Waves. Still here, though only ride gravel and road these days, mostly gravel atm. Great memories of your trip.

Someone asked Joe Friel about this the other day on twitter. He suggested it should be 120% of FTP. I personally couldn’t do 130rpm for 30s/30s but I’m not a spinner (though not a grinder either) My efforts are usually consistent across all sets somewhere between 120-150% of ftp depending on how I feel that day, probably around 100rpm. Many years ago I asked my coach whether it was better to be consistent across all efforts and how it should feel as I felt for me it was like making repeated attacks on a climb because of the fluid turbo. We felt it was better to be consistent and feeling like that was good (for me racing). Key is to gauge how hard to go and not blow in the first effort or go eyeballs out in the first 5 sec then be unable to hit 30s. I would dial it back a notch and aim to complete (imo of course) the set. New intervals also a shock to the system so could just be time to adjust, or bad day(s) or fatigue.

Stoner, good reading for Mrs S would be Roar by Dr Stacy Sims, basically all about how hormones etc affect dietary requirements and training. It’s a great read. She recommends 2g protein per kg body weight for women spread evenly across day with focus. Iirc the older a woman gets the more protein she needs too. Plenty of podcasts out there with her too, she’s a bit of a legend when it comes to studying women who exercise.

There was a massive landslide a while ago. IIRC 3 parts of the road were initially shut, but now just the one which is the worst. We still go that way otherwise VOTT is a massive day out but it is hike a bike and clambering through the barriers. Not ideal but still a great base for winter training and having done VOTT twice I don’t feel the need to do it again! Went there in May on the basis that in Mallorca we usually lose at least a days riding to rain, it wasn’t much hotter than in December but beautiful up in the hills with the wild flowers and warm at 2,000m at Pico. We get a week all inclusive with flights, luggage, transfers etc for £380pp in 4 star hotel.

If you find the local cafes, it is super cheap for a café stop too.

+1 for gran canaria. Hills make excellent training, pretty much no flat out there. Even coast road lumpy.

We base ourselves in maspalomas which isn’t great if you want to do anything off the bike (think Blackpool), but we stay in a nice hotel and out on bike most of the day so don’t see any of it.

It’s not the testing thats an issue but the actual workouts where you often find you are pushing an odd cadence to keep to power.

Interested to read this as I find that this eventually has a (negative) knock on effect on my outdoors riding throughout winter when I turbo a lot. I find I end up grinding with my fluid turbo almost all of the time, and after a winter of grinding on the turbo along with heavy weights, I tend to come out of winter feeling strong but slow. If I take an outside 5min VO2 effort my RPM is around 95-110 but inside it can be 70-75.

I recently switched to the cero a24s after years of deep section wheels. They are pretty light and decent for the money. Not as nice as other light weight wheels I have tried but much cheaper.

7,695km so far, 68,000m of climbing and 288 hours. Not including 7 mile commute a day.

weeksy – I turbo outside in the garden, even in the snow! 😛

Out of interest, how much does everyones summer and winter TSS vary by? In summer I was averaging between 700 and 850 TSS a week but now switching to turbo/short intervals over winter I’m lucky to hit 600 a week even though I’m riding 6 days a week.

Using my power meter with a Cycleops jet 2 fluid or kurt kinetic rock n roll. Struggled to find any cheap ipads so gave up on that option. Is it better to get higher standard graphics card then if its just bare minimum?

I’m going to try zwift this winter but current laptop graphics aren’t good enough. I found this which looks like it meets minimum spec but am I better to spend a bit more, pretty much only used for zwift? The spec says it is Intel Core i5 3rd Gen 2.6GHz, Intel HD 4000 Graphics, 6Gb Ram and 320Gb HighSpeed HDD.

I can’t link it for some reason. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Comes-Boxed-Gaming-Laptop-Lenovo-Intel-HD-4000-Intel-Core-i5-6Gb-Ram-/262968288665?hash=item3d3a21a599

Fifeandy, two for next year might be battle of the braes and tour of the glens, good hilly courses. What about hill climb champs or up the kirk?

