How to increase speed?

suzygarbo

Please could you tell me what training I need to do to increase my speed?

I am currently cycling comfortably at 15mph but cannot seem to get any faster even though I am cycling plenty and have a spinning bike at home.

I did a 50 mile ride today and struggled to keep up with my colleague, I have been really pushing myself but can't see any improvement.

I am currently riding a Carrera Zelos which feels heavy but I have just ordered a Specialized Allez Sport so I'm hoping that the lighter frame will help but I think my problem relates to my fitness.

kajjal

You should find a noticeable difference once you have set your new bike up properly. Everything should seem smoother and less effort than on a cheaper bike.

imposter2.0

suzygarbo wrote:

Please could you tell me what training I need to do to increase my speed?

I am currently cycling comfortably at 15mph but cannot seem to get any faster even though I am cycling plenty and have a spinning bike at home.

I did a 50 mile ride today and struggled to keep up with my colleague, I have been really pushing myself but can't see any improvement.

I am currently riding a Carrera Zelos which feels heavy but I have just ordered a Specialized Allez Sport so I'm hoping that the lighter frame will help but I think my problem relates to my fitness.

You need to get out of your comfort zone regularly if you want to see an increase in what is effectively your 'sustainable power'. Shorter interval sessions and sustained higher efforts will bring on your fitness. Or keep riding with your colleague - if he/she is faster and you struggle, then it means you are working harder than you normally do - which is exactly what is required to bring you on.

Alex_Simmons/RST

suzygarbo wrote:

Please could you tell me what training I need to do to increase my speed?

I am currently cycling comfortably at 15mph but cannot seem to get any faster even though I am cycling plenty and have a spinning bike at home.

I did a 50 mile ride today and struggled to keep up with my colleague, I have been really pushing myself but can't see any improvement.

I am currently riding a Carrera Zelos which feels heavy but I have just ordered a Specialized Allez Sport so I'm hoping that the lighter frame will help but I think my problem relates to my fitness.

As Jim Martin says: Maximise the power you can produce, minimise the power you must produce.

In other words, to go faster you'll need to ride harder if possible and if not then train in a manner to improve fitness (sustainable power output), and/or work on things that help you get more speed for the fitness (power) you have, which is things like bit fit, position and bike set up.

Increasing fitness for relatively under trained riders usually means progressively increasing workload by a combination of riding more, riding more frequently and also including harder efforts at times into your riding. How much, how often and how hard are the three main variables to play with and they will be specific to you and your circumstances.

Toks

suzygarbo wrote:

Please could you tell me what training I need to do to increase my speed?

I am currently cycling comfortably at 15mph but cannot seem to get any faster even though I am cycling plenty and have a spinning bike at home.

I did a 50 mile ride today and struggled to keep up with my colleague, I have been really pushing myself but can't see any improvement.

I am currently riding a Carrera Zelos which feels heavy but I have just ordered a Specialized Allez Sport so I'm hoping that the lighter frame will help but I think my problem relates to my fitness.

Hi if I recall you've only recently taken up cycling. I'm guessing your mainly doing longer endurance rides of 2-4 hour variety and you can now average 15mph on your own. Thats not bad. Well as others have said you need to change things up yo get quicker. Try to ride durations of an hour or less at a faster pace. Remember in winter average speed tends to be slower anyway because of the enviromental conditions. A better bike, riding more aerodynamically will improve things even without extra training. But just keep keep going you'll be going well come the summer. JAlso consider joininh a club, or riding with fitter cyclists etc, Goodluck

suzygarbo

Yes I got my carrera in July as a complete beginner so I'm probably giving myself a hard time and expecting too much too soon. I have joined a local group but they don't go out in the winter so I've been flitting between other cycling groups for Sunday rides but I think I'm going to start going out on my own for shorter periods and really push myself to try come out of my comfort zone as you say.

Toks

Hmm no offence but if they're not going out in winter its doesn't sound like they're a "proper cycling club" which as a beginner I found invaluable to my cycling development. This summer two young ladies in their early thirties from my work took up cycling like yourself and on long group ride we tend to average 15mph.One of the girls wants to start riding with the 17mph group come spring and she currently rides for an hour at an average of 16-17mph. She's not very comfortable 'sitting on the wheels' of other riders but she's getting there. Have you set yourself a big challenge or two for next year?? Both ladies are doing a couple of tough sportive: The Dragon Ride (June) and the Etape Cymru (September).