Starting road training

Picking up a new road bike next week and hopefully taking it back home over Christmas to get some longer rides in. I commute 18miles on my fixed at the moment but want to stretch the distance and obviously build up fitness.

Any advice with where to start? Go for 30 mile road rides just taking it easy or try and mix up the terrain to get a work out?

Any advice appreciated..

Have a quick look here.
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread10686-3.html#post421222

training for what though? if you just want to improve fatness and get some miles in then the best thing is to hook up with club runs, like dulwich paragon that go from crystal palace.

if you're looking to improve general fitness, then just getting out on your bike for longer will help.

If you're training for something in particular, then you'll have to do more specific training

training for what though? if you just want to improve fatness and get some miles in then the best thing is to hook up with club runs, like dulwich paragon that go from crystal palace.

not sure if 'improve fatness' is a misspelling but definitely a valid question, are you in this to improve fatness or fitness?

if it is fatness... just start riding - dulwich paragon cafe 9am on sat am is a good start.

if fitness - you should by a turbo trainer as training outside for next few months is tough. it may also have a training programme included....

Only buy a turbo trainer if you have a desire to compete in races in the spring. UK winters are rarely so bad that you can't train at least twice a week throughout. Turbo training is the most tedious activity known to man and will seriously test your resolve to keep training.

not sure if 'improve fatness' is a misspelling but definitely a valid question

it was a deliberate misspelling, as I know the OP !

agree with andy about turbo trainers.

If you're in for serious racing then get rollers instead of a turbo. They're harder to master but the discipline pay off is higher (IMVHO).

If you're not into serious road riding (i.e. tight drafting, weight angst, fashion police, etc) get into audax riding or go out on some of the LCC rides. They're a lot more sociable, often involve food and beer and don't give you dismal pitying stares if you drop off the back.

What do you want to achieve? I had a little dabble at Herne Hill Velodrome and have had a go on rollers, but it' a bit too much like hamster-on-a-wheel for me - not saying it's bad, just different strokes for different folks and all that. If you want to build up stamina, strength and speed just work out a good route and keep an eye on your time. I'm in Brixton, so I've a got a route that goes Brixton > Battersea Park > Chelsea > Putney > 2 or 3 times around Richmond park > Chiswick > Hammersmith > Back through Chelsea to Brixton. A pleasant and varied 40/45 miles that's easy to knock off 2 or 3 times a week. If you enjoy your rides, you're more likely to want to hop on your bike for training. Sitting in your front room on rollers watching Strictly Come Dancing just strikes me as a bit mental?

I like turbo training. I'm not joking. If you own a geared bike, live in the inner city, have limited free time, and want to get big returns for 30-60 minute strength, VO2 max, LT, or anaerobic sessions - without certain risks and interruptions - then they're great.

But you need a decent fan, a couple of towels, and some music or something, unless you're also working on your mental strength/focus; which also has merits, but only when done in moderation.

However, if you're new to road bike type training, it's much better to get some group miles under your belt, especially if the group is happy to mix it up a bit i.e. fartlek. Riding on your own can be even more soul-destroying than turbo training.

And rollers are good for warming up, but otherwise a bit limited, unless you're a cadence junkie and have difficulty finding sufficiently clear stretches of tarmac.

That's what I think, but I'm more into recumbents, pies, and folk music than training, since I turned 50.

I'm not anti-turbo trainer alias. They are a great tool if you're time limited or want to follow a very structured training programme. But if you're just looking to get fitter then they are probably a waste of time as the tedium will gnaw away at your motivation.

I don't find Rollers limiting, I can generate enough resistance on a geared bike. The only thing I can't do is out of the saddle efforts

But if you're just looking to get fitter then riding on the road is probably a waste of time as the tedium of Richmond Park will gnaw away at your motivation.

Very true.

The only thing I can't do is out of the saddle efforts

Bit limiting then.

I actually quite like turbo sessions, I do find tho that it's good to have a structure to them which helps you avoid the tedium - todays was a focused strength session, 1 minute at 360 watts, recover at 220 watts and repeat - you end up concentrating on each specific interval and I was so cross-eyed at the end of it that boredom was the last thing on my mind!

