Powercranks immersion (riding nothing but PCs) training is a good approach to increase cycling efficiency and gain the benefits of your PC investment.  From my perspective, so many PC owners think they cannot handle longer, harder rides.  Over the past year, I have ridden my PC-endowed commuter on big group rides in Tucson, Phoenix, Austin, and Colorado Springs.  Every ride I hear from PC owners that they would not ride them on group rides.  I have to ask, Why not?  The usual reply is that they are too difficult to ride for an extended time.  When I ask how often and how long is their normal PC ride, the most frequent answer is about an hour… and that is usually inside on the trainer.  My advice, work up to the longer rides.  Ride with the group for as long as you are able – and it will get longer as long as you stick with it.

The way to get better is to ride.  Put your PCs on your training or race bike and ride.  For me it was a month of daily rides before I could handle an hour.  Then after two months of 30 minute work commutes, and 1 to almost-2 hour weekend rides, I worked up to 2 hours.  It seemed that about every month of dedicated PCing, I gained an hour of PC endurance.  Then it was up to the 5-hour time.  I did several 5-6 hour rides working up to IM Kona.  At that point I still was not sure that PCs were the ’ticket’.  My Kona ride went well enough based on the bike time I put in, while my run was a total surprise.  Up to race-day, my longest run in half a year was 1:15.  I did a 3:33 and was happy for it.

Powercranks immersion? Absolutely.  Try it. You’ll like it.

I am back to the basics for this season after a longgggg break.  I am up to 3 hours of ok PCing, with another 30 min to an hour of suffering.  Thats up from only an hour about a month ago.  Another month and I should be good for 4 hours.  My first run should be soon.  More on the run soon.

Keep on Powercranking!
Matt