What happens when two groups of male cyclists out for an ‘easy’ winter training ride meet on the road? Somehow, the pace starts to get lifted and before you know it your level 1 base training is becoming a nice little paceline with intervals thrown in. I was happily plodding along the country lanes, when [...]
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Cycle Training for Long Distances
Tips for Training for Longer Distances Build up at a steady rate. If you are used to doing 100 miles a week, you could try increase your weekly total by 10-20% a week. Don’t feel obliged to do same mileage every week. It is good to have an easier week once a month. Make sure [...]
Freedom to Cycle
For the last couple of months I was racing. It was either one hour recovery rides or very hard hill intervals – with nothing really in between. I didn’t go out on long rides because I was always thinking about the next race. There wasn’t so much time to ‘enjoy’ the bike. The end of [...]
Winter Cycling Training
Winter Cycling training is not the most glamorous part of the sport, but it can make a big difference to your performance in the next year. During winter it is good to have the following objectives: Gain some rest both physically and mentally (especially if it has been a very hard racing season) Build up [...]
Cycling Tips for Long Rides
Things to consider for a long ride. Preparation / training Things to bring Food / Hydration Pacing Equipment What are objectives of ride? How far is a long ride? Many would consider a long ride to be over 100km or over 100 miles. But, it is all relatively on your state of fitness. If you [...]
Recovery In the Hills
For some reason I took a recovery ride around the hills of Keighley and Bingley. The ideal recovery ride would be 1-2 hours of gentle riding on flat or rolling roads. Roads where you can spin a high cadence 90+ and help release some of the lactic acid stuck inside your legs. If you want [...]
Hydration in Races
Readers Question: One of the few subjects I don’t think you’ve covered in the time I’ve been reading your posts is how and when to spend a penny in races! This year I’m training for the UK Ironman and have found myself doing more and longer rides and this has the obvious problem. What do [...]
25 Mile Time Trials – Times and Training
The 25 mile time trial is considered the ‘blue ribbon event’ of time trials. It is the event closest to a tour de France time trial and world championship. It is also closest in proximity to the ‘cycling world hour record’ It requires a combination of speed, endurance and tolerance to pain. It is a [...]
Interval Sessions Bike
Interval training sessions are designed to push you out of your comfort zone and enable an increase in power. There are different types of intervals ranging from all out efforts, to ‘pyramid intervals’ with progressive overload. But, the general aim is to stretch your capacity and acclimatise your body for riding at higher intensity. A [...]
Breaking Evens for 10 Mile TT
Readers Question: I’m a 56 year old, 14 and half stone 5ft 8in bloke who has been messing about on bikes for the last year or so but have got more into it since buying a Cube Road bike in Feb this year. So far I have ridden just over 2000km this year and have [...]
