Training tips

richardscot77

Hi im new to cycling and was woundering if anyone has any training tips to improve my speed on the bike?

Unknown

Ride slowly lots at first.

gaterz1981

Use a easy gear and learn to spin (pedal quickly but not so fast you bounce out the saddle.)

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dave2k1

Hi,

Interval training is the best and works at any level - but be consistent.

There is so much out there to read but the quick guide is (in my opinion - works for running too!) - for an overall increase in speed choose quite long intervals.

To build up try to ride a couple of k quicker than you want your average to be - warm up properly - do a set of intevals - warm down.

When you start make sure you can do all your intervals with the same time/effort/speed - so start training easy and build up over time.

Even if you get it wrong (and struggle to keep it consistent three or four intervals in) it will still help you as you'll start to develop a feel for your legs.


Hope this helps - by no means the most scientific description but hope it gets the message across

Dave

gaterz1981

or do what we all do:-

Go too hard, post on forum about sore knees
Go too fast, post on forum about burning legs
Cycle too quick up a steep hill, post on forum about how to do hills...

The list goes on, the best thing for cycling is signing up for this forum and many hours of reading through for tips and advice. You commuting or just doing it for leisure??

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simbil1

Welcome Richard,
Conventional wisdom says build a good solid aerobic base first by riding long and steady and then pick up your speed. In the olden days, the advice was ride a thousand miles (not all at once) and then enter some races!
Recently, there seems to be a shift towards more specific exercise. So if you want to be fast on your 10 mile commute, you would simply practice riding fast for 10 miles.
Probably best to do what you enjoy most - if you like going fast or pottering along for long rides, stick with it and you will improve.
There are no short cuts to speed and fitness - don't try and improve too quickly or you will end up injured.

---

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richardscot77

thanks for all your tips i think i will try interval training to begin with[:D]

Rich

gaterz1981

just about to begin my interval training, done 1500 miles this year and have decided its time. heart rate monitor arrives soon. missed this years race season and tt as i dont feel ready/confident, but hopefully next year! Going to watch the BCF racing out ilton tomorrow night.

Can anyone here recommend a good site for working out a interval training program?

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simmers

Don't do intervals without a bit of investigation first. You're 'new to cycling' so no-one here knows what your level of fitness is, how many hours a week you ride, how many times a week and so on. Suggesting 'interval training' is all very well, but it covers a lot of different things. Perhaps it would be wiser to suggest increasing 'aerobic fitness' by riding more regularly and for longer? You will naturally get faster as your 'engine' becomes more efficient.

dave2k1

have tried all the recommended training books and sites - they are all great once you can do it!!! - and are fantastic while sitting and reading...on the sofa with a good glass of wine...

Best thing is - first time out -

Do ONE interval on a short ride - do 3 to 4k above your normal average for a decent time (minutes) - when you start to flag keep it up for 1 more minute - then relax for the rest of the ride and just enjoy the feeling you had when it was good...

next time reduce the time slightly, BUT not the speed, and do it twice - the whole idea of fun with training is to build up -

most important with all the training rides - is to enjoy the 'coasting' before and after your training session - and remember the coasting bit will become what you first aspired to when you wrote this post.

I'm still trying to find the magic thing that will make me able to coast at something like I imagine that you should be able to - but most of the time I go out I achieve something brilliant to bore my girlfriend with...

Dave

dave2k1

ps interval training is the easy way in as you do what suits you in the first place - as I said in my first post it works what ever level you are at.

If you are doing 5km/hr - then do a couple of 6km/hr
If you are doing 10km/hr - then do a couple of 12km/hr

and so on - interval training works when ever - we have all tried to be better at some point in our training and interval training is just what we naturally do when trying to get better...

we have all tried to beat a friend at some point during a ride (or get to the junction/top of the hill in a shorter time) interval training is just the scientific way of explaining this...

[:D]

gaterz1981

I do about 20 miles a day, ride weekdays and rest on weekends, normally at a pace of around 17mph av. Do corfe hill once a week if i can, club runs when i can and often go out on a 8 mile loop in my lunch hour at 19mph. Only wanting to look into intervals to improve further, although the way the hills are spaced out on my journey to work i expect i sorta do a light session anyhows.

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dave2k1

don't forget the effort that you make on the hills constitute interval training too...

a hill or a flat out sprint is similar - not the same but if you are lucky enough to have a hill - get up it quicker (and go back the next day and see if you can repeat it)_ it may take awhile to be consistent - but nothing in life is free...

D[:)]

McHattie

Gaterz1981, I cycled up Corfe hill last week en route from Bristol to Devon, and a couple of cars hooted me in a friendly way when I was starting the climb. It was only when I (finally) reached the top that I realised why. It's a b-i-g hill.

gaterz1981

Always people going up and down it, hurts but is great fun. Plus its the only place where i can drop my mate.

Did my first couple of runs today with the HRM, i decided i was going to cycle as close to 150bpm as possible. managed to wang it up to 179 (max is 196) but only held it for 19 seconds. Was correct about the hills, they are spaced for hard then recovery. Then a long straight to try and sprint to your limits.

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webbhost

I found that once i started logging my rides, I have the "urge" to beat my last score... so i just try and keep as quick as i can, and get up hills as quick as i can too. I have not had a training run yet where I have not beaten my record (only 10-20 runs atm through). In these 20 runs (take in mind i also bike to work every day) I have saved 2 minutes off a 20 minute circuit thus increasing average speed!

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gaterz1981

Since watching the racing out ilton last night and seeing my mate come 2nd i have had the urge to go flat out everywhere.

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