Training for longer rides

fungus_the_muffin_man

Sort of going on from the how long is your longest ride thread and the chat going on there has got me asking a few questions.

Some people are advocating that you never need to do rides of longer than 3 hrs to build up endurance etc..... This had got me wondering how would the best way be to get myself ready for London 2 Paris in June? Should I be looking at shorter higher intensity rides? Maybe making sure I do some turbo sessions etc... I was thinking that I should be going along the lines of just building up my mileage to 100 miles, to get my body used to the pains and strains of being sat in the saddle for long hours.
Also where possible in between my work shifts should I be making sure I'm on my bike everyday as I tend to get runs of 3-5 days off together. On these days should I alternate longer and shorter rides? or should I make sure I get rest days inbetween? I cycle to work and back as well which is a 12 mile round trip.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Fungus

SBezza

If you are going to be riding for 100 miles, 3 to 4 days in a row, I think you need to simulate this at least in part, perhaps doing 60 mile + rides two days in a row. I think time in the saddle is important if you are going to be spending a long time in the saddle.

I think shorter high intensity stuff is OK if you are racing, but on a multiple day ride, I don't think you can go wrong with time in the saddle.

amaferanga

You'll find the event much easier (psychologically at least) if you've at least done back-to-back days of 100 miles beforehand. Sounds like you have plenty of time to do this so why not? Plus, doing long rides will as you say get your body used to long hours in the saddle and allow you to tweek your set-up (what's comfortable for 2-3 hours may be hell after 6 hours).

I've done plenty of long distance cycling, but not until this year have I actually trained properly and included shorter high intensity rides and intervals into my cycling. I was sort of doing interval-type stuff as most of my rides are properly hilly, but never with any structure. The result was I never really got much faster (last year I was averaging 25km/h over a hilly 300km ride anyway which I was happy with), but by doing lots of long rides I found doing long rides easy.

If you want to get faster do intervals, tempo rides, etc. and some long rides, but if you just want to do the ride comfortably at your current pace then do lots of long rides.

fungus_the_muffin_man

Cheers guys

bexley5200

you need time on the bike doing three or four two to three times a week,good luck with the ride to paris