How do I get faster ??
aw1808
Posts: 91
I ride with a group of lads on a group ride and can hold 23 mph but that's my limit for the hour (hour long flat ride ) and I'm holding them back . They are good friends and if they drop me then slow up till I get back on and I'm full on balls out .
What's the best way for me to increase the speed training wise so I can hold on apart from going every week ?
What's the best way for me to increase the speed training wise so I can hold on apart from going every week ?
I may be slow going up but i will pass you going down !
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- can you drop weight? any excess will hold you back
- can you improve your riding to be more efficient/more aero?
- can you up your CV output to give you more power?
Have a read of:
https://wattbike.com/uk/guide/training_plan/wattbike_10_mile_time_trial_training_plan_with_joanna_rowsell
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23mph is a pretty fast and furious ride - is that all they do ? A weekly hours ride ?
Convert them to a proper bike ride - lower speed, longer distance, cake stops !
Not really. Weight isn't going to make much, if any, difference on a flat ride. The OP just needs more sustainable power than he has now.
It really does depend on how much is spare and at the moment we don't have much to go on. But while I agree it makes much more of a difference when climbing, you still have an easily fixed issue. Its not just about the physics of accelerating a heavier object, its also about the link to lower CV capacity. There is also the whole blood volume thing and rotating mass of the legs to consider.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/356265-how-does-bmi-affect-vo2-max/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/475642-how-much-does-body-weight-affect-your-cycling-speed/
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Is that 23mph average for the full hour, or that you can get up to 23mph at some points? As obviously there is a world of difference between the two!
How much training are you doing? As obviously just 1 hour a week isn't going to do much of anything.
Yeah I am a bit bulky and could lose a few kg's which is what I'm working on , I commute daily but it's only 6 miles and at a push I can make it 15 .
We tend to average around the 21 mark for the hour as there are a few turning etc but generally that flat open roads are around the 23/24mph mark . Last night it was up at 27/28 for long stretches and I couldn't hold on , they do wait for me at junctions though :-)
Do I need to improve my sustainable power ? Aero is not an option as I'm not exactly slim but still riding on the drops .
Is this just case of working my ftp and losing weight ?
It's all about raising FTP and your body's ability to process lactic acid. Weight loss is secondary and will almost certainly happen quite naturally through training anyway.
Good luck.
90 is a good cruising cadence but work on taking it to about 100 / 105 for faster pace sections.
Also plenty of good interval training will be your friend. Under and overs; 1 min at about 10% over threshold and then 1min 10% under threshold. Start off with 5 sets of 5.
Spin out and leg speed intervals and the good ole hill climbs; 5min hard effort with a 10s sprint at the end and 3 min recovery between efforts, start off with 6.
Also make sure you have a recovery week every 4th week, it makes the world of difference to your training.
Cycling blog: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.com/
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It's either that or I'm just slow and censored .
Indeed, which what makes me think that perhaps the OP is looking at what speed he's topping out at on his speedo rather than the actual average speed as reported by the likes of Strava?
14-15mph is my usual pace, I'd regard 18mph+ as a 'fast' group ride. 23-24mph as very fast. 27-28mph well that's the likes of pro racers and most of us won't ever get close to that.
My average pace around a 35km morning loop is 25km/h or 15.5mph and I'd class myself as heavy and not that good at climbing which is why I might be "slow and censored " and others are faster. But they're only a few mph faster, not 50% faster.
Average place on longer rides probably drops to about 14mph which seems to be the norm for a ride out with some mates.
To get faster, just keep doing those rides.
Just ask what your mates are doing. if they are racing at cat 3 they are likely putting in many more miles than your current commute can provide, along with specific training sessions. I'm sure it's all there to see on Strava.
This.
Amateur racers will be putting in at least 8 to 10 hours a week with significant percentage at threshold and above. Best to structure your training in some way, just so you know what you're doing, although it sounds like you're relatively untrained (this is a good thing) so almost anything you do will help. Don't worry about speeds, it's building up your power and repeatability of going into the red that you want. Forget nonsense about cadence.
It depends what the group ride is. The OP says it's flat for about an hour and most of the guys race. If it's a chain-gang then they are trying to replicate a break in a road race. If that is the case then the claimed ave speed (21 mph) is on the slow side and hitting 27/28 mph at times is not surprising. If this is what you want to partake in then I would suggest you do some research on interval training.
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Aero is not going to make much difference on a group ride, and is not the reason why he can't keep up. Also, you really, really don't want to be using bar extensions on a fast group ride.
I agree, if it really is flat and by the sounds of the description about them being cat 3 and CX racers they're probably working together properly, 20+mph doesn't sound unreasonable.
Also in the subsequent post he says the overall average is around 21mph, just 23/24 on the wide open flat bits.
I'd keep riding the way you are as it sounds to me like you're improving riding with them.
What I would do is hit the turbo in the winter - look up the trainerroad thread - they have a training plan to boost your FTP - I think its 12 weeks long and about 5 hours a week. If you do that you'll improve a lot.
Here's that thread: The official TrainerRoad thread
Adding to what Fenix said, the Base training plans are perfect for winter training. They're all about charging up your aerobic motor, burning fat, and getting you ready to build top end speed as the season picks up. Check out this article on the purpose of building base: Base Training Q & A