I've been cycling for about a year, and can ride pretty fast for a long time, but cannot seem to increase my top speed. To give you more details, I can maintain 22-24mph solo on flat ground with no wind for an hour or two, but I have a really hard time hitting 30mph on a solo sprint. Similarly, I try to keep a reasonably high cadence when I'm riding (between 95-100), but cannot seem to go above 120 more more than a few seconds.

It's pretty frustrating, because I go on a fast group ride once a week and I can stay with the group without much difficulty when it's not sprinting (25-28mph), but whenever the group sprints above 30mph, I really struggle to keep up and usually get dropped. What adds to the frustration is that I see people that are definitely less fit than I am staying with the group while I get dropped.

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I rowed in college for four years (graduated in 2004), and in the process, my legs became almost entirely slow-twitch. I ended up in much better shape, lighter and stronger than when I started (played baseball and basketball in high school), but noticed that I became much slower sprinting and lost a lot off my vertical leap. From what I've read, most top cyclists have predominantly slow-twitch muscles, so I'm guessing that's not what's keeping me back, but thought it might be relevant.

Any advice in terms of drills, workouts or techniques, or anything else that could help me out would be greatly appreciated.

Check out the golden standard: Friel, et al. The basics: You are what you train to be. You wanna sprint better, sprint more. Some of it's genetics, some of it ain't.

if you're getting dropped in a group sprint at 30mph, you're probably not drafting correctly...higher speed is maintained in the drafts with higher gears. My top speed ever is 39mph in a sprint but I could never do it training alone, nowhere near it.

also, why would you want to have a cadence of 120+? that seems like sort of a weird goal. riding/racing is not so much about cadences and speed, but group dynamics and interpretation of ability, team tactics, weather, geography, etc.

Are you choosing to ride out front before the sprint begins? if so, of course you'll be dropped, you're doing all the work before the final lap even starts. hang back, enjoy the vaccum in the peloton, then when its time to sprint, see what happens. like the other post reads, if you want to sprint better...sprint more. if you want to climb better...climb more. learn to relax in the group while you're riding and perform when you need to perform. if you want to learn that, take the computer off your bike when you ride in a group..you shouldn't be looking down there anyway.

further more, you aren't in high school or college anymore...and have here compared unlike sports, non of which come close to road cycling. keep riding all kinds of various terrain...you'll get there. is there a hill near your house you try to avoid? don't. go tackle it.

Intervals are the key to getting better shape. I know guys like you who can ride at 22 mph for long periods, but who get dropped after two or three surges. If you train by yourself, ride at 19 mph and then kick it up to 26 and hold it for two minutes. Recover at 17 mph, and then repeat as many times as you can. Same for sprinting. Warm up, find a slight downhill and jump from 23 to 33, and hold it for 200 yards. Recover and repeat.

Intervals are the key to getting better shape. I know guys like you who can ride at 22 mph for long periods, but who get dropped after two or three surges. If you train by yourself, ride at 19 mph and then kick it up to 26 and hold it for two minutes. Recover at 17 mph, and then repeat as many times as you can. Same for sprinting. Warm up, find a slight downhill and jump from 23 to 33, and hold it for 200 yards. Recover and repeat.


MR. GRUMPY, that is a hilarious profile picture.


:D

Intervals are the key to getting better shape. I know guys like you who can ride at 22 mph for long periods, but who get dropped after two or three surges. If you train by yourself, ride at 19 mph and then kick it up to 26 and hold it for two minutes. Recover at 17 mph, and then repeat as many times as you can. Same for sprinting. Warm up, find a slight downhill and jump from 23 to 33, and hold it for 200 yards. Recover and repeat.

grumpy is the man and intervals are the word.

Intervals are also great for indoor work. That way you get a high intensity workout in less time. And since really no one likes intervals or riding indoor its the best way to kill both birds with one frame pump.

Which reminds me... in need to do more intervals. Nothing sucks like being able to hang on to the pack through the crit, engage in the sprint only to constantly finish around 5-10.
Hope some #$#^*$^^& intervals workouts will help me fly this spring.

I agree with everything here, and dont' have much to add except this:

If training in specific intervals isn't quite your thing (it isn't mine), you can get better at sprinting by dispersing sprints throughout your ride. (isn't riding at 20-25 for two hours boring?).
I pick 3 or 4 places on an hour ride where I sprint to the tree 500 feet away, or I sprint to the top of a small rise, or on a small rise I MAKE myself keep my speed above a certain number. Anything that spikes that heart rate in short intense efforts helps - in my opinion.

I always note in my mind the speeds I'm able to maintain at various parts of a ride. For me it becomes a game to beat my speeds on my sprints, and helps me judge where my overall fitness is.

Making it about intervals may or may not be your thing, but making it a personal challenge to best my previous efforts helps me a lot.

-sf