20 miles in an hour

[Felt_Rider]

.....my point to my previous post was that it doesn't always take massive power output to meet that task. I didn't output massive numbers for a sustained period and nearly hit the goal of the OP, but good sustainable power output is needed when obstacles like hills, traffic, wind, people or other things provide the monkeywrench to the goal.

Too bad the OP didn't choose a velodrome/track to perform the wager.

 

[maydog]

Stoplights are a killer. Lets assume that each red stoplight costs 70 seconds of stopped time (60 for the light, 2 for slowing and another 8 for accelerating). Each light hit increases the needed average moving speed and average power required (assumes 0 wind or incline).

Previous performance (16.2 miles in 1 hours time)
0 lights = 16.2 mph, 24% less power than baseline

0 lights = 18.0 mph, 100% (baseline/minimum required power)
1 lights = 18.4 mph, 6% more power
2 lights = 18.7 mph, 11% more power
3 lights = 19.1 mph, 17% more power
4 lights = 19.5 mph, 24% more power
5 lights = 19.9 mph, 30% more power
6 lights = 20.4 mph, 40% more power

From the OP's description of the wager, this effort will be more or less an all out effort, 100%, for the duration. From the previous effort, her output is 24% less than the minimum needed to average 18. Hitting even 1 stoplight would be detrimental.

The OP has a long way to go, but I am rooting their success.

 

[swampy1970]

What I find almost as interesting as the challenge is that the OP went into this challenge with a simple bet - ride 20 miles in one hour. For some reason he let his friend make the challenge way more difficult, and if done on a Sunday, next to impossible even for someone that could ride at 25 mph. There's some gnarly traffic lights, junctions, dumb people driving badly and pukesacks with kids trying to take the back roads to Blackpool who have been known to chuck stuff out of the window... ... I would have told the other guy that he could suck his additional demands and stick 'em where the sun don't shine.

 

[lancs69]

The 1st 2 sets of lights are close together and right at the beginning of the route, so if I'm going to do 9.5 miles then turn around and do 8.5 miles coming back, meaning I won't reach the 2 sets of traffic lights on the way back! Also, when setting off at the start I can see the 1st set of lights so it's easy to time it so I get there while they're on green.

I'm doing intervals as training at the moment, 10 mins on 10 mins off 3 times. Did this 4 times this week. It's hard to tell how much I'm improving but I'm doing another practice run at the weekend and aiming for 17 miles in an hour.

 

[cobooboc]

Agreed date coming, young man, are you ready?








http://www.obostore.com/-Discount-outdoor-sports-bike-accessories_c256.html

 

[Monroe71]

I think you best bet fro improving your performance in a short time frame is structured interval training and attention to recovery( both rest and nutrition). It gets forgotten easily but you don't get fitter while you're on the bike - your body builds, adapts and become stronger in recovery.
If you use interval training you can maximise the results of your training with less time. One hour is not an endurance event, so you need to concentrate on building strength and changing your power to weight ratio in your favour.
Intervals will also help you dump the weight ( if you have any to lose...)

And remember to taper your training up to the event date

Focus, grasshopper

 

[Monroe71]

The other thing here is too make this challenge fair - you really shouldn't be dealing with traffic lights. Is there a velodrome any where near by?

 

[Conniebiker]

Could go by wheel timer(like on a cyclo computer), then stop time would be irrelevant

 

[alienator]

Could go by wheel timer(like on a cyclo computer), then stop time would be irrelevant

But the accelerations to and from stop do make a difference.

 

[ddalzell]

here is the advice to get you there... you have 2 weeks.. and if you do it right.. It will be close..

First off.. You honestly need to do a couple high intensity sessions.. 5x3 minutes above your pace you want (is it 18 or 20?) in between each interval take a 3 minute break.. You should do this on Tuesday/Thursday... really push the tempo on these..

Wednesday should be a easy 1 hour 15 min spin... don't push the pace.. this day is to set up thursday

Saturday you really need to do a 2 hour to 2.5 hour ride. Your body will be shocked, but after riding 2.5 hours, well now your 1 hour ride is going to seem a little bit shorter.. on this ride you should try and push hard enough so that right when 2.5 hours hits.. you are completely done.

Take sunday off

Go long again the next tuesday..

spin wednesday

Super hard Thursday..

And then take your two days completely off before your big day!!



and btw.. you should be eating a mixture of carbs and protein within 30 minutes of your workouts.. It helps in recovery drastically

 

[An old Guy]

If all you can manage now is 16, you will not reach 20.

But your best chance is to go out everyday (maybe more than once a day), get your heart rate up, and keep it up as long as you can. (You can take a day off is you get up to 20mph for a full hour.)

You should also work on determining your best cadence (pedal speed).

 

[lancs69]

I tried again on Saturday and attempted the 18 miles in an hour - it took me 1 hr 2 mins 35 secs. Sounds very close to the target but it's still gonna be difficult to knock 2 mins 35 off my time in 2 weeks.

 

[lancs69]

Originally Posted by An old Guy .

If all you can manage now is 16, you will not reach 20.

The bet was "renegotiatied" to 18mph (I agreed to 20 but when he found out I was going to do it starting at the top of a large hill we renegotiated)

 

[cobooboc]

On the left a few days, are you ready?

 

[lancs69]

Originally Posted by cobooboc .

On the left a few days, are you ready?

hope so!!!

2 days to go - weather prob won't be great tho

 

[Conniebiker]

Sometimes a wet road and cooler day can make power a little easier to maintain. Depends what you are used to or set up for.

 

[alienator]

Sometimes a wet road and cooler day can make power a little easier to maintain. Depends what you are used to or set up for.

The decreased rolling resistance of a wet road can be a wonderful thing, albeit one with a fairly minor effect.

 

[davereo]

Watch out for wet leaves when cornering.

 

[cobooboc]

Good luck to you.

 

[jpr95]

So did you make it?