Got Video?

One of the major frustrations for coaches of bike racers is not being able to watch all our clients race. We tell them how to train and get their files or training logs back so we have a decent idea what they are doing physically in a training session or race, but it’s not enough. If I see a power file from a race and it’s full of hard jumps and sprints, I don’t know if the client is wasting matches or using them in situations where they are appropriate. Along with one of my clients, I’ve been experimenting with a whole new level of client feedback. He’s mounted a video-camera on his bike and synchronized it with his power meter files so I can see when he jumps (power meter) but also what was going on around him at the time. For instance, in a recent cross race he was accelerating out of corners, which is good, but on the video I can see that he is letting unnecessarily large gaps open before the corners, and then having to sprint for a long, long time to regain the wheel in front of him. Correcting that will save a lot of matches. I could also see that he is getting back on and pedaling hard sooner after dismounts than any of the guys ahead of him. The camera and power data let me coach him at a level of detail that even being at the race to watch could not possibly achieve. I think this will be the next big thing in coaching.