TSY just like old times minus Jamie and DD.

fifeandy, i’ve “raced” this course with the vet men before. It is worth a recce if you want to race it, very tight sharp left hander out of Glenfarg into a short steep climb. Riders all over the place with dropped or broken chains and some just going backwards still in the big ring. I decided never to race that course again after a number of horse incidents which split the field, as well as a running race on the same course on same day, combined with the addition of junior men into womens and vets field. It was never a course that suited me anyway but sounds like it’ll suit you, just make sure you are always in the top 10 to avoid incidents. Not trying to put you off, Kinross organize a good event.

Interesting, thanks both.

TiRed, not sure if saddle can go further forward but it is on my list to check and move forward – I think I had been sitting on the tt saddle like a road bike saddle ie too far back. I suspect saddle is too wide as well but until I move it forward I can’t check it properly. I think it feels like I have a bit much weight on my arms – any thoughts about what to change based on that?

I’m in the process of setting up my tt bike. What is acceptable in terms of power loss for aero gains? Have only done limited time on the bike as saddle is too wide but other than that, it feels ok but unless I sit up, I can only put out tempo watts, so roughly 50w down on threshold – but power is there when I sit up. Seems a massive power loss?! Tempo watts felt harder than it would on the road bike (usually my default pace is tempo as I love riding tempo) and like I was only using my quads.

Can’t post photo for some reason but links to photo taken during bike fit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ8Rt-sjPUg/%5B/url%5D

Well I decided to stick to the plan last night despite the burning legs. No idea what is going on, but hit my 5min threshold-vo2 efforts spot on, no lactic acid build up or pain during the efforts and hardly breathing hard at all. Post session legs hurt to foam roller (don’t normally) but felt better after riding. Very odd but not complaining.

Kryton, yes I’m struggling with dropping a little too. Having ditched 1-2 turbo session mid week in favour of riding outside that is beginning to help.

No, been doing intervals since November, this is a fairly typical week so it shouldn’t be any different, slightly higher TSS yesterday because I was outside instead of turbo but then the heat started on Tuesday and TSS/IF was same as usual. Aside from the heat, I feel great, and I’m usually very good at knowing when I’ve had enough or need an unplanned rest day having been coached for nearly 6 years. Dehydration might be it though.

A general recovery/training question. I don’t often get sore legs, tired yes, but not sore. This week my legs have been feeling very hot/burning at rest and a bit achey but not tired. What’s the difference/cause? Its more the heat I’m curious about. My training hasn’t changed, power and HR data still the same/good/hitting the right watts, sleep and diet the same/normal, I’m in my second week of this block, the hot feeling started on Tuesday after a split session (9 vo2 efforts in the morning, weights in the evening) and the heat is much worse after a 2.5 hour tempo ride yesterday. Shouldn’t be overtrained as I’m coached (coach on holiday hence asking on here) and follow a 3 week on 1 week off schedule with structure.

I’ve got roller with resistance and turbo. I like both, can hit vo2 max watts with the resistance on the rollers though I prefer the turbo for those kind of efforts because of how grim I feel after it. Think my rollers are noiser than the fluid turbo though on a wooden floor. Didn’t take me long to learn how to ride rollers, as above, starting in doorway is good option, look ahead not at your front wheel and decent RPM.

Chin up guys, it’ll come back quickly. I had a great start to the season for a month, then needed antibiotics, then got a cold and in total, 5 weeks of no or inconsistent training in April – May. Felt like I’d lost tons but only took about 3 weeks of training to start noticing improvement then improved massively to now better than where I left off at the start of April. I think if you have trained well over winter you’ll lose a bit of top end but that will come back quickly with some focused work, just be careful not to over do it too early on. Still lots of the season left to re-focus on.

Seems to be something to do with power delivery. SaxonRider will pull away on longer climbs but only be just ahead on the steeper shorter road climbs despite having a 15kg weight advantage. And off-road he’s way behind me. So maybe it’s a question of max power?

Shorter steeper stuff is a different kind of climb, you can punch up that sort of thing on the road and probably suits someone with say a good 1-5min power/w/kg whereas longer climbs might be paced at threshold so suit a rider with a higher w/kg at threshold?

Osmo stopped being supplied in the UK a while back, pity as it really worked for me. I’ve been using Skratch labs since then, not quite as good as Osmo, but similar principles. I’ve also been using the 1500 tabs from Precision Hydration in place of Osmo Preload which has been working well (skratch do a preload too, but it won’t be in the UK until later this year)

A Sports Medicine GP is probably your best bet – they look at things from an athletic perspective rather than your levels are ok for someone who is pretty inactive. I have used a Sports Medicine GP (based in Edinburgh) for blood tests for vitamin D (have been on vit D tabs via prescription since the results). If you don’t want tests, then probiotics, vitamin D, sleep quality and hydration are things to look at on top of good diet and your recovery routine post exercise. Glutamine also is meant to help immunity.

