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Reverence: LeMond Revolution

The LeMond Revolution

I read recently that a number of Pros like to ride the turbo for an hour or so before having breakfast in the morning to jump start the old metabolic system. Which means that now I ride the trainer for an hour in the morning before breakfast. I think the Pros probably do it to lose weight, and I do it partly for that reason but also to burn off the hangover which comes as a result of my status as a semi-professional drinker.

I used to ride an old Tacx trainer, but I found riding the device only slightly preferable to shoving bamboo shoots under my fingernails. Then I got a LeMond Revolution and now I actually look forward to my morning sessions. I’d been interested in the LeMond Revolution trainers for some time, but it wasn’t until I discovered that the device is based on a direct-drive trainer that Greg’s coach built for him in the 80’s that I decided to embark on my new morning ritual at the mercy of one. After all, if it was good enough to help LeMan become a Tour de France winner, then surly it was good enough to help me get less fat and become less of a weakling.

The first thing you notice about these little numbers that you remove the rear wheel from your bike and mount the Revolution in its place. This means no wheel slippage on the mag and what amounts to a remarkably pleasant ride feel. The second thing you notice about the trainer is that its bloody hard to spin up; I start crossed in a 53×26 and can hardly turn the pedals at first, but there is no way I’m shifting into my little ring on a trainer on account of my not being a giant sissy. The third thing you notice is that it’s actually fun to ride; I turn on some old Cycling movies and before I know it, I find my buzzer going off indicating the hour has already passed. I had no idea riding a trainer didn’t have to suck.

But lets be clear: we are road cyclists, and we ride on the road. A long ride in the cold wind and rain is preferable to even an hour on an indoor trainer. But trainers do represent an important training tool and as such should be a part of every Cyclist’s arsenal. I’m on it every morning, and as the season looms I’m looking to it more and more for intervals and power work. Not to mention that as I prepare for my Hour ride on Festum Prophetae, I’m training Obree Style on my Revolution.

Before we get too carried away with this indoor riding business, let’s review some examples of acceptable reasons to ride a trainer:

Strength and/or interval training.
Pedaling technique work.
Hour Record simulation training.
Pre-breakfast rides to help lose weight, assuming you still hit the road after breakfast.
Recovery from injury.

Examples of unacceptable reasons to ride a trainer:

Its raining outside and you don’t want to get wet.
Its cold outside and you don’t want to get cold.
Its windy outside and you don’t want to get blown around.
Its cold and wet outside and you don’t want to get cold and wet.
Its cold and wet and windy out and you don’t want to get blown around while getting cold and wet.

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Revolution/”/]

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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frank says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:07 pm

@cyclebrarian

@ChrissyOne

I was under the impression that Seattle was a bike friendly city and drivers were aware of cyclists. I live in a small town in Maryland and we're just starting to get bike lanes - the group that's doing it is also attempting to educate drivers about looking out for people on bikes. I don't know how well it's working because I see drivers within town limits acting like idiots. Oddly enough, the motorists on the back roads seem to be a lot more aware of cyclists, so I prefer to ride out there.

I feel very safe with my lights and - wait for it - reflective tape on my rain bike here in Seattle. But the other side of being bike-friendly is that we are also an IT hub which means drivers here often feel they have more important things to do while driving than watch the road.
Angling Saxon says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:10 pm

You can put a Campy/Campag cassette on one, I presume?
frank says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:12 pm

@razmaspaz

5. Its cold and wet and windy out and you don't want to get blown around while getting cold and wet.

I was sure I was going to get a pass until I scrolled down and read that.

Proof that someone read through to the end! Amazing!

@The Oracle

@Deakus that video is absolutely absurd. Everyone knows you caramelize the onions before adding the eggs. Jeez.

+1 badge to you matey!
frank says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:22 pm

@unversio

What's up with this Wahoo Kickr?

