Is it faster to push hard when the riding is easy, or when the going gets tough? Should you expend extra watts when you’ve got a strong tailwind (or a long downhill), or when you’re battling a stubborn headwind? The answer may surprise you…
This very question came up during our recent David Millar TT System training series, when the former Commonwealth Games TT champ said: “The simplest way of looking at this is that you get more bang for your buck (or seconds per watt of output) when going slower than when going faster.
"Therefore, it makes sense to make a little more effort when you are going slowest (uphill or headwind) and a little less when going fastest (downhill or tailwind)."
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A reader quickly pointed out that air resistance increases exponentially. Therefore, if you’re riding with a tailwind then you’re already battling less air resistance but travelling at a faster ground speed. This is undoubtedly correct, but fails to account for one crucial factor.
Read on for Millar’s explanation, followed by the thoughts of two prominent cycling coaches, then our own interpretation of what's going on.
Millar’s advice on pacing your efforts
It's not the person who goes fastest who wins
Push your hardest when you're going slowest
The BikeRadar explanation
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