need help with.....everything

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ok this is my first post so bear with me
so i am 17 yrs old. I have rode 14 miles a day for the past 3 years, mainly commuting and i am now starting to get more miles in for the past 6 months (ever since i got my road bike) sometimes i get 35 miles a day and sometimes i only get 14 but its not constant, and i need to increase my speed if i ever want to race, its at 15mph right now I know i need to ride longer but i am having trouble finding time to do it. well i want to race and i need to learn how to go faster and longer. I want to race in tours and i want to make a living off this, i really want to race its just getting the speed and distance thats the prob. How do i go faster is it just increasing my caddence or what? And whats some good tips for goin longer. I have a heavy road bike and the saddel sucks should i just get a new one?

another thing i need to get the feel for racing and learn the to do's and not to do's of racing. Should i join a bike club and have them help me out and give me the feel for racing? The closest bike club is an hours drive away. So i dont know

Matt

This post is like reading about myself, only im a few years older. Starting to race in 2 weeks time :). Hope this bumps the post up long enough coz id like to hear sum tips aswells

...
so i am 17 yrs old. I have rode 14 miles a day for the past 3 years, mainly commuting and i am now starting to get more miles in for the past 6 months (ever since i got my road bike) sometimes i get 35 miles a day and sometimes i only get 14 but its not constant, and i need to increase my speed if i ever want to race, its at 15mph right now I know i need to ride longer but i am having trouble finding time to do it. well i want to race and i need to learn how to go faster and longer. I want to race in tours and i want to make a living off this, i really want to race its just getting the speed and distance thats the prob. How do i go faster is it just increasing my caddence or what? And whats some good tips for goin longer. I have a heavy road bike and the saddel sucks should i just get a new one?

another thing i need to get the feel for racing and learn the to do's and not to do's of racing. Should i join a bike club and have them help me out and give me the feel for racing? The closest bike club is an hours drive away. So i dont know
No, you don't need a new bike right now ... you probably do need some cycling shoes & clipless pedals.

Use Shimano's cycling shoes as your benchmark for pricing & features (Shimano seems to have the most extensive line-up of shoes) ... and, spend more/less depending on your budget. Your feet will probably continue to grow since YOU will probably grow a little more! Maybe, not. Regardless, no need to buy a pair of SIDI right now (I'm only mentioning this because I am sure many people would otherwise suggest you pony up for a pair).

TIRES. Your bike should have 700x25 or 700x23 tires ...

TOOLS. Learn to do your own cycling maintenance so that you can optimize the performance of the components your bike currently has or which will be on your future bike(s). Rent/Watch "Breaking Away" to gain an appreciation for cycling maintenance amongst other reasons for watching the film.

Do yourself a favor and buy a new saddle. When in doubt, buy a BROOKS B17, or B17 narrow, or a BROOKS PROFESSIONAL saddle-- they are heavy (over 500g) ... these are love-it-or-hate-it saddles that some people just can't embrace ... but they are generally only UN-comfortable if you set them up incorrectly OR are sitting on it incorrectly ... they are "lifetime" investments (presuming you "like" the Brooks saddle that you buy, unless you become a sponsored rider, you will probably continue to use the same-or-equivalent saddle on all your future bikes). A leather saddle does require more maintenance than a "plastic" saddle, but can last for decades if properly maintained (i.e.., SnoSeal rather than Proofide ... NO neatsfoot oil, ever).

Finding time is really hard to do, but taking this to another level takes sacrifice and perseverence, for sure. Unfortunately, if you want to go longer, there's no solution but to get used to putting in those miles (and hours). If you get to the point where you're sponsored, you'll find yourself on the bike for a significant chunk of time anyway. There are a lot of books on training - check out the author Joe Friel on Amazon. He covers plans, what to eat, the whole deal.

You mentioned higher cadence as a possible way of going faster - it's actually a really good way to go farther / longer. If you feel yourself really mashing the pedals hard, shift to an easier gear, pedal faster, and try for the same speed. Higher cadence uses more "slow twitch" muscle fibers, and these are really good at doing their thing for long periods of time, as opposed to fast twitch fibers. Slow twitch fibers also burn more fat for fuel than sugars, so if you spin at a higher cadence you may find that you're more likely to have something left for that sprint at the end of a long race. What's a high cadence? Everyone has their own opinion, but I'd say high 80's to low 90's is high. You can get a $30 cycling computer that will measure cadence. At first, and for several weeks, spinning that fast will feel weird, but eventually you'll love it. You'll also start to "feel" the right cadence instead of relying on the computer as time goes on.

Club rides (let alone club races for now) are a good place to get used to riding with others. Lots of bike shops have weekly rides as well. Getting the basics down in an uncompetitive environment is way easier than during a race where everybody is on edge.

Best of luck - stick with it!