Fast Talk Episode 232: Potluck Discussion - Potluck Discussion: Angling Our Hoods, Reconsidering Long Thresholds, and Extreme Measures

Have you had a similar experience? What did you learn? Feel free to share in this thread!

If you have not had a chance to listen to this episode yet, take a listen here!

The title of this forum thread lists ‘323’ as the episode number, but it should be ‘232’ it it’s meant to match the actual linked page and episode.

With respect to Hood Angle, the inward angle is something I use myself and share with all my fit clients as an option. As mentioned, the main benefit for me and my users is “comfort”.

I have my clients close their eyes, shake out their hands and arms, and then “reach” out for the hoods. When they do this, more often than not, the angle of their wrist is inward around 5-10 degrees. It’s almost never pure vertical.

When you roll the hoods in a bit, it places them at an angle that is closer to a “neutral” position for the wrist, but also the forearm up to the elbow. To that end, whenever I actually have the rider try a rolled in angle, I have only had about 1 person return to vertical. Everyone else (approaching 100 people at this time) all end up with some amount of angle at the hood. It varies for preference, but straight is not their preference.

Ironically, I have been saving this change towards the end of the fit session, but many of my clients said that single change was the one that made the fit session worthwhile. Pretty funny when it’s so simple and seemingly minor, but it can really alter the feel on the bike.

The straight hood alignment seems more a product of a “simple” setup practice that makes aligning it with the forward roll of the drops being more “clean” looking.

Beyond that, as mentioned in the cast, if you roll them in more and are a fan of the faux aero positions, that angle makes a positive difference. It gives a better wrist angle for one thing, but it also can allow the rider to rest their forearm on the bar top for more support. It ends up similar to the “puppy paws” aero position for the rider, but with much more control via hands on the hoods.

Like they said, it takes mere moments to change and give it a shot.

Edit to add a worthwhile reference, see setup #5 below on the rolled hood topic:

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Some seriously cringe-worthy moments in the podcast. Notwithstanding previous comments to the contrary, the hosts are still using “quality” interchangeably with “intensity”. Plus, at just over 19 minutes in, we get “remember, the definition of FTP is the power you can hold for an hour”??? Crikey

Another question from this episode during the discussion about longer threshold intervals (Trevor’s 2 x 19min):

One of you said (sorry wasn’t paying attention who - @robpickels ?) “I don’t know why anyone would do 8min above threshold”. However Stephen Seiler’s 4 x 8min is above threshold.

The table below shows 4 x 8min intervals being done at average 106% 40min TT power, which would make it an even higher percentage against FTP.

So why the comment about not doing 8min intervals above threshold?

Thanks

Hey Gerrard,

If I remember correctly it was Grant and to be honest, I feel differently than he and Trevor do.
I’m all for above-threshold intervals in the 4 to 8 minute range.

To maybe help explain the original comment, I know when Trevor thinks about threshold efforts they were often 5x5 @threshold with 1 min of recovery. This is ~25 minutes of work with 4 minutes of rest, which is actually a pretty good ratio (6.25:1)

I will say, however, that I tend to write longer intervals at threshold e.g. 3x15min with 5 minutes of recovery. That’s 45 minutes with 10 minutes of rest.(4.5:1) That ratio is actually worse than Trevor’s above So, ultimately, the structure of the shorter interval is potentially more taxing.

  • Nope, it was definitely Trevor who said it, with Grant adding ‘Yep’ in agreement. It can be found starting at 19:18 in the cast for those that want to hear/confirm. Rob correctly called this out with the ‘Whatever…’ comment.

  • Outside of that, I get that people simplify in some discussions, particularly one that is more loose like the Potluck episodes are meant to be, so I think it’s OK on one level. The issue is someone taking that for gospel if they are not familiar with the concept of FTP or this episode format and taking the wrong message away.

Thanks guys - understand there is no one way to do things - it’s great to hear a variety of things and figure out what works for each person

I angled my hoods after a couple months of of season gravel biking. On the gravel the hoods were angled because the flare of the bar. When I got back to my racing bike I found straight hoods not comfortable. Never went back since…

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