Bit limiting then.

In the same way a turbo is a bit limiting because it doesn't improve your balance or pedaling action

I actually quite like turbo sessions, I do find tho that it's good to have a structure to them which helps you avoid the tedium - todays was a focused strength session, 1 minute at 360 watts, recover at 220 watts and repeat - you end up concentrating on each specific interval and I was so cross-eyed at the end of it that boredom was the last thing on my mind!

What do you use to measure your power?

edit - That sounds like I'm asking what is available. I should have said. What do you, personally, use to measure your power?

What do you use to measure your power?

edit - That sounds like I'm asking what is available. I should have said. What do you, personally, use to measure your power?

http://www.turbophoto.com/Free-Stock-Images/Images/Light%20Glare.jpg

got the tacx turbo that shows watt output - not as accurate as a powertap but a good guage of how you're doing over time

In the same way a turbo is a bit limiting because it doesn't improve your balance or pedaling action

I think you need a certain amount of balance and co-ordination to do explosive out of the saddle efforts without toppling the whole thing over, but I'm not so bothered about balance anyway, as I mastered it when I was about 4 years old.

As far as pedalling is concerned, low cadence/high gear stuff forces you to become aware of the pedal stroke in its entirety, and zero resistance/low gear work has (for me) included plenty of work in the 250 to 280rpm zone - my downstairs neighbours would be the first to complain if I was bouncing around too much.

Turbo trainers give more indoor training options than rollers, but I'm not trying to invalidate the applications for rollers mentioned in this thread.

I wouldn't mind a set of those über-rollers though... can't remember what they're called, but they're out of my price bracket :(

Inside motion ones with the bumpers ? There's some with resistance units now too.

Nice to hear your balance on the bike was sorted from four years old, I however am quite glad of the better balance I now have on the bike, I reckon I've been saved from stacking it on a few occaisons (touch of wheels, ice).

I can do longer TT intervals or shorter max efforts on rollers, so quite happy with the training options they provide. Nowt wrong with turbo's of course, just that I find rollers make me concentrate a little bit more and thus stave off (for a little while at least !) the boredom of indoor training

Riding on your own can be even more soul-destroying than turbo training.

Quite subjective though. I love riding on my own. You have the freedom to go where you want, when you want and not care about anyone elses needs. It's worth noting that for all of the training that can be done on turbos and rollers, you'll never master hill climbs until you're on them.

I would also imagine that solo training is quite important psychologically if you're going to race, do sportives, ride audaxes, TT or any number of disciplines because sooner or later you will be out on your own, against the clock and facing a challenge.

.. included plenty of work in the 250 to 280rpm zone - my downstairs neighbours would be the first to complain if I was bouncing around too much

280 rpm, wow. that what you might call a cadence junkie i guess
no seriously, in what respect does it help for road riding? sounds more helpful for track or short crits. i am pleased with 200 rpm but not a sprint type at all

@The Seldom Killer - I like a bit of 'me time' on the bike too, but there's a limit to solo riding. It's a lot easier to get motivated to get out of bed on a miserable winter morning if you've arranged to meet a group of riders (or even, on occasions, to jump on the turbo/rollers for 30 mins of structured stuff). Mixing all of these things up seems to be the obvious answer that we all know already :)

(and I've found them useful, to a certain extent, for working on some hillclimbing muscle groups/lung capacity, but you need to raise the front wheel about 6-8", and have enough resistance to work at 60-80rpm - both seated and standing)

@claus - a structured winter on the turbo was what helped me improve from a rubbish tester to an about average one. I'd been doing about 1h05 for 25 mile TTs on undulating courses (without aero aids other than drops), but managed to progress to the 57-59min bracket. Doesn't sound much, but for someone that isn't really cut out for contre-la-montre it felt like quite a breakthrough; and obviously it helped with managing to stay in breakaway groups in RRs, or taking a gamble on going a bit early before the pack started winding things up.

As an audax rider, I find my limit of solo riding clocks in at about 10 to 10.5 hours. Enough for a nice easy 200k.

All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.
All audax and no group rides makes The Seldom Killer a dull boy.