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Improve bike times

I would like some advice on how to improve my bike time please?

I started doing triathlons about. 2 years ago. I was aleady quite a good runner and swimmer so I brought a bike. As I had never really been on a road bike before my times got better each time i was racing and was doing quite well as a novice.

In my 2nd year I started competing with the so called big boys and brought a TT bike and have now reached a point where my bike times are not really improving. Im comparing my times to the same races last year.

I recently did a standard tri and my swim time was say only 2 minute slower than the winner and the same goes for my run. But my bike time was 12 minutes slower than most. Im not expecting to win these tri's but I don't seem to br improving and was wondering what can I do?

At the moment I go for about 3 or 4 leisurely rides that will average about 25 miles each time Which I thought is quite good.

Any help would be great. Thank you

Comments

  • risris Posts: 1,002

    i think the key bit might be the 'leisurely' side to your riding. 

    essentially, and like swimming and running, if you want to get faster then you need to go faster - push yourself until it hurts and see how long you can stay there. structured sessions (intervals, tempo etc) can make a big difference.

    pootling about will make you good at pootling about. ride like you have to be somewhere 10 mins ago. 

  • TriGuyTriGuy Posts: 3

    Thanks for this.

     

    whats the difference between tempo and intervals?

  • risris Posts: 1,002

    tempo is a longer, sustained hard effort (perhaps akin to a time trial) - if you were doing a running tempo it might be a harder thresholdy effort.

    intervals are short, more intense (perhaps over hard) short bursts with a fixed recovery between (say 2/3mins flat out with a min rest - running again).

    intervals can be easier to do indoors on a turbo as you are at less risk of road conditions affecting your structured block.

  • MacaroneMacarone Posts: 58

    Might be worth investing in a turbo trainer and something like Trainer Road to help keep up your training during the winter months as well. TR has lots of structured plans you can follow and it will track your progress/improvements so it can be a very motivating tool to use. It's also good at helping you push yourself within a controlled environment, while it might be tough at times, you should see the results you're after soon enough. Before anyone says it, I don't think anything beats being outside on the road but every bit counts and I find TR particularly good.

  • DDTTRIDDTTRI Posts: 21

    Have a look for local cycling Time Trials. 10 mile TTs are great temp training, going excuse the term "balls out" for 30 minutes.

    Also Hill reps and intervals! a decent hill session where you stay seated and push a bigger then normal gear up hill will build good power.

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