Rapha Women's 100 (cycling challenge)

Cracking advice Thistle, well explained, thank you. I have a couple of training books I keep dipping into and would add that I've read about the importance of keeping upper body still - I've found it really helps, keeps the bike nice and steady and I'm able to concentrate on the pull through technique Thistle describes (obviously have clipless!), it works fantastically on climbs.

Ssmile - with regards to building up speed, yes a lot of it is dependent on fitness and strength, which you can either build up through following a set interval training program, or just incorporating one into your normal riding. For example, if you have a long straight stretch, try doing mini sprints- 20 pedal revolutions or a couple of lamp posts, then ease off until you catch your breath, then go again.

As others have said, a good pair of slick tires do help, as does working on your technique. Cadence (number of pedal revolutions per minute) and pedalling technique will both help with speed.

Do you use a cadence sensor? If so you should be aiming for a cadence of 90 - 100 revolutions per minute. If you don't use one then you can gauge it roughly by effort. I find that about 120 revs is about as quick as I can sustain on the flat, and that really feels like my legs are going like the clappers. Get in an easy gear, see how fast you can get your legs going. Ease off a bit from that, and you should find a rhythm that suits you. Don't be tempted into thinking that the bigger gear you are in, the quicker you will go. If you are mashing round a big gear then you will use a lot of energy not very efficiently, and your legs will get tired before you build up speed.

The other thing is to think about your pedalling technique - do you ride clipped in? If so, don't just push down on the pedal but think of pulling through on the bottom of the stroke as well. Imagine you are scraping your foot back on the floor to get something off your sole. You will engage more muscles and for longer, making your stroke much more efficient.

I hope that helps! I haven't been riding for all that long, so this is all stuff that I am still working on.

ATB, agree, it's lovely to get some time out on the bike and second Velos suggestion of a picture of the coast, you'll be wanting to stop for a breather after that hill anyway!

Seconding the welcomes to Bisto and Viva, Bisto, would that be Nijmegen you're heading for? Viva, went to the bike show at the NEC last year and ther were a couple of recumbent manufacturers there - generating a lot of interest too.

Velo, expecting wheels in next couple of days, ordered from Planet X and they are usually pretty quick. Not too much of a problem waiting as I've also got a Bianchi a bot precious about it, don't use it in the winter) which has just been away getting a service ready for the spring and I'll pick that up tomorrow.

Ssmile, check out interval training, most of the cycling mags I subscribe to will point you in this direction to build on speed.

Bisto, Velo and I are following each other on strava, would be good to swap details- I'll pm you!

Oh, before I go, I'd be happy to follow/be followed by fellow cyclist/runners/triathletes on Strava so feel free to PM me and I'll send you my Strava name :)

I agree with Viva, I've just changed from slick tyres which were so quick to armoured tyres after too many punctures on my commute. They are so much slower than my old tyres but worth it if I don't get punctures!

Definitely going now...

Ssmile, Make sure your tyres are kept pumped at a good pressure. Sometimes changing tyre either size or model can give you a speed increase of 1 or 2mph.

I have marathon plus on my commuting bike and they're quite heavy and increased rolling resistance so not the fastest, but good puncture protection. Its weighing up what you'd prefer, I sacrifice speed on the commute for puncture protection.

Apart from that its getting the miles in to build your muscle, fitness.

Velorider Alas, it is July that I have my walk, June would have been better for me!

I am on the west coast, Loch Lomonside so plenty of scenic routes to choose from but difficult to find flat, easy runs!

Whereabouts on the east coast are you! I spent 4.5 years in Fife, lots of lovely routes around there :)

Right, I must stop procrastinating and get my butt out there! :)

Still feeling crap but motivated by your collective riding. This may sound a daft question but how can I get faster? I got a new bike 2months ago as old one was 18yrs old mtb bike with road tyres. I've got a hybrid road bike with flat bars as my old back issues means I can't sustain a racing handle bar position. I was most disappointed that the new bike has only made me 1mph faster! I average about 11mph and all the blokes that go past me on my work commute are flying along. Is it just I've got to build up muscle power and fitness? I do have a cycle trainer and tried doing 20sec burst 20sec rest to see if that would help. Any tips? Or just get on the bike and ride .

Just realised that I'm doing a 100 mile march/walk in Holland that week so will be in no fit state to attempt a 100k bike ride! Shall stay on this thread though and follow the training plans as I love cycling :)

I did do 35 miles last summer but on an upright.

I think I do need to try and up the distance 5 miles a week and keep going.

I'd love to do a metric 100.

Just been out today and done 18 miles. I ride a recumbent trike now and its slower going than my cyclocross bike. I think I'm still getting my "bent" legs though as only done about 200 miles on it in total, got the trike last Sept I think.

Would love to build up to this but not sure I can. It all seems bloody hard work. Was very windy today though. Struggling to get to 9mph at times, then hit 25mph down a slight but long downhill!

