Borderline

whuppingboy said:

I'm 6'1 and 90.5 Kg. At my heaviest i was 98Kg.
I struggle with climbs, and very long distances, (i'm working on this and hopefully will be a centurion by the end of the year).I can seem to cope better with distance but at to slow a pace (15-17Mph, 24-27Km). My riding buddy is alot lighter than me and seems to keep going and going then when i bonk he accelerates away leaving me in his dust.
I want to stay with him and maybe one day be at the front and leave him to eat my dust!!!
I am trying to trim down and improve my constant speed, any tips?
I beleive the climbing will just be a matter of practise and sheer effort, but surely there is a technique for the speed and distance....?

Well, you need time on the road to get faster, although you shouldn't be unhappy if you average 15-17 mph for your first century. In general, losing weight is a big help, especially on climbs. It helps, also, on flats as it decreases the area of your body presented to the wind, and it decreases rolling resistance. It takes a bit of time to get faster. Keep riding with your friend.