Increase speed?

FloydLandis said:

Just wondering what you guys do to get a good speed increase. What type of training everyone does on the road to up the speed anty.

Pedal faster.......

Intervals are a good training method to increase speed. The best method is simply to ride with stronger riders in group rides as it will ibcrease your fitness level tremendously.

Actually, the best way to increase speed is to reduce resistance (rolling, aero and weight). But, then you threw in the word, "training." You train to increase power, not speed. The best place to start is to buy Hunter Allen & Andy Coggan's book, "Training and Racing with a Power Meter."

RapDaddyo said:

Actually, the best way to increase speed is to...

...ride down a steep hill 😄

lots of threads to search on the forum about increasing power and getting faster.

Setting some goals, that are personalised to you, and then training to increase physiological mechanisms that are associated with those goals is a good way to start. You should try to make your goals SMART (specific, measureable, adjustable, realistic, and time-based). Increasing speed wouldn't be a SMART goal.

Being coached is usually a good idea as well. it can cut down the time it takes you to reach a goal, and/or allow you to reach a higher level of fitness. At RST we can help with coaching and your goals.

ric

ric_stern/RST said:

...ride down a steep hill 😄

How true! That reminds me of yesterday's ride. After a 70 min LT interval up a 1.6% upgrade into a 20mph wind (whew), I got to enjoy the ride back. There were 3 of us and as I was drafting the lead man at ~35mph while coasting and overtaking him, I yelled out (in jest, of course), "Pedal faster, I can't coast this slow."

ric_stern/RST said:

Being coached is usually a good idea as well. it can cut down the time it takes you to reach a goal, and/or allow you to reach a higher level of fitness.

True again. Although it takes away all the fun of being wrong and taking longer to reach one's goals.😄

RapDaddyo said:

How true! That reminds me of yesterday's ride. After a 70 min LT interval up a 1.6%"

isn't 1.6% a flat road...? :p (we've got a few climbs round here that are between 20 and 30%)

Quoted post said:

True again. Although it takes away all the fun of being wrong and taking longer to reach one's goals.😄

sure, that can be fun. But it can also be fun hitting new levels of fitness in shorter periods of time, and then dealing out pain to friends or rivals!

Ric

ric_stern/RST said:

isn't 1.6% a flat road...? :p (we've got a few climbs round here that are between 20 and 30%)

Yes, it is relatively flat. That makes it great for long LT intervals. The slight upgrade plus headwind provides a nice, continuous resistance. It's sort of difficult to find 20-30% climbs that take 70 minutes to climb.

ric_stern/RST said:

sure, that can be fun. But it can also be fun hitting new levels of fitness in shorter periods of time, and then dealing out pain to friends or rivals!

Geez, next thing I know you'll be saying it's fun to win races.😄

RapDaddyo said:

Yes, it is relatively flat. That makes it great for long LT intervals. The slight upgrade plus headwind provides a nice, continuous resistance. It's sort of difficult to find 20-30% climbs that take 70 minutes to climb.

Indeed, makes for great training.

Can you imagine a 70-min 20% climb :eek: That'd be nasty!

wish we had some nice even gradients for those sort of workouts!

ric

ric_stern/RST said:

Can you imagine a 70-min 20% climb :eek: That'd be nasty!

LOL. Break out the oxygen bottles.😄