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Articles by James Spragg
The pH-dependant stabilization and interphase coupling of Pd species during alcohol oxidation
Abstract Heterogeneous catalysts consistently suffer from the leaching of active components into the fluid phase, causing loss in activity and lifetime. Here we demonstrate, exemplified with the thermocatalytic oxidation of 1,2-propanediol, a metal stabilization mechanism arising from electrochemical coupling of half reactions between physically separated carbon-supported Au and Pd catalysts.
Galvanic Coupling Measurements Are a Predictive Tool for Cooperative Redox Enhancement (CORE) in Thermocatalytic Alcohol Oxidation
Quantitative Analysis of the ODH of 1,4-Butanediol by Mixed Potential and Tafel Analysis The selective oxidation of 1,4-butanediol (BD) is used as a model reaction as, under mild conditions (i.e., <60 °C, <2 bar O 2 ), it can yield valuable reaction products such as succinic acid (SA), a versatile precursor for many industrial chemicals. (16) In this work, SA is the only quantifiable reaction product.
Ask a cycling coach: 'My hands and arms get tired on descents, how can I avoid this?'
Male cyclist descending Cycling is as much about going downhill as uphill. Whereas the uphill is defined by the physical effort the downhills are all about skill. We spend a lot of time as cyclists working on the physical aspects, however, do we need to spend more time working on the technical? Cycling coach James Spragg runs through what you need to consider to prevent arm and wrist pain while descending, and, as part of this, improve your confidence and speed on descents.
Ask a cycling coach: 'How much should I expect to eat on a 100-mile ride?'
Female cyclist grabbing an energy bar out of her jersey pocket Whether your going on your first 100-mile bike ride or looking to increase your average speed over 100 miles, what fuel you put in your pockets and bottles is very important in helping you achieve your cycling goal.
Ask a cycling coach: 'How hot is too hot for cycling?'
Female cyclist drinking from a water bottle on a hot day Riding in the heat, be it at home or as part of a cycling holiday to sunnier climbs, may sound more appealing than a grim, cold slog - but with temperature records being shattered across Europe and America, are these locations now too hot for cycling?
Ask a cycling coach: 'What are the most effective workouts for raising FTP?'
Male cyclist completing a workout to raise his FTP For those of you that read my columns, you have probably guessed by now that I typically use Critical Power (CP) rather than Functional Threshold Power (FTP) as a measure of ‘threshold’ power. And while that the pros and cons of those two concepts is a discussion for another day, ultimately they are both measures of sustainable aerobic performance. That ability to produce a long of watts for a long period of time is crucial in endurance.
Ask a cycling coach: 'Should I be worried about a left/right power imbalance when cycling?'
Male cyclist riding on a turbo trainer inside Power balance is a metric that you will see on most of the best indoor training apps for cycling or even on your cycling computer. However, is it something to get worried about? Cycling coach James Spragg explains how left/right power balance is calculated and its accuracy, and signs that suggest that your power ‘imbalance’ may be something to get checked out by a physio-trained bike fitter.
Ask a cycling coach: 'What's the best workout for increasing my average speed on a 100-mile bike ride?'
Male cyclist training towards riding a century faster A century is a nice target for a lot of people… and once you've completed your first 100-mile bike ride, well the obvious question is, can I do it faster? Cycling coach James Spragg unpacks a century ride and explains what workouts could help you achieve this cycling goal. Demands of a 100-mile bike ride Whenever we think about key workouts for a particular event the first stop is understanding the demands of that event.
Ask a cycling coach: 'When should I redo an FTP test?'
Male cyclist doing an FTP test Doing an FTP test, or any maximal performance test for that matter, means taking time out of training. To perform optimally you need to taper beforehand and will likely need some recovery afterwards.
Predictors of cycling performance success: traditional approaches and a novel method to assess performance capacity in U23 road cyclists
2. Methods Power data were recorded from power meters fitted to the participants' bicycle during laboratory and field testing, training as well as racing during a competitive racing season (February to October). Prior to the season, within a 10-day period, participants performed both a laboratory peak power output test (PPO) and a 5-min maximum effort field test. Body mass (SECA 878) and height (SECA 217, SECA GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany) were collected in conjunction with laboratory measures.
Ask a cycling coach: 'Are some methods of calculating FTP more reliable than others?'
Image shows a rider completing a fitness test to calculate their FTP. Most cyclists, it’s fair to say, can be a little (over?) obsessed with their FTP or ‘Functional Threshold Power’. The variety of testing protocols and profusion of names – CP, RCP and LT2 all being roughly the same as FTP – can be taken as a symptom of this fervent fixation as much as anything else.
An improved methodology for estimating critical power from mean maximal power output data
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine if Critical Power (CP) and W′ can be estimated from mean maximal power output (MMP) data collected in cycling races. Data were collected from 13 under 23 professional cyclists (mean ± SD; age, 19.5 ± 1.1 y; body mass, 66.3 ± 5.0 kg; height, 180.0 ± 5.0 cm; CP, 5.7 ± 0.3 W · kg−1). Participants conducted a CP test in the field to determine CPTest and W′Test. MMP data were then collected in races for the subsequent 90 days.
A proposal: how to reform the domestic road racing scene
By James Spragg Recently in a twitter conversation with The British Continental, amongst others, I explained some of my thoughts on the men’s domestic road racing scene: how I think it needs to be adapted moving forward; how to better integrate UCI and national races; how I feel that riders need a better pathway to professional racing; and how teams and race organisers need to be given more security. This post is an attempt to put those ideas on paper to promote debate.
1. What is base training? | What is winter base training for cyclists?
Autumn sees the end of the sportive and racing season, and with it a drop in intensity as many riders return settle down into a winter of base training in order to build fitness and form for next year. But what exactly is base training and how do you it?
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