Best way to increase overall MPH average..

[fastfed]

Now its really finally happening.. I never cared about MPH.. all I cared about was my HR, making sure I was doing 65-70% MHR..

Now that I got the roadbike (GULP) I'd like to increase my MPH average..

On my MTB it was like 10MPH, lol

Now with the road bike I am about 14-16.. It seems to be that speed for either a 10 mile run or 30 mile run..

But what are some tools and tricks to this sport to increase MPH..
One thing I read up on, down here in FL I was under the impression that its a road bikers dream, being there are ZERO hills.. But many say the wind down here is a major challenge.. 15mph steady wind or higher in my face doesn't help..


Currently I'm doing anywhere from 8-13 miles during the week.. at least 4x a week and then on either Sat or Sun, I do 25+ miles..

Is there some routine to increase both distance and average MPH?

For example, if I want to increase my distance, should I train at a lower speed say 12mph vs 15mph?

and for average MPH should I lower my distance and increase my speed?

I'm clueless.. THANKS!!

[scryan]

The best way to increase your avg mph is to go down hill.


Not to sound mean, but you just got a road bike... for now the best way is to just ride it.

[Dave Hickey]

Not to sound mean, but you just got a road bike... for now the best way is to just ride it.

^^^^^
This

Don't over think it....ride lots.......

[latman]

pedal harder?

[Gimme Shoulder]

Unfortunately, there's no magic bullet. Assuming your fit is correct, the only way is to ride allot and develop core strength. There are techniques that will improve your speed, but without putting in the base miles, they don't mean much.

[MerlinAma]

Ride really hard (95% max HR) - recover - repeat.

[Wookiebiker]

Add a 2nd magnet to the front wheel

In reality...Riding lots and adding in intervals. The basic saying is "If you never ride at 25 mph, you will never ride at 25 mph" (add in any speed you want there).

[backinthesaddle]

Ride more...

[kreyszig666]

all I cared about was my HR, making sure I was doing 65-70% MHR..

ride harder. 70% is taking it pretty easy. intervals over 90% will help.. but HR isn't everything. Power tells you a bit more.. since I've had my powertap I've been amazed how much my power output goes up, even when I'm trying to take it easier, on an uphill.
So I would say try and get a few more hills in and treat them as intervals. I recommend this as its relatively harder to force yourself to output more power on the flat than on a hill where it just seems to happen.

[Cbookman]

Find someone faster to ride with. I went from an abysmal 20 mile avg of 15-16mph, to being near 20mph at the end of the season last year, which ended in August for me due to injuries. It had to do (slightly) with the 1800 miles I put on from april to the end of july though.

[fastfed]

ride harder. 70% is taking it pretty easy. intervals over 90% will help.. but HR isn't everything. Power tells you a bit more.. since I've had my powertap I've been amazed how much my power output goes up, even when I'm trying to take it easier, on an uphill.
So I would say try and get a few more hills in and treat them as intervals. I recommend this as its relatively harder to force yourself to output more power on the flat than on a hill where it just seems to happen.

Well yea, 65-70% is ideal for burning fat.. I've ridden for many years.. I would say to the point of being serious.. But it was all for just getting and staying fit..

But now I want to be better at the actual sport..


I'm not sure if just "riding more" is the answer..

As I said, I ride everyday, adding the RB allowed me to gain about 4-5mph without any real change in HR or effort..

So if I ride everyday just doing the typical 12 miles and 25-30 on sat or sun, with an average speed of 15mph, you guys really think that will allow me to add more speed??

I was thinking there would be some training exercise..

kinda like

Monday=13 miles at 15mph
Tuesday=15 miles at 14mph
Wed=Off/rest
Thur=6 miles at max speed
Friday=10 miles at 17mph
Sat=6 miles at max speed
Sun=my long ride, 30 miles at whatever my friend and I can do comfortably


Something like that?

I mean if I want to get stronger at bench, I increase weight each week (or so lol)

If I want more reps of a certain weight, I try and do negatives..

[kreyszig666]

Well yea, 65-70% is ideal for burning fat.. I've ridden for many years.. I would say to the point of being serious.. But it was all for just getting and staying fit..

But now I want to be better at the actual sport..


I'm not sure if just "riding more" is the answer..

As I said, I ride everyday, adding the RB allowed me to gain about 4-5mph without any real change in HR or effort..

So if I ride everyday just doing the typical 12 miles and 25-30 on sat or sun, with an average speed of 15mph, you guys really think that will allow me to add more speed??
EDIT: you say you want to get better at the 'actual sport' - you can define this a bit more clearly...do you want to win a long road race? a time trial? be great at crits? just generally get faster over x miles?

I was thinking there would be some training exercise..

kinda like

Monday=13 miles at 15mph
Tuesday=15 miles at 14mph
Wed=Off/rest
Thur=6 miles at max speed
Friday=10 miles at 17mph
Sat=6 miles at max speed
Sun=my long ride, 30 miles at whatever my friend and I can do comfortably


Something like that?

I mean if I want to get stronger at bench, I increase weight each week (or so lol)

If I want more reps of a certain weight, I try and do negatives..

i've read that the ideal fat burning range is where you say it is. i think that's more applicable in the context of longer rides.
If you are doing a 13 mile ride, you can push it a bit harder. You will still burn fat, you are using more energy (per mile). I'm no expert myself but naturally (i.e before I read any theory) seem to ride a distance of 10miles at about 90-95% of my max HR.
That's not ideal- I will have to back off due to lactate buildup in my thighs, but the amount of time I can go without having to back off has lengthened.
In case you have missed it, interval training is going hard out for x minutes and then backing off to recover, then going again.
For short distances (<20miles) you can just go hard. For longer rides, go with the 70%ish HR thing, As far as weekly training plans go, let your body tell you if you need to slow down.

[thesimones@mac.com]

On your rides throughout the week, break that ride into interval segments. Do 1 min give it all you got followed by 4 minutes at a relaxed pace. As you get stronger increase your interval and decrease your rest interval.

[fastfed]

i've read that the ideal fat burning range is where you say it is. i think that's more applicable in the context of longer rides.
If you are doing a 13 mile ride, you can push it a bit harder. You will still burn fat, you are using more energy (per mile). I'm no expert myself but naturally (i.e before I read any theory) seem to ride a distance of 10miles at about 90-95% of my max HR.
That's not ideal- I will have to back off due to lactate buildup in my thighs, but the amount of time I can go without having to back off has lengthened.
In case you have missed it, interval training is going hard out for x minutes and then backing off to recover, then going again.
For short distances (<20miles) you can just go hard. For longer rides, go with the 70%ish HR thing, As far as weekly training plans go, let your body tell you if you need to slow down.

The guide is, based on body builders and some research I've read up on..

65-70% MHR for a duration of 45-60 min. for max fat burning, any more than that, you will still burn calories and of course burn fat, but your body tends to use muscle building nutrients and proteins for fuel rather than fat stores.. This is of course if you do this first thing in the morning with nothing in your system (no breakfast) I've lose a good 15lbs of fat this way and keeping most of my muscle (which is said to be almost impossible, lose fat AND gain muscle)

Now a days, I'm a different bread and a fatty, lol, I've lost most if not all of my muscle and only care about losing this horrible fat.. But that's another story, I'm 31 and at this point loving this sport, so I'm not following a strict regiment when it comes to cycling.. I just want to ride and ride

[fastfed]

On your rides throughout the week, break that ride into interval segments. Do 1 min give it all you got followed by 4 minutes at a relaxed pace. As you get stronger increase your interval and decrease your rest interval.

Cool, that sounds good.. I'm always afraid of building so much lactic acid in my legs that I will poop out.. even on my recovery rides (after my long(er) ride on the weekend) I like to do at least an hour or so of riding.. I'm afraid I will be 6 or so miles from home, go all out for a minute then not be able to pedal anymore, lol.. I've never really tried it, but it sounds like a plan.. I'll give it a go.. Thanks

[scryan]

Well yea, 65-70% is ideal for burning fat.. I've ridden for many years.. I would say to the point of being serious.. But it was all for just getting and staying fit..

But now I want to be better at the actual sport..


I'm not sure if just "riding more" is the answer..

As I said, I ride everyday, adding the RB allowed me to gain about 4-5mph without any real change in HR or effort..

So if I ride everyday just doing the typical 12 miles and 25-30 on sat or sun, with an average speed of 15mph, you guys really think that will allow me to add more speed??

I was thinking there would be some training exercise..

kinda like

Monday=13 miles at 15mph
Tuesday=15 miles at 14mph
Wed=Off/rest
Thur=6 miles at max speed
Friday=10 miles at 17mph
Sat=6 miles at max speed
Sun=my long ride, 30 miles at whatever my friend and I can do comfortably


Something like that?

I mean if I want to get stronger at bench, I increase weight each week (or so lol)

If I want more reps of a certain weight, I try and do negatives..

I am no fitness genius... and definitely no bike expert....
I have always been a reasonable weight, up until recently if anything I was under weight.
As a result I NEVER worried about health or fitness. I did almost no physical activity and eat mostly junkfood (I am a very picky eater, which doesn't help because bacon cheese burgers and pizza tastes better then most food).

Got into riding last july, just to get around campus. My buddy is a road biker and got me into road bikes. I like them because they are nimble and quick, and still didn't care about fitness. It has since been secondary, not the goal just something I need to bike well.

Just a little background, since I know how it feels to be new and want to get better.
I do about a 30 mile ride every sunday, and bike to school (only a mile or two, but steady uphill the whole way).
Moral of the story:
Last weeks ride we averaged just under 18mph avg over about 23 miles.
The only thing I have ever done is ride as much as possible, as hard as possible.
Seems to be working, so I say do that.

All the training tricks and routines out there may be helpful... but its like trying to rev match while down shifting into a corner in a 500hp car the day after your driving test.
Build up a base of physical strength, endurance and comfort... Worry about the fine tuning and tweaking when that is all that is level to gain.

[thesimones@mac.com]

If one minute is not in your cards yet, do 30-45 seconds. When you can do 1 min intervals with a 1 minute rest intervals for 15 sets, i guarentee your mph average will be at least 18 mph. Of course this is your long term conditioning goal. Not easy and definitely in line with Velo Rule 5.

[AlexCad5]

Ride at a pace that is at the max you can hold for the distance of the ride. With experience, you will find that pace. That is the point right before you go anaerobic. That is the pace you can ride for 12 or 60 miles. If you take the pace above that, your muscles will create more lactic acid than they can expel. You will recognize this pace by the build up of lactic when you exceed it, and you will feel a burning sensation in your legs. By exceeding your lactic threshold, you will work on raising your threshold.

That is how you know how fast you should ride. Whatever that speed is, that is the speed you should ride. When you ride at your threshold, your threshold will ride and your speed will go up.

[theBreeze]

Why are you training like a body builder if you want to ride a bike faster??

Quite frankly a 13 mile ride is almost a waste of time.

[JCavilia]

.. I'm always afraid of building so much lactic acid in my legs that I will poop out.. even on my recovery rides (after my long(er) ride on the weekend) I like to do at least an hour or so of riding.. I'm afraid I will be 6 or so miles from home, go all out for a minute then not be able to pedal anymore, Thanks

That won't happen. Just ride hard, and you'll get faster. Stop thinking about numbers so much.

[Mike T.]

pedal harder?

What's absolutely guaranteed to work is to push harder and do it more often.

[SlurpeeKing]

That won't happen. Just ride hard, and you'll get faster. Stop thinking about numbers so much.

This is the truth and stop with all the over analyzing of EVERYTHING.

[Mike T.]

Quite frankly a 13 mile ride is almost a waste of time.

Oh really? Normally I'd agree but Google Tabata Intervals. Done properly you won't last 24 minutes and that includes 10 minutes warmup and 10 minutes cooldown.

[SlurpeeKing]

Oh really? Normally I'd agree but Google Tabata Intervals. Done properly you won't last 24 minutes and that includes 10 minutes warmup and 10 minutes cooldown.

For real, I did it a couple times in early january and it kicked my ass. Going to start again this week.

[Mike T.]

For real, I did it a couple times in early january and it kicked my ass. Going to start again this week.

It's too early in the year for me to mess around with that but I read about it two weeks ago and I did a set on my rollers (with wind resistance) and I think I crapped out at 5 reps. From what I read in one of the many articles, Olympic athletes don't last past 8 reps.