Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - what are you training for?

i'm curious about other people's fixed gear training habits. i never considered cycling for exercise until i got into fixed a little over year ago. then once obsessed, i started using the bike for exercise. i bought spandex shorts (something the old me would have laughed at and still would) and a heart rate monitor, but i didn't have a training goal in mind. i just tried to do about a hundred miles a week and from time to time fantasized about taking a trip out to kissena or racing in prospect park. i still don't feel ready to give either of those a try, but how do other people train? what are the goals you have set? who here regularly races on a track somewhere? just curious.

nothing right now, thank god

i'm still trying to figure it out. I recently bought the Cyclist's Training Bible which offers pretty extensive advise on how to design your own workout plan, but I haven't really had the time to seriously decipher it. I am interested specifically in improving my endurance and lung capacity (I'm still recovering from nearly 10 years of smoking).

While increased muscular strength would be nice to work for too (i.e. trainer + lifting, etc.), I'm seriously need to work on holding out longer on the track. Those 12 lap finals f**ing kill me.

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else has to say too.

Training...? I just use it to go to work and ride along with the roadies.

in chicago, we like to condition ourselves with a lilttle bit of beer, and then more, and then more—and more often than not, we eat fried foods as well. it's called carbo-loading. we usually don't start our late night sprints 'til we've had at least a few.

this is true—ask anyone who's met us.

this http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/montana/5/quaddipsea.html and then this http://www.pctrailruns.com/Phleger_Estate.htm (50k).

next year i'd like to start road racing again

...what are the goals you have set?To go as fast as I can to campus without breaking a sweat.

I'm training to be good enough to deserve my road bike.

Your mom.

I'm not a racer, and probably never will be, but I like to ride. I like to ride a lot, and I like to ride fast. the more I ride, the more I CAN ride without becoming exhausted, and the faster I ride the faster I can ride the neext time. I enjoy riding, and I'm training to enjoy it even more.

Right now it's just all about fun and getting outside for adventures. Long rides with coffee shop stops

My goal next season is to move up to a Cat 2 on the track. I don't know if I'll really have a plan, other than to actually race 2x a week. Those 16 year old girls at the track sure are zippy -- maybe I'll give out lots of cookies to slow them down.

I'd also like to do Masters Natz, but they are in CO for '06. I heard T-town in '07? That would be cool.

this http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/montana/5/quaddipsea.html and then this http://www.pctrailruns.com/Phleger_Estate.htm (50k).

Nice. I did a 50K - the Dogwood Half Hundred - in 2002. Sadly, someone died on the trail that day and they haven't been able to run it since. But that was without a doubt the most difficult thing I've ever done.

Me? I'm training to be the first person out of DC when the s**t hits the fan.

in chicago, we like to condition ourselves with a lilttle bit of beer, and then more, and then more—and more often than not, we eat fried foods as well. it's called carbo-loading. we usually don't start our late night sprints 'til we've had at least a few.

this is true—ask anyone who's met us.

this is how its done right anyway...

:fight: to beat everyone !

I can't resist...

"For Awhile"

Track racing and Time Trials.

...the luxury of the occasional smoke and doughnut.

I like nature

why I just got back from a job errand and was excited to see so many replies to a good, interesting question. Too bad they're all completely useless (albeit funny :rolleyes: ).

I know for sure that the kids that actually put in the work, wake up early and train are the ones that are whooping my ass at the track. It would be nice to know what they're actually doing out there at 6am.

Does anyone have a remotely serious answer?

in chicago, we like to condition ourselves with a lilttle bit of beer, and then more, and then more—and more often than not, we eat fried foods as well. it's called carbo-loading. we usually don't start our late night sprints 'til we've had at least a few.

this is true—ask anyone who's met us.

I am on the same regiment. We take our training seriously.

The Tour da Chicago series is coming up, which is kind of like training. It is a nice way to keep in shape all winter.

oh, you wanted training schedules?
7am - ride
830 - be done riding or you'll be late for work.
530 - ride
7- be done riding or you'll be late for drinking.

hehe.. alright, I knew I'd repost later with a proper reply, I guess this is it.

I mostly just use my bike for fun and commuting, but I'm hoping to start hitting the track in the new year. Unfortunately the nearest track is a several hour drive (London, ON)... BUT it's also an indoor track, which is great for sweating out the Winter blues without having to get bundled up.

But, I also have to agree with mattface. At the moment I don't race, but I like to ride hard and push myself. I actually find it difficult to ride at a medium or slow pace by myself. I'd really like to start training for more endurance to be able to do a little touring and fun rides in the country (whenever I can get out of the city, which isn't as often as I'd like).

But actually trying to structure that sort of training isn't something that my current schedule allows, unfortunately. Especially in the Winter.. It gets dark too early, damnit!

(and I'm also riding home in the snow in 10 minutes.. whee!)

track. racing next year. watch out mother****ers.

ok, i'll give it shot, (this is my IDEAL training schedule, i don't usually make all the workouts)

monday: hill ride (geared), 45 minute climb at lunch
tuesday: 1.25