Cycling Forum: speed

More riding

More climbing

Higher power-to-weight ratio, so either

less weight (the bike or your bod, take your pick) or more power (strength training).

 

Definately hill climbs. You should incorporate hill climbing twice a week into your riding/training program. Nothing major, though. You do not want to burn out.  If you do not have access to many hills you can do a fixed gear ride on the flats. I just bought a rear fixed gear wheel and I take the chain out of the rear derailuer and shorten it to the gear on the rear wheel and ride that 1-2 times a week. This will not only teach you a better pedal stroke but it will also give you more strength. Then when you ride on other days just simply put your chain back together through the deraiuler with a normal wheel and will notice results quickly. Also, when doing hill climbs try and stay in the saddle as much as possible and keep your hands right at the first curve of the handlebars. This allows you to sit more upright and opens up your chest to get more oxygen going through your lungs. Good Luck

I didn't catch how long or how often you ride; but both of those would factor into your power and endurance. Start looking at articles in Bicycling's magazine or website. A European cycling website www.bikeradar.com has some good training and riding articles.

It sounds like where you live is relatively flat with may some rolling roads - look at doing some interval training (i.e. gear-up and ride hard for 15 mins then recover-spin for 3-5 mins and repeat for 45 mins to 60 mins).

 Learning how to use your bike's gears is a big thing I've told people on rides. Too many people think their going to put their bike into 1-2 gears and stay there. Newsflash - you don't drive a car that way so shy ride your bike that way!

Even though I live in Colorado I have a hard time with moderate to big hills; and I still read articles on hill climbing. So my goals for this season has been to do more hill intervals and longer rides for endurance (i.e. up to 2 hrs).

 Good luck and ride safe!

Hard to say.  You sound like you may be pretty good on hills but just aren't getitng better.  I rode a tight cassette around Westchester for a couple of years, and it made me a monster on the hills, according to a few guys I rode with.  If you don't have a chicken gear, you've just gotta attack them, which helps you improve. 

 For fine tuning, I'd say a few things.

horseguy is right ..."try and stay in the saddle as much as possible ... keep your hands near the center of the handlebars ... sit more upright (heck, you're going slower so don't worry about aero drag) ... opens up your chest to get more oxygen going through your lungs.

I'lll add don't grab the bars, just rest your hands.  That helps keep your upper body relaxed, which helps a lot.  I think some of the best climbers sit further back in the saddle whilel climbing.  And above all, pedal circles.  It is a lot tougher to keep a good cadence and the right momentum when pedaling squares.

I only started riding 3 month ago and my speed was really slow but i have done three 60 mile rides and my avg speed is stock at 16mph, i have done the hills and a lot of riding but nothing.     17.3 miles in 1:04:00 this is the time i want to beat.  any other tricks that may help

The only way to raise your average speed is to raise your average speed.

Roaddog got it right with suggesting intervals. The interval you start with depends on your fitness, but a short 3-5 minute intense effort, followed by 10-15  minute recovery pace, done over an hour, is probably a good start.  Don't forget a good warmup and cool down on either side of that.

This should not be done two days in a row. Mix it up with some distance riding, and hills. This allows you to work different muscle groups each day, with a rest in between. It also goes without saying that you should make sure you're in the right gear. Spinning uses your lungs, not your legs. It's much easier to go far and fast by spinning, not mashing.

 

Horseguy - get a 2nd chain if you're riding fixed. I'm pretty sure that they're a different width than a chain used for a cassette, but you wouldn't want to swap the chain between a cog and cassette. You'll wear your cassette and chain out much too quickly that way.