Sprinting tips?
- Thread starter sam218
- Start date
I assume you mean road sprinting. If your jump is poor, you should do these drills:
start at normal cruising speed, in normal gear (18mph, 39x15) and go as hard as possible out of the saddle(alternate in the saddle every other effort) for 6 seconds(NO shifting. you need to build leg speed). Explode into the pedals and think faster not harder. Move your legs as fast as you can. Repeat this 8 times with a 10 minute recovery between each.
If your top end is poor, do this: 20 second all out sprints, shift when needed and alternate efforts in the saddle. Do 5 long sprints with 10-15 minute recover in between.
You can also do these on uphills. It doesn't matter a whole lot, as long as you are sprinting. The best way to improve sprinting is to sprint. it's simple.
start at normal cruising speed, in normal gear (18mph, 39x15) and go as hard as possible out of the saddle(alternate in the saddle every other effort) for 6 seconds(NO shifting. you need to build leg speed). Explode into the pedals and think faster not harder. Move your legs as fast as you can. Repeat this 8 times with a 10 minute recovery between each.
If your top end is poor, do this: 20 second all out sprints, shift when needed and alternate efforts in the saddle. Do 5 long sprints with 10-15 minute recover in between.
You can also do these on uphills. It doesn't matter a whole lot, as long as you are sprinting. The best way to improve sprinting is to sprint. it's simple.
velomanct said:
To expand on this a little try this......use a gentle up hill, one you would change down mabey 1 gear in a race to climb. Come to a stand still at the bottom then KICK till you reach 90 - 100 rpm then freewheel to a stand still again kicking 3 - 5 times up the hill.....recover for 10 - 15 minutes then do it again, mabey 3 times all up. Personally I do all my "Kick" training in my seat, but im a trackie ; ) ( Iagree with velo on gear choice for this btw, 39 - 15 sounds about right)
If you mean tactical tips :
1) find the meat axe who always goes early (there is usually one in most packs) its not a bad wheel to be on if you are a road sprinter (assuming the bugger doesn't die till at least the 200m to go mark.
)
2) Never be further back than 5 in last 2k, if a bunch comes pass kick up and push your way in.
3) Keep a "mental book" on all the other sprinters in the bunch. ie Joe likes to go with 2 - 300 to go and hold off, frank likes to come off a wheel in last 50 ect.
4) Know thy self. the most important thing a sprinter must know is what sort of sprinter he is. A big gear, good for 75m MONSTER? A tall lean sprinting machine who can hold a good pace for 3 - 400m? explosive? Ive seen so many get it wrong, ie a huge human of short stature trying to sprint 112 because Mario does on TV.....
1) find the meat axe who always goes early (there is usually one in most packs) its not a bad wheel to be on if you are a road sprinter (assuming the bugger doesn't die till at least the 200m to go mark.
)2) Never be further back than 5 in last 2k, if a bunch comes pass kick up and push your way in.
3) Keep a "mental book" on all the other sprinters in the bunch. ie Joe likes to go with 2 - 300 to go and hold off, frank likes to come off a wheel in last 50 ect.
4) Know thy self. the most important thing a sprinter must know is what sort of sprinter he is. A big gear, good for 75m MONSTER? A tall lean sprinting machine who can hold a good pace for 3 - 400m? explosive? Ive seen so many get it wrong, ie a huge human of short stature trying to sprint 112 because Mario does on TV.....
If you refer to track sprinting....
1) Gym, Squats and deadlifts
2) do your speed work on a roadbike and freewheel the moment you finish.
3) learn bike skills, when you can do a standstill on a road bike with no hands your getting close to good.
4) TRACK CRAFT. I believe Kurt Harnet was the fastest guy in the world for most of the late 80's early 90's but he got dominated by slower guys with better track craft.
1) Gym, Squats and deadlifts
2) do your speed work on a roadbike and freewheel the moment you finish.
3) learn bike skills, when you can do a standstill on a road bike with no hands your getting close to good.
4) TRACK CRAFT. I believe Kurt Harnet was the fastest guy in the world for most of the late 80's early 90's but he got dominated by slower guys with better track craft.
the most common sprint i do is not really a good workout because it is so short. I am basically shooting for maximum wattage and thats it. I start in the 39x14 at 19-20mph on a flat road, and jump for 4 seconds out of the saddle. I can get it to 30mph during these jumps now, hopefully I can increase that to 32-33mph in the spring, after weights this winter.Fixey said:
That effort is just for pure fun. Although it does improve your initial kick. It's only use for road racing is if you are passed by a fast attacking rider from behind, so you can close the gap imediately.
Being an explosive roadie doesn't have a lot of benefits. (I am getting into track next year)
velomanct said:
On the contrary! I am a pure track sprinter, No roadie about me at all.....but in a bunch under 10 I can still beat most road sprinters and its the Kick that does it, A roadie cant roll off your wheel for the line if he hasn't got your wheel in the first place! I know I cant get past the true road sprinters so I kick like hell with 3 - 400 to go and hope to open a 5m+ gap and hold on to the line. This probably wouldn't work at a very high level, and not in a big bunch but at club level it sure as hell works 9 times out of 10
Fixey said:On the contrary! I am a pure track sprinter, No roadie about me at all.....but in a bunch under 10 I can still beat most road sprinters and its the Kick that does it, A roadie cant roll off your wheel for the line if he hasn't got your wheel in the first place! I know I cant get past the true road sprinters so I kick like hell with 3 - 400 to go and hope to open a 5m+ gap and hold on to the line. This probably wouldn't work at a very high level, and not in a big bunch but at club level it sure as hell works 9 times out of 10
My jump is far better in relation to my top end, so maybe I will use your tactic. Now that I think about it, I see how it works. Once you get that gap, the only way you can be beat is if you die out before the line and the other guy can really close it. Assuming you both have the same top end, but you have the jump, it's basically game over for the other guy - nice!
My first track race is in early May, cat 5 at the Spring Carnival at T-town. It's going to be fun.
