Dusty Bin
Guest
You need coaching in order to enjoy your cycling?
Curcuit race training
- Thread starter Andy_G
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
You need coaching in order to enjoy your cycling?
Mr Haematocrit
msg me on kik for android
- Location
- Out of the saddle
No I use coaching to help me improve my performance and technique. One of the many aspects of cycling I enjoy is seeing myself improve and get stronger, but I also enjoy greatly the social aspect of cycling, I'm not willing to sacrifice one for the other.
At the moment I have a new MTB coach as improving technique in this displine will permit me to get greater future enjoyment from it
Dusty Bin
Guest
A couple of good turbo sessions and a mid week chaingang is what you need. Or just ride the winter series. If you are in the Hillingdon area, it's all on your doorstep...
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Maybe the coach wasn't very clear. Unless the clubrun is pushing you into over training territory or sapping freshness pre-race it is unlikely to slow you down, however, a traditional clubrun is unlikely to contribute efficiently to getting faster.
Dusty Bin
Guest
I suspect the coach meant 'slow you down' as in 'it will do naff-all for your race fitness'
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
It might slow your progress that is for sure. When I knocked it on the head to train alone indoors, March through Sept my progress went through the roof. However for someone less fit, like I was when I became a club cyclist, club riding can bring about huge gains as well (did for me).
Unfortunately my club is geared towards time trials and not road racing and that's a draw back.
Even though I've only been a member for just under a year I might leave, only because I want that extra push and I know there's 3 other local clubs that are more road race minded.
Even though I've only been a member for just under a year I might leave, only because I want that extra push and I know there's 3 other local clubs that are more road race minded.
If you have the fairly typical 8-10 hours a week to train AND race, then a 4-6 hour club run with a coffee stop will use up a disproportionate amount of your time, for little benefit in terms of race specific fitness. Club runs are social affairs that cater to that side of cycling. To get better at road racing you need a lot more intensity, and you need to be able to run your own training sessions in a way that fits in with your training plan. If you want to make some of that social, then find a mid-week chain gang. Otherwise just use the club runs as a social/recovery affair, but don't expect they will do much for your race fitness.
I only really do club rides as part of unstructured riding in my off-months - that's August and February. I just don't have time for them the rest of the year.
I only really do club rides as part of unstructured riding in my off-months - that's August and February. I just don't have time for them the rest of the year.
Ok then so if you was me how would you train.
I finish work at 7pm ish which leaves me about 3 he's a night and say I don't go on club runs.
I bought the joe friel training bible but that just confuses me and the season will be over by the time I read it.
I finish work at 7pm ish which leaves me about 3 he's a night and say I don't go on club runs.
I bought the joe friel training bible but that just confuses me and the season will be over by the time I read it.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Alone, on a turbo trainer, consistently and progressively. 90 mins max per session.
Plus a weekly chaingang or some sort of circuit training (as in training on your bike, on a crit circuit or a simulated crit circuit, not pushups and whatnot) once a week to work on bunch skills and cornering. Not needed for a time triallist really, I don't do it (and it shows, my bike handling is dire vs that of a road racer or crit racer), but would be imo pretty much critical for a road racer or crit racer since bike handling goes a long way, as does knowing where to stick your front wheel and when.
Plus a weekly chaingang or some sort of circuit training (as in training on your bike, on a crit circuit or a simulated crit circuit, not pushups and whatnot) once a week to work on bunch skills and cornering. Not needed for a time triallist really, I don't do it (and it shows, my bike handling is dire vs that of a road racer or crit racer), but would be imo pretty much critical for a road racer or crit racer since bike handling goes a long way, as does knowing where to stick your front wheel and when.
Last edited:
Dusty Bin
Guest
What time do you start work? A team mate of mine is out the door at 5am most days and puts in a three hour ride before going to work. I hear lots of people saying that they 'don't have the time to train' - but I also know some very good amateur racers who work extremely long and unsocial hours and they are still comfortable at 2nd cat or above...
Th
As far as I'm aware in our club we only have 3 riders who want to race and it's a nightmare trying to get together during the week, hence maybe I should look at another club.
The problem with our club runs is that it only averages 17 mph and is always slowing down to let the others catch up.
As far as I'm aware in our club we only have 3 riders who want to race and it's a nightmare trying to get together during the week, hence maybe I should look at another club.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Forget about the club run predicament, it is a non-issue.
Get together with those other racers in your club and talk to them. Otherwise ride with a collection of racers local to you, you needn't always ride with just your club, chances are some racers from your club, ride with some racers from another club/team etc, try get yourself involved with that.
Get together with those other racers in your club and talk to them. Otherwise ride with a collection of racers local to you, you needn't always ride with just your club, chances are some racers from your club, ride with some racers from another club/team etc, try get yourself involved with that.