Looks like a cool product as well; one design advantage of this one over the LeMond is the collapsing legs, but one thing I love about the LeMond is how bloody stable the thing is. I wonder if the swivel legs compromise that somewhat?
ChrissyOne says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:26 pm

@frank

Taking the wheel out and mounting it on the trainer is a fuckton easier than messing about with clumsy trainer mounts and trying to get the tension on the turbo set consistently. Not to mention swapping tires and skewers.

Perhaps, if you actually do that. I leave the trainer skewer on (I know, I know, it's hideous and sits at the wrong angle. it's only there in the winter) and just use my road tire. The tension on the CycleOps fluid is a quick-release lever, so once you set it, you just open and close it and the setting stays the same. It takes a few seconds for me to put in on and off the trainer. Even if I do change the skewer, that only takes a few more seconds.
ChrissyOne says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:29 pm

@frank

I feel very safe with my lights and - wait for it - reflective tape on my rain bike here in Seattle. But the other side of being bike-friendly is that we are also an IT hub which means drivers here often feel they have more important things to do while driving than watch the road.

Like I said, the city isn't so bad. But I have to ride through mostly the *not* city to get to it. And in addition to those texting idiots, we have raccoons, deer, coyotes and meth fiends crossing the road at alarming angles.

But really, reflective tape? Yeah, maybe when I have a second bike I don't mind uglying up. ;P
Barracuda says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:46 pm

@Chris

@Ruud

Other than that, the only reason I would ever get on one of these is during recovery from injury.

That's a bit over simplistic.

I don't travel much as part of my job but my wife does so I'm often limited to the roller/trainer option - leaving the kids alone in the house is not an option that I'd wish to take up.

I don't mind riding around in the dark but darkness, interval training induced hypoxia (or even just Peaking in Two Months Belly Breathing induced wobbles), pot holes and traffic aren't high on my list of things to mix.

Besides, whilst I'm not a pro, there's no reason why I can't approach my training in as pro like manner as possible, it's more likely to get results than fannying around. I all for the Graham Obree method of reducing the variables down to the rider - that way if I don't go as well or better than last time or as planned, I've only got myself to blame. Can't see how that is in any way Anti V. They're not meant to be a substitute for getting out on the bike but they are complimentary.

Agree, two young children and a busy wife makes a good trainer invaluable !

A laptop with some paris roubaix or Giro downloads also helps, dont get me started on "The Sufferfest " ..... ouch
Barracuda says:

Jan 21 2014 at 2:58 pm

@Harminator

Also if you live somewhere with shit roads, hostile drivers and poor air quality, indoors starts to look like a better option. I'm clocking plenty of roller time these days and its mind numbingly glorious. I don't wear my old shit either. I kit up like a V hero in my spare room. My socks are perfect.

And when I drain a bidon I give it the hookers and blow...

Nothing quite says "get the fuck out of my way !" like that picture - awesome.
Gianni says:

Jan 21 2014 at 3:40 pm

@Barracuda

@Harminator

Also if you live somewhere with shit roads, hostile drivers and poor air quality, indoors starts to look like a better option. I'm clocking plenty of roller time these days and its mind numbingly glorious. I don't wear my old shit either. I kit up like a V hero in my spare room. My socks are perfect.

And when I drain a bidon I give it the hookers and blow...

Nothing quite says "get the fuck out of my way !" like that picture - awesome.

and his socks are perfect. Good on ya, Harminator.
Gianni says:

Jan 21 2014 at 3:51 pm

Indoor trainers...the horror. But a necessary one if you want to do the other things that keep you sane in the winter, like drinking and donut stuffing in face-ing. I took mine to sea with me. Working up a sweat in a passageway as the ship rolls, that will earn some strange looks. When I moved to Hawaii I think I gave my Cyclops fluid trainer to a friend, or threw it in a swamp, I can't remember. But I do remember thinking, I'll never need one of those shitty machines again. Of course now I have a green Kinetic fluid trainer sitting out in the breezeway. Bastards.

I thought about the LeMan machine before I bought the green machine but it was too much money for how little time I wanted to spend riding on it.