FWIW I’m thinking of going back for tests because almost a year to the day for the last 4 years I end up on antibiotics and am keen to get to the bottom of it because it ruins a chunk of my racing season and I think blood tests would be the only way of finding out what’s going on in the month before I end up on them. Let me know if you want her details.

So I bought the TT bike I was looking at, Boardman Air. It arrived yesterday, looks lovely although its quite a lot heavier than my summer road bike. How long before I want a disc wheel?!

Sadly I have my first cold in about a year so it remains in the workstand for now whilst I watch my CTL plummet further after a month of sparse training due to antibiotics. Might try the club 10 next week but I’d been hoping to podium at the Scottish RR champs in a couple of weeks given how well my early season races had gone, so might need to focus on that and not ride my new bike for a few weeks! 😕

No, July is the ETA. Just wondered if it had been discussed. It looks pretty good, no faff between bikes albeit I’d need to change to speedplay pedals too, but my 2 concerns are around any teething issues once released (guess these will be fixable but with my power meter playing up im wanting one that just works!)…and what would happen if I happened to land on that part of my shoe in a crash.

Has the Brim Brothers speedplay power meter been covered in this chat? V tempted by it as my stages has been playing up recently.

A bit of a meh lumpy 25 for me on Sunday. Finished my antibiotics and felt ‘worse’ than I did on them – just a bit flat and no top end. Couldn’t make myself ride at threshold so rode tempo the whole way, finished in a 1:11:16, ~5 mins down on my friend who was 3rd – last year she did it on a road bike but this year did it on a tt bike much faster. Took the prize for 1st female on a road bike and 10th female. A tough course for a standard road bike, made up time on the climbs and technical sections. Lost time on the long draggy sections and final 5-7kms where I got hungry and my garmin crashed. However only my 2nd proper TT so not bad all things considered.

Have found a boardman tt bike in the sale that im thinking of buying…my coach says my power profile is a classic tester and I enjoy the sporting 25s so I guess I need to decide if I want to take it a bit more seriously and get a tt bike or stick to road racing!

I’ve done a few 10s as part of stage races, PB for a 10 on a lumpy course is 24.58 on my road bike without clip ons.

I think I’ll do better at 25s and sporting courses than dual carriageway 10s, mostly because I rarely get it all out in training or in any of the few TTs I’ve done so not sure I’d be any good at 10s as I’d be just getting going and it’d be done!

My first 23m hilly tt on standard road bike was a 1:08:04 ,rough roads, v cold and windy with power meter battery dead, no warm up, rear brake rubbing and on antibiotics, riding to a comfortable feel, but that was enough to win first woman by 4 mins but I certainly wasn’t dead at the end.
Got a hilly 25 one on Sunday so will see how that goes.
Juggling road racing with tts but plan to do more TTs with the club 10s and toying with 25 champs.

Will I look like a chopper if I get a TT helmet and ride it on my road bike without clip ons? 😀 Tried clip ons but I’m more aero on the hoods without them!

For longer TTs (25s), do you guys drink/carry much fluid? I guess its personal preference, just interested since tt’ing is new to me, and i think i’ll probably do more of it now.

How would you approach riding a hilly 25 in terms of riding to power? Ride above FTP on the climbs and recover on the descents? (which for me on sunday have sharp turns/potholes/draggy not fast)

Unexpectedly did my first 23mile hilly TT off the back of a winter of training for road racing. On paper it should have been awful, power meter died, I was late with no time for a warm up, on a standard road bike… In reality I was very surprised to pace it well going off feel, pretty much even lap split, 2mins faster than my target time and good enough to take 1st woman by 4mins (2nd lady was on a tt bike). Got a 25m hilly tt this weekend, worried I’m getting into it having sworn I never would…

10mins easy riding followed by around 10mins of stretching, usually pinching asanas from yoga – wide legged forward bend c hits both shoulders and hamstrings at same time, pigeon for glutes, downward facing dog, runners lunge, triangle for a good side stretch, plus quad stretch.

Haven’t tried this as a post ride cool down but plan to, its quite short so easy to fit in – http://www.pinkbike.com/news/15-minute-post-ride-yoga-routine-2015.html

You hardly need any sun to generate enough during the summer, so I’d assume that someone who spends their spare time riding or doing outdoor stuff would be well placed to store enough for the winter. IANAD mind.

Nope, or at least not what I was told by a GP when I got tested. Your levels will drop over winter time unless you live somewhere sunny. I was tested in November and I’m on a prescription for 6months of vit d3 tabs, pretty high dose but taken once a week. You can overdose on vit d if you aren’t deficient so its worth getting tested rather than take a random dose. I was told by my GP that almost every test she has done for vit d levels in Scotland come back low.

Started watching Wayward Pines last night. Liked it so much I watched 6 episodes in a row.

Grimm is also good.

I go to Patrick Harding at Mulberry House, based just off shandwick place – http://www.mulberryosteopath.co.uk/

Well I finally returned to racing after my crash, did just enough to get the rest of the points I needed to retain my 2nd cat. I had a hard job bouncing back into racing, I’d spend the first 30mins – hour convincing myself to stay in the race, my positioning was awful – normally I’d ride near the front but since the crash I was in was at the front of the bunch, my brain has decided it is better to hang around at the back and no amount of talking to myself would convince me to move up, even though it was killing me sprinting out of the corners and no wheels to fall back through on climbs. My shoulder is still injured but confidence is coming back slooooowlly. TTs are looking a bit more appealing at the moment 😐

Managed to make the break in the first race I did, cramped or strained a muscle in the final 10mins, tried to recover sitting at the back of the break soft pedaling with one leg (not easy on a hilly course), managed to bring it round with about 400m to go which was too late for a downhill and tailwind sprint finish, hung on to take 6th trying to go for the sprint with one leg.

Raced again the day after it, got new 1 min, 5min and 20min power pbs racing with the men on a hilly course, got dropped, got back on, got dropped, got back on and repeat for 92kms with savage cross and headwinds, and it rained too. Took 4th woman and 24th overall as the sprint went from the final corner all uphill for almost 1km and I was totally spent. Bit disappointed, normally capable of a better result on that course but riding at the back just took too much out of me.

Raced again the following weekend with the men and the junior RR champs. Horrific race, the juniors were mega twitchy, lots of crashes, horse riders on the course causing one crash just in front of me. Not nice seeing a friend down and trying to miss him as I braked and steered into the grass. Then there was a running race on the same course, more crashes, more horses, more hills. Decided after the race to pack in racing for the season and focus on shoulder rehab as it hurts to climb.

Here’s to a better 2016!

Skip waiting for NHS physio and go private. I went to see a sports medicine GP (private) for my diagnosis, well worth the money.

I hurt my infraspinatus and supraspinatus in May in a crash on the road bike. Thankfully road riding doesn’t hurt my shoulder as long as I don’t stand up to climb or sprint. Still have a lot of pain when sleeping if I lie on that arm, putting on jackets and certain rotations/movements. Lost a lot of overall shoulder strength which has affected my scapula too. What seems to have made the biggest difference in terms of pain is doing my physio exercises every day (funny that). I had an 8 day tour in the Alps booked less than 2 weeks after crashing and was so desperate to make progress that I resorted to adding turmeric to everything (cous cous, tea (grim!) to help with inflammation (on top of anti inflams).

Turbo should be ok if you *have* to exercise.

Interesting article in training peaks on cramp – http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/the-real-cause-of-muscle-cramps

@molgrips, I’m not prone to cramp but if I do get it, it’ll be inner thigh too. Always thought it seemed an odd place for a cyclist to get cramp – get it a few times a year, usually in hilly races when I’m not used to racing ie start of the season or after a break from racing. However got a very similar sensation to cramp racing two weeks ago, turns out it was a slight strain due to my saddle height being too low but felt like cramp when it happened (standing up to sprint out of a corner for the 1000th time).

Hjghg5, if you want beginner friendly then try the 2/3/4 at pimbo in March / June, wide, flat & like a longer crit.

Urgh, Tameside is a horrible circuit IMO. Raced there once, never ever again! I take it Salt Ayre (Lancaster) is too far for you to travel? Its a much nicer circuit.