Jump in Form

guv001

I have over the last couple of days noticed a massive jump in my form. I managed a 30 mile ride yesterday solo at 21.9 mph. Today I managed to maintain 23 mph in a group for 1 and a half hours. Is this form likely to stay or is it going to be brief? I have never before noticed a jump up in form like this before. I usually ride at 19 -20 mph for upto a couple of hours.

shockedsoshocked

I've had a similar jump recently, adding nearly 1mph onto my training rides. It's been like this for a couple of weeks with dips here and there but it's generally been a constant improvement.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Pace solo and pace in a group is a pretty meaningless comparison I'm afraid.

Bronzie

I'd also add that unless you are using the same route each time (and assuming there are few variables on that route such as traffic lights etc that will alter your times and that you take into account wind/weather conditions), average speed is a pretty meaningless way of judging your current level of fitness.

hambones

Slight nonsense posted above. Form and fitness do improve and riding in a group and solo can compliment each other. I have started riding faster in a group which has led to me pushing harder on my own which in turn has helped push in a group and so on. During the past 6 weeks I have progressively held 21 then 22 then 23mph for 90 minutes which is something I would never have thought possible at the outset.

SteveR_100Milers

I think the point is that you cannot compare a solo ride time wth a group one (which the OP does). Of course if you train in a group, and they push you, then you will find your solo times will get better, on average, as yor fitness/speed (or power) increases.

avoidingmyphd

I don't think the OP is comparing a solo and group ride.
He's comparing 2 recent rider (1 group, 1 solo) with his usual form...

Alex_Simmons/RST

avoidingmyphd wrote:

I don't think the OP is comparing a solo and group ride.
He's comparing 2 recent rider (1 group, 1 solo) with his usual form...

Perhaps but comparing speeds is a crummy way to understand form. I have a TT test loop I use, 4 laps of a circular loop circuit = 10 miles (near enough). Just on my standard road bike set up:

On one test I did 24:28 @ 324 watts
On another I did 23:10 @ 326 watts

The only difference creating that 1:18 change in pace was weather conditions. So on the basis of pace, I might have concluded a jump in form. But I'd have been wrong.

Go and compare a decent hillclimb time and that would be a far better gauge of form changes. Gravity tends to minimise the variations somewhat, especially if it is a reasonably sheltered climb.

guv001

Your absolutely right avoidingmyphd the examples where not meant to be compared against each other but separately as examples. My point is speeds aside I am riding a couple of mph faster consistently now compared to last week and I'm finding it much easier to sustain this higher pace without my heart rate going above average levels. Scientifics aside I can feel a big improvement in my fitness compared to last week and the months before that. I wanted to know if that was firstly normal and secondly something that will be long term (if I continue riding of course), that was the point of my original post

biondino

If you can exclude the weather (and make sure you can as it's the most likely reason) then congratulations, you've found a new level. But the wind has been odd lately (I know, I was following it for a week or so prior to and during my ride to Paris) so it's worth checking.