The Voice from the Pacific Northwest Newsletter
Conclusion
on Frame and Wheel Sizes 5/84mm, 4/90mm, 4/100mm
By Conny
Strub
In
our March newsletter I wrote an article about frames and wheel
sizes. There has been much debate since and well, the season
is at the end and a lot of information has poured in. People
have gone from a 5/84mm to a 5/90mm, 4/90mm or a 4/100mm set-up,
and swear that they skate faster. Across the board the evolution
of the inline speed skating technology seems to be paying off
for many skaters. We hardly have time to get used to our newly
adjusted and beloved skates and a new revolution is lurking
around the corner, like Bont’s super light frame developed from
an extremely strong magnesium alloy, that will hit, and I suspect
flood the market in 2006.
I
have taken the prerogative and tested the difference between
the 5/84s, the set-up I swore by, and the new 4/90s I acquired
throughout the season. Here is how it went. The results ended
up very conclusive.
The
test took place during a pleasant west coast evening, with perfect
wind conditions, on a flat 2km loop. My friends Winson and Bill
helped out. Winson stood at the side of the road with the stopwatch
and Bill was on his race bike holding a constant speed while
I was drafting behind or skating next to him, holding the constant
speed, wearing my heart rate monitor.
Lap
1 - on 5/84s settling in drafting and no drafting at a constant
speed.
Lap
2 - on 5/84s drafting at a constant speed.
Lap
3 - on 5/84s skating next to the bike, no drafting at a constant
speed.
I
quickly switched skates, gave my heart rate monitor watch for
data recording to Winson and off I went on the 4/90s for the
same exercise.
Lap
1 - on 4/90s settling in drafting and no drafting at a constant
speed.
Lap 2 - on 4/90s drafting at a constant speed.
Lap 3 - on 4/90s skating next to the bike, no drafting at a
constant speed.
These two sets were repeated three times each, and were finally
followed by a one lap full on speed by myself, first on the
5/84s and than the 4/90s.
The
outcome was very clear. On the 5/84s I consistently ran a higher
heart rate. Depending on the lap 1, 2 or 3, my heart rate ran
anywhere from 6 to 20 beats higher than when I skated the same
laps on the 4/90s.
The
final two full-on-speed laps were equally conclusive. The lap
time on the 4/90s was 6 seconds faster compared to the time
with the 5/84s.
This
of course peaked my curiosity and I had to test the 4/100s.
Being that I am a small person I did not expect to be able to
push them as well as the 4/90s, but figured that I could hold
a higher top speed.
I
took them to a long, flat road where I regularly motorpace behind
the bike and here is my initial response to them:
Well,
I was totally blown out of the water. It was hard!!!!! I drafted
behind the bike wearing the heart rate monitor. For 30kms I
stayed at 185bpm at a speed of only 35kms. My body was labouring.
On the 4/90s at the same speed the heart rate runs around 160bpm
and only when we take the speed up to 43-45kms my heart rate
goes up to 185-190bpm. In the final sprint I can usually squeeze
out 195bpm and 46kms. None of this was possible on the 100s.
I was labouring to hold 37kms on the flat. Boy oh boy was I
ever wrong. I thought I could possibly reach higher speeds once
I was up and running. Not so. I could hardly hold the speed.
I had after all, two concrete blocks on my feet....
Conny
Back to Page
1
|
