[JasonB176]

The latest issue of Bicycling arrived yesterday. I like Jens Voigt’s column so I read that first. I thought it was good, explaining the role pain has both in injury recovery and also training in general. I agreed with his contention that most riders don’t push hard enough and back down too quickly from the good kind of pain where the training effect takes place. I also thought he gave sufficient attention to the wrong type of pain and not allowing one’s body to adapt.

Then I flip a few pages further and find a lovely article about going slow. It seemed to contradict everything in Jens’ column. It claimed one must train I think it was 10-13 hours per week to be able to ride hard otherwise the body would never adapt to that stress. What? I don’t think so. That’s the whole point of hard interval training – getting better results with less junk miles. I agree if someone is going to ride 6 days per week, easy rides are essential but this article seemed to disparage most hard, fast riding. It also basically said that cyclists who ride this way and claim to enjoy it are lying to themselves and they should lose the grimace on their faces and ride slowly. I think that’s a ridiculous assertion. I enjoy riding hard and pushing my limits. Not every ride has to be that way for sure but don’t assert that riders aren’t having fun doing so.

I just thought this blatant contradiction of advice only pages apart is quite typical of Bicycling which tries to be all things to everyone. I don’t see myself renewing.

 

[tlg]

Jens does not feel pain. Pain feels Jens.

Jens isn't human. I don't know if us mere mortals can trust his advice.

 

[RkFast]

Once I saw the photo of Jens with "Motoman", the bloom fell off that rose for me.

 

[woodys737]

Once I saw the photo of Jens with "Motoman", the bloom fell off that rose for me.

Repped. lol

 

[rkdvsm]

Just to make sure I understand, you're saying the contradiction between the two articles is ridiculous and not the ideas stated in the second article about going slow even if you don't agree, correct?

If so, then I agree with you. Bicycling Mag just tries to reach everyone. I wonder if someone actually read both articles knowing that it would be published in the same issue.

 

[JasonB176]

Just to make sure I understand, you're saying the contradiction between the two articles is ridiculous and not the ideas stated in the second article about going slow even if you don't agree, correct?

If so, then I agree with you. Bicycling Mag just tries to reach everyone. I wonder if someone actually read both articles knowing that it would be published in the same issue.

Right. I personally disagree with much of the second article about going slow but that's not my main point. The thing that I find ridiculous is that contradictory advice was given just pages before this article.

 

[jspharmd]

Bicycling magazine has articles? I thought is was just advertisements.


I regards to the Jens article, I believe I don't go hard enough when I should. My mental toughness for cycling isn't the greatest. I can go as hard as anyone for very short bursts (that is what I have trained my whole life), but longer hard efforts are mentally tough for me.

 

[Hooben]

I've found some real genius in the last few issues of Bicycling, here's why.

In the editors letter, Peter Flax explains to us about his love for all kinds of bicycles and the people who dedicate themselves to riding. "If we share enthusiasm for riding bikes, then we share something profound".

Jens article was great, I like jens... he's a hero of mine. But in no way do I push it hard every day. Sure I'll have a ride once every two weeks where were belting out 25 mph averages in between me and five other riders. We get back beat, but happy. But the next two days I'm meandering around with some ladies who are just learning about cycling averaging 12mph and seeing city landmarks.

The story by Bill Strickland is cool. Bill is a dreamer like me. He has raced in plenty of criteriums, but he knows how to ride around for enjoyment too. There's nothing wrong with that. I think that a magazine that embraces a pro racer and a dreamer like me is fantastic.

Finally, the story you are referring to is written to an audience that is older and maybe wiser. I know a bunch of old dudes who get out and ride slow with high cadences every day. I don't go around telling them how they are bunk. They're the keepers of the flame man. They are the old dudes who tell me how it's done. I always welcome a different point of view on intervals...there's nothing wrong with that. Unless you're UCI registered like I'm sure you are... right?

Since you are evidently of the racing type, you should really look into a racing magazine. But I have my reservations that you are in a race everyday. If you are, then I truly feel sorry for what you are missing.

 

[JasonB176]

I've found some real genius in the last few issues of Bicycling, here's why.

In the editors letter, Peter Flax explains to us about his love for all kinds of bicycles and the people who dedicate themselves to riding. "If we share enthusiasm for riding bikes, then we share something profound".

Jens article was great, I like jens... he's a hero of mine. But in no way do I push it hard every day. Sure I'll have a ride once every two weeks where were belting out 25 mph averages in between me and five other riders. We get back beat, but happy. But the next two days I'm meandering around with some ladies who are just learning about cycling averaging 12mph and seeing city landmarks.

The story by Bill Strickland is cool. Bill is a dreamer like me. He has raced in plenty of criteriums, but he knows how to ride around for enjoyment too. There's nothing wrong with that. I think that a magazine that embraces a pro racer and a dreamer like me is fantastic.

Finally, the story you are referring to is written to an audience that is older and maybe wiser. I know a bunch of old dudes who get out and ride slow with high cadences every day. I don't go around telling them how they are bunk. They're the keepers of the flame man. They are the old dudes who tell me how it's done. I always welcome a different point of view on intervals...there's nothing wrong with that. Unless you're UCI registered like I sure you are... huh?

Since you are evidently of the racing type, you should really look into a racing magazine. But I have my reservations that you are in a race everyday. If you are, then I truly feel sorry for what you are missing.

I only ride three times per week so I have four really easy days.

I just started subscribing to Velo News a couple months ago and like it much better. I do like Bill Strickland's articles. There's just so much filler though like in the latest issue about beach cruisers.

 

[CleavesF]

So you're unsubscribing to bike pornography. Good fer ya.

 

[forge55b]

I subscribed to it cause it was something like $3 a year and sometimes I need to prop up a table to balance it so "Bicycling" seems to work just fine.

Also there are sooo many different theories on how to train and what's wrong vs right that having conflicting thoughts in a magazine isn't too outlandish. Unless you read it with the assumption that everything is fact.

And Jens is special so what he does is suitable for the .00001% maybe?