Hi guy's, just after some advice. A few months ago i invested in a cyclops turbo trainer and have been going hell for leather on it 3 times a week for 45 minutes each time since. After reading a few articles online i have realised this is not the best way to be training and have just purchased a garmin 510 with cadence and hrm to help me train properly. Does anyone have a beginner/intermediate training programme that i could follow? or reccomend me a book to purchase?
Turbo Training HRM & Cadence
- Thread starter Blowfish
- Start date
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Ningishzidda
Senior Member
Which discipline of bicycle racing are you going to be competing in?
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
Forget the turbo and get out on the road, building up the duration of your rides gradually. What's the longest ride you have done so far?
Ningishzidda
Senior Member
Did you buy a Garmin before a pedestal fan?
Here's a fantastic book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Afternoon-Tea-Recipe-Book/dp/0754823490
Here's a fantastic book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Afternoon-Tea-Recipe-Book/dp/0754823490
This is one of the best responses to the OP type question I have seen, reproduced without permission. Sorry Dave Ryan.
Lot's of good advice on these boards, but start by riding a lot as in five or six days per week if not every day. Make some rides longer, some faster, and some shorter and easier on days when you don't feel sharp or need some rest. But basically ride a lot.
If you've already been doing that then the next step is focused harder but not gut busting efforts so several hours where you try to roll as much Tempo as you where you notice your breathing and you're making a good effort but it's your own best 'fun and fast' pace and something you can hold for mile after mile. Then a couple of days a week pick it up further with some 2x20 style Threshold work. These are mini time trials at least 10 and better yet 15, 20, 30 minutes long each or longer where you ride near your limit for that duration but backed off enough you can actually do more than one and do it in normal training without burying yourself mentally or physically.
Do that kind of stuff and keep riding a lot, find local shop rides or other group rides you can join to work on pack riding skills and you'll be ready come fall to ride with the collegiate team and to build from there.
But basically to build your foundation of cycling fitness it starts by getting on the bike a lot and sustaining faster speeds and more efforts on some days with an emphasis on 'sustain' not just short gut busting sprints.
Lot's of good advice on these boards, but start by riding a lot as in five or six days per week if not every day. Make some rides longer, some faster, and some shorter and easier on days when you don't feel sharp or need some rest. But basically ride a lot.
If you've already been doing that then the next step is focused harder but not gut busting efforts so several hours where you try to roll as much Tempo as you where you notice your breathing and you're making a good effort but it's your own best 'fun and fast' pace and something you can hold for mile after mile. Then a couple of days a week pick it up further with some 2x20 style Threshold work. These are mini time trials at least 10 and better yet 15, 20, 30 minutes long each or longer where you ride near your limit for that duration but backed off enough you can actually do more than one and do it in normal training without burying yourself mentally or physically.
Do that kind of stuff and keep riding a lot, find local shop rides or other group rides you can join to work on pack riding skills and you'll be ready come fall to ride with the collegiate team and to build from there.
But basically to build your foundation of cycling fitness it starts by getting on the bike a lot and sustaining faster speeds and more efforts on some days with an emphasis on 'sustain' not just short gut busting sprints.
I am getting out on the road whenever I can but family commitments and bad weather results in me training indoors more that out.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
That a fan is more important than a Garmin if you plan to be able to ride at any sort of intensity, otherwise you are going to blow at a much lower intensity than you otherwise should do!
All of the information you are requesting is readily available, a quick search will pull up hundreds of results. A little search on Amazon will return lots of book results, with reader reviews. By all means ask for elaboration/clarification/opinion on specifics, but do a bit of leg work yourself 1st!
If you need someone to do all the leg work and design a training programme for you based around your needs and wants, think about hiring a coach for a couple of months! Even the most basic coaching service should suffice.
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
That's fine but you didn't answer my question about mileage / duration. Ultimately, you can't properly prepare for a 100 mile ride by riding on a turbo for short session (IMHO). You will need to be used to riding 60 miles + with real world hills, if you are to enjoy the sportive...
Granted that time is precious - as it is for all but trying to do a 7 hour ride with nothing but an hour or so sessions as prep, is asking for trouble.
I don't buy the excuse about weather - what are you going to do if it starts raining on the sportive? Better to get used to it and be able to ride in various conditions. In any case, it's Summer (almost)
Are you a BC member? They have Sportive training plans on the Insight Zone, that will help, in regards to planning a training regime and utilising HR and the like.
Cheers
Granted that time is precious - as it is for all but trying to do a 7 hour ride with nothing but an hour or so sessions as prep, is asking for trouble.
I don't buy the excuse about weather - what are you going to do if it starts raining on the sportive? Better to get used to it and be able to ride in various conditions. In any case, it's Summer (almost)
Are you a BC member? They have Sportive training plans on the Insight Zone, that will help, in regards to planning a training regime and utilising HR and the like.
Cheers
If you are struggling to find time to ride for longer periods then you could have a look at "The Time Crunched Cyclist" by Chris Carmichael. It is designed to increase endurance for sportive type riding on something like 6/7 hours per week and is very suitable for a turbo trainer. Make sure you get the fan as it focuses on hard intervals!
I haven't used the program myself but a search will show that many have found it effective. Research shows that endurance can be built by High Intensity Training as well as Long Slow Distance or Medium Intensity. Probably a mix of the three is best but if you haven't got the time...
I think the Dave Ryan advice posted by VamP looks very good.
Ningishzidda
Senior Member
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/cycling/cyclingplan.htm
Here's another website on cycling training.
Quote.
"In other words, low intensity aerobic work alone is not enough if you want to succeed as a cyclist. Sheer muscle strength is another essential requirement. Cycling, after all, is a power endurance activity, so if you have a high level of muscular strength, you will need to use a smaller percentage of your maximum strength to maintain the same workload."
Interestingly, many cyclist who ride LE2JOG in seven days ( AUK Randonneur Multiples ) do lots of training in the gym on the squats machine. They don't often say this, but you can bet your last fiver they do.
Here's another website on cycling training.
Quote.
"In other words, low intensity aerobic work alone is not enough if you want to succeed as a cyclist. Sheer muscle strength is another essential requirement. Cycling, after all, is a power endurance activity, so if you have a high level of muscular strength, you will need to use a smaller percentage of your maximum strength to maintain the same workload."
Interestingly, many cyclist who ride LE2JOG in seven days ( AUK Randonneur Multiples ) do lots of training in the gym on the squats machine. They don't often say this, but you can bet your last fiver they do.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Without entering into the weights vs no weights debate, the source appears to be yet another which doesn't distinguish between strength and power and thus gives the impressions you need to be strong to be powerful, which is absolutely not the case.
Ningishzidda
Senior Member
I don’t have any problem distinguishing between strength and power. ‘Strength’ can be substituted by ‘’Force", which is the ISO standard terminology.
If ‘Force’ is applied at a rate ( N/s ) at the crank length, I get Watts.
More force at the same rate with the same crank length equals greater Watts.
Simples.
If ‘Force’ is applied at a rate ( N/s ) at the crank length, I get Watts.
More force at the same rate with the same crank length equals greater Watts.
Simples.
