Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

Fuck them both off and have a rest day - from all disciplines. Sounds like it's the kind of thing that'll do your more good than relentless directionless 'training'.

Pfft.. ladies ladies ladies...

Ignoring the fact that this time constraints this is a piss poor excuse for not doing both. HTFU

Do the long ride (make 70min into 60min) and pick a segment of it (assume you've done it before?) to smash 10mi of. You won't be as fast as with a number on your back but refer to HTFU for that. You get the benefits of a decent ride AND some intensity. None of this driving fanny. None of this pootling over hillocks.

Go forth and Smash It™.

Have a rest day first though. And afterwards.

Only 1 20min effort hippy? That's a bit poor effort.

Never done a spin class but there's a bike at the gym and I use it to get warm. Sometimes I stay on it for 20 mins or so. Today I was banging out an average of 414 watts. That any good at all? I have absolutely no idea and real world google stuff throws up geekmaths... so I thought I'd ask you lot. I weigh about 66 kilos.

Am I better off doing that sort of thing (varied the resistance and tried to keep the wattage in the ball park) or going longer?

I appreciate that this is a how long is a piece of string question but I'm just interested in fitness improving and only really get out for long rides on the road once a week.

6.2 watts / kg for 20 minutes is world class. Have you considered the TDF?

So the bike needs calibration then? Don't get me wrong - I was sweating like a beast, but I'm a shite rider.

Those exercise bike readings in general are way, way off and too high. Unfortunately for anybody using them :)

In general: Higher intensity work for shorter periods of time builds power/max output/makes low intensity work "feel" easier. Weightlifting done well, squats/deadlifts etc. also increase max output.

Obviously once you want to train for a sport you may need to get more specific, but most basic programs I've seen are A do intensity work B do lower intensity endurance work to practice refuelling/build endurance C train up to 80% of distance needed (for event/ego) D rinse and repeat.

Obviously track work focuses much more on extreme power outputs compared to endurance events. So what type of cycling you do influences your training also.

A cycle computer may be helpful in this, as otherwise progress is hard to track. And some goals, eg if you output x watts now, or go x km an hour on average on a certain track, add a percentage, do your 6 weeks whatever cycle, check results, rinse and repeat until more advanced stuff is needed.

Or join a club where you will get a lot of experts/free advice.

Have a rest day first though. And afterwards.

and do some stretching...and consider a bike fit.

Ewan, make a training plan - then you won't have to worry about these decisions... or ask the lfgss training council / anecdotal lottery what to do.

J Westland that's good clear stuff - thanks.

I should say that it's a spin bike not a TV screen hosting excercise bike - if that makes any difference at all. I guess it doesn't matter what the read outs are as long as I continue to improve them.

As long as they are consistent from one session to the next then they are a useful training resource.

But they're not. Nor are they consistant between machines. Just use a HRM.

Only 1 20min effort hippy? That's a bit poor effort.

Clearly the poster in question is infirm and needs to work up to riding the 25mi at speed. I wouldn't want to be responsible for any heart attacks now would I? #everythinginz6allthetime

So the bike needs calibration then? Don't get me wrong - I was sweating like a beast, but I'm a shite rider.

If it's a gym bike it's output is probably much the same as strava - totally wrong.

and do some stretching...and consider a bike fit.

Or eat some cake and maybe considering lubing your chain.

But they're not. Nor are they consistant between machines. Just use a HRM.

You could take a pen and paper and calibrate the machine before you used it- plenty of scales and weights knocking around.

Has anyone got a recommended resource or links to information on training for track endurance based events? Specifically I want to train explosiveness / top end power for attacks and sprints in 10 lap plus events.

You could take a pen and paper and calibrate the machine before you used it- plenty of scales and weights knocking around.

Over under style workout.
So riding under threshold and then bursts over threshold for periods of time.

Train as you race. So imagine the race will be a good effort with efforts to chase stuff down or attack yourself and then either recover under load or ride hard to create/bridge a gap and then maybe recover or work in a break.

That is the extent of what I am doing at the moment. My sprint and change of pace does seem to have improved a little bit over the last two weeks. Is there no recommended weights / gym work for this sort of thing?

A second question is gearing. I am pushing 84 GI at the moment in racing and training. As a diesel / slow twitch rider, what is the expected impact of gearing up? To lessen responsiveness but enable higher top speed? I should just whack a 15 tooth cog on and do a 'live test'.

Gym work? For riding a bike. Ha! Just ride your bike more.
But seriously, off bike strength work is a very mixed camp.
If you want to do strength work go do big gear hill repeats. Or big gear jumps.

If you gear up, you might find you're getting bogged down and not able to jump on the gear as well to repsond. Unless you're spinning out in a sprint I'd leave it. Or unless you find you're riding at an uncomfortable high cadence during the race. Best thing would be to try measure your cadence and see where it is. Some people prefer to grind a slightly lower candence some higher. Depends on your desires really.

On the bike training rules. If you want to work on jumps maybe you should be experimenting with a slightly lower gear and leg speed drills. Get someone to blow a whistle at you randomly and attack.

i find a higher gear more responsive to explosive efforts, but harder to keep speed in track endurance. I'm using 90 GI for racing at the moment.

I race a 91" gear. Knowing your riding style fairly well I'd guess something similar would suit you.

Most enduro trackies I've spoken to train in the same way roadies do, particularly roadies who mostly race crits.

Edit: Probably because most of the enduro trackies I know also race a lot of crits.