The Strava thread

[mudguard]

There is a weight class for riding. I have premium but I couldn't tell you what the difference is. I think it was so you could drill down a bit more in the comparisons bit honestly I'm too lazy to cancel.

[Tugboat]

Yeah premium opens up the age and weight leaderboards. I'm still on my 30 day trial but will keep it. I've been having a dig around the training plans and I think that's where I'll get some value from it.

[Derryn Hinch]

Out of curiosity, how does your runnig VAM compare to your riding VAM?

[mfw]

Out of curiosity, how does your running VAM compare to your riding VAM?

I was interested in this, and come up with theory the bike ascends faster until a certain gradient threshold then running gets progressively faster the steeper it gets.
This is based on a few factors, including the bike becoming dead weight, and off road it's exacerbated by the bike loosing efficiency as it looses momentum and doesn't roll over bumps as well.

I also theorised that the particular bike/run crossover point is steeper the higher your Watts/kg is, the latter based on results from this experiment

[Tugboat]

Out of curiosity, how does your runnig VAM compare to your riding VAM?

I have been a lot more about the running (200km this year) than the riding (a pitiful 80km this year) recently so it's not a great gauge but if I compare best time running up Kaukau with best time riding up Ngauranga Gorge its:

Running: 723.0 VAM

Road Bike: 860.3 VAM

So pretty similar. But I reckon mfw has summed it up pretty well about the gradient thresholds.

[mfw]

Just had a look at this experiment and again and remembered that miniGIANT at the top of the leaderboard is non other than Anton Cooper

[Malcy]

https://www.strava.com/activities/567890024

Sub 60 40km during a training ride. WooT!

[dwgknz]

Have you gone full roadie?

[Malcy]

Have you gone full roadie?

Ha ha ha ha, na, but you're not the first to ask. A buddy said "Imagine how much faster you'd be if you ditched the mountain bike!" I said "Imagine how much stronger I am on the MTB thanks to the road work." What I really wanted to say would have cast dispersions on his masculinity but since the PC bigrade would have a field day in a public forum....I just smiled and waved. lol

I have to say I am pretty chuffed with that 40km though! Na, dirt still rules man! Road is a training thing.

[Conners]

A buddy said "Imagine how much faster you'd be if you ditched the mountain bike!"

What a stupid thing to say. I was blown away at how shit the average* roadie was at climbing when I first mingled with their type.
And like you say, roadie stuff obviously helps on the MTB as well.

* By average, I mean B grade noob punter - which was where I slotted in.

[Malcy]

Yeah, that's sorta what I felt. He was having a dig in humour, but still.

He's worse than a B grader. He's an IronMan athlete! lolz


HA ha ha, and on a side note, I was passed by a roadie pack a few weeks ago, on my way around the south coast to head up Tip Track for an extended commute to work. They weren't going too fast, so I mixed in on my XC bike. As SOON as we hit Happy Valley road, the bunch slowed! It was almost as if it were psycological. "We have an incline, we must slow down." So I made my way up through the bunch, then made my way to the left and hit the tip track, chuckling away to myself!

[Conners]

Yeah, that's sorta what I felt. He was having a dig in humour, but still.

He's worse than a B grader. He's an IronMan athlete! lolz

Haha, no need for hill leg strength then! I take my hat off to anyone who completes an IM, but just imagine how much more fun he could have on some dirt tracks.

HA ha ha, and on a side note, I was passed by a roadie pack a few weeks ago, on my way around the south coast to head up Tip Track for an extended commute to work. They weren't going too fast, so I mixed in on my XC bike. As SOON as we hit Happy Valley road, the bunch slowed! It was almost as if it were psycological. "We have an incline, we must slow down." So I made my way up through the bunch, then made my way to the left and hit the tip track, chuckling away to myself!

Classic

[Klarkash-ton]

As a roadie it's pretty evident to me that being a roadie is all about fitness. There are few descents that require skill (Makara hill, Paekak side of Paekakariki Hill, either side of Aka's for example, north side of Moonshine for sure!) and I'm ok on those and anyone that goes faster appears to be insane But on the flat or uphill it's just about fitness.

Fitness is of course important on MTB but I think MTB has more skill required full stop

Of course roadie race-craft is a different matter.

[Malcy]

Yeah, that's sorta what I felt. He was having a dig in humour, but still.

He's worse than a B grader. He's an IronMan athlete! lolz

Haha, no need for hill leg strength then! I take my hat off to anyone who completes an IM, but just imagine how much more fun he could have on some dirt tracks.

HA ha ha, and on a side note, I was passed by a roadie pack a few weeks ago, on my way around the south coast to head up Tip Track for an extended commute to work. They weren't going too fast, so I mixed in on my XC bike. As SOON as we hit Happy Valley road, the bunch slowed! It was almost as if it were psycological. "We have an incline, we must slow down." So I made my way up through the bunch, then made my way to the left and hit the tip track, chuckling away to myself!

Classic

DAMN! Wish I'd thought of THAT as a retort!

[Malcy]

As a roadie it's pretty evident to me that being a roadie is all about fitness. There are few descents that require skill (Makara hill, Paekak side of Paekakariki Hill, either side of Aka's for example, north side of Moonshine for sure!) and I'm ok on those and anyone that goes faster appears to be insane But on the flat or uphill it's just about fitness.

Fitness is of course important on MTB but I think MTB has more skill required full stop

Of course roadie race-craft is a different matter.

Good points here I think. I am a late starter, but learning now what it means to race. I have the skills (though nearly axed myself yesterday during a race!) but there is that whole balance about the game of chess in road cycling that I think we also have in MTB. Holding a wheel here or there, do I go this lap, or next etc.

But the fitness bit holds true. Without it, you're not going to be competitive on an MTB, as skills can only hold you so far.