Training programs

[martymckenna14]

Hi all I'm reasonably new to cycling have been competing in and winning triathlons over the last few years. To be honest up until this summer i haven't really done that much cycling about 50mile at most a week but over the summer i started to cycle more and loved it. Currently I'm mainly concentrating on spinning classes and my turbo trainer but would love to see other cyclists training programs as i think i will take up competing in cycling this year. Any training or advice would be great currently I'm quite fit I'm 6'3 and just under 15stone with 12% body fat tested too weeks ago.

Am doing power to weight test at Christmas and would love to take up cycling this year and be very competitive and win few races. So would like to try an experienced cyclists training program.

Thanks Marty

 

[zaskar]

wow

 

[CalicoCat]

If you are winning tris, you must be doing something right on the bike, although 50mi/week is very low training volume. Were you winning tris on 50mi/week or were tris in your past and since then your on-the-bike training has been reduced?

Regardless, I would gradually increase your weekly mileage and gradually increase your longest ride of the week. Build a solid base of bike miles. Once you are up to at least 100-150mi/week for a while, then you can start adding intensity to your workouts.

If you want to be a successful bike racer, and not "just" a time trialist, then you need to learn the skills of the peleton. Join a group and learn efficient drafting, learn how to corner in a pack, learn how to move around a pack safely, etc. It is necessary to be strong to win bike races, but it is at least as important to be race savvy.

 

[TKOS]

As a cyclist myself, who turned to the world of Tris, I will say this. Find a group to ride with. One that maybe has different levels of strengths in it. Ride with the fastest guys you can hang onto. Bike handling will be your friend.

I watch the guys and gals on their tri bikes. Cycling is not always the strongest part of a tri winner. I am a poor runner and even worse swimmer but I pass people on the bike all the time that end up coming back and beating me. Tri bike handling skills are pretty much zero, it is a point it in that direction and go kind of thing. Many tri riders can barley do that, weaving all over the road.

Also, learn to climb hills.

 

[CalicoCat]

Sorry, I think I mis-read your first post. It looks like you already have increased your training volume.

My training plan (in it's bare-bones form) looks something like this:
starting in the winter (now), I do a strength building phase, a threshold building phase and a VO2 max building phase.
This gets me to my first peak (early in the season because I have some early target races). Then I settle into in-season training where I focus on my weaknesses, and train specifically for the demands of upcoming races. So, if I have a technical crit on the calender, I'll do VO2 max work on a loop with lots of corners. To build top-end power, I train on short steep climbs. Definitely a lot of short intense workouts mid-season, and at least one long group ride each week.

But to be a good racer, I will repeat my mantra that you need to be comfortable in a pack and be able to read pack dynamics.

 

[MMMhills]

If you have been wining tris then you already have a good base. I would find the local race group and go out on their training rides. you may have to prove yourself first as these groups rely on each others ability. Most race training rides will have sprint points and you will learn the techniques needed to be a road racer. Then just enter races and see what it is all about you will Learn quickly.

If you want to race Crits you will want to add intervals to your workout as crits will have lots and lots of accelerations followed by no time to recover and then accelerations again.