how to impove on the bike?
mini__C
Posts: 44
in General Chat
Hi
Pretty new to triathlon, but how do you actually improve cadence and speed on the bike? I average about 78-85 with about 29-30k/h over a course that has 110m accsent and decent....thats not very impressive....but got any tips?
Does having a TT bike really make one go a lot faster, I'm not taking aero position into account....how much quickier would I be looking at??
Thanks
Chris
Pretty new to triathlon, but how do you actually improve cadence and speed on the bike? I average about 78-85 with about 29-30k/h over a course that has 110m accsent and decent....thats not very impressive....but got any tips?
Does having a TT bike really make one go a lot faster, I'm not taking aero position into account....how much quickier would I be looking at??
Thanks
Chris
0
Comments
Mike
Speed on the bike often comes through a combination of working on your cadence (in a nutshell, spin faster in a lower gear), endurance (maintain a faster pace for longer periods of time) and strength (having the strength in your legs to keep up the higher pace, switch up to higher gears and still spin at a faster pace, in all kinds of conditions - wind, hills, tricky curves, quick starts, etc). That's roughly the order I've been working on things this year - first cadence, then endurance, then strength - and my practice times have been improving steadily. Of course, we'll have to see how it goes when I start racing.
The Cyclist's Training Bible (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyclists-Training-Bible-Joe-Friel/dp/1931382212/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/026-7277870-1174866?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179917201&sr=8-2)
and The Triathlete's Training Bible (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Triathletes-Training-Bible-Joe-Friel/dp/1931382425/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-7277870-1174866?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179917201&sr=8-1),
both by Joe Friel, are books I have found very helpful. Many have told me they find these books to be a little too dense and complex for beginners, but these were the first two books I read and I personally like his style of writing (good stories about real training scenarios) and the wealth of information in them. I like to skip around, read different sections and come back to it every couple of months. Maybe others can suggest other good books for beginners.