Some useful notes from Australian Sprint Cycling Coach

All very interesting reading. You have to work to your strengths. When I was a kid I used to be a pretty good running sprinter and ran nationals a few times (100 sprint and 80 hurdles) and was pretty fit, but could not keep up with my gran past about 400 meters.

Then up until about 3 years ago I spent 6 years doing capoeira at a pretty high level, and did 6x3 hour gym session a week. 3 fitness + drill and 3 strengh + drills, so I was in pretty good shape, but even then could not do any kind of real endurance.

My body is built for short efforts and quick recovery. (I'm full of powerfull fast twitch). I could train until the end of eternity and would never be really good at endurance.

Play to your strengths.

I'm not a qualified coach but you could easily train to get more endurance though. i'm a skinny racing snake that can't sprint but can ride at a decent pace for an hour or 2 but find long distances a problem as i find it hard to eat while riding and will bonk after a while. if i actually bothered to do longer rides and more intervals/short efforts i would improve these areas. still wouldn't be a sprinter or 100miles a day rider but specific training would see an improvement.

c'mon BMMF challenge him to a duel!?

What century are you living in, dogs?

i believe the 21st.

I wasn't talking about your IQ centile.

I'm not a qualified coach but you could easily train to get more endurance though. i'm a skinny racing snake that can't sprint but can ride at a decent pace for an hour or 2 but find long distances a problem as i find it hard to eat while riding and will bonk after a while. if i actually bothered to do longer rides and more intervals/short efforts i would improve these areas. still wouldn't be a sprinter or 100miles a day rider but specific training would see an improvement.

More endurance yes, and compared to joe public I had an amazing amount, but not in any way similar to someone who's body was more naturally set up for endurance doing the exact same training.

If you are naturally better at one thing than another, then make use of that, and don't expect to be something you are not.

Bit of a quandary for jacks of all trades though. I can't be arsed sitting around for a few weeks in October when viruses are rife, to seek out a few competitions up steep hills - and that's about as close to a specialism as I get.

On the other hand, on a good day, and with a bit of specific prep, I can pull off pretty good results in a variety of disciplines.

I have eggs, but alas no special basket.

Lots of skinny buggers do well at HH, as well as some big b*stards, and there is a variety of events.

Likely this year, without the sprint-orientated Monday night league races, that the Wednesday night sessions will contain more short events, as well as the 20km scratch.

In most racing (not TTs and hillclimbs obviously) it's more about race smarts and knowing when to attack based on your body's strengths. It's not that a sprint-focused guy will always lose longer races, they just have to save it for as long as possible and an enduro rider will see no benefit from sitting behind said sprinter until the last lap. Basically, you have strengths/weaknesses but you can train both and you can use your strengths in all kinds of magical ways... :)

Shit, I used to be dying at the end of a 100k ride.. now I'm doing double that and I'd even say "comfortably".

Which it all comes down to, essentially - strategising based on your strengths, and other riders' weaknesses. I mean, look at the Olympic men's sprint final - Hoy's got a fast top speed but it takes him time to wind up, so he played to that. Kenny had quicker acceleration, so tried to hold Hoy back to the last minute, but couldn't, although he was pretty close behind him at the line as a result of his tactics.

rant/
Which, I'd add, is why some of the BS on this subset of the forum about only talking about rollers and track racing is a more than a bit pretentious. We're all trying to get better, so why have some kind of one-upsmanship about how we get better?
/rant

rant/
Which, I'd add, is why some of the BS on this subset of the forum about only talking about rollers and track racing is a more than a bit pretentious. We're all trying to get better, so why have some kind of one-upsmanship about how we get better?
/rant

I'm not sure what you mean by that? care to be more specific?

this sub forum is for all track related discussion, nobody has said only talk about rollers and track racing..people have differing opinions to training methods, and that will always be the case.

rant/
Which, I'd add, is why some of the BS on this subset of the forum about only talking about rollers and track racing is a more than a bit pretentious. We're all trying to get better, so why have some kind of one-upsmanship about how we get better?
/rant

What are you on about?

If you want to talk specifically about bike polo, go to the bike polo thread - that's what it exists for. Same here - if you want to talk specifically about track stuff you look in here…

as for the one-upmanship I think you're way off the mark - I appreciate BabyDino's input because he's spent more time on the track and training for it than most people and I will listen to BMMF because I've seen that skinny bastard go up hills quicker than I'll ever know.

It's about knowledge sharing for people of different abilities and experience to improve on their track riding

I'm as skinny as hippy is fat ;)

Not that I'm paranoid or anything, but I just calculated my BMI here and it was 22.1. That's actually in the upper half (just) of my recommended weight zone. So ner.

24.7

I've competed at 21.5, and maxed out at 25.5 (I had no neck to speak of at the time).

28.7, so, for today at least I am merely "overweight" and not my usual "obese". Refreshing to know.

Oh, before you put to much weight (punintended) on the BMI measurements.. it was designed for sedentary people and doesn't take into account muscle mass. So, for people on this sub-forum, it's pretty pointless other than maybe watching it go up/down.

sedentary people... people on this sub-forum

Do you post whilst standing up or something?

"people have differing opinions to training methods, and that will always be the case"

apart from banning me having a discussion of how to do on-road track training and racing - ie the type that people actually might do - and instead focusing on complex, expensive, lonely training options that for most people will last as long as the average gym membership.

but that's just my opinion. the great thing about racing is it puts different training tactics up against each other. when you're racing it doesn't matter where your speed comes from.

it'll make for an interesting season if everyone does follow through on the talk and start racing.

Which it all comes down to, essentially - strategising based on your strengths, and other riders' weaknesses. I mean, look at the Olympic men's sprint final - Hoy's got a fast top speed but it takes him time to wind up, so he played to that. Kenny had quicker acceleration, so tried to hold Hoy back to the last minute, but couldn't, although he was pretty close behind him at the line as a result of his tactics.

Not sure I agree with this ;-)

rant/
Which, I'd add, is why some of the BS on this subset of the forum about only talking about rollers and track racing is a more than a bit pretentious. We're all trying to get better, so why have some kind of one-upsmanship about how we get better?
/rant

erm echoing what others have said I am really not sure what you are on about here?? If it is about me as B D W seems to think it may be, I am trying to help people achieve their aims quicker/more easily, I certainly don't mind or take it personally if someone else disagrees with me or I with them, just speaking from my experience and studies.

Lee

26.8 bugger hippy just beats me.....

Do you post whilst standing up or something?

Actually, yes, sometimes. But you know what I mean ya big knobba :P

"people have differing opinions to training methods, and that will always be the case"

apart from banning me having a discussion of how to do on-road track training and racing - ie the type that people actually might do - and instead focusing on complex, expensive, lonely training options that for most people will last as long as the average gym membership.

but that's just my opinion. the great thing about racing is it puts different training tactics up against each other. when you're racing it doesn't matter where your speed comes from.

it'll make for an interesting season if everyone does follow through on the talk and start racing.

who has banned you from discussing that? I am up for a chat on on-road track training as thats where the majority of my training takes place! Would love to hear what ideas you have?

What do you mean by complex, expensive and lonely training options?

1. do i win a prize?
   

it'll make for an interesting season if everyone does follow through on the talk and start racing.

Pretty much road only for me this year (despite being at Calshot tomorrow!).

26.8 bugger hippy just beats me.....

I'm still hurtin' from the quad circumference measurements.. ;)