Base training

[davidphilips]

Fact or fiction? Been watching GCM and in a few videos they seem to say that base is unnecessary ? Any one believe this, know i am a great advocate of base and at least %75 of my cycling is base?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTuaxOGdeXU&t=323s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvemLgLpO3c&t=1s

 

[CXRAndy]

I'm a believer of developing an a decent cardio base. I have done 12-16 weeks over winter training virtually in Zone1 and 2 with Trainer Road. I was the fittest and lightest I have ever been. My FTP albeit ever so slightly down, I was able to sustain it for a genuine hour of effort. Add a month of 'high intensity' intervals on the end I could have been a tad quicker. Z2 is much nicer to train at.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’m a solid believer in it. Without base , pure high intensity will just lead to injury and burnout. If you are into long endurance rides then it’s not all about ftp and / or high intensity.

 

[Drago]

Im sort of in the middle. I think it can be beneficial, but I also think too many riders put too much emphasis upon it and not enough on roadcraft, racecraft and control skills. Concentrating on these is liable to bring better results and times for less work.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I don't subscribe to it at all. Heard/watched/read soo many different takes on how to do "base" from only using the small ring for 3 months to doing outdoor HIIT, to doing multi hour endurance plods in all weathers.

Pay your money and take your choice etc My weekly time spent on the turbo has yet to be of any real harm over the past 4 or 5 years doing it.

 

[Sharky]

only using the small ring

I was reading only the other day that Dave Dungworth only used the small ring in training.
And Mick Ballard used to do 10min training rides.
Whilest Derek Cottington just used to ride to work - mind you it was 50 miles. Not sure if this was each way or there and back.

So I think it is a case of learning from previous years and experimentation and work out what works for you.

 

[davidphilips]

I’m a solid believer in it. Without base , pure high intensity will just lead to injury and burnout. If you are into long endurance rides then it’s not all about ftp and / or high intensity.

This plus high and low cadence wile keeping power down works for me, can not under stand the gcn video that puts base down?

 

[matticus]

It's become very fashionable to rubbish easy "junk" miles. Partly cos it's quite macho;
"You won't get fast riding easy, no pain no gain, feel the burn, weakness leaving the body! ... etc ..." and
"I'm too busy - more important things to do than spend all day on your long easy rides to a cafe! By 10am I'm sat down for breakfast with the wife and kids, hard intervals already in the bag! "

Partly, everyone wants a quick fix - so if you are selling training plans that give results from less hours, riders will lap that up. Then confirmation bias takes over ...

 

[cougie uk]

Didn't Boardman famously have an 8 hour training week ? And then when he turned pro and was racing Grand Tours he had to do a bit more.

I guess a lot of people would have many years of base training already in their legs ?

 

[matticus]

Didn't Boardman famously have an 8 hour training week ? And then when he turned pro and was racing Grand Tours he had to do a bit more.

Well his specialty was winning 10minute prologues, wasn't it?? :P

 

[johnblack]

Depends why you ride, general fitness, racing, touring, MTB, cross or just specific annual goals. Nothing wrong with nice long base rides just for the sheer hell of them, but not indoors, I find indoor rides are perfect for shorter specific HIIT sessions anything over an hour is too long.

 

[matticus]

I find it impossible to push myself hard and do "training" on the road. I always just reset to just riding along enjoying myself. Life's too short to spoil riding with training.

So you never increase your effort level to get up a steep hill? Does that "spoil" it for you?? :-)

I'm wondering if you've raced on the road. I suspect after I did a few TTs I became much more amenable to the idea of doing vv hard intervals on the road. But then I don't train indoors, so we'd probably still have a very different outlook on all this! :-)

 

[itboffin]

I managed +14 hours a week through almost all of 2020 mixing daily short hard turbo sessions and avg 1 hour lunch rides, combined with max effort 3+ hrs on Saturday club ride and a more general solo Sunday

2021 isn’t going as well, continued very wet windy and now cold weather combined with a fractured coccyx means I’m struggling with anything over 30 mins and effort <40%

my oh my fitness disappears so much quicker than gained