# Fartlek Training On A Bike?



## Slow But Determined (3 Jan 2019)

Back when I was a lot younger and did a lot of running, fartlek training was a very good way to improve my overall running.

Does anybody adapt it to cycle training and if so has it shown any benefits.

Must admit when I go for a cycle, I do just that, never think to put in any form of interval training.


----------



## Sharky (3 Jan 2019)

Yep, unstructured interval training, sprinting for sign posts and hill tops with club mates and then easing off. Still do it now, but with slightly less vigour.


----------



## OnTheRopes (3 Jan 2019)

Bernard Hinault in his old training book used to suggest Fartlek training (off the bike) as good winter cross training for cycling


----------



## Yellow Saddle (3 Jan 2019)

If you want to race, you have to include structured fartlek in your training regimen. If you just ride for fun or commute, it has less value. 

It is so much fun racing against people who don't understand what advantage fartlek training gives you in peloton riding or in the hills on MTB.


----------



## Rusty Nails (3 Jan 2019)

Is there much of a difference between what I used to know as fartlek training and the more modern term HIIT?

I always used the fartlek system when I ran and continued doing it when I took up cycling.


----------



## Yellow Saddle (3 Jan 2019)

Rusty Nails said:


> Is there much of a difference between what I used to know as fartlek training and the more modern term HIIT?
> 
> I always used the fartlek system when I ran and continued doing it when I took up cycling.



It is the same. I think it is the PC brigade that doesn't like the fart part of the lek, that's changed the name.

You can also call it interval training, if you like. It is basically a training regimen that trains the body to deal with frequent, high intensity intervals by recovering quicker than a non-adapted athlete.


----------



## lane (3 Jan 2019)

I would say interval training is a bit more structured e.g. 3@20 mins at X % of max HR or LTHR whereas fartlek is less structured ride hard for a bit ride easy for a bit. Both are valid forms of training for cycling partly comes down to the sort of person you are and how much you like structure. Also fartlek is sometimes used early in a training programme to prepare for a more structured interval approach.


----------



## midlife (3 Jan 2019)

Did that in the 70's........always made me laugh. At the age of 16 Fartlek was just *soooo* funny


----------



## Yellow Saddle (3 Jan 2019)

midlife said:


> Did that in the 70's........always made me laugh. At the age of 16 Fartlek was just *soooo* funny



I vividly remember a primary school incident in our school library. The librarian scolded a boy who giggled when he heard the word "title" and then saw it being written on the blackboard. 

Life was so much funnier then.

I think I'm up for some fartlek on my next ride.


----------



## Ming the Merciless (3 Jan 2019)

Differs from intervals in that it is generally unstructured as to how long and how hard you go for each sprint. Make sure you find a quiet road or lane to undertake it with suitable sections between junctions etc.


----------



## Shortandcrisp (4 Jan 2019)

Changes of pace are what make you fitter and faster on a bike in my opinion. Fartlek and structured intervals both achieve this aim. Personally, my best gains on a bike always came from just riding around on the bike with several tough efforts of varying duration thrown in.

Ps. First attempt at typing Fartlek was autocorrected to Fart leak!


----------



## Ming the Merciless (4 Jan 2019)

Shortandcrisp said:


> Changes of pace are what make you fitter and faster on a bike in my opinion. Fartlek and structured intervals both achieve this aim. Personally, my best gains on a bike always came from just riding around on the bike with several tough efforts of varying duration thrown in.
> 
> Ps. First attempt at typing Fartlek was autocorrected to Fart leak!



A fart leak can get you that extra boost of speed during a fartlek.


----------



## ColinJ (4 Jan 2019)

Most of the rides that I do round here are 'fartlek'-style. We have such a variety of hills that it is almost inevitable. If I come to a 30 metre long ramp at 15% then I will stand up and sprint up it. 100+ metres at 20%, change to my bottom gear and grovel. 8 kms at 3.2% (Cragg Vale climb) - a long sustained effort, whereas going back down that hill is a gloriously easy spin in top gear. Going down the steep stuff - freewheel. Flat valley roads with a tailwind - ride flat out. Valley road into a headwind, probably just ride at a steady, comfortable pace.


----------



## normgow (23 Jan 2019)

Years ago (here I go again) there was an article in "Sporting Cyclist" about Percy Cerutty who was Herb Elliot's trainer. One of his theories was that the human body didn't receive energy in a constant stream but in surges or as he called them pulses.
He suggested that a cyclist could increase his or her average speed by the following method: Ride along at a good pace, not top speed then make four pedal revolutions faster, then revert to the original speed for four revs. then four again at high speed and so on.
This is not classic Fartlek training but certainly a variant thereof. Percy Cerutty called this "pulse pedalling". Herb Elliot was reputed to use it in his running training, four fast steps then four faster steps.
It's pretty strenuous but could show results especially for people with restricted available time.
It is probably best practised alone as trying it in a group would soon raise a few protests.


----------



## Ming the Merciless (27 Jan 2019)

Fartlek means speed play I believe and certainly is a useful discipline if you want to ride faster. As with all training consistency and frequency are key. Too little and the adaptions will not be significant, too much and you will burn out.


----------

