Cycling , the goal for speed

raven136

Hi

Took up cycling around 8 months ago

Large man so weight loss has been fairly good so far

Hitting around 80-100k a week

Only thing is the speed is not going anywhere fast

Im gusessing a lot of that is due to weight?

With the winter coming in fast, do people still keep up the same level of cycling? I am hoping to continue commuting to work and at weekends

Thanks for any advice

Tell me how

raven136 wrote: »

Hi

Took up cycling around 8 months ago

Large man so weight loss has been fairly good so far

Hitting around 80-100k a week

Only thing is the speed is not going anywhere fast

Im gusessing a lot of that is due to weight?

With the winter coming in fast, do people still keep up the same level of cycling? I am hoping to continue commuting to work and at weekends

Thanks for any advice

I think a most cyclists would see their weekly numbers drop over the winter but still lot of cyclists would aim to do similar km/week over the winter period but most of this would be on stationary bikes.

You know yourself the amount of the 80-100km/week you've been doing that has been commuting or fitness work (i.e. longer ride in evening or weekend), if most is commuting, then you'll probably be able to hit similar figures, if not, then maybe consider a turbo trainer to keep the miles up.

If turbo trainer isn't an option, maybe incorporate swimming or some other exercise to keep burning calories at a rate you are happy with.

Don't worry about the speed yet, if you manage to keep it going over the winter and by next may have another 2,000km in the legs, I'd say you you'll see a marked difference when you get back on summer roads.

dahat

1-2 trainer sessions with one longish road spin at weekends will get you through the winter better than alot of cyclists. Don't be afraid to mix up trainer sessions with short intervals focusing on high 7 low cadence work, intervals are your friend. This assumes an indoor traine ris an option of course.

Don't worry about speed, most of my headunit pages don't have average speed on them. You are better off focusing on other areas first. The aim is always to be consistent wth short & medium term goals to aim for.

Best of luck with the log!

Cee-Jay-Cee

Speed will definitely drop as the weather gets colder but so long as you keep up your commuting and the odd weekend spin then once the weather warms up again your speed will increase. Don’t be disheartened by it, it’s nothing to do with fitness, it’s simply harder to exert as much energy when it’s colder as your body takes longer to warm up and cold air is hard on the lungs so you hold back the efforts In order to keep breathing shallow/regular.

My summer speed is usually 28-30kmph solo (faster in a group) but drops to 24-26 in winter and sometimes lower. I wouldn’t worry about it.

Cionn

I think winter on the bike is more about commitment. I commute daily 12 months a year. there was only 1 day in the last year where I felt unsafe and that was due to wind. The alternative for my commute are DART/Walking and Car and I would much prefer to get battered by the elements then select any of those options. the upside is that when the weather gets better you have a better starting point than those who have hibernated for the winter.

Also it has to be said there are some fantastic days in winter on the bike, low numbers of cyclists in the cafes and half empty roads, you just have to commit. I found that speed only came from riding in a group as it is harder to push yourself if you ride on your own all the time.

magicbastarder

from what i understand, there are many reasons cycling in the winter will slow you down, none of them on their own a big factor, but combined, they will.
air is denser at lower temperatures, so harder to push out of the way as you cycle.
tyre rolling resistance is higher (the rubber in the tyres is stiffer and less compliant)
as mentioned above, it's harder for your body to produce the energy to cycle when the temps are lower.
on wet roads, you'll often be slower anyway because of lessened grip/debris on the roads.

i've wondered if anyone has measured how much - if any - winter leggings make to your power output.

kenmm

ye - don't worry too much but try and get some cross training in, use the winter months to try other stuff that gives a bigger 'bang for buck'

Running can help if you are able to - 30 mins run 2-3 times a week is easier to manage than similar cycling.
Some strength and conditioning work to get/keep core in good shape - helps with technique as well when back on the bike more regular

If you arent in a club then joining one can be good for motivation and to experience faster speeds

raven136

Thanks for all the replies

Winter gear is bought so should be keeping going all winter

grouchyman

dahat wrote: »

1-2 trainer sessions with one longish road spin at weekends will get you through the winter better than alot of cyclists. Don't be afraid to mix up trainer sessions with short intervals focusing on high 7 low cadence work, intervals are your friend. This assumes an indoor traine ris an option of course.

Don't worry about speed, most of my headunit pages don't have average speed on them. You are better off focusing on other areas first. The aim is always to be consistent wth short & medium term goals to aim for.

Best of luck with the log!

What distance would you reckon for the longish spin over the winter 50-60 kms?

dahat

grouchyman wrote: »

What distance would you reckon for the longish spin over the winter 50-60 kms?

3hrs this time of year would be ideal for a non race training imo. During these spins try focus on cadence both high & low, always room to improve both for varying reasons.

07Lapierre

Winter is a tough time to cycle when your new to it.

The air is cold and more dense, your wearing heavier clothes, the road surfaces are usually wet, muddy and can be covered in debris (washed onto the road after heavy rain)

If you keep cycling throughout the winter, by February/march next year, you'll see your average speed rise.

Best of luck!

raven136

Have managed to maintain solid rides so far

Its been cold and wet but so far so good

Signing up for duathlon for this year

kenmm

Fair play! There has been some cold mornings!

raven136

07Lapierre wrote: »

Winter is a tough time to cycle when your new to it.

The air is cold and more dense, your wearing heavier clothes, the road surfaces are usually wet, muddy and can be covered in debris (washed onto the road after heavy rain)

If you keep cycling throughout the winter, by February/march next year, you'll see your average speed rise.

Best of luck!

Stuck at it this winter and up till the recent lockdown I had added to my average speed. New bike also helped

kenmm

raven136 wrote: »

Stuck at it this winter and up till the recent lockdown I had added to my average speed. New bike also helped

Nice one with the training!

I went all through the winter too for the first time.. all the crappy weather, cold days. Only the really windy storms I skipped as was too dangerous..
And now the good weather is upon us :-(:-(