how quickly should I see improvement?

It sound like what you have done is established a good sound base but included very little focused training efforts.

You should probably continue with the climbing repeats, but start including regular sprint intervals, pedaling technique drills, and routines to build your VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold.

And, of course, don't overlook your weekly recovery rides/days.

gruppo said:

It sound like what you have done is established a good sound base but included very little focused training efforts.

You should probably continue with the climbing repeats, but start including regular sprint intervals, pedaling technique drills, and routines to build your VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold.

And, of course, don't overlook your weekly recovery rides/days.

you mean something along the lines of light spinning?

closesupport said:

you mean something along the lines of light spinning?

For the pedaling technique, yes. Another good pedaling drill is one leg pedaling to smooth out the motion. One pedaling session each week that combines both high rpm low resistance intervals along with one leg intervals can do wonders for your riding and you barely break a sweat.

catch said:

I have been riding for a year now. I ride about 100miles per week - 20miles in two weekly rides including some hill intervals and then 50-60miles in a fairly fast club ride ~averaging 20mph on mostly flat terrain. I have been doing this routine for the last 6 months. I am definitely improving but the change is very gradual. Is this normal ? and is there any way of maximising my improvement - gym work/cross training/yoga/creatine?

I like one legged intervals, put the bike in the largest gear, relax the other leg and as your about to cross over the top begin to push forwards and over then at the bottom scrape your foot pointing your toes downwards then as if scraping mud from the bottom of your shoe. you'll feel the leg begin to generate alot of lactic in your thighs, then i do spins. Then progress to rolling starts and sprints for as long as possible. then a light spins before starting over, i do this over an hour or so, but the day after my legs do feel deflated.

But after adequate rest, i feel there is an improvement, plus pedalling feels that little more fluent after 1 legged intervals. 20mph, burn one leg out swap over, then do the other why that leg is resting.

closesupport said:

I like one legged intervals, put the bike in the largest gear, relax the other leg and as your about to cross over the top begin to push forwards and over then at the bottom scrape your foot pointing your toes downwards then as if scraping mud from the bottom of your shoe.

The way I do these is to totally unclip one foot from the pedal and rest it on the trainer or on an adjacent box. That forces all of the work to do be done by one leg and immediately show any irregularities in your pedal rotation.

gruppo said:

The way I do these is to totally unclip one foot from the pedal and rest it on the trainer or on an adjacent box. That forces all of the work to do be done by one leg and immediately show any irregularities in your pedal rotation.

i don't ride indoors its boring, whatever the weather, i ride one leg relaxed, then swap over, comes in handy on longer rides when one leg seems to tire alittle more than the other, you can keep up the speed for quite a while with one leg why that leg recovers slightly, rather than dropping to a gentle spin to recover.

closesupport said:

i don't ride indoors its boring, whatever the weather, i ride one leg relaxed, then swap over, comes in handy on longer rides when one leg seems to tire alittle more than the other, you can keep up the speed for quite a while with one leg why that leg recovers slightly, rather than dropping to a gentle spin to recover.

Thanks for the advice - when you say one legged spinning intervals how long do you do them for? until that leg becomes tired or set periods of time?

catch said:

Thanks for the advice - when you say one legged spinning intervals how long do you do them for? until that leg becomes tired or set periods of time?

Try to do 2 min with each leg at 60 rpm followed by 5 min with both legs at 90 rpm. Repeat 3 times.

gruppo said:

Try to do 2 min with each leg at 60 rpm followed by 5 min with both legs at 90 rpm. Repeat 3 times.

I USUALLY START BY DOING 10/20/30/40/50/60 JUST TO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I'M DOING, THEN I GO OFF SPEED TRYING TO MAINTAIN 20MPH WITH 1 LEG, THEN SWAP. AGAIN WITH THE OTHER, THEN SPIN FOR A LITTLE BUT ONLY WHEN I GET UPTO 60 REVELUTIONS PER LEG, THE SPIN IS A RECOVERY, SO DON'T GO WILD.

BUT I JUST PUT IT IN THE LARGEST GEAR 53X12 MASH OUT THAT GEAR, THEN DROP THE GEAR AND SPIN LIGHTLY WITH A REASONABLE CADENANCE, NOT TO MUCH, SINCE I ONLY DO IT TO SHAKE OFF SOME THE LACTIC.

THEN I PROGRESS TO SPRINTS. 200M 400M 800M 1000M

WITH ROLLING STARTS OVER 100M OR AS SOON AS I HIT 35MPH

catch said:

I have been riding for a year now. I ride about 100miles per week - 20miles in two weekly rides including some hill intervals and then 50-60miles in a fairly fast club ride ~averaging 20mph on mostly flat terrain. I have been doing this routine for the last 6 months. I am definitely improving but the change is very gradual. Is this normal ? and is there any way of maximising my improvement - gym work/cross training/yoga/creatine?

Yes, real long-term improvement is gradual. Your answer depends on how you measure improvement, and what you consider "very gradual" improvements. If you have increased your average speed on the club rides by 1 mph this season, that would be a huge improvement.

Are you riding with a faster group of club riders now than at the start of the season? I suspect you've improved more than you realize.

dhk said:

Yes, real long-term improvement is gradual. Your answer depends on how you measure improvement, and what you consider "very gradual" improvements. If you have increased your average speed on the club rides by 1 mph this season, that would be a huge improvement.

Are you riding with a faster group of club riders now than at the start of the season? I suspect you've improved more than you realize.

Yes I think that it would be fair to say that the speed of the club rides has increased because more racers have joined in as the season is drawing to an end. I think that I have increased my average speed on a club ride by about 1mph overall this season - I thought this was only a very small improvement considering the effort I had to put in. I think that I became frustrated because on a recent club ride I was dropped - this hasn't happened all season