders so consequently a lack speed training. It's
even harder to find someone to drive a motor.
With an e-bike wheel, it seems like you could alternate the wheel
between bikes so that the group can self-motorpace and change
"drivers" periodically, like every 30-45-60 minutes. The driver
wouldn't be passive, just using the motor as a supplement. It's also
less likely to get hassled by law enforcement than pacing off a
motorcycle or scooter.
http://www.electric-bikes.com/bikes/kits.html
Thoughts?
Anton Berlin
Roubaix what the pros and cons are.
Fredmaster of Brainerd
There's a whole crapload of stuff that sits on the bike
along with the wheel, I think. You need a big battery
unless you have a stealth Gruber in assist mode, and
wiring harnesses etc.
Switching that between bikes would be painful.
If you had two people who fit similar bikes you could
stop and exchange bikes to trade off pacer duties.
There are people on rbt who know more about electric bikes.
I know a couple of people who have such things typically
as retro fits to an MTB frame, and they are powerful, but
not light - maybe not the thing one would want to bolt
onto a lightweight race frame. Probably fine on something
a little sturdier like a touring or CX frame.
Fredmaster Ben
Anton Berlin
Motorpacing - other than behind Jiri on the velodrome and out on
Walters triangle I'm not sure the effort is worth it.
What does it really teach muscles that can't be learned by either ATP
intervals (does anyone even do these anymore?) or being in a pack?
Maybe put someone in extremely aero recumbent and have them blast
ahead - but I've heard from a pilot that set an HPV record back in the
day that these things are a pain in the ass.
Carl Sundquist
There are only three other people within a 50 mile radius of this town
who race. Two of them are older than me.
Anton Berlin
tail wind.
The problem is the terrain where you're at. It's not like Colorado or
NM where you can get 6-10 miles all in one direction.
Arkansas is a bitch. IMHO
William Fred
8ac0c0...@26g2000yqv.googlegroups.com:
>
> Arkansas is a bitch. IMHO
I thought Arkansas was a cruel mistress, and that's not the same thing as a
bitch.
--
Bill Fred
--D-y
The ones I glanced at confirmed a short interview with electric bike
sellers at the local Best Buy: limited range and speed for a fast
assisted group ride, long enough where everyone gets to ride
unassisted. Those are cool, IMHO; they fit a niche but maybe not the
right one for motorpacing racing cyclists.
I've seen people use a car with bike rack or trunk used to carry one
bike while "one guy drives". Visibility is far too limited to suit me,
plus too good a draft means higher speeds for training effect,
compounding the danger. Tried it; no thanks.
I benefitted largely from motorpacing behind a Honda Hawk (400cc vert.
twin) when I lived in the flatlands. We haddeal conditions (flat,
empty roads, only slight grade changes and cops who let a potential
ticket bonanza pass) and a driver who donated a lot of time to our
club; otherwise, in spite of how good it can be for fitness,
motorpacing can be a tough nut to crack.
--D-y
Amit Ghosh
> The ones I glanced at confirmed a short interview with electric bike
> sellers at the local Best Buy: limited range and speed for a fast
> assisted group ride, long enough where everyone gets to ride
> unassisted. Those are cool, IMHO; they fit a niche but maybe not the
> right one for motorpacing racing cyclists.
dumbass,
these go about 30 kph at the most, and not that far. there's a lot of
sellers of some sort of e-bike around here (mostly vespa styled ones),
but they are basically useless for anyone that can ride a bike (slow,
heavy, needs charging, requires helmet)
> in spite of how good it can be for fitness,
i don't buy that. just ride a hilly circuit. only benefit i see is
that it simulates riding in a big pack. so what ? selective races are
decided on climbs or from small breaks.
--D-y
It's a tool, depends on how you use it. And when you use it, like when
I was racing (usually) flat Midwest races in packs, sometimes big
packs, to simulate higher speeds, and practice tactical moves.
