Can you find me 10 seconds on a 3 minute sprint?

[bulldoze]

I am in my sixties. Annoyingly Strava age brackets are 55-65 which seems crazy to me - how on earth can I compete with a 55 year old me? that guy was pretty damn quick!

But there is a popular segment near me which is tasking me. I have started back up with Strava and noticed last week that the fastest time is just under 3 mins for the over 55s - I had a crack at this last week from a standing start and was 7s off the pace.

How I can get faster (I think)
- First and foremost is some targeted training I guess. I am thinking at my age I need to be careful here. So perhaps 2 x 30-60 minute rides a week plus 1 hill session and an 1 interval session. 3-5 repetitions of 1min - 4 min intervals should be fine. 4 weeks of this should be about right.
- Getting more aero is probably key as well, I have ridden a road bike about 20 times total in my life - but I do own a decent one. In my normal cycling life I am just a flat bar commuter. I think maybe I need to learn how to tuck properly while still being able to stamp on the pedals properly.
- Kit wise I just have a non-aero helmet, regular t shirt and running shorts, I might be losing a second here.

The guy who is on top of the age leaderboard did it as part of a group run so I am guessing there was some drafting going on and of course he no doubt attacked it at speed which I did not so there is hope I can gain a few seconds from a run up. Wind direction is a factor as well so if there is a head wind then I will abort attempts.

I am thinking the attempt needs to be this summer as I am seeing my performance and conditioning drop off alarmingly year on year

Any other tips?

 

[classic33]

Is the segment a standing start?
If you're already moving as you enter the segment, it should cut a couple of seconds for no extra effort.

 

[Sharky]

How long is the 3 minute segment?
Guessing a mile or just over.

If this is your target, then forget the hour rides and focus all your training on efforts, taking no more than three minutes.

Before you do this, you should do a medium pace, 5 mile warm up and afterwards do a similar warm down. So you'll get the mileage in, but the focus will be on the one mile effort.

If you have the bug, for hitting times, then I would recommend joining a club and ride some 10 mile time trials. The latter are usually on decent roads and are out and back, to average out wind and hills.

Me ?
A young 76 yrs old and I've been targeting 10 miles and hoping to get inside 30 minutes before the end of the season. Currently just outside 31 minutes and a long way outside my younger self.
This year most of my training rides have been about 13 miles and the longest about 15 miles.

Good luck

 

[mickle]

Don't worry too much about improving your tuck, it can have a detrimental effect on your ability to breath properly. And breathing is key.

The limit to how much power you can put into the pedals is limited by how much oxygen you can process, so concentrate on developing your cardiovascular system. Do that by pedalling faster in a lower gear. High rpm. For long periods. Don't worry about how fast you're travelling, focus inly on cadence. Get smooth. After a fortnight or two your 'carburetor' will be more efficient and your ability to churn higher gears at higher rpm will be improved. AKA you'll be faster.

That's the old theory anyway.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

More details about the segment would help us understand what you are trying to find 7secs on.

And don't forget, just like Zwift, there is no age verification in Strava... Anyone can claim to be any age.

 

[bulldoze]

Don't worry too much about improving your tuck, it can have a detrimental effect on your ability to breath properly. And breathing is key.

The limit to how much power you can put into the pedals is limited by how much oxygen you can process, so concentrate on developing your cardiovascular system. Do that by pedalling faster in a lower gear. High rpm. For long periods. Don't worry about how fast you're travelling, focus inly on cadence. Get smooth. After a fortnight or two your 'carburetor' will be more efficient and your ability to churn higher gears at higher rpm will be improved. AKA you'll be faster.

That's the old theory anyway.

That's an interesting training strategy. I have always been used to cranking a higher gear and judge effort based on how much torque I am putting through the pedals. Probably why I seem to do better on hills - or at least I used to be better on hills, this is also an ability that appears to be fading.

How long is the 3 minute segment?
Guessing a mile or just over.

If this is your target, then forget the hour rides and focus all your training on efforts, taking no more than three minutes.

Before you do this, you should do a medium pace, 5 mile warm up and afterwards do a similar warm down. So you'll get the mileage in, but the focus will be on the one mile effort.

If you have the bug, for hitting times, then I would recommend joining a club and ride some 10 mile time trials. The latter are usually on decent roads and are out and back, to average out wind and hills.

Me ?
A young 76 yrs old and I've been targeting 10 miles and hoping to get inside 30 minutes before the end of the season. Currently just outside 31 minutes and a long way outside my younger self.
This year most of my training rides have been about 13 miles and the longest about 15 miles.

Good luck

I hope to still be chasing targets at 76! best of luck with your 10 mile challenge

Is the segment a standing start?
If you're already moving as you enter the segment, it should cut a couple of seconds for no extra effort.

Yeah I did it from a standing start and I also forgot that around 10 seconds in my left cleat was was out of the pedal so I had to cruise for a few seconds to sort that out - I am new to SPD-SL and just not very good at clipping in. A good rolling start with the confidence of being fully clipped in and in an appropriate gear should cut a chunk of time I guess.

One other thing was I forgot was that the ride was 20 mins before the eclipse and it was an unusually still and beautiful evening - I am not sure I will get conditions as good as that again, I did get the feeling I was cutting through the air nicely, probably why I decided to go for that segment halfway through the ride.

 

[Punkawallah]

Have you considered having those above you on the rankings assassinated? A time honoured tradition, I understand.
:-)

 

[esoxlucius]

If the guy who set the time was probably drafting and hit the segment already at speed, and you're doing it from a standing start with no drafting, then I think you're being a little unfair on yourself.

You're possibly right on the money already. Try the segment at race speed firstly and see where that puts you. If you're still a couple of seconds shy then maybe get a buddy to draft behind.

 

[Drago]

See post #4, and I was a mere stripling in my 40's then and in supreme condition (was also running and bodybuilding.)

Go by all means, but dont bust a nut in the process. There are no KoM's in heaven.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/deadly-kom-chasing.311943/#post-7677315

 

[Animo]

Main thing is to wait for a gale force tailwind.

 

[Deeferdonk]

Drink a can of Monster energy drink, listen to some fast paced techno music, strip naked to improve air resistance and remove your saddle to save weight.

 

[bulldoze]

See post #4, and I was a mere stripling in my 40's then and in supreme condition (was also running and bodybuilding.)

Go by all means, but dont bust a nut in the process. There are no KoM's in heaven.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/deadly-kom-chasing.311943/#post-7677315

Bodybuilding and all out efforts do not go down too well from experience.

I found that out myself in my 40s - and I have never had a can of Monster since

 

[Drago]

Yeah, I kept the running and cycling going and while I was big I wasnt extremely bulked. I was more your Carl Weathers than your Anronld. I was all legal, no growth hormones or steroids (no one does steroids any more, it's so passe.)

 

[T4tomo]

My best time up a local hill, where we joke that if you're taking more than 5 mins you need to start looking for an Ebike when you get home, was set when having got a good run across the roundabout heading into the start, some your upstart had the temerity to use me as a windshield for a while and then cruise past as the gradient picked up AND (cheeky farker) didn't respond to my greeting of "morning". Incensed by such insolence I piled on the power and sat a meter off his wheel all the way up.

 

[fossyant]

Just ride your bike more, bit pointless doing all this extra stuff just to ride over to a segment and try and beat it. Just go for a ride and as you approach, build up speed and then go for it. The standing start probably lost you those seconds. It's not a race.

I use strava to judge my fitness and see how I've improved over time - e.g. my commute is a couple of minutes quicker now I've shifted some weight.