Hi. So about a week ago I purchased my first road bike. Before the purchase, I cycled every day (daily commute to campus), and I'm still planning to do so. It is about 20km/12mi total. I felt like this was just to keep me in shape.
With my new "investment", I'd like to actually train, but I don't really know the best way. From the data I've gathered from strava (BTW: great app), I'm doing an average of 28kmh/17mph. My goal for this year is to crack this up to 32kmh/20mph. I don't really know what to expect, and I'm not even sure if there are any good exercises (except for ofcourse alot of cycling)! Would love to know some tips and trick!
Being able to average 32km/h is going to take some serious training or riding on flat roads with no wind. You need to find yourself a training plan that includes some intervals and some structure. Just going out and riding your bike a lot will only get you so far. I've had excellent results following Trainerroad.com's plans but they do require many of your workouts to be done inside on your trainer. Longer and lower intensity workouts can be done outside.
Hi. So about a week ago I purchased my first road bike. Before the purchase, I cycled every day (daily commute to campus), and I'm still planning to do so. It is about 20km/12mi total. I felt like this was just to keep me in shape.
With my new "investment", I'd like to actually train, but I don't really know the best way. From the data I've gathered from strava (BTW: great app), I'm doing an average of 28kmh/17mph. My goal for this year is to crack this up to 32kmh/20mph. I don't really know what to expect, and I'm not even sure if there are any good exercises (except for ofcourse alot of cycling)! Would love to know some tips and trick!
Thanks
Hey!
Congrats on the new ride! If your aim is to get faster out there, then we'll definitely be happy to give you a run for your money, no doubt. And if you're looking to do a lot of outdoor workouts, then you'll also be able to integrate those outdoor rides into your training plan in the near future. Follow the link below to get a little better understanding of what we're all about.
Being able to average 32km/h is going to take some serious training or riding on flat roads with no wind. You need to find yourself a training plan that includes some intervals and some structure. Just going out and riding your bike a lot will only get you so far. I've had excellent results following Trainerroad.com's plans but they do require many of your workouts to be done inside on your trainer. Longer and lower intensity workouts can be done outside.
Thanks for spreading the good TR word, Nigel! Stay tuned to be able to integrate those outdoor workouts into your training plan! Woohoo!
Thanks for choosing TrainerRoad as your cycling tool!
I guess that if you have some goal you will need a plan but if you are an amateur cyclist I really do not see what is the point. You are not preparing for some long race so you need to practice chronometer, climbing, etc.. If you really want to follow a plan you have a lot of good advice here as I managed to read and you could have a face to face talk about this with some experience rider in order to avoid injuries.
I think taking it slow would be the best. Gradually just practice longer and longer, building up your endurance and adapting to the speed of the bike. There may be shortcuts, but here, you shouldn't be able to do that if you want to be safe on the road. Keep your speed controllable, wear protective gear like helmets, elbow and knee pads, and even reflective vests just to be sure you get spotted when you are on the road at night. It's a long road ahead, and you have to take it one step at a time.
Hey, great choice on the road bike! I admire your goal of increasing your average speed. To train effectively, consider incorporating interval training into your rides – short bursts of high intensity followed by recovery periods. This can help improve your speed and endurance. Also, don't forget to monitor your progress and adjust your training plan as needed. Happy cycling and best of luck with your goal! 🙂