You can also motorpace on hills; J.Boyer used that bigtime (by word of
mouth), and at altitude, when he rode well at the Coors race and at
pro Worlds RR.
Whatever, one thing we did was ride at AT before AT was cool, so to
speak. And motorpacing is great for that.
--D-y
Ryan Cousineau
It's a lot of money to get into motorpacing, but...
I've driven an electric scooter as a motorpace vehicle. It really
wasn't an e-bike: we removed the pedals.
In most cases, I think you're underestimating range and speed
considerations. Legalities aside, to get a e-bike to be fast enough
and have enough range to use this way, you'll need to spend. Because
you're starting with a bicycle (not an electric scooter), you're
limiting your battery weight and size, so you may need to go Lithium.
Anton Berlin
Ryan - absolutely uncalled for. No one here is suggesting that Sunny
is manic-depressive.
I've seen some mean cruel shit posted in RBR but this takes the
fucking cake.
Ryan Cousineau
Ryan Cousineau Likes This.
Ryan Cousineau
PS: how did you not work a Grame Obree joke in?
Carl Sundquist
But I am thinking of it where the motor is supplementing the rider
pedaling (or vice versa). If the rider puts out 200 watts and the e-
rig can put out 300, 500 watts of forward motion should make for a
substantial motorpace vehicle.
Anton Berlin
Either way it's cheaper to pay some traffic fines then to deal with
the $$$ it takes to get a decent machine set up.
It seems to me it's a couple grand one way or another. And what's the
point of motorpacing at 25 ? You need something that can go 40 + and
then you have to answer the question of what system is getting
trained.
I've done my share of it and it's fun but I'm not sure of the value.
Just one on those old - this is how we did things back in the day.
Amit Ghosh
> But I am thinking of it where the motor is supplementing the rider
> pedaling (or vice versa). If the rider puts out 200 watts and the e-
> rig can put out 300, 500 watts of forward motion should make for a
> substantial motorpace vehicle.
dumbass,
somehow a 500W e-bike is not as fast as a bike rider that makes 500W.
drmofe
> Anton Berlin <truth_88...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:d35c6df0-92d2-496a-b17d-
> 8ac0c09be...@26g2000yqv.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> > Arkansas is a bitch. IMHO
>
> I thought Arkansas was a cruel mistress, and that's not the same thing as a
> bitch.
Arkansas is hot.
drmofe
Or a Kurt Cobain joke.
He was on the verge of grokking irony, singing "I don't have a gun" on
_Come as you are_
Anton Berlin
> PS: how did you not work a Grame Obree joke in?
I never make fun of those that are already down and beaten for the
last few centuries. That's why Scottish jokes are off limits.
Beloved Fred No. 1
>> I thought Arkansas was a cruel mistress, and that's not the same thing as a
>> bitch.
drmofe wrote:
> Arkansas is hot.
But she's dry.
Beloved Fred No. 1
> Or a Kurt Cobain joke.
> He was on the verge of grokking irony, singing "I don't have a gun" on
> _Come as you are_
When rbr does a cover to feed starving Fatty masters we'll be singing I
swear I don't have 2 guns.
Fredmaster of Brainerd
Commercial e-bikes almost all have a very upright riding
position.
Time for the Gruber Assist. The only problem with a
Gruber for Carl is that he can't take full advantage of
it without local group rides, since half the point of a
Gruber would be to stealthily destroy one's fellow
Masters on weekend rides.
Fredmaster Ben
Carl Sundquist
Nah, usually she's sweaty.
Ryan Cousineau
Possibly that will be ok. I'd be very sure you get a good idea of how
long you can ride assisted, though, since that will be the limit on
this idea.
I mean, as a cost-no-object theory, I am totally ok with the idea of
using two assisted bikes to do back-and-forth motorpace training.
Smarter people than I will comment on whether using a single assisted
bike is functionally the same as motorpacing, since you get the same
combo of higher speeds and reduced wattage. You could "self-pace"
using an HRM or a crank powermeter, so that you knew you were giving
an honest effort for the speed in question.