Tips for improving speed???
rides4sanity
Posts: 1,269 Member
Okay, boys and girls, though I'm not terribly slow (probably around 20mph on flats, 18ish on rollers) I'd like to improve. I don't work speed much because its pretty hilly around WV and hojnestly I'm not sure how to. Anyway, some biking friends just asked me if I'd ride the bike portion of a tri relay. It's only 25 miles and though I'm faster than either of them, I want to be faster than they expect. Yes I'm crazy competitive, but I'm also a busy working mom. Race day in 2 weeks is there anything y'all can think of, drills or exercises to bump me up a bit. Also never raced, so tips or tidbits about that would be appreciated.
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Replies
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Ride the bike as much as you can in advance, rest or at least slow down 2-3 days before the race, diet is also key. Eat as clean as poss & hit your macros.0
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Have you worked on your pedal stroke efficiency. Some bike shops have a compu trainer that you can train on and they can help you with your pedal stroke. A more consistent power rotation is what you are striving for. Also high quality wheels can make a difference. I am sure you are riding often and faster to try to get faster. Maybe ride with faster riders if possible and try not to draft too much. Good Luck0
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Ride the bike as much as you can in advance, rest or at least slow down 2-3 days before the race, diet is also key. Eat as clean as poss & hit your macros.
What kind of distribution do you go for with your macros?0 -
In two weeks you are pretty much where you are. You can perhaps look at/ride the course and plan out your gearing, cornering, etc to maximize what you've already got.0
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40% carbsRide the bike as much as you can in advance, rest or at least slow down 2-3 days before the race, diet is also key. Eat as clean as poss & hit your macros.
What kind of distribution do you go for with your macros?
30% fat
30% protein0 -
That is kind of what I thought. I just completed my training for a 200k, so I'm good I'd just like to be better.In two weeks you are pretty much where you are. You can perhaps look at/ride the course and plan out your gearing, cornering, etc to maximize what you've already got.0 -
That is kind of what I thought. I just completed my training for a 200k, so I'm good I'd just like to be better.In two weeks you are pretty much where you are. You can perhaps look at/ride the course and plan out your gearing, cornering, etc to maximize what you've already got.
Well you should have a base level of fitness that is good enough to get some use out of threshold intervals. You have a trainer?0 -
I'm assuming it's a non-drafting event - so in effect a 25 mile time-trial...
My approach to a 25 was quite simple... As it's a relay, I'm guessing you don't have a "start time" so can't warm up properly, but do try and ride yourself in a bit if possible. Go out at a reasonable pace, not full gas, but maybe around 85% for a couple of miles, then "just" wind it up to just short of blowing until the last mile or so. Then give it everything... You should basically expire 2 yards from the line and maybe have the breath to shout your number or tag your relay partner. Have someone on hand to catch you as you fall off the bike, pick you up 5 minutes later when you're no longer purple/blue, and hold your hair out of the way while you throw up.
if you have access to a decent trainer, do a ramp test asap (to give you time to recover from it before the race), find your 1 hour threshold, and ride to 95-98% of that - either by preference with a power meter, or failing that a good HRM. Don't worry about the speed, just worry about riding as hard as you can, and the speed will come. I'll not lie to you though - it's going to hurt! Enjoy :laugh:0 -
Yup trainer in garage with old road bike. Nope to a real trainer that knows what to do.
That is kind of what I thought. I just completed my training for a 200k, so I'm good I'd just like to be better.In two weeks you are pretty much where you are. You can perhaps look at/ride the course and plan out your gearing, cornering, etc to maximize what you've already got.
Well you should have a base level of fitness that is good enough to get some use out of threshold intervals. You have a trainer?0 -
Always a ray of sunshine Yin. Thanks for the layout, first few miles are always crappy.I'm assuming it's a non-drafting event - so in effect a 25 mile time-trial...
My approach to a 25 was quite simple... As it's a relay, I'm guessing you don't have a "start time" so can't warm up properly, but do try and ride yourself in a bit if possible. Go out at a reasonable pace, not full gas, but maybe around 85% for a couple of miles, then "just" wind it up to just short of blowing until the last mile or so. Then give it everything... You should basically expire 2 yards from the line and maybe have the breath to shout your number or tag your relay partner. Have someone on hand to catch you as you fall off the bike, pick you up 5 minutes later when you're no longer purple/blue, and hold your hair out of the way while you throw up.
if you have access to a decent trainer, do a ramp test asap (to give you time to recover from it before the race), find your 1 hour threshold, and ride to 95-98% of that - either by preference with a power meter, or failing that a good HRM. Don't worry about the speed, just worry about riding as hard as you can, and the speed will come. I'll not lie to you though - it's going to hurt! Enjoy :laugh:0 -
1) As Scott said, check out the course, ideally pre-ride the course in early AM when there is little traffic. Think about how you can safely get through the corners without having to scrub much speed (typically scrub some speed before the corner).
2) Wear a tight jersey...assuming you'll be able to stay above 20mph, aerodynamic drag is your enemy. Don't wear loose cycling clothes that will catch the wind (why racers wear skin suits when they time trial).
3) Ideally, you would want to use aerobars, but if you have never ridden with them before, two weeks is not long enough time to become proficient on a course that may have corners. Second best solution is to ride in the drops as much as you can, again, the purpose being to reduce drag (resulting in more speed for equivalent power output).
4) Be well hydrated before the race, and if possible only go for a bottle once or twice during the race. Each time you grab the bottle you are scrubbing speed and losing time. But absolutely drink if you need to drink. You should not need to eat during a 40k (25mi).
5) Know the rules. As Yin said, this is likely a non-drafting tri, which means there are rules related to how closely you can follow other bikes, and rules related to passing other bikes. There are also very strict rules in the transition areas related to having your helmet fastened, and often a well-defined line where you must dismount from your bike prior to entering transition. Know exactly how you are going to transfer you timing chip from you to your runner...you may want to have the swim team member actually do the transfer from your ankle to your runner's ankle (if not prohibited by rule). Know exactly where your runner will be standing after you re-rack the bike and run over to him or her at team transition (where your runner will be depends on how the tri organizer wants to set up the race...just know where they will be at).
6) Check out your bike two days before the race. Make sure your tires do not have significant nicks or cuts that may result in a flat during the race. Tighten the bolts on the bike (cranks, chain rings, deraillerur brackets, seat tube collar, etc.).Make sure the chain is lubed. Do not make any significant changes to the bike set up prior to the race (ie. adjust the saddle, new shoes, new pedals). Make sure your cleats are not overly worn and are tight on your shoes.
Good luck, be safe, and have fun!0 -
What is your current set up; front and rear sprocket sizes etc?0
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What is your current set up; front and rear sprocket sizes etc?
Honestly Clog, I don't know, I've been riding for a few years and I get better with the tchnical side, but I'm not there yet. I have a Madone 5.2 with an ultegra compact double, probably most common ratio. It's better on the climb from my old standard double, but my top end speed took a big hit. I'm a WV girl so I like to climb and typically I train more hills than flats. I'm also pretty small which bodes well on the uphills but seems to give me less power on the flats, or that could just be my lack of training in that area.0 -
Lot of good points there, the others I'm riding with are quite into tri's and are aware of the fact that they need to teach me race etiquette and transistion technique. I've never used aero bars, but am quite comfortable in the drops and have some snug jerseys to choose from, and equppment is in good condition, but cornering especially on the downhill is my weakness. I've seen a course map but not with elevation profile but its at a place called Mount Sterling so I'm guessing there will be some climbing involved. I'll not be able to ride the course before hand, but will at least drive it the night before. Thanks for the pointers. Would a small camel back be better than a single waterbottle (hubby has one that sits on the waist and holds about 1 water bottle he uses for long runs), or are those taboo?1) As Scott said, check out the course, ideally pre-ride the course in early AM when there is little traffic. Think about how you can safely get through the corners without having to scrub much speed (typically scrub some speed before the corner).
2) Wear a tight jersey...assuming you'll be able to stay above 20mph, aerodynamic drag is your enemy. Don't wear loose cycling clothes that will catch the wind (why racers wear skin suits when they time trial).
3) Ideally, you would want to use aerobars, but if you have never ridden with them before, two weeks is not long enough time to become proficient on a course that may have corners. Second best solution is to ride in the drops as much as you can, again, the purpose being to reduce drag (resulting in more speed for equivalent power output).
4) Be well hydrated before the race, and if possible only go for a bottle once or twice during the race. Each time you grab the bottle you are scrubbing speed and losing time. But absolutely drink if you need to drink. You should not need to eat during a 40k (25mi).
5) Know the rules. As Yin said, this is likely a non-drafting tri, which means there are rules related to how closely you can follow other bikes, and rules related to passing other bikes. There are also very strict rules in the transition areas related to having your helmet fastened, and often a well-defined line where you must dismount from your bike prior to entering transition. Know exactly how you are going to transfer you timing chip from you to your runner...you may want to have the swim team member actually do the transfer from your ankle to your runner's ankle (if not prohibited by rule). Know exactly where your runner will be standing after you re-rack the bike and run over to him or her at team transition (where your runner will be depends on how the tri organizer wants to set up the race...just know where they will be at).
6) Check out your bike two days before the race. Make sure your tires do not have significant nicks or cuts that may result in a flat during the race. Tighten the bolts on the bike (cranks, chain rings, deraillerur brackets, seat tube collar, etc.).Make sure the chain is lubed. Do not make any significant changes to the bike set up prior to the race (ie. adjust the saddle, new shoes, new pedals). Make sure your cleats are not overly worn and are tight on your shoes.
Good luck, be safe, and have fun!0 -
What is your current set up; front and rear sprocket sizes etc?
... probably most common ratio...
In that case you will probably have a 50/36 on the front. To increase speed, you can go to a 52/38 on the front, but this will alter the gearing for climbing etc.0 -
Lot of good points there, the others I'm riding with are quite into tri's and are aware of the fact that they need to teach me race etiquette and transistion technique. I've never used aero bars, but am quite comfortable in the drops and have some snug jerseys to choose from, and equppment is in good condition, but cornering especially on the downhill is my weakness. I've seen a course map but not with elevation profile but its at a place called Mount Sterling so I'm guessing there will be some climbing involved. I'll not be able to ride the course before hand, but will at least drive it the night before. Thanks for the pointers. Would a small camel back be better than a single waterbottle (hubby has one that sits on the waist and holds about 1 water bottle he uses for long runs), or are those taboo?1) As Scott said, check out the course, ideally pre-ride the course in early AM when there is little traffic. Think about how you can safely get through the corners without having to scrub much speed (typically scrub some speed before the corner).
2) Wear a tight jersey...assuming you'll be able to stay above 20mph, aerodynamic drag is your enemy. Don't wear loose cycling clothes that will catch the wind (why racers wear skin suits when they time trial).
3) Ideally, you would want to use aerobars, but if you have never ridden with them before, two weeks is not long enough time to become proficient on a course that may have corners. Second best solution is to ride in the drops as much as you can, again, the purpose being to reduce drag (resulting in more speed for equivalent power output).
4) Be well hydrated before the race, and if possible only go for a bottle once or twice during the race. Each time you grab the bottle you are scrubbing speed and losing time. But absolutely drink if you need to drink. You should not need to eat during a 40k (25mi).
5) Know the rules. As Yin said, this is likely a non-drafting tri, which means there are rules related to how closely you can follow other bikes, and rules related to passing other bikes. There are also very strict rules in the transition areas related to having your helmet fastened, and often a well-defined line where you must dismount from your bike prior to entering transition. Know exactly how you are going to transfer you timing chip from you to your runner...you may want to have the swim team member actually do the transfer from your ankle to your runner's ankle (if not prohibited by rule). Know exactly where your runner will be standing after you re-rack the bike and run over to him or her at team transition (where your runner will be depends on how the tri organizer wants to set up the race...just know where they will be at).
6) Check out your bike two days before the race. Make sure your tires do not have significant nicks or cuts that may result in a flat during the race. Tighten the bolts on the bike (cranks, chain rings, deraillerur brackets, seat tube collar, etc.).Make sure the chain is lubed. Do not make any significant changes to the bike set up prior to the race (ie. adjust the saddle, new shoes, new pedals). Make sure your cleats are not overly worn and are tight on your shoes.
Good luck, be safe, and have fun!
Camel backs are fine. Whatever you will be most comfortable with go with. Riding in the drops gives you pretty much the same aero advantage as bars so no big deal. Drafting rule is as follows: You must stay 3 bike lengths back from the rider in front of you if not passing. When passing you have 30 seconds to complete the pass. Riders who are passed must immediately fall back. Depending on how well you ride you're looking at an hour to hour and fifteen of riding. I say blow it out on the flats and down hills and recover a little on the climbs. Generally for an Oly I keep my HR in the 160 area, but I also have a 10k to run afterwards so you could probably go a bit higher.0 -
Camel backs are fine.
Oh no they aren't; they directly contravene rule #32!
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
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Camel backs are fine.
Oh no they aren't; they directly contravene rule #32!
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
First of all rules for roadies are dumb and don't apply to triathletes.
But you're right I wouldn't be caught dead with a camelback on.
Secondly at least OP is riding a road bike and not a mountain bike or hybrid.0 -
First of all rules for roadies are dumb and don't apply to triathletes.
More contravention of the rules; rule #1 & rule #42!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
For the record I don't typically ride with a camelpack because they look like crap, but I wondered about the trade off for ease of use for this application. I tend to have a rough time with hydration, and think I'd rather look stupid than lose time every time I reached or more specifically when I replace the bottle.0
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First of all rules for roadies are dumb and don't apply to triathletes.
More contravention of the rules; rule #1 & rule #42!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Oh trust me. We don't claim to hold bike races.0 -
For the record I don't typically ride with a camelpack because they look like crap, but I wondered about the trade off for ease of use for this application. I tend to have a rough time with hydration, and think I'd rather look stupid than lose time every time I reached or more specifically when I replace the bottle.
Drink plenty beforehand, take a "disposable" bidon with you. when desperate (or if a downhill allows it without "breaking aero" too much) drink it and drop it. For a short event like a 25 (well - it's under a hour, surely!) I never bothered with a bottle tbh - just drank well before and after ( though I did occasionally use the old-school cyclocross trick of putting a wedge of lime/lemon under my skinsuit on my shoulder, and if my mouth was dry I'd bite on that.)0 -
Alright checked out elevation profile and it is flat as a pancake, not what I wanted to hear since most of my training over the last few months has focused on climbing (ride was canceled, but I was ready for 200k with 2600m of climb). Here is the plan...
1) hydrate well starting now.
2) eat at maintanence and hit macros starting now.
3) take extra crap off of bike, 1 bottle (unlike local long rides I promise not to wrap a ball cap around my bars - no matter how bad my hair looks)
4) Do 60 minutes (or until I puke) of threshhold intervals on the trainer every other day until about 3 days prior to ride.
5) Take as much ibuprofen as my liver and kidneys can stand
6) Drive the course the night before, from the looks of it it will be all big gear all the time, only one elevation change and its short & doesn't look steep probably just stand it up.
6) Ride hard, then ride harder, then have a beer or a few.
Thanks y'all!
Nikki0 -
Sounds like you have a grand plan there Nikki :-D You'll smash it I'm sure!!
That said - had I found out a ride was mainly flat I would have been jumping for joy - a chance to go for some real speed demoning. I still HATE hills....when does hate slowly melt to love/hate and then become love?!?!!!! Oh and I hate wind too - unless it's behind me but that never friggin happens!!!0 -
Sounds like you have a grand plan there Nikki :-D You'll smash it I'm sure!!
That said - had I found out a ride was mainly flat I would have been jumping for joy - a chance to go for some real speed demoning. I still HATE hills....when does hate slowly melt to love/hate and then become love?!?!!!! Oh and I hate wind too - unless it's behind me but that never friggin happens!!!
I started loving hills when I decided to quit dreading them. I used to roll up and say "Oh, ****, hope I can get up it" made it about 70%. Then one day on an 18% grade section from hell with riders on each side, I couldn't get off my damn bike without wrecking us all, and you know what, I made it up. From that point on I decided to change my tune to "If I made it up Dry Run, I can make it up this" and I started making 95% of my climbs, but I still doubted on the long steep. Then I got a little more confindent and I started planning my rides so that I hit every hard hill from Point A to Point B and back, and now my self talk is "Bring it on, you've got nothing I can't handle" and I haven't failed a climb since. I found a killer loop at a local park and rode repeats, God they sucked, but I timed my loop and saw improvement on the ups & downs (down is harder for me mentally). Let the mind take your body for a ride, don't let it stop you.0 -
...had I found out a ride was mainly flat I would have been jumping for joy - a chance to go for some real speed demoning. I still HATE hills....when does hate slowly melt to love/hate and then become love?!?!!!! Oh and I hate wind too - unless it's behind me but that never friggin happens!!!
You should come out for a ride to the east of where I live Fran... if you look at some of the 100k rides I do sundays, you'd see that nearly all the hills are in the 6 miles around where the ride starts from - once you get maybe 7 miles east of me you're into the flat stuff allmost all the way to the coast! Can't guarantee it'll not be windy though
Oh - and I found that I started to enjoy hills when I got my body fat % into single figures... so this time around, I'm guessing that I've a LOT of hill hating left 0 -
For the record I don't typically ride with a camelpack because they look like crap, but I wondered about the trade off for ease of use for this application. I tend to have a rough time with hydration, and think I'd rather look stupid than lose time every time I reached or more specifically when I replace the bottle.
Not to hijack the thread but Camelbak's have their place. I recently rode up Glendora Mountain Road (GMR to locals) and there is NO WATER from the base to Mt. Baldy Village which is about 23 miles from the base and the climbing is rather steady and some rather serious elevation gain. I just did the "gate to the shack" and that was over 2600 feet of elevation gain in 8+ miles.
Here is my first attempt and I took two bottles and used them both up reaching the turn around at the shack.
http://app.strava.com/rides/17770453
Here is the 2nd attempt on a day that was about 95 degrees by the time we reached the shack. I used up two bottles and nearly all the hydration in my Camelbak by the time reached that point:
http://app.strava.com/rides/20511420
For what you are doing...a camelbak is not truly necessary so I would go with bottle(s) on bike instead.0 -
For the record I don't typically ride with a camelpack because they look like crap, but I wondered about the trade off for ease of use for this application. I tend to have a rough time with hydration, and think I'd rather look stupid than lose time every time I reached or more specifically when I replace the bottle.
Not to hijack the thread but Camelbak's have their place. I recently rode up Glendora Mountain Road (GMR to locals) and there is NO WATER from the base to Mt. Baldy Village which is about 23 miles from the base and the climbing is rather steady and some rather serious elevation gain. I just did the "gate to the shack" and that was over 2600 feet of elevation gain in 8+ miles.
Here is my first attempt and I took two bottles and used them both up reaching the turn around at the shack.
http://app.strava.com/rides/17770453
Here is the 2nd attempt on a day that was about 95 degrees by the time we reached the shack. I used up two bottles and nearly all the hydration in my Camelbak by the time reached that point:
http://app.strava.com/rides/20511420
For what you are doing...a camelbak is not truly necessary so I would go with bottle(s) on bike instead.
I use them if I'm riding solo in no mans land for > 50 miles, but try to plan rides around refueling options when possible.0 -
...had I found out a ride was mainly flat I would have been jumping for joy - a chance to go for some real speed demoning. I still HATE hills....when does hate slowly melt to love/hate and then become love?!?!!!! Oh and I hate wind too - unless it's behind me but that never friggin happens!!!
You should come out for a ride to the east of where I live Fran... if you look at some of the 100k rides I do sundays, you'd see that nearly all the hills are in the 6 miles around where the ride starts from - once you get maybe 7 miles east of me you're into the flat stuff allmost all the way to the coast! Can't guarantee it'll not be windy though
Oh - and I found that I started to enjoy hills when I got my body fat % into single figures... so this time around, I'm guessing that I've a LOT of hill hating left
Sounds good to me, I need to vary my routes, I could do some research and plug in some routes to my Garmin, that's what I got it for in the first place, I just haven't quite got it to give me instructions when I'm supposed to turn yet - but I'll figure it out !!!
I don't struggle to get up the hills with regards to my legs, they're fine, it's my breathing - I have exercise induced asthma and can struggle when trying to breathe in hard, especially if it's cold. I take a couple of puffs of the inhaler before I leave and that generally that means that my throat doesn't close up so I can get my breath, but it's still hard. I'm hoping as my fitness keeps improving that I won't need the inhaler so much!!
And thanks for your tips Notfortyyet too, I can't imagine I'd ever want to do repeats, but there are plenty of hilly routes near me I could go out on if I get braver and fitter, up Winter Hill or Rivington Pike which are Bolton way, a few miles from where I live0 -
Franny, I actually have exercised induced asthma also and it is one of the reasons I used to fail (sometimes spectacularly), especially on long climbs. I'd hit it too hard at the beginning and once my breathing passed a certain rate it would spike my heart rate to the point that I couldn't recover on the climb and had to get off and walk.
Here is how I've learned to deal with it... I still attack the hills, but my main focus on my climb has to be the breathing or I blow up. When I start to edge toward gasping, I lower cadence (or gear) and let my body catch up a bit, then I bump it back up (often bump up a few gears & stand to regain momentum & power). If I pass that point and get to gasping its all over. So basically I try to ride on the edge. That being said, if its a short steep (If I can see the top), I risk it because I can usually rush the top before I max out and recover on the down.0
