Maximising effort....

TheBlaaMan

Can someone point me to a resource (online preferably) that provides some explanation of how to get the best out of training rides? I've searched, but as you will read below, I'm not even sure what I should be searching for......

What I'm looking for is some instruction on how to combine cadence and heart rate readings (have devices that count both - but not a power meter) and anything else that I can easily measure to improve fitness and/or increase endurance and/or improve my climbing ability.

I'm not sure exactly what I want to improve, as such - I'm not competing, nor intending to - but I have a limited and finite time on the bike each week and want to get the best out of whatever time I'm "in the saddle"

I'm guessing that I need to find the optimum point at which I can alter cadence and heart rate to get the best power (?) into the pedals...........but can I do this in a measureable way without a power meter? I presume if I graphed HR and cadence curves, then at some point on the chart I hit a sweet spot.......but how I find that point for me, specifically.

So, as you can see..............I have a very vague idea of what I'm trying to achieve, but pi$$ing in the wind a bit at the moment, so any guidance would be gratefully received !

Thanks

DirkVoodoo

Buy Joe Friel's "Cyclist's training bible", the only book you will ever really need.

TheBlaaMan

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Buy Joe Friel's "Cyclist's training bible", the only book you will ever really need.

Dirk
Thanks for that, I'll try to pick up a copy - I've seen it recommended elsewhere too.


In the meantime, can anyone point me to a thread on here that has covered this area/topic in the past, as I suspect is the case ?

niceonetom

BlaaMan - your question could probably be paraphrased as "how do I get better at cycling?" As such, it's way too vague to have any useful answer.

There is no one perfect repeatable session that will make you a better cyclist. Most riders go out with a specific goal in mind for the session - long-slow-distance for endurance and cardio base, tempo work for increasing cardio capacity, strength work, sprint intervals, climbing intervals, spinning, over-gearing, threshold work... etc. etc. etc.

Different training methods are useful for different riders at different times of the year depending on the riders' strengths and weaknesses, what they intend to peak for and when.

Do you have a specific goal? That would dictate what you need to get better at. Do you have a particular weakness or any bad habits that need to be gotten rid of?

Cadence is maybe the least important bit of feedback that riders use - for almost everyone we're at our most efficient at 90rpm ± 10. Heart rate is a much more useful training metric. Find out your max and work out your zones from that (search the forum for threads about max and zones) and then see how you get on with trying to spend some time at target intensities.

Also: Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.

Lumen

Have a read through the Training Logs subforum for ideas and previous discussions.

Caroline_ie

Just bought the training bible off eBay today ... finally... training stinks

ROK ON

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Just bought the training bible off eBay today ... finally... training stinks

I got it a few months back and have spent sometime buildi g a training plan to suit the modest goals of a mamil.

I am using it as a guide to get more out of my cycling and get fitter. I am controlling enough that I like planning etc.

However if I was a serious athlete I wouldn't follow it given its ubiquity - that is if you take the similar people and give them the same plan then results should be similar.

Bring on base training - starting next Mon. Last few weeks have been spent getting suitably out of shape to make training all the more rewarding :-)

Caroline_ie

ROK ON wrote: »

Last few weeks have been spent getting suitably out of shape to make training all the more rewarding :-)

I am starting slowing to get back into it ... but I am quite out of shape right now. Was out last monday and was dropped on a drag ... a tiny DNS drag FFS!

morana

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Can someone point me to a resource (online preferably) that provides some explanation of how to get the best out of training rides? I've searched, but as you will read below, I'm not even sure what I should be searching for......

What I'm looking for is some instruction on how to combine cadence and heart rate readings (have devices that count both - but not a power meter) and anything else that I can easily measure to improve fitness and/or increase endurance and/or improve my climbing ability.

I'm not sure exactly what I want to improve, as such - I'm not competing, nor intending to - but I have a limited and finite time on the bike each week and want to get the best out of whatever time I'm "in the saddle"

I'm guessing that I need to find the optimum point at which I can alter cadence and heart rate to get the best power (?) into the pedals...........but can I do this in a measureable way without a power meter? I presume if I graphed HR and cadence curves, then at some point on the chart I hit a sweet spot.......but how I find that point for me, specifically.

So, as you can see..............I have a very vague idea of what I'm trying to achieve, but pi$$ing in the wind a bit at the moment, so any guidance would be gratefully received !

Thanks

I think the Hr meter was good until the advent of the PM. Perceived exertion is probably a better guide than HR but I accept you need to be a little bit experienced to get the most from PE.
Anyway as for guidance I think if you can get a decent coach then go for it but if not I suppose I would say dont neglect strength in the winter. Do plenty of Aerobic intervals and then more higher intensity stuff as the season approachs and mostl important trainn with people who have similar goals!

Beasty

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Buy Joe Friel's "Cyclist's training bible", the only book you will ever really need.

Disagree - eventually (hopefully) you will need this

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

Disagree - eventually (hopefully) you will need this

Cover looks a bit fuzzy. Is this how the world looks through cataracts?

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

Cover looks a bit fuzzy. Is this how the world looks through cataracts?

I thought everything looked a bit fuzzy nowadays - I simply assumed the bankers were to blame