Cycling before a race?

Hunterg46

Is cycling the day before a race a good idea, or is it worth relaxing and letting the muscles rest? And is it worth taking rollers or a turbo to a race for warming up on?

Thanks

chipperleenie

First answer - yes ride the day before a race, but not intervals or anything like that. Just a steady ride with a few small efforts will do.

Second one - yes warm up before a race, you only need to take a turbo or rollers if you cannot ride on the road where the race is for some reason, so if its a road race you should be able to warm up on the road ok. In circuit races they usually have a short break between races where you can get on the circuit to warm up - 15 mins or so will be enough.

SBezza

I cycle before a race, doing a pre race turbo session, helps keep the legs from stiffening up.

I warm up on a turbo, though some people will just ride around, I find a turbo easier in the fact I can have a controlled warm up, and leave the warm up at the last minute to get to the start just before I go off.

Pokerface

SBezza wrote:

I cycle before a race, doing a pre race turbo session, helps keep the legs from stiffening up.

I warm up on a turbo, though some people will just ride around, I find a turbo easier in the fact I can have a controlled warm up, and leave the warm up at the last minute to get to the start just before I go off.

I'm too lazy to haul a heavy turbo to races on top of all the other crap I already take! But I think it would be the best warm up.

incog24

I always intend to warm up, but in reality I don't. I arrive, do a bit of riding, then end up spending 10mins standing still on the start line so get cold again. I don't think its an issue though, I just warm up in the first few miles. The only time I'd want to do a really thorough warm up would be if I was intending to go for a break from the word go...!

SBezza

Pokerface wrote:

SBezza wrote:

I cycle before a race, doing a pre race turbo session, helps keep the legs from stiffening up.

I warm up on a turbo, though some people will just ride around, I find a turbo easier in the fact I can have a controlled warm up, and leave the warm up at the last minute to get to the start just before I go off.

I'm too lazy to haul a heavy turbo to races on top of all the other crap I already take! But I think it would be the best warm up.

For road racing I wouldn't bother, just ride the course, but for TT's (which I mainly do), I find it allows me to warm up in a focused way, with no distractions.

Pokerface

SBezza wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

SBezza wrote:

I cycle before a race, doing a pre race turbo session, helps keep the legs from stiffening up.

I warm up on a turbo, though some people will just ride around, I find a turbo easier in the fact I can have a controlled warm up, and leave the warm up at the last minute to get to the start just before I go off.

I'm too lazy to haul a heavy turbo to races on top of all the other crap I already take! But I think it would be the best warm up.

For road racing I wouldn't bother, just ride the course, but for TT's (which I mainly do), I find it allows me to warm up in a focused way, with no distractions.

No - I agree. My best TTs were the ones where I actually rode my bike to get there (good, slow, easy 45 mins).

shockedsoshocked

incog24 wrote:

The only time I'd want to do a really thorough warm up would be if I was intending to go for a break from the word go...!

It's fine if you don't want to attack. Unfortunately others might have different ideas! And if you've ever road an e1234 that's mass start you really do not have chance to warm up before someone puts the hammer down.

It's been suggested that a high intensity warm up is much better than the standard "pedal around really easy" one. Try 15 mins at race pace, and climb off 15 mins before the start of the race.

oldwelshman

Take a look at the track riders. All warm up on rollers steady with very fast spurts to get heart rate up just before the races.
if you dont do this you suffer big time !!
Not as bad on road but still good to get the HR up before any event.

Pokerface

oldwelshman wrote:

Take a look at the track riders. All warm up on rollers steady with very fast spurts to get heart rate up just before the races.
if you dont do this you suffer big time !!
Not as bad on road but still good to get the HR up before any event.

Something I actually agree with you on!

They say you should get some short sprint efforts in your warm up - it helps recruit the fast-twitch fibres for later in your ride. Will help when you need to produce sprint efforts in the race.


or something like that....

jibberjim

oldwelshman wrote:

Take a look at the track riders. All warm up on rollers steady with very fast spurts to get heart rate up just before the races.
if you dont do this you suffer big time !!
Not as bad on road but still good to get the HR up before any event.

Surely any competitive cyclist is going to return to resting HR within a minute from such a warmup, so as soon as you're on the startline you'll be right back at rest anyway?

Pokerface

jibberjim wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Take a look at the track riders. All warm up on rollers steady with very fast spurts to get heart rate up just before the races.
if you dont do this you suffer big time !!
Not as bad on road but still good to get the HR up before any event.

Surely any competitive cyclist is going to return to resting HR within a minute from such a warmup, so as soon as you're on the startline you'll be right back at rest anyway?

This is pure conjecture - but maybe the heart - like any other muscle in the body - needs to be 'warmed up' and made to do some big efforts to get it ready to work harder than normal?

It's like saying your leg muscles will return to a rested state after the warm up ride - so why do it....


8)

jibberjim

Pokerface wrote:

jibberjim wrote:

Surely any competitive cyclist is going to return to resting HR within a minute from such a warmup, so as soon as you're on the startline you'll be right back at rest anyway?

This is pure conjecture - but maybe the heart - like any other muscle in the body - needs to be 'warmed up' and made to do some big efforts to get it ready to work harder than normal?

It's like saying your leg muscles will return to a rested state after the warm up ride - so why do it....

I wasn't suggesting that a warm up isn't useful or appropriate, just that the explanation of "getting the heart rate up" doesn't really make sense since your HR will not be up by the time you're on the start line.

So it would be interesting to find out more on what is actually happening during a warm up that aids the start. Cos I do agree that one is useful!

oldwelshman

jibberjim wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

jibberjim wrote:

Surely any competitive cyclist is going to return to resting HR within a minute from such a warmup, so as soon as you're on the startline you'll be right back at rest anyway?

This is pure conjecture - but maybe the heart - like any other muscle in the body - needs to be 'warmed up' and made to do some big efforts to get it ready to work harder than normal?

It's like saying your leg muscles will return to a rested state after the warm up ride - so why do it....

I wasn't suggesting that a warm up isn't useful or appropriate, just that the explanation of "getting the heart rate up" doesn't really make sense since your HR will not be up by the time you're on the start line.

So it would be interesting to find out more on what is actually happening during a warm up that aids the start. Cos I do agree that one is useful!

Personally I do not do TT's but I know riders who do and they prefer to get off the turbo and set off soon after.
I do the same on the track and stay on rollers until a minut or two before race and keep going steady, not flat out, then hr will be above resting for sure.
Different for sprint race though as I would ease of and get off rollers about 5 mins before race.