The Cycling BC Downhill team came to the Canadian Sports Centre Pacific sport performance lab for a weekend of testing, training, and knowledge workshops. Riders were in the lab all day to test their fitness on Cycling BC’s new Wattbikes. A huge investment from Cycling BC, where development and senior riders now have easy access to top end wattage testing bikes to track their fitness and strength improvements throughout the year.
The testing protocol started with two 6 second max power tests. Riders were ready to tear apart the bikes as they hit their max power outputs, and with 2 riders set up side by side, it created a spirited competitiveness. After each effort the numbers were announced and cheers went to the highest wattage reached. Tons of data was available from the Wattbike, including a comparison between Left and Right pedal stroke, as well as general pedal efficiency. All the riders used this feedback and improved their wattage on the second effort.
After the sprint tests, riders moved onto the MAP test, where they started at a pre determined wattage and increased wattage every 3 minutes. Half of the riders had done this test before, so they were eager to surpass their previous test results. The other half were blissfully unaware of the suffering that awaited, but their keen attitudes didn’t sway even after watching multiple tests before them. Everyone who tested was able to gain valuable numbers, either comparing to their previous results, or creating a benchmark for future comparisons. Good work team!
