Getting Started with PowerCranks
The fact is, PowerCranks™ have humbled every new user, including some of the best athletes in the world (don't believe us? see what athletes at Ironman Lake Placid had to say in the Videos linked on the right).
Because PowerCranks™ outwardly resemble bicycle crankarms people assume they will be experts immediately. Unfortunately, regardless of how many times you read these instructions, the first time you use your PowerCranks™ they will feel very strange. This is because PowerCranks™ reach muscles that are not easily trainable, and they reach them in new ways you have not experienced before.
As long as your sport relies on your legs for speed and/or coordination, regular training with PowerCranks™ will improve your performance. Unfortunately, the key word in the previous sentence is TRAINING, as proper PowerCranks™ use requires hard work before the benefits are realized. At PowerCranks™, we have guided many athletes to dramatic improvements through using this revolutionary training device, here are some tips we have discovered along the way.
KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN FIRST TRYING PowerCranks™
- Try to make your first couple of rides be on a stationary trainer!
The time to try something this unique is NOT where there are lots of cars buzzing about. At first, ride with as much care as if you were, for example, trying to learn to inline skate, and only skated as a kid, it can be that weird for some people. You will discover you will use a lot of your brain power trying to re-learn how to spin properly, and that leaves less brain power to watch out for cars. Error on the side of careful at first and you will be happily cranking and doing all your normal rides shortly.
- Getting attached to your pedals is different
Both crankarms are pointing down when you clip in. Its a weird feeling, and takes some getting used to. Starting a bicycle from a stop, can be very unusual until you are used to it. Please practice before you try to sprint across a busy intersection.
- Coasting and cornering.
Whenever you stop pedaling you will find both feet, immediately, go to the bottom of the pedaling arc. This feels really weird but it is not a particularly bad thing (other than looking funny) - unless you are going around a corner when your inside pedal will be down towards the ground and could hit the ground and cause you to fall. Therefore, practice cornering, approach your first couple of sweeping fast downhill corners with caution, you will get in in time, and be back up to your normal top speed. Indeed, some PowerCranker's become faster through corners as they can pedal with the outside leg continually through the entire corner.
- Going over bumps and obstructions.
Going over bumps will be another new experience for you if you, like many people, rise up off the saddle to negotiate these obstructions. The first time you try to raise off the saddle you will find both feet at the bottom of the arc. If your saddle height is adjusted properly, your buttocks will only be about 1/2 inch above the saddle. You will, again, find this feels really strange. In this instance, also, occasionally your pedals may drag against high bumps, such as speed bumps. Don’t expect to be able to bunny hop anytime in the near future. Get used to this before you venture into unfamiliar territory.
- Riding out of the saddle.
Riding out of the saddle is really hard and is the last skill most people learn. Don't even bother trying until you have the mechanics of normal Powercrank riding down pat. It can be done and there are some drills to help you learn this. At first, its also easier to learn riding out of the saddle uphill, With practice, riding out of the saddle will become natural. A proficient Powercrank equipped rider often discovers he/she will ride much faster than fixed crank riders out of the saddle.
- Braking.
If, as expected with PowerCranks™, you are moving faster than you are used to, stopping distances will be substantially longer from increased speed. Beyond simply taking longer to stop because you are traveling faster, emergency braking poses another potential problem. Many people perform an emergency stop by rising out of the saddle and then pushing their body rearwards (which moves one's center of gravity back) so they can brake harder with the front brake without going over the handlebars. It is hard to do this with your PowerCranks™ TM since it is difficult to rise out of the saddle enough to move back. Practice your new emergency stop technique before venturing into traffic or other uncontrolled environments. Riding safely is your responsibility.
- Another thing to be aware of.
Another thing to be aware of. Just as your bicycle chain, wheel, tires, or frame can suddenly fail during use, causing a dangerous situation, so can the PowerCranks™. Please ride with caution. The PowerCranks™ Clutch that allows them their unique action is rated up to100lbs of torque, most riders don't ever exceed 40lbs. That said, some of the biggest & strongest riders can damage the clutch while trying to do jackrabbit accelerations from a standing starts in a big gear. If you are a one of those types, roll away from a stop in a lower gear.
- Strange Feature to your Lawyer: Your Responsibility
Bicycling is inherently dangerous. Always wear a helmet!. While it is possible to ride PowerCranks™ in the same environments you ride a normal bike in (such as in traffic, etc.) with reasonable safety, it is your responsibility to ride safely in all situations.
Summary
To summarize, if, at first, PowerCranks™ TM don't feel strange to you, don't tell your friends because the fact that you are really a space alien will be exposed.
THINGS TO CONSIDER AS A NEW USER ADAPTING TO PowerCranks™
There will a period of time, between your first couple of "humbling" rides and when the cranks "disappear", you will be going through a profound adaptation phase. This is will involve 2 things
- You are re-wiring your neuromuscular connections to undo years of inefficient pedaling technique.
- You will be stressing a set of muscles in new ways you probably had not touched before.
This period can be frustrating for some. During this adaptation many people are suddenly riding more slowly than you were before. Especially for intense, motivated athletes, this can be very frustrating. (for example, your webmaster, used to cruising flat roads at 20+ mph with no problem, was suddenly struggling at 12-14. Even with a decade of bike racing experience in his legs, his first ride was 4 miles, and he was toast!). Think of the adaptation phase as "putting training money in the bank". That you will withdraw later. The temptation to go back to normal cranks is very great, because its nice to feel good and fast and in command of your bike. During the transition, resist the temptation as much as you can.
This period of reduced mileage and reduced performance will not last very long and you will not lose much when you go back to regular riding. New users have actually, during the racing season, started using PowerCranks™ about 6 weeks before a big race, used PowerCranks™ TM exclusively in the build up for the race (until about 2 days before) and seen improved performance over what they would have otherwise expected. This is tough to do psychologically but most should see benefit.
Most new users report the cranks no longer feel strange to them in about 2 to 3 weeks. However, do not expect any substantial overall power improvement for about 6 weeks. This has to do with the time it takes to see training effect in the new muscles you will be using. While some efficiency improvements will be seen at lower power outputs on short rides very early, the user must expect this process to take some time. Of course, improvement will continue to occur for many years. (How long have you been working on your quads?)
Here are some quick hints to help you get through the transition:
- Ride in a more open position
Most new users will need to start out riding with a much more open hip angle (i.e., to be in an almost upright , "touring", position). Don't worry, after a few weeks you will be ready to try to assume a more aerodynamic position, and after several months you should be able to return to (or close to) your present position.
- Training your brain is as important as (and much more difficult than) training your muscles.
Realize that this is one of the key things that you are accomplishing using PowerCranks™. In cycling, it won’t matter if all of your muscles are fully trained if your brain does not have the proper unconscious pedal coordination to use those muscles without your needing to think about it.
- Work on Endurance First
The key to increasing distance and endurance is to pedal at low cadences rather than high cadences. This is because you have not developed the hip flexor capability to perform the increased frequency and number of repetitions necessary for any given distance at higher cadences. On each ride it is acceptable to do some work at higher cadences to try to develop that skill but the early work should be mostly devoted towards developing the aerobic base.
- Push Big Gears
It is easier to get your endurance up by riding at low cadence than at high cadence. While it goes against the current common wisdom, you will find your speed improving much faster if you concentrate on pushing bigger gears (to keep the cadence down to between 70 to 90, see above) while you develop the power and endurance to maintain increased cadences. As your lifting ability improves you will find both speed and cadence improving and your ability to accelerate will remain constant even though you are pushing bigger gears.
- Worry about cadence later
Once you have developed the ability to ride long distances easily in big gears, then you can start working on increasing efficiency at higher cadences for the periods of time when acceleration becomes an important part of the race. Soon you will be back riding with your friends, using less energy than before, being ready to use increased power reserves to match any break away efforts by others or for bridging efforts, when necessary.
- Worry about pedaling out of the saddle for last
When learning how to pedal out of the saddle it is easiest to do one legged drills out of the saddle (something that can actually be done on your PowerCranks™ TM) to learn the different motion and coordination. It also helps to keep the cadence down, which is easier to do by riding uphill or in a big gear.
More info on each of these items, is available in our downloadable PDF manual, available right here:
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