Getting fit over the winter, pointers?

Right.
I've made a decision to get fit over the winter, I have plenty enough explosive power due to regular weight training but I have poor cardiovascular fitness.
Im currently bikeless, my latest bike should be finished in a week or so.
What is the best way to start training with it?
Where I live its very hilly so i guess that is a start.
I do cycle quite alot as it is (just not on a fixed wheel) but I want to use fixed wheel as training, my other bike is a shitty mountain bike. Most of these are trash miles though.
Im guessing i should start riding for an hour or so 3-4 times a week and get a routine going.
Im not sure whether to ride at a hard constant rate throughout the hour, or to vary it with slow and sprint etc etc, basically i need to build up a base fitness level.
any suggestions?
I used to do interval training on the rowing machine which was like 5 mins steady, 1 minute full out sprint, would something like this work?

any advice would be really appreciated.

ps. should i ride on flat roads or incorporate hills into the training?

any advice would be really appreciated.

If you give someone an in, they're gonna take it..

Get on bike. Ride bike.
Hope I've helped?

cardiovascular - i think if you ri8de on fairly flat roads for a long time - over an hour - at a constant high speed, then you will build up stamina - i'd imagine that hills are more similar to you weight training. this is just guessing tho...
you should just get on your bike and ride it as much as possible!

what are you training for?

if you arent training for anything in particular, dont go training. go ride and have fun. simple.

There are a few other training threads with links have a look.

.

a combination of longer steady rides and shorter intervals-based sessions would be the best way to get fit. the longer stuff builds stamina, and the intervals work your cardio-vascular system better.

and you have to commit to doing it regularly.

For cardiovascular fitness you really just need to get the miles in, some intervals might help, but there's no short cut. The traditional roadie method of keeping fit is to do a minimum of a 50 mile sunday run (casual pace) plus one or two shorter rides during the week of about 25 miles. So your looking at approx 3 hours in the saddle on sunday, which should give you good conditioning as well, i.e. your body will feel comfortable.

For cardiovascular fitness you really just need to get the miles in, some intervals might help, but there's no short cut. The traditional roadie method of keeping fit is to do a minimum of a 50 mile sunday run (casual pace) plus one or two shorter rides during the week of about 25 miles. So your looking at approx 3 hours in the saddle on sunday, which should give you good conditioning as well, i.e. your body will feel comfortable.

nah, you still need some higher-intensity stuff as well. steady state riding is all well and good, but it doesn't stress the body enough (heart rate, VO2 don't get high enough) to really drive improvement.

you need to do both types of training.

For cardiovascular fitness you really just need to get the miles in, some intervals might help, but there's no short cut. The traditional roadie method of keeping fit is to do a minimum of a 50 mile sunday run (casual pace) plus one or two shorter rides during the week of about 25 miles. So your looking at approx 3 hours in the saddle on sunday, which should give you good conditioning as well, i.e. your body will feel comfortable.

Which is exactly what I said, mine was just more concise.

Get on bike. Ride bike.

Sheesh!

that's why hills are a must

exactly.

For cardiovascular fitness you really just need to get the miles in, some intervals might help, but there's no short cut.

there is such a thing as a short cut in terms of distance, but a solid hill session is definitely no short cut in terms of effort. unfortunately the only way to get fit is to train like you fucking mean it.

sorry to quote you twice, i just had another thought.

I just don't know if it's worth hammering away doing intervals in the winter when you've only just started riding a bike. Better to do a few weeks of longer rides before building up, I would've thought?

riding outside your comfort zone.

if you don't, then you won't get much fitter. With this game the more you do, the more you gotta do!

^Good Advice badtmy.
You would firstly need to be "specific" in your aims... what do you want to train for? Stamina and endurance will leave your slow twitch muscle fibres more dominant - resulting in a "trimmer, sinewy" athlete (i'm generalising here), with little in reserve for sprints.
If you go balls out and prime your fast twitch muscle fibres, via short sprint sessions, you'll maintain a "fuller,muscular" form, and possibly suffer a reduction of stamina.
A good balance of sprints, distance work and hill sessions shocks the body into adapting to the varied workload - thus raising your metabolic activity - and your aerobic and lactic thresholds.
Weight sessions are also hugely beneficial - but establish your needs first - then PM me - i'll give you some great stuff to work on.

I just bought a cheapo heart rate monitor and am going to see what the theory turns into.

What I immediately found out was that despite being a tubby git, 18 months of 100+ miles a week commuting and leisure rides has given me an 'excellent' resting heart rate for my age, so I think i have something to build on.

My plan so far

Lots of low heart rate riding mixed with a couple of 95% sprints between lights on commute, an hour of hardish laps round a park one night a week, big long medium ride on a Saturday morning and off the bike on Sunday. Aiming for for 150 miles a week.

just ride till your breathless, recover then do the same, repeatedly until your not breathless

^Good stuff adoubletap! A low resting heart rate takes heaps of stress off the heart.
Do be careful tho, that your "lots of low heart rate riding" doesn't turn into "junk" miles. If you've been doing that for quite a while - your body will become less efficient during those sessions, thus affecting your sprints etc...
Look after those joints too...
(this is in no way a preach.... i'm merely biggin' you up for your progress - and would hope you keep going!! This topic is just close to my heart - and occupation)

what do you do pistaboy?

What Archi said.

Ride your bike.
Ride your bike as fast as you can.
Ride your bike up a few challenging hills.
Ride your bike in the aforementioned fashion regularly.

You could also do sit-ups and push-ups and go for a 5KM jog three mornings a week.

Sign up for a ride next spring or early summer that may be beyond your current abilities. Aim for it, train for it, do it.

You could also do sit-ups and push-ups and go for a 5KM jog three mornings a week.

Whilst riding your bike!

To make my aims more specific: I want to loose some bodyfat, Ive got a feeling my heartrate isnt that good at the moment so that could do with improving, I want to build a level of base fitness.
I do go to the gym 3 times a week but 100% heavy low repetition weightlifting is what I do.

PS - REALLY appreciate all the help!