Leading A Group of Newbies On The Fred Whitton

adambird

I seem to have found myself leading a group of workmates doing this year's Fred Whitton Sportive. I'm relatively experienced (Autumn Epic, Tour of Dartmoor, Marmotte, etc) but my colleagues are not, at all. They are reasonably fit though.

I'm working up a basic cycling training plan and would welcome any thoughts/advice.

I'm starting with a couple of 60-90 min tempo sessions during the week and a longer 60+ mile ride at the weekend.

I'll then replace one of the tempo sessions with a strength session. 30-40 rpm, big gear, big hill type session. Also increase the distance of the long rides up to 100+ miles, though not too hilly.

The real hills are going to come in in April, we're Nottingham based, so Riber and Hindersnitch upto Crich will feature heavily. With a big 100+ mile taking in the best the Peak has to offer on the last weekend of April.

Core work will continue throughout.

Does this sound like it would get them there?

Tom Butcher

Two hardish faster sessions during the week and a long ride at the weekend is a decent basis for getting fit and they can do extra easy miles on top if they choose.

Are you sure 100 milers in the Peak aren't a bit too much ? If you really seek out a hilly route those training rides could easily be as hard as the event itself and with non-regular cyclists you will be looking at all day. I'd probably do shorter training rides - 60-80 miles - and then get in one hundred on a less severe route (maybe even Leicestershire) prior to the event. Maybe make a number of landmarks in the build up. One week aim for Rowsley Bar, one week Curbar, maybe Winnats if you can reach that in 80, then a century ride a couple of weeks out.

Take the opportunity to have a look at their group riding and descending skills - in any sportive it helps if you can hold a wheel and the Fred Whitton has some particularly dangerous (well as far as any descent is dangerous) descents in it - Honister in the wet is not nice.

adambird

Thanks Tom, the 100 miles in the Peak was going to be the final ride two weeks out. Was thinking of building up to 100 on before the hills on flatter rides out to North Leicestershire. You're probably right that we should just build up to one flattish 100 towards end of March before introducing hills in April.

cougie

I'd keep it simple. Just get them out as Tom says. Forget riding at 30rpm unless you want to destroy their knees.
A couple of shorter faster rides in the week. Longer at the weekend.

Bike time is essential and they need to know how to handle a bike.

You'll be going at the speed of the slowest ? The more people you have the more chances of punctures. Especially if theyre not on decent tyres. 100 hilly miles for novices in April does sound optimistic.

smidsy

Leicestershire is fairly undulating and I would even say Hilly in places. From Nottingham that would seem a good destination.

Plenty of climbs around Bradgate Park (Loughborough/Whitwick/Markfield/Mount Sorrel area) about 20 miles from you depending on where you are in Nottingham.

Mix of short sharp stuff and some fairly lengthy steady gradients.

Kieran_Burns

If you want a 100 mile route around Nottingham, you could always copy the Notts Cycle challenge route:

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/71781927/1500261

My loop last year

Tom Butcher

Long Eaton Reliability this Sunday - Plank and Leggit at Sawley - turn up around 9 for a 9.30 start. Ideal first decent training ride for them.

adambird

Thanks Tom, we're signed up for it. http://app.bunch.cc/rides/50c08f6b03c49c0002000141

Thanks Kieran, we planning a 100 mile Tour of Nottingham of Nottingham towards the end of March http://app.bunch.cc/rides/510a7156de5a8a0002000195 based on the La Squadra run from May last year.

and smidsy, Leicestershire is featuring heavily in the training plans for the next couple of months

Kieran_Burns

Tom Butcher wrote:

Long Eaton Reliability this Sunday - Plank and Leggit at Sawley - turn up around 9 for a 9.30 start. Ideal first decent training ride for them.

Assuming it's not flooded again....

http://youtu.be/VQNwTkZJMiw?t=5m12s

Might be hard to set off in that.

adambird

Yes a friend made a foolhardy attempt to ford that (when it was a little lower and just covering Warren Lane) and ended up submerged when he hit the kerb

Kieran_Burns

Oh - one idea is to head out to the Vale of Belvoir, the climb back out is meant to be epic and if you target getting to Belvoir Castle and back - you get to try out one of the 100 best climbs in the UK. Terrace Hill:

http://beestoncc.myfreeforum.org/archiv ... t_433.html

Kieran_Burns

adambird wrote:

Yes a friend made a foolhardy attempt to ford that (when it was a little lower and just covering Warren Lane) and ended up submerged when he hit the kerb

I measured the tide line on the bike afterwards... 21" deep.

arlowood

Hi Adam

Another option to test the legs of your newbies is the Rutland CICLE scheduled for Sat 20th April

http://www.itpevents.co.uk/events/the-d ... -tour.html

The Medium route (80miles) has 5000ft of climbing including a couple of challenging digs in the Vale of Belvoir. Medium route and profile here:-

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=gnuzbnzdqephieqg

overlord2

They need to put in lots of hill work. If they are not cyclists and not climbers they are going to struggle A LOT imo.

The Fred is all about climbing. As a minimum they needs to be targetting the same distance/elevation as they would be on the Fred. So say a 50 mile training ride needs to be at 5000ft.

imo the only way to train for hills is to ride them.

I don't mean to have a go at you but why are people entering this event not knowing the course or how they are going to ride it or train for it? It is probably the hardest cycle event in the UK.

Tom Butcher

To be honest I think sportives like the FW are actually more suited to guys like them than your regular racer or long distance rider. For the new rider something like the Fred is a proper challenge, it'll seem daunting, finishing will be an achievement. Let's be honest - for a lot of people doing it it's just another bike ride, albeit a tough one, but they could probably ride it and complete it tomorrow without a second thought.

adambird

@arlowood thanks for the tip will definitely be checking that out

@Overlord2 they're grown ups, have decided to do it independently, I've decided to help them try and make it happen. Yes it does seem a fairly lunatic assignment but they're a tenacious bunch of guys and I'm confident that they'll do what they can to make it happen.

@Tom Butcher I'm inclined to agree with you Tom. We can build these kinds of climbs and events up to almost mythical status very easily. If they do it, it'll be because they've worked hard on the lead up and that's not to be sniffed at