Categories: Defining MomentsNostalgiaTechnology

On Rule #74: Going Unplugged

If rider A rides 30kph toward rider B who is riding 22kmp, at what time with they lay down The V?

I think the most exciting Christmas present I ever received as a child was an Avocet 30 in what must have been 1989. Being in Minnesota and it being December, it meant my bike was going nowhere near the road any time soon, so I kept the silver dollar-sized computer in my pocket wherever I went, just so I could look at it, touch it, and imagine how much I was going to look like Greg LeMond now that I had this computer. My heart broke a little bit that next summer when I realized he had abandoned the Avocet in favor of a Ciclomaster CM34 with a built in gradient meter and altimeter. Perhaps this signalled the beginning of the end of my love affair with data on my bike; it faded almost as soon as it had begun.

I have a Garmin 810 which I use primarily on rides with whose routes I’m unfamiliar, or on any gravel ride in the mountains for safety reasons. It makes me feel like I’m riding with my iPhone on my handlebars. It probably has Facebook on it. While riding, it serves as a constant distraction; how much have I climbed, how much longer is the climb, where is the next turn. Even when I know a turn is coming up and precisely where it is, I still find myself distracted by the little changes on the screen as the directions flicker across.

The background noise serves as constant static between me and the sanctity of the ride, always there simmering just below the surface. What bothers me about it is that these questions are raised by the availability of the data, not by a need to have the questions answered. Brad Wiggins reportedly crashed out of the Giro d’Italia because he was staring at his power meter data, wondering if it was accurate. This was not a relevant question to be asking when descending a mountain pass in the rain.

Riding is one of the few opportunities we have where we can escape the internet, data, and the noise of our daily lives. Data has its place in Cycling, but there is an undeniable liberation in untethering and riding just for the sake of riding.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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RobSandy says:

Dec 23 2015 at 3:10 am

@frank

@RobSandy

A question for the more experienced racers; does data while racing help or hinder? I’m thinking TT’s, Crits and possibly road races. I’m thinking for TT’s I’d like to know my HR and how much of the course is left (i.e distance/time). Crits I want to know time of the race left. Is there standard practice for using data during races?

It totally depends on a two factors. The first is, are your parameters correct, i.e. do you have your max heartrate or power accurate (it changes with training) and therefore do you actually know your true thresholds. For most of us, the answer is no, so it is a hinderance. For the Pros, they probably have it right so it does help.

The second is about the human spirit and being able to surpass limits when adequately motivated. If you have the personality type of sticking to data, then you will be in a box and maybe you can go faster that you think. If you have a fuck-off personality, then you can go beyond that but you might also blow up and suck.

Well I think I've worked out my threshold HR. But that appears to have changed over the last 6 months training. And to be honest I'm looking at it less and less, I can feel when I'm on the limit. It's nice to glance down sometimes and see a lower HR than you were expecting if in a bunch ride - makes you realise you're actually well in your comfort zone. That has happened to me.

I don't know if I have a fuck-off personality, but comparing TTing and training for TTing I ALWAYS go faster in races. My main reason for having a HRM was to be able to keep myself right on the red line for the full 10 miles, which I'm not sure I did last season.
bea says:

Dec 23 2015 at 4:44 am

@emerson

@bea

This post tapped into one aspect that can change my perspective on choosing a good cycle-computer. @bea “the thing brought me to places which I would never have found by just following my nose…” Building legitimate routes is not always a straight forward process, especially on gravel and forsaken roads.

I never said my routes are always perfect (definitely not to ride with a road bike), but I would never have found them if it weren't for my garmin...
chuckp says:

Dec 23 2015 at 4:49 am

@Haldy

I have my computer on my road bike all the time, but often don’t even look at it until I stop it at the end of the ride. I can be plugged in and still ride unplugged. I think that’s the best way to ride. The info is there if I want it, or for targetted training need it for bits of guidance, but there is no need to be a slave to it. That would ruin the ride.

Exactly how I ride.

Love the bike and kit. Real men wear pink.
chuckp says:

Dec 23 2015 at 5:09 am

@frank

@coachprops

FFS, what would Merckx say about all of this technology – BS? I only want the speed and the distance and the speed is never fast enough and the distance is never long enough. Take your next ride and leave the Garmin/phone/cyclometer at home. you’ll see and hear more than ever before – and never miss a beat. PS – the world is not going to shut down if you aren’t available for an hour. You aren’t that important, neither am I. I don’t own a cell phone – people can call me at work or at home, between that, I’m out riding and don’t want to talk to you anyway.

Welcome! And holy fuck, you don’t own a cell phone? Well done, sir.

Also, I am that important.

Yes, @Frank is a legend in his own mind.
chuckp says:

Dec 23 2015 at 5:26 am

@emerson

If a rider continues to rely on a computer and never developed a feeling for estimating speed and distance, then of course it is not a good idea to ride on feel with any group. Developing a proven feeling for time versus distance allows a rider to intercept and chase on effort alone, without actually seeing any other rider(s) up the road. I hope that you agree with this ChuckP.

Here's a good (real life, actually happened) example of me putting a speedo to good use. A group ride with riders of "lesser" ability. Someone (or even a few people) decide they want to have a go and go off the front. The remaining riders want to "panic" and chase full bore straight away. Instead, I go to the front and tell them just to hold my wheel at a moderately fast but do-able pace for them. I look at my speedo to see how fast I'm going, let everyone know that that's the speed we're going to ride (and that they didn't have to ride harder for us to make the catch), and maintain that speed knowing that everyone in the draft can hold it. I also know it's fast enough to reel in the "breakaway" riders and we do ... smoothly ... and for those in my group, relatively effortlessly rather than thrashing about and maybe blowing themselves up before they bridge. No one in the group is knackered or dropped. Smiles all around. And they all learn a riding lesson that you can reel in a breakaway without having to surge immediately and put everyone in the red (and thereby potentially not reel it in).

