Both types have their advantages and disadvantages, personally I rate rollers as they offer a better workout by improving pedal stroke and balance as well as just power.

However if you want to just rip it and not worry then a turbo is probably better.

The Kurt ones, as mentioned, are very good, if somewhat large.

Do Eurocar really need World Tour status?

Its a given that they’ll get invited to the Tour and Paris Nice to what else does it need?

Yeah the Inner Ring piece was excellent and level headed as always, but really, what actually is the point of having an ethical criteria in the application process if this debacle is anything to go by?

The findings themselves are old, however the release of the names is new, (so I understand it).

There is no real concept as an FTP HR value.

As you say, as you get fitter/more efficient you either get more power in your FTP test for the same HR value, or a lower average HR value for the same power output. (simplistic as training should increase your ability to work at a higher % of your max HR, therefore your average HR in an FTP would increase)

However as most people, inc. the OP do not have access to a power meter so using the average HR during an FTP test is a crude way to estimate what level of workload they should be aiming at for FTP/Sweet spot style training.

Understand, so for doing something like these, how hard should I be going? I have the HR data from the test too. Should doing these be going as hard as I went for the test?

Well lets say your average HR for the 20 minute test was 160bpm, it started at 130 as you were already warmed up and peaked at 165, for example.

You’d want to do those intervals averaging just under 160, in what is called the sweet spot, not too hard that you can’t concentrate on traffic and do a productive days work afterwards, but probably quite a bit faster/harder than your riding now.

Even if you only manage one 20 minute interval per trip you’ll still see results, but as was said, this type of training is most effective when combined with others, e.g. short intervals and short recoveries that target VO2max

Going from 2.9Wkg to 4 would be quite a goal to reach, certainty achievable over a few years.

Number wise I guess that 4W/kg could potentially place you well up there in Expert class races, depending on your technique.

Along with your FTP value you most likely got HR values as well, whilst not as good as power, training with a HR monitor, even on a commute can increase your FTP.

Things like 2 * 20 mins, 4 * 15 or the like are classic sessions for this type of training goal, and potentially doable on a commute. Get yourself a HR monitor and train at those levels that you saw in your test.

Good work guys!

Strava segment here:
http://www.strava.com/segments/1324447

I’m currently 63rd on a hotel hire bike 😀

I would guess permitted, I can’t imagine they’d run disks for the first time ever at PR, the premier one day event in the calendar.

I’d expect to see a couple teams, like Eurocar, (if they’re still here and riding Colnago), be allowed to use them.

The 2015 Paris Roubaix is being used a “test” event for disc brakes

Really? I read 2016 at the earliest, is this official?

Also does he change bike a couple times?

He changed once a lap, some courses have two pits so people can change every half a lap if its really muddy.

Common practice for the pro’s running numerous bikes, less so for us age groupers.

Dropper posts are allowed, or at least not explicitly disallowed, but I’d struggle to see there worth in CX

Finished the CX season last week.

I now have 3 weeks unstructured training, so that’s a couple of running sessions and couple of steady state rides a week to refresh the body and mind before I’m back on the rollers when the training plan kicks in after Christmas.

Hola, I thank you!

UCI feed is geo restricted, WTF!

Course film from a friend riding, its gonna be muddy and slippery, really muddy and really slippery.

I love font geekness!

@ trevorderuise

What happened to the intermediate base two plan?

I had planned to start this, created my schedule, and now the page is missing on the site?
It was here:
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/plans/92-intermediate-base-ii

Is this now replaced by intermediate build two?

First CX race in Belgium at the weekend, 8th place in Masters B in the Vlaamse Cyclocrosscup in Uitbergen.

Great laugh, thoroughly recommended to anyone wanting a “real” CX experience.

10 euros to enter the area, regardless of whether you raced or not, then 5 euros back on return of your number, and I got 5 euros in prize money, mental!

0 meters elevation gain for the entire race according to Strava.

Can’t you run the Lefty at less travel for a 29er wheel?

Off to Koksijde and Spa this weekend, tried to arrange a trip back to the UK for the MK race but it wasn’t meant to be.

There’s always someone quicker, remember that and have fun.

Racing’s a brilliant experience, and if it gets you to ride more then there is nothing wrong with that.

