Advice on getting quicker on the bike ....

[Hacienda71]

Buy the Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. It gives you structured training advice that is tried and tested.

 

[Tiny01]

From that Strava segment that was posted, I know someone else on that ride and you did it faster than him, me and him are very much on a par with each other, and I can post well under 28 for a 10 mile TT on a normal road bike, so stick a number on your back and I would not be surprised if you did a 26-27 minute on a normal bike.
North Weald racing is TLI racing, http://www.tlicycling.org.uk ( Not BC or LVRC) you have to join but ts fairly cheap. I used to to do them, very good intro into racing, generally no one gives a monkey's about the result and I found it fairly safe and you get to race against all sorts,pro cyclists, racing snakes, young,old,female etc. Usually split into 2 groups, fast boys and then the odds and sods. I used to race in the odds and sods.
Dunton is BC go-race usually though the LVRC do race there as well. The Go-Races can be really fast as well but in a lot of peoples opinion not as safe as the LVRC.

LVRC http://www.lvrc.org.uk is the League of Veteran Racing Cyclists, its who you race when you want the poop kicked out of you. You have to be over 40 to join. Then its broken down into 5 year age groups. So I'm a C ( 50-55) , you would be a B ( 45-50) . The races may well put A+B together then B+C all the way up to over 80's or sometimes they put ABCD in one race the rest in the other.However your result is only against your age group, so you can come 10th in the actual race but 1st in your age category. They are serious, I have raced with them in the past and always got a good pummeling. You will find ex pro's, people who have been racing all their lives then the likes of me who are late starters and fancy themselves. Its very safe I found, just very fast. Its cheaper than BC ( britich cycling) . They do road races( the road races sometimes get critisised for the lack of safety vehicles usually just one from what I have seen but the experience of the riders usually negates that fact IMO) and also criterium races mainly at Hog Hill ( redbridge cycle centre) , Dunton and the cyclepark in Kent. Its worth just turning up for one race so you know how much of a mountain, performance wise you may or may not need to climb. I used to think I was quick overtaking most people on my commute, I then raced with the LVRC and realised my true place in the league of fast old boys.
Sorry for the long post, get more involved with the club and I think you will have a good racing form ahead of you.

Fantastic post thankyou so much for taking the time to post all of that & explain it to me it's really appreciated

 

[Tiny01]

That trace shows you going up a 12% ramp at around 10mph. I do not know how you do that. It's as much as I can do to keep moving at that gradient.

Was advised just the other week to try & remain seated whilst climbing & to select a nice low comfortable gear & to position my hands in the middle of the bars as apposed to on the horns as I had been riding that seems to have helped me up the hills

 

[Tiny01]

Just checked out some of your rides on Strava, what struck me was how low your average and peak HR were. I know we are all different but when I'm pushing it to record a fast time, my HR on one ride was 160 average and max 171. It's often in the mid to late 150s. average. I'll be 47 in a few months so not miles away age wise to you.

This shows as a solo ride on Strava. Your HR 131 average and 150 max.

https://www.strava.com/activities/611161198

That would be quite a steady ride HR wise for me.

I'm no expert on these matters but out of curiosity how hard do you think you felt you were trying as it would seem that HR wise you've got quite a bit of headroom yet?



I've found the same - rather than long steady distance rides that wouldn't push my HR very high, going for segments is like a crude form of interval training. I've seen 186 bpm on a couple of occasions this year.

I'm sure a proper training plan would be more effective but not necessarily quite as much fun.

That ride in particular is one of my normal after work rides that I try & do most evenings if not definetly every other night as long as the weathers kind .

I'd say that I was pushing it , I see it as training so no point messing about might as well just get my head down & push on , it's only going to be hard work for an hour or maybe 2 depending on how far I go & I struggle to ride at what I'd call

I'd say the hardest ride that I've had to date was the tour of Cambridge that I took part in but just looked at my heart rate on that particular ride & it still doesn't seem high at all , though the London to Brighton ride it's getting up in the mid 180's max , on the flat & small lumps I keep moving at a good pace & well within myself I really concentrate on controlling my breathing when riding at a high tempo as well , the hills knock it out of me & this is when I start drawing for breath & the heart gets going .

Guess it's the last couple of years in the gym really concentration on my cardio that has put me in good condition & now I'm seeing the rewards on the bike , it's been hard work though , 2 year ago I was 9 stone heavier than i am currently

 

[Tiny01]

Some people do just have naturally low HRs though - my O/H is like that.
@Tiny01 , I have a notion that you're actually quite tall? That's a good body shape for Time Trialling - long levers apparently.
If you want to get faster, then hill reps and intervals are the things to do.

Yes quite tall 6'5" to be fair it's my height that put me off getting a road bike along time ago as thought I'd of been bent over double & not being able to get comfortable but after my visit to my local Giant bike store a little over 3 months ago now I realise actually how wrong my thoughts were , I love my Giant Defy & feel at one with it on whatever lenght ride I do on it .

I do want to get faster on it & will take yours & the others advice & concentrate on my hill reps & intervals , just reading a book by Geraint Thomas whilst I'm on holiday now & he Sums up climbing very well indeed ....

The bottom line ..... If you want to get better at it , do it more !

Something that I intend to do

 

[Tiny01]

Buy the Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. It gives you structured training advice that is tried and tested.

Thanks , will have a look for that

 

[fimm]

Yes quite tall 6'5" to be fair it's my height that put me off getting a road bike along time ago as thought I'd of been bent over double & not being able to get comfortable....

You might be amused by the photos in this thread:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/big-guy-or-small-bike-you-decide.145778/
(note it is from 2013)

You are at a disadvantage over shorter men when it comes to climbing - the famous power-to-weight ratio favours the short! Something along the lines of although a taller person's muscles are bigger, that means they also weigh more, and the weight goes up faster than the power that you can put out.

 

[Tiny01]

Ha ha good read that thanks for posting he's a big lad for sure !

I'm always getting comments on how long my seat post is , but the bikes so comfortable it come from Giant like that to me after a fitting I won't touch a thing .

Sorted a route & going to be doing hill reps when back from holiday this weekend

 

[outlash]

You're pretty quick after only 2 months, although looking at your rides I'd say it's pretty flat terrain, similar to mine here on the Cambs/Beds border. I think a lot of people find they'll make huge jumps in their ability over the first few months and then plateau out. From there it's up to you how you want to go, you may find being quite a tall chap and the relatively low power/weight ratio that comes with it that heading into more hillier terrain you'll suffer more than others. Something I can sympathise with being 6' 3", my 'performance' (such as it is) on hillier CX courses goes rapidly downhill as the slopes go up. I'd say give yourself another couple of months just riding and see what tickles your fancy before heading into training regimes for a particular discipline. Of course, you could just go out and enjoy the simple of pleasures of riding a bike without getting all worried about speed/cadence/HR and all that stuff .

 

[Karlt]

You're pretty quick after only 2 months, although looking at your rides I'd say it's pretty flat terrain, similar to mine here on the Cambs/Beds border. I think a lot of people find they'll make huge jumps in their ability over the first few months and then plateau out.

Yes, I got a lot faster for the first year but I've not really got any faster since 2013. Having said that, I have put some weight back on so if I got rid of that I'd be a little faster than I was.

 

[Tiny01]

You're pretty quick after only 2 months, although looking at your rides I'd say it's pretty flat terrain, similar to mine here on the Cambs/Beds border. I think a lot of people find they'll make huge jumps in their ability over the first few months and then plateau out. From there it's up to you how you want to go, you may find being quite a tall chap and the relatively low power/weight ratio that comes with it that heading into more hillier terrain you'll suffer more than others. Something I can sympathise with being 6' 3", my 'performance' (such as it is) on hillier CX courses goes rapidly downhill as the slopes go up. I'd say give yourself another couple of months just riding and see what tickles your fancy before heading into training regimes for a particular discipline. Of course, you could just go out and enjoy the simple of pleasures of riding a bike without getting all worried about speed/cadence/HR and all that stuff .

Oh yes I enjoy it have no fear of that ! Just wish I'd started a bit earlier in life but eh you can't do everything though I like to have a good try !

Cambs/Beds border ahhhh that'll be similar terrain to that of the tour of Cambride that I participated in earlier this year I'd imagine ? Them horrid horrid long flat uninspiring roads that just go on & on & on ! Any slight breeze feels like a gale of wind in your face , I was very happy to get away from there & back on my home turf after that event I know that !

 

[outlash]

Cambs/Beds border ahhhh that'll be similar terrain to that of the tour of Cambride that I participated in earlier this year I'd imagine ? Them horrid horrid long flat uninspiring roads that just go on & on & on ! Any slight breeze feels like a gale of wind in your face , I was very happy to get away from there & back on my home turf after that event I know that !

Most of the ToC was on the wrong side of the A1 IMO, I'm a regular user of the roads of the start until the route crossed the A1 at Alconbury but those fen roads on the other side I avoid like the plague! Hence I wouldn't ride it. I live in St. Neots, far enough away from the flatlands to avoid them fortunately .

 

[Tiny01]

Buy the Time Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. It gives you structured training advice that is tried and tested.

Found it , ordered it , just to try & find time to read it now !

Just flicked through quickly & looks really good thanks for the reccomendation

 

[mjr]

Bloody hell - I could manage that average on a very flat run, but I've been riding five years and I'm the same age. This is just depressing!

I take refuge in my health really not being good enough to even contemplate competing with that!

I've written before somewhere that I do worry about the faster faster faster crowd when they get old enough that they stop getting faster. Will they discover the joy of other types of cycling, stop or worse?

 

[Tiny01]

Had my 1st ride back after a weeks holiday partying in Ibiza last week this morning a lovely day it was here in Essex I may add also ..

Strava returned 50.1 miles 2hr 37 with an average of 19.1mph , struggled getting the heart rate up again though average 133bpm with a max of 151bpm , elevation gained 1375 feet max elevation 154feet

Great to be back on the bike after a week lazing about in the sunshine !