Distance or Speed?
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GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
It's interplay. Longer lower intensity rides will help with CV fitness & increase your resistance to muscular fatigue, this means you can push harder on shorter rides. Higher intensity rides will help with recovery from fatigue & increase baseline power levels which will let you recover more easily from effort peeks on longer rides (say climbing) & will also mean that you're at a lower % of your FTP for the same speed which will allow you to ride for longer.
Kiwiavenger
im a little tea pot
- Location
- Carclaze, St Austell
i have found that i can happily ride 20-40 miles in a day now with no muscle aches the following day (my knees are a differnt kettle of fish though) whereas before when i used to ride solely on the flat i struggled with 20! also i used to have an average speed of 14 MPH, i timed my old commute a while back and average went up to 18, i reckon i can get 20 mph over the 8 miles i used to do
the main difference now is that i attack hills on my commute and try to attack the hills so although my commute is shorter it means i have to put in a lot more effort! mix it up with long rides every now and again to get the legs used to it and its good.
Hills are great for building up distance as you physically cant stop as its stupidly hard to get going again! also keeping your cadence up down the other side helps as well.
the main difference now is that i attack hills on my commute and try to attack the hills so although my commute is shorter it means i have to put in a lot more effort! mix it up with long rides every now and again to get the legs used to it and its good.
Hills are great for building up distance as you physically cant stop as its stupidly hard to get going again! also keeping your cadence up down the other side helps as well.
mattobrien
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Suffolk
As GrasB said, I find going fast on shorter stuff makes longer rides easier. That said, I set a new PB on my 21.5m loop a couple of days after completing the Dunwich Dynamo.
I generally tailor my effort to how far I am going, pacing myself better on longer rides, but I do think that short sprints increase my output capacity. If I work at 85% of max for a longer ride, as long as I can increase my overall maximum by means of short rides, I will be able to go a little quicker than before.
I generally tailor my effort to how far I am going, pacing myself better on longer rides, but I do think that short sprints increase my output capacity. If I work at 85% of max for a longer ride, as long as I can increase my overall maximum by means of short rides, I will be able to go a little quicker than before.
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Someone once said to me 'you getting better at cycling by cycling'. I hope lots of short intense rides will help strengthen my endurance as they're the only type of rides I seem to be able to find to do these days!
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
It really depends how short short is tbh.
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Between 3 and 6 in the morning, 8ish at lunch and then between 3 and 6 in the evening.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Those distances are what I refer to as utility miles. I consider a 20-30 mile ride a short ride, 60+ a long ride and the in between is a moderately long ride. This is completely arbitrary and just the way I break down my rides into groupings.
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Kiwiavenger
im a little tea pot
- Location
- Carclaze, St Austell
Similar to mine! lol. although i do ride up a dirty great hill if i get bored at lunch. im gonna stretch my morning commute out for the latest challege on strava
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Similar to mine! lol. although i do ride up a dirty great hill if i get bored at lunch. im gonna stretch my morning commute out for the latest challege on strava
Just looked this up. Looks achievable enough!
Kiwiavenger
im a little tea pot
- Location
- Carclaze, St Austell
thats what im thinking! will also put me back on track for 3000 miles this year!
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
I think I did slightly less miles than that challenge the last 2 weeks. Maybe even did more. Coincidently Sunday is proposed to be a 110 miler so would be like 20% of the challenge done within 1 day.
mattobrien
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Suffolk
Oooh, just spotted the latest Strava challenge and we too have a 100+ miler planned for Sunday AM. This might be a challenge I can actually get close to completing.
In terms of categorising rides I work to
0-25 mIles = Short
26-49 = medium
50+ = long
In terms of categorising rides I work to
0-25 mIles = Short
26-49 = medium
50+ = long
Hacienda71
Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
- Location
- Wilmslow, Cheshire
Re the OP do intervals up Mow Cop, you know you want to. 