Utterly destroyed in my first race. Still happens now, all be it in a few classes higher.

The new Panaracer Gravel Kings come in 23mm, these look very interesting for as a winter tyre.

http://road.cc/content/review/135369-panaracer-gravel-king-tyres

But we’re only half way through the season!

I know however its expected that there will be a thick layer of snow on the ground over here for the rest of the traditional season, hence why nationals was this weekend.

There are C2 events in Denmark once a month, so if the weather holds I might make it to one or two of those

Friday, took a day’s holiday to spend it building the course for the weekend’s double header:

Saturday, Swedish national champs, 6th place in men’s 40 – 50 age group
Sunday, last round of the Swedish cup, 8th place in Super class.

Busted.

Next week is my season’s final race, which will be in Belgium, followed by watching the World Cup and Superprestige, as well as getting drunk celebrating my 40th. 8)

Ridiculous behaviour when you think about it

Feels great at morning coffee knowing you’ve already done today’s session though. Smug 😀

I actually did Grassy Ridge tonight as well, its the last session before the national champs, (in Sweden), this weekend so I was looking for a good session for a little form tweaking, nothing too intense but enough to wake up the legs.

That CDA20 looks quite interesting for £800, stick some nicer rubber on it and I bet it would make a lovely winter hack for the roads/paths it was designed for.

Also the core 24 looks good for a junior rider, especially as they’ve seen fit to get rid of the suspension fork so it now weighs in at just over 11kg.

It would just be good to have a structured thing like the TR programmes to vary it a bit?

Yes defiantly, it also saves you form having to think about what to do, just look at the program and do it. Its one less excuse.

To be honest I dont have a clue what I should be looking at doing. ie I imagine doing 4 session of Tabata per week wouldnt be easy or as beneficial as mixing it up a bit?

It’ll be better than not training but it’ll get a little stale after a while and the benefits will reduce as well over time

There are plenty of sessions you can do in 30 minutes or less.

Tabata, 4 * 4 minutes off 2, 15/45’s etc.

The time limited ones are talking about total training time per week, not per session.

yeah rejoice, thanks!

you can buy bottle mounts that wrap around the tubes, and you can always get mudguard if the tyre clearance is available

Yes you can, and they work OK, although they are often shorter then fitted guards and as such leave you open to friendly abuse on the club run 🙂

Bottles can be stuffed in back pockets.

Don’t agree with that statement at all. Certainly not for the Kinesis which is not that aggressive in its angles.

I use my crossbike as a winter trainer and have logged plenty of miles on it without changing the set up.

The only annoying element is that is doesn’t have bottle cage or mudguard mounts.

It stands to reason that to race a bike efficiently you need to fit it, therefore why would you want to change position just because you’re not racing?

A very short highlights clip:

I think that the technology element of it is just fantastic to see, although the worse case battery time when controlling the electronic shocks as well will put off some of the endurance marathon racers.

The front mech shifting is not trimming but actually taking away the decision to manually change from the outer to the inner ring, or vice-versa, by doing it for you based on what gear you’re currently in and cadence, skeptical but can’t wait to try it.

For what distance?

Peter Coe’s book is excellent IMO, and comparable in terms of Friel’s scientific nature, but is more focused on middle distance.

For marathon training Pfitzinger seems to be well liked.

But essentially training is training, so what works for cycling, works for running. Intervals, sweet spot, threshold, distance etc.

There’s a guide book now for the route especially for MTB’s so I guess its doable, http://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/kungsleden-pa-mountainbike-9789186433277 but that’s for the entire length, which is nearly 500KM

Run Google translate through this:
http://www2.utsidan.se/kungsleden/kungsleden/starten.html

Swedish tourist board:
http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/en/Discover-Sweden/Facilities-and-activities/Lappland/kingstrail/?intro=false

Edit to add, I’ve walked quite a bit in the area and whilst a lot of it would make excellent cycling there would be quite a bit of hike-a-bike sections.

Just bought one for my XC race bike, it does that job very very well. For general riding and having fun there are probably more suitable bikes, however that’s not what I wanted it for.

hopefully the cassettes will start coming with 50% discount off soon

PSA when they do…..

I’m interested in running an 11sp Shimano cassette with Gripshift and SRAM rear mech, so I hope it all plays together nicely.