HIGH SPEED STATIONARY CYCLING: AN OVERLOOKED TRAINING METHOD
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a variety of sprint-assisted training methods were tested at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) that examined the many factors influencing an athlete’s speed of movement in team sports. At VCU summer speed camps, curiosity seekers were astonished to see athletes being towed on a track behind a motor scooter. At that time, other towing methods were not yet perfected. It was a period also when researchers were much more aware of the influence ground contact forces had on the start, acceleration, stride length, stride rate and the maximum speed of athletes than other factors. Neuromuscular training received little attention and stride rate was perceived as an unchangeable gift of genetics.
