A group of a dozen turbo-equipped RCC riders were lucky enough to enjoy a workout with Ben Instone on Monday evening... and boy, he took us to places where grunts, groans and sweat rivers run free!
The keen bunch had a YMCA upstairs room equipped with several large and very necessary fans, an open door and one of the country's top time triallists in determined mood. It was a masterclass in enjoyable effort.
Ben knows his way round gears, cadences, speed and power back to front... and back again. We started off pedalling through treacle in our smallest cogs and worked up through our cassettes over the course of 20 minutes, maintaining stable speeds all the time until we reached cadences that made our ears pop.
The point at which Nick Curran sounded like he was dreaming about Angelina Jolie provided a cue for a solitary few minutes respite ("lower gear, lower cadence" never sounded sweeter...) before Ben threw it open to the floor: harder or easier? Despite the workout, most of those he asked opted for harder. Difficult to refuse with such a keen bunch and an excellent session leader.
Thanks from all of us to Ben for taking the time out to put us through our paces. Nights like these can make a big difference come the summer!