I didn't need my speedo to be able to do that. As you said "a proven feeling for time versus distance allows a rider to intercept and chase on effort alone." I could see how far up the road the other riders were and could gauge how fast they were riding and knew I could ride fast(er) enough to bridge. But the speedo was a tool that allowed me to get the rest of the group to ride together.
SamV says:

Dec 23 2015 at 5:50 am

@frank

@RobSandy

A question for the more experienced racers; does data while racing help or hinder? I’m thinking TT’s, Crits and possibly road races. I’m thinking for TT’s I’d like to know my HR and how much of the course is left (i.e distance/time). Crits I want to know time of the race left. Is there standard practice for using data during races?

It totally depends on a two factors. The first is, are your parameters correct, i.e. do you have your max heartrate or power accurate (it changes with training) and therefore do you actually know your true thresholds. For most of us, the answer is no, so it is a hinderance. For the Pros, they probably have it right so it does help.

The second is about the human spirit and being able to surpass limits when adequately motivated. If you have the personality type of sticking to data, then you will be in a box and maybe you can go faster that you think. If you have a fuck-off personality, then you can go beyond that but you might also blow up and suck.

There's a guy in my club who loves data. And he seems to have the discipline to use it properly - riding with him from beginning to end of the season, he was hands down the most improved and went from rookie to serious pain-maker very quickly.

That said, another guy and I were commenting on all his gadgets. I said something like "I usually just push till I have tunnel vision and then back off just slightly." He replied "Sounds like a recipe for blowing up."

Doesn't happen often, but when it does, a shower and a couple Recovery Ales usually leads to a level of satisfaction when asking "why did I do that myself?"

Truth be told, a Garmin is on my shopping list for the coming year, more so for the GPS than anything else. I don't usually have the time to get lost, so that's really the main reason.
RobSandy says:

Dec 23 2015 at 5:59 am

@SamV

That said, another guy and I were commenting on all his gadgets. I said something like “I usually just push till I have tunnel vision and then back off just slightly.” He replied “Sounds like a recipe for blowing up.”

How many times have you actually blown up fully? I find that even when you're totally redlining you are actually still pacing yourself. I blew up halfway up a short punchy hill today, and that was unusual.

I did however, blow up when attacking off the front in a race last year, and it's by using HR and data more carefully I hope to avoid this next season. Also, by Rules #5 and #10...

Doesn’t happen often, but when it does, a shower and a couple Recovery Ales usually leads to a level of satisfaction when asking “why did I do that myself?”

Because it's awesome.
chuckp says:

Dec 23 2015 at 6:02 am

@SamV

There’s a guy in my club who loves data. And he seems to have the discipline to use it properly – riding with him from beginning to end of the season, he was hands down the most improved and went from rookie to serious pain-maker very quickly.

I have a good (long-time) friend (the guy who got me into "serious" cycling) who went to the dark side of data. HRM. Power meter. Structured rides/workouts. As someone who now just rides to ride (and doesn't do a lot of "fast" riding), I take great joy when we ride together (not often because of location/schedule) and can drop him.
RobSandy says:

Dec 23 2015 at 6:09 am

@chuckp

@emerson

If a rider continues to rely on a computer and never developed a feeling for estimating speed and distance, then of course it is not a good idea to ride on feel with any group. Developing a proven feeling for time versus distance allows a rider to intercept and chase on effort alone, without actually seeing any other rider(s) up the road. I hope that you agree with this ChuckP.

Here’s a good (real life, actually happened) example of me putting a speedo to good use. A group ride with riders of “lesser” ability. Someone (or even a few people) decide they want to have a go and go off the front. The remaining riders want to “panic” and chase full bore straight away.

More important question, why are people attacking each other on group rides?
chuckp says:

Dec 23 2015 at 6:34 am

@RobSandy

More important question, why are people attacking each other on group rides?

This is a Sunday shop ride (the store my wife works for) that I am a "ride leader" on. It's not a club/racer ride and not your "typical" group ride. It's a no drop/no one left behind ride and I typically ride lanterne rouge to make sure the last rider(s) make it to the rest stop and then back. It's actually fun for me to ride lanterne rouge (usually with my riding pal, Jess) and it's a social ride for us and I'm fine with that. The idea is that it's intended as a "welcoming" ride for riders of a wide range of ability (but not rank beginners). And it's an opportunity to teach people how to be better riders.

We divide up into an A group (the faster riders) and B group (the slower riders). Most of the people who ride are relatively strong riders (for each of their groups) but not what I would call very experienced. The groups stay mostly together but invariably people get hived off (particularly the A group). There's a rest stop mid-way (it's a short ride ... maybe 35 miles) where everyone re-groups.

Anyway, a lot people (especially in the B group) just ride at their own pace. I think mostly because that's what they're used to doing. And because they don't have a lot of group riding experience. There's no rule that they have to ride together as a group. So it's not that anyone is "attacking" per se but just that some riders in the B group are just "naturally" faster. And there are those who just want to ride faster but aren't fast enough to ride with the A group. Not a big deal.

But I'll often use that kind of situation to teach people that cycling isn't always about their own individual effort but what they can do as a group to overcome someone who may be faster than them. I could ride with the A group (and sometimes do after the rest stop for one stretch of road where I can be the rabbit and get the hounds to chase me down), but it's actually more fun for me to ride with the B group. I enjoy helping people learn how to ride better/smarter.

But it's not a requirement for everyone (especially in the B group) to ride together if they don't want to. I've had some riders tell me that they just want to ride at their own pace and aren't interested in learning the dynamics of group riding. They just appreciate that there's a ride that allows them to come out to ride.