Increasing speed on the flats?

[Tompinder]

Hello,

I'm a 6ft male weighing in around 72kg. When it comes to climbing hills i'm normally near the front of the group and always feel good at the summit of a big climb. When it comes to chaining on flat however i always struggle to maintain the pace of the group. The group i train with are quite intense and rides often will last over 100 miles at an average speed of 18/19mph or so.

Is there any specific training i can do to increase my speed across the flats?

 

[MrGrumpy]

72kg !! Nae wonder you are at the front climbing hills . To me I think its a simple case of power to weight ? (not an expert so not the gospel speaking ) but I think you may need to bulk up to gain more speed on flats? Put it this way I am 6ft and have another 23 kg on you and climbs kill me, on the flats I can keep the speed fast.

 

[HLaB]

I'm similar to the OP but I'm only 5ft 9in and 61kg and I struggle sometimes on the flat and winds but over time I've found it got quite a bit to do with technique in chainganging (easing up rather than hammering through), finding the correct gear, nutrition and above all else practice. Sounds simple but I still get it wrong sometimes

 

[MrGrumpy]

I feel a bit of a heavy weight here

 

[smutchin]

I'm only 5ft 9in and 61kg and I struggle sometimes on the flat and winds

I'm not surprised - you're lucky you don't get blown away.

Is there any specific training i can do to increase my speed across the flats?

Tbh, I don't really know but... What cadence do you ride at on the flat? It might be worth selecting a lower gear and trying to ride at a higher cadence - say 110-120rpm. Might be easier to maintain a higher speed that way if you don't have the brute power to push a higher gear.

d.

 

[Globalti]

I am also 6' and 72 kgs. I also enjoy hills and find them relatively easy. However I am not a sprinter as I don't have the outright power. You have to understand that different physiques give riders different strengths and weaknesses and play to your strengths.

 

[fossyant]

5' 9" and 61kg - blimey. I'm the same height 80kgs (wrong side of 40 though) - you light weight !

I'm pretty quick on the flat, and of course in winds - I just hunker down, tuck the elbows in and I'm off. I'm also a pretty handy climber but that's from power. The really steep stuff I just grind it - not got a compact gear set though.

I've never been that light - I'm still pretty close to my racing weight from 20 years ago. My main discipline was TT'ing as I'm not an outright sprinter - I could easily lead the club into a sprint (sprinting for signs on a training run), but going sprinting off the front just didn't work as the lighter guys would hook on and fly past.

If good at hills, ride them harder, overtime you'll build a really good power to weight ratio.

 

[Hont]

Intervals above the pace you're aiming for should help. i.e. If you need to cruise at 18/19/20 do some longish intervals at 21/22/23. And if every ride you do is going fast on flat roads, then you should become good at going fast on flat roads.

 

[Enigma2008]

Hi
I'm 6ft and 72kg too though I have the opposite trouble. If I'm fit and ready I can get up the hills ok (I mean ok not great) but I can hold over 22mph in the group on the flat with my heart rate settled in high tempo zone (this was evidenced only yesterday in a road race). We're all built differently despite the outward similarities. I know what I need to do to improve my climbing but I don't like it!! But I just love nailing it around the lanes on the rivet, there's a clue there. It might just be that you know what you need to do and don't like it too... For my pennyworth you should be doing some Threshold training which is just below or at your Time Trial pace. There's a raft of information about this sort of training on the Timetrial Forum e.g. 2x20 minutes, 3x15, 5x10 a couple of times each week. Enjoy!

 

[HLaB]

I know what I need to do to improve my climbing but I don't like it!!

A motorbike

 

[Enigma2008]

A motorbike

Yeah!! One of those Seat tube electric motors will do nicely, google here I come...!

 

[Garz]

5'6 and 82kg's atm, maybe I need to switch the bike for a rugby ball