Can I join you lovely ladies? Keen cyclist here, I've signed up to the 100km cycle in June. Just about to head out on a 20-30 mile cycle now, sunny but windy here in Scotland :)

wow Pip that does sound drastic but nice excuse to get a new set of wheels

Impressed at all the turbo trainers, not that I really have an excuse for not getting outside (I am feeling a bit reading about you all in massive headwinds and rain!)

Velo one of the reasons I signed up to ALC was to have the excuse to get out on a bike, on my own, for a few hours - let alone the week long ride itself. It's so good to feel so totally only responsible for myself for once in a while!

hope you and your girls get well soon ssmile, you have my sympathies. DD's sleep training is going ok at the moment but from past experiences we're expecting at least one horrific night before it dramatically improves. Bloody DS has started getting up in the middle of the night now though which is so frustrating and unneccessary!

A friend has just moved to Malibu (up a massive hill which is rewarded with an incredible view of the Pacific) so I've agreed to cycle to hers and have coffee on Wednesday, I'll attempt one of the canyons first though then stop by hers on the way back

Thistledew I'm in awe of you!

Ssmile, hope you and your girls are better soon.

Hi Thistle, think that head wind affected everyone yesterday - lots of mention on strava about it! My bike is a five year old carbon Orbea Onyx and serviced regularly, but wheels were recent change after the Campags that were on it suffered a spoke loss, flat spokes so not always that easy to replace. Anyway, were only intended as a temporary swap and have the new Shimanos on order. Sounds like you had your work cut out for you yesterday but good to hear your club encourages newbies.

Like you Velo, cycled for years but have only got in to it properly in the last couple of years after having to give up running. Working on distance now but keen to keep up a reasonable pace. Very true what you say about it being largely psychological Thistle, for me it also helped adding an extra 5 or so miles on each weekend ride when I was getting out last summer so small steps but soon got up to a comfortable 60 run.

Also have a turbo trainer (joint Christmas gift too!) but do find it dull, will check out sufferfest!

Sufferfest videos! They are basically a fancy form of interval training, but they do keep you entertained and working hard.

Finding your 'comfortable' pace can be described by your Perceived Rate of Exertion (PRE). This is a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is barely turning over the pedals, and 10 is a maximal effort that you can only sustain for up to 30 seconds. 7 is your 'lactate threshold', where you burn energy (i.e. the glycogen stored in your blood and liver) quicker than your body can replenish it. This feels like hard work, and it will be difficult to hold a conversation whilst working at this level. This is where your fitness levels really kick in, as they determine how long you can sustain this intensity for.

However, most people can ride at level 5 for quite a long time. You are more likely to feel you want to stop due to muscle (or arse!) soreness than actual fatigue.

Velo Ouch! I hope your knee heals quickly. Don't worry, getting hit by the topple goblin (close relation of the p*ncture fairy) is something that happens to the best of us.

I started riding almost exactly 3 years ago, and remember for the first month was exhausted after riding 7 miles or so. In May of the same year I did a 26 mile sportive, and was amazed as it was the furthest I had ridden at any one time. At the end of July I then did a 65 mile sponsored ride, and discovered that if you go at a pace that is comfortable for you, you can pretty much keep going and going on a bike. It is only if you are working hard and/or doing lots of hills that you will feel fatigued quickly. I found that increasing distances is actually largely psychological, and if you know you can ride 30 miles, you will have no problem with 50. If you can do 50 then 70 will be fine, and if you can do 70 then 100 won't seem much more.

This time last year I made a conscious decision to work on my fitness, and it has really improved. DH and I bought a turbo trainer as a joint Christmas present to each other, and that has really helped with my strength.

Pip That sounds dramatic! How old is your bike? I would take it to a local bike store if I were you for a full service. You don't want to fall victim to any more catastrophic failures. At worse, you could end up in an accident, and at best it ruins your chance to get out riding. A guy on our ride today lost a bolt holding his crank on (!), and there was really nothing we could do for him but point him in the direction of the nearest train station about three miles away.

ssmile I hope you are back on the bike soon.

I went out with my cycling club and did a fairly easy 50 miles. The head wind was vicious at times. I also spent about 10 miles of that as back marker for a group that included some 'newbies' - people coming out with the club for the first time. One guy did quite well for the first half of the ride but then started to flag badly and drop off the back of the group. I kept dropping back and letting him sit on my wheel to tow him back to the group, only to look round 200 yards later and see that he had dropped off again. I must have towed him back to the group (so riding faster than they were going) about a dozen times! I was knackered after that and made someone else take over the duties so I could sit in the group for most of the rest of the ride.

Still, I felt in reasonable shape, despite having sore legs from a 9.5km run I did yesterday.

Thanks for the links thistle. I'd not seen the bottle holders off the saddle that might work for me. No cycling for me this weekend :-( felt awful with this bug the girls have had and, DD1 was in tears earlier with earache so I really hope the meds help her sleep ok. Hopefully I have more energy to cycle commute tues or Wednesday.