First year racing this year, managed to learn how to ride in a bunch a little tidier and got my 3rd Cat license a few weeks back, I’ll do a 3/2nd crit before the seasons end just to get an idea of what to expect next year.

The majority of races this year have been handicaps or 4th Cat crits,
did a couple of 2/3/4 road races, got shelled mid-race (with most other 4ths) in one and fell away from the bunch on a mountain top finish on the other.

I’m really looking to stay with the bunch next year and hopefully do a bit better in the sprints.

Last winter I usually did a long road ride 4/5hrs on the Saturday then a hours blast on the CX on the Sunday, while commuting 25mile total each day 4 days a week. What one thing do you think would give the most benefit while run with a good training program?

a. Turbo trainer
b. Turbo trainer with power reading
c. A good set of lights / decent winter kit
d. Power meter
e. None of the above

I was planning to get a new race bike over the winter but I doubt I’ll be any quicker than on the commute (maybe just upgrade the wheels) so was thinking if I’d be better putting the funds towards winter training gear.

Depends really on how you feel about turbo trainers…

I’d suggest you’ve got good volume but are lacking intensity, so it’s prop worth from Decemberish say introducing turbo sessions once a week as a minimum – do various interval training sessions, and if you can handle the monotony of it, do another session a week as season approaches.

If you can’t, get out in the wet/cold, enjoy being in the outside and do similar sessions – along will hill work in prep. for hilly events.

I wouldn’t be too bothered about spending loads on a fancy turbo, just a basic one, a HRM and some structured sessions – plenty of good training books.

Your training is not to disimilar to mine with the exception of midweek structured sessions as oppossed to commuting. And I don’t race anymore or not this year anyway.

I’d suggest a dedicated race club as oppossed to a club with fast riders.
But there’s a lot you’re not telling us i.e distances, pace etc.

Anyway what about a season of cross or midweek track sessions?

I was told simply by a US masters road race champion. If I’m going to ride long, then ride very long and steady. And also do shorter rides at about 25mph avarage. Obviously that’s just a massive generalisation from him.
But it is a minefield, last night someone was telling me their son just trained on the track for a few hours a week then got points in 75 mile road races at the weekend.

well, i’d say turbo/rollers personally and structured training.

I also started my 1st year of road racing this year. I’m still a 4th cat (with 1 point) but i’ve never done any 4th cat only races.

I do think it is hard to move up to 3rd cat if you’re not doing 4th cat only races. I found I can hang in there quite easily in 3/4 crit races and finish in the bunch in a 3/4 road race. But most of the road races i’ve found are 2/3/4. The 2/3/4 road race i did was an absolute pasting.. then again the majority were 2nd cats (and very good 2nd cats i’m told)

The thing with a power meter you need to know what you’re doing and be able to work with the data. I had the benefit of doing 2 fitness tests so i knew exactly what my power and HR zones were.

Once you know these you can do much more quality and structured training session

I had the intention of moving up to 3rd cat at the end of the season but have had a rethink.

i actually think i could pick up some points in 4th cat only crit races as i can go with breaks in 3/4 races but I don’t want to now. Even with 3rd cat i’d still be in the same races.

I’m refocussing on next year and getting stronger for road races (where you can’t hide) probably get flamed for this but the crit races i’ve done don’t feel like proper races.

Oh.. You’re gunna wake the haterz to this thread with the roadie content!

Basic turbo and a cheap HRM.

Interval sessions, hill reps and some sprint sessions from Jan-Feb through to start of racing season. Just build these into your commute if you are short on time. I was in a club and our coach gave me a basic plan to follow.

Use a HRM too & don’t try to ride hard all the time. Its all about quality rather than quantity.

Do a recovery ride the day after you race – i found this really useful (fairly high cadence + low HR).

Also when racing, concentrate alot on bunch position, stay near the front and watch the stronger riders. Its alot easier being near the front, than hanging on and chasing out of corners at the back.

Good luck.

I doubt I’d get on with the power meter approach ‘like hiring an accountant to tell you your skint’… I’m not a big one for analysing sessions etc and I’d expect it to just tell me to get back out and do more/longer threshold sessions.

I started putting in some specific CX training last week, 3×15 minute Z4/5 hill sessions on the big old hill behind the house, it’s mainly fireroad to the top but I’ve founded easier to keep the heart rate up off-road for some reason, it’s a 5 minute roll back down so I use that as the recovery, I’ll look to keep this up until the season starts and then reduce to once a week.

The 4th cat only’s weren’t just looking for easy points TD! It’s just what was available locally, don’t judge me!! 😀

I’ve had a turbo before and tbh hated it, the snow and ice did put a big dent in getting out last winter and I’d say with a specific approach It’d be a lot more worth while.

I really should give road racing a go again. I ride more than the OP does all year round and I ride it all fast. I’ll probably win everyone.

Race more.
Part of it is just the tactics and technique in positioning, drafting etc, some of it is luck and you can train as hard as you want but racing is the best training of all (so long as you get some decent recovery between them).

Personally I’d say power-meters are for pro roadies with personal trainers, people who actually know what they’re doing, not just some numbers for a 4th Cat to boast about (that probably sounds a bit harsh but there’s plenty of things you’d be better off spending the money on – a week or two in Spain/Majorca for starters!)

Keep a diary of your training and racing, that way you’ll be able to spot any trends, see where you went well, the training you’d done to get there etc.
“Training” without a specific goal and without any record of what you’ve done is pretty much pointless. You’ve got your goal (get to 3rd cat within x amount of time), now break that down into chunks, find the races to do, once you’ve worked that out then you can start to train for them. It’s no good doing 5hr rides if you’re training for a 40 min crit for example…

Oh and good luck! Also don’t turn it into a points chasing exercise, do it cos you enjoy it. 🙂

A lot of miles there, but not much quality targetted training.

I’d not bother with a turbo trainer, just do some intervals on local roads.

More miles does not mean better training.

Race more.
Part of it is just the tactics and technique in positioning, drafting etc, some of it is luck and you can train as hard as you want but racing is the best training of all (so long as you get some decent recovery between them).

+1

I found half the battle was getting confident in the bunch and confidence in myself to stay with breaks. 1st few crits i did i was getting mullered in the wind. After a while i used each one as a training session. 1 week i would aim to move through the bunch without going outside and to the front. Next one I would sprint after guys making breakaways and see how long i could stay with them.

I found this gave me real confidence.

Also echo the power and numbers thing. I got a little too obsessed when i had my fitness test at the start of training and beginning of season but i soon realised numbers didn’t really mean much as there was so much more to racing.

Wot molgrips said ^

From what you say it’s your stregnth and speed that is getting you dropped rather than your endurance / stamina.

Have you read any Friel?

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=friel+cyclist%27s+training+bible&hl=en

I did nearly all of my base training over the winter on rollers for an hour at a time (and this was prescribed by my coach) and it worked wonders for me

IMO intervals on a turbo/rollers are far better then outside

chaingangs to end of season then CX racing through autumn and winter

IMO intervals on a turbo/rollers are far better then outside

What makes you say that?

I have found that on a turbo trainer I can’t generate anything like as much power as I can on the road. I’ve no idea why this is.

I did nearly all of my base training over the winter on rollers for an hour at a time (and this was prescribed by my coach) and it worked wonders for me

You deserve a prize for that alone.

Sadly I’m a 70’s luddite, so my training is LSD and midweek sessions, and just racing as much as possible. The result is never ever doing that well. Old dog and all that.

I dunno if that’s an excuse OG..?

molgrips – Member

IMO intervals on a turbo/rollers are far better then outside

What makes you say that?

I have found that on a turbo trainer I can’t generate anything like as much power as I can on the road. I’ve no idea why this is.

Combination of motivation, overheating and lack of inertia – common problem.

What makes you say that?

because i can keep my HR at an exact range for an hour. On the road this is not always possible. I think you get more quality on turbo/rollers

e.g i can work for 1 solid hour at 140 (base trainnig) or do quality intervals.. say 6x 4 at L4 (power or HR)

This is what my coach advised and it worked (for me). I questioned it several times and he always came back ans said stick to it. (always an hour)

The 2nd fitness test proved him right as well as my base training zone had change massively (went from 125 -144 to 140 – 158 – which means’ i’m still burning predominately fat at 158bpm and obiously my power is more at 158)

The road races so far have been 50/60 milers, generally flat, the 2/3/4 race I got dropped in (Betty Pharoh) has a nasty section of repeat hill climbs on the A48 out of Cowbridge, the climb onto the DC’s bad enough but it’s quickly followed by a couple of quite nasty rises in quick succession, the pace lifted noticeably on the second lap and I’d not recovered well enough after the first climb to be able to stay with the bunch.

I’ve tried to improve fitness this year by doing a good shift on the front with the through and off rather than just wheel sucking for 49 miles and putting effort in for the sprint, it’s worked OK so far, hopefully the CX and mid-week hills will keep me in shape for next season,

The Jan/Feb speed work is what I missed last year, I think i just started doing some 5×5’s about a week before the crits kicked off, looking back they should have started early feb and for longer 2×20’s or something.

My position in the group I’m generally happy with, try not to end up in the kerb for the last straight and look for someone decent to follow in,
Cadence is an area I need to look at i think, I’m a bit of a 70/75 slogger than a whippy 90/100, some work on the turbo could do a lot for that.

trickydisco – Member

What makes you say that?

because i can keep my HR at an exact range for an hour. On the road this is not always possible. I think you get more quality on turbo/rollers

If you used a power meter you’d probably find that although hr was in the correct range, power goes down due to cardiac drift. So you might not be putting in the quality that you think.

I dunno if that’s an excuse OG..?

Yeah you’ve got me. In truth I can’t be arsed anymore. There’s only so many decades you can keep going up that hill.

The Jan/Feb speed work is what I missed last year, I think i just started doing some 5×5’s about a week before the crits kicked off, looking back they should have started early feb and for longer 2×20’s or something.

Now i was advised not to do speed work until the end of feb. I know i was getting a bit frustrated as some of the guys in the club were going out on brutal chain gang rides in jan/feb and getting fitter. I was advised against this and to bear in mind you shouldn’t be peaking in april.

Guess what.. i’ve now caught up with those guys fitness wise (and feel stronger) and they are throwing in the towel for this season due to injury and feeling thoroughly knackered

If you used a power meter you’d probably find that although hr was in the correct range, power goes down due to cardiac drift. So you might not be putting in the quality that you think.

I was told HR is fine for base training.. and then power meter for speed work and intervals.

i did just that. I trained by HR all over the winter and my coach said it was pointless for me (as i was just starting out). I then hired a power meter in April and trained by that.

Like i say. It worked for me.

How many races do you have left TD? There’s a couple more crits and Two road races in August locally, there was one a the end of July that’s since been cancelled. I have been tailing off for a bit, I’d always thought the majority of races where April/May/June, erm, not sure why though.

er.. i need to sort my calendar.. I’ve tailed off slightly but wanted to get 2 or 3 more road races in the and a few crit races at castle combe.

i think there’s 1 more road race at the end of august and then i’ll be doing a bit of CX’ing as well

Gunna do a few mtb races as well

Scratch – YGM

e. None of the above

a monthly payment to a coach.
just a look at your OP suggests not enough rest/recovery. buying another ‘training aid’ would probably make you up your volume even more when what you really need is structure and a target led program.

Always have a couple of easy commutes every week and always have a full rest day every week – usually a Friday.

Lab, Thanks, I’ll have a think on that.

Scratch – no worries, anytime.

Chaingang. Just make sure you learn to breath through your arse first 🙂

Power meters btw are useful but very expensive. Depends on how rich you are!

Are you a member of a road club? If not then I suggest you join one. You will gain valuable lessons from experienced racers and many clubs have in-house coaches (both BC and ABCC) who can help with training plans etc

The club run ethos and companionship helps long distance miles in the winter. Many clubs also run structured training sessions through the week, chaingangs etc etc.

You’re already fit enough.

Everyone thinks they need coaches or power meters or magic drinks, when what they really need is to learn how to race, and in particular, learn how to sprint. Third cat races are stuffed full of super fit guys who just don’t sprint well, so waste all that fitness each time they race.

Train your head; that’s what successful riders do.