training for bicycle race

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js8181
js8181 Posts: 178 Member
Hey!
I think I'm going to enter a bike race that's 17 miles long. I know for sure I've ridden ~10 miles at a go. What would be a good training routine to work up to 17? I assume a combination of short sprinting rides, plus some longer ones, but not sure of how many of each.
Thanks!
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  • DHNike1
    DHNike1 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hello, best is to get on your bike and do a LSD (long slow distance) . Start with a easy 10mile ride the 1st week maybe twice the week 4-5days after the 1st ride. Add spinning to your program 1-2 times a week. You will be riding 20 miles within 60 days.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,208 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Something like this ...

    Saturday - longer ride. You're at 10 miles now, go for 12 next Saturday, 15 the following Saturday, and 20 the one after.

    Sunday - medium length ride, maybe include some hills. Perhaps aim for 8 miles next Sunday, 10 the following Sunday, and 12 the one after.

    Monday - rest ... get out and walk or something.

    Tuesday - hill repeats or intervals, depending on the kind of course you'll have (flat or hilly).

    Wednesday - medium length ride, kind of like Sunday's.

    Thursday - hill repeats or intervals again.

    Friday - rest ... get out and walk or something.



    That should get you through a 17 mile race reasonably well. If you like it and plan to do more, you might want to join a cycling club and get some coaching.


    BTW - when is the race?

  • js8181
    js8181 Posts: 178 Member
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    Thanks! It's August 13
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Something like this ...

    Saturday - longer ride. You're at 10 miles now, go for 12 next Saturday, 15 the following Saturday, and 20 the one after.

    Sunday - medium length ride, maybe include some hills. Perhaps aim for 8 miles next Sunday, 10 the following Sunday, and 12 the one after.

    Monday - rest ... get out and walk or something.

    Tuesday - hill repeats or intervals, depending on the kind of course you'll have (flat or hilly).

    Wednesday - medium length ride, kind of like Sunday's.

    Thursday - hill repeats or intervals again.

    Friday - rest ... get out and walk or something.



    That should get you through a 17 mile race reasonably well. If you like it and plan to do more, you might want to join a cycling club and get some coaching.


    BTW - when is the race?

  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    Just do it.
    It's not running, your not going to injure yourself due to impact. Worst thing would be you bonking and having to either walk or ride really slowly home.

    Now riding 17 miles is a whole lot different than RACING 17 miles...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    17 miles isn't far, odd distance for a race though?

    No special training required to get that distance, if you can do 10 you can do 17.
    It's really a sprint distance so would just say do the distance as many times as possible to get your pacing right.
    Alternate days for recovery.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,208 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    17 miles isn't far, odd distance for a race though?

    No special training required to get that distance, if you can do 10 you can do 17.
    It's really a sprint distance so would just say do the distance as many times as possible to get your pacing right.
    Alternate days for recovery.

    I'm guessing it's a time trial ... those are often determined by the length of a quiet loop on which the cyclists can ride.

    Back in the day when I used to race, time trials were my favourite and because the place we raced was a 22 km loop, we did 22 km time trials.

  • js8181
    js8181 Posts: 178 Member
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    I think it's cuz the park's loop is a strange number 3.35 miles. So 17 miles is like 5 times around I guess. Well close anyway.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    It's a Race or a Sportive?

    And what cat are you entering as?
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    He would have to enter as a cat 5.

    17 miles sounds too long to be a crit. I am assuming this is a road race that is 5x 3.3 mile laps. One thing to be careful about is in cases like this they will usually pull you off course if you get lapped. If your main concern is the distance itself, I should warn you there will be some VERY fast people that show up for this, even in a cat 4/5 race.

  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I was in a 20 mile, 30 lap, crit Friday night.

    and you hit the nail on the head. There were 2 Cat 3s that entered the Cat 5 race just to knock people out.....
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    Squats.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    CincyNeid wrote: »
    I was in a 20 mile, 30 lap, crit Friday night.

    and you hit the nail on the head. There were 2 Cat 3s that entered the Cat 5 race just to knock people out.....

    I didn't think they were allowed to do that? I didn't think you were allowed to register as a lower category.

    I am not super familiar with road cycling races. Only have done a few (I am a tri guy mainly), so I don't know all the various rules.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    The guy who knocked me out Friday night was racing in the Cat 3 category yesterday. The race I was in Friday was allowing guys to register for multiple races. $40.00 bucks per race, then $10.00 for each additional race.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    glevinso wrote: »
    CincyNeid wrote: »
    I was in a 20 mile, 30 lap, crit Friday night.

    and you hit the nail on the head. There were 2 Cat 3s that entered the Cat 5 race just to knock people out.....

    I didn't think they were allowed to do that? I didn't think you were allowed to register as a lower category.

    I am not super familiar with road cycling races. Only have done a few (I am a tri guy mainly), so I don't know all the various rules.

    You're not supposed to. But if you haven't been racing for a couple years, you drop down /out. Then there is the triathlete issue in tt's - you usually don't cat up in tts and if you are a fast triathlete, you get to be a really day cat 5 time trial-er. Cause you never do crits.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    CincyNeid wrote: »
    I was in a 20 mile, 30 lap, crit Friday night.

    and you hit the nail on the head. There were 2 Cat 3s that entered the Cat 5 race just to knock people out.....

    I didn't think they were allowed to do that? I didn't think you were allowed to register as a lower category.

    I am not super familiar with road cycling races. Only have done a few (I am a tri guy mainly), so I don't know all the various rules.

    You're not supposed to. But if you haven't been racing for a couple years, you drop down /out. Then there is the triathlete issue in tt's - you usually don't cat up in tts and if you are a fast triathlete, you get to be a really day cat 5 time trial-er. Cause you never do crits.

    That makes since on why he would be with the upper categories two days later. We had 3 Crits this weekend. And by the end of the weekend I'm sure they kicked him up. I'm sure they did from Friday to Saturday night.
  • js8181
    js8181 Posts: 178 Member
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    Yup cat 5! That's so harsh about getting pulled lol. I'm worried about speed not ability. Like I'm sure I CAN do it. I want to do it well. Gotcha on the squats. Have been doing those and will continue. Thanks!
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I can hold 20-23mph on a draft line for 35miles. I did it two weeks ago. I got dropped in lap 8 of 30 this past Friday.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    CincyNeid wrote: »
    I was in a 20 mile, 30 lap, crit Friday night.

    and you hit the nail on the head. There were 2 Cat 3s that entered the Cat 5 race just to knock people out.....

    I didn't think they were allowed to do that? I didn't think you were allowed to register as a lower category.

    I am not super familiar with road cycling races. Only have done a few (I am a tri guy mainly), so I don't know all the various rules.

    You're not supposed to. But if you haven't been racing for a couple years, you drop down /out. Then there is the triathlete issue in tt's - you usually don't cat up in tts and if you are a fast triathlete, you get to be a really day cat 5 time trial-er. Cause you never do crits.

    Yea that would be me. I have done a few crits and they are a lot of fun, but all of my bike focus has been on time trialing. I have no trouble rolling a <1:00 40k TT, but put me in a cat 4/5 road race and I will just barely be able to hang in the peloton.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    js8181 wrote: »
    Yup cat 5! That's so harsh about getting pulled lol. I'm worried about speed not ability. Like I'm sure I CAN do it. I want to do it well. Gotcha on the squats. Have been doing those and will continue. Thanks!

    Even the cat 4/5 race is going to be sustaining well over 20mph for a course that short. Are you able to do that?

    What sort of bike do you have? Races like this require a drop-handle road bike. Hybrids wouldn't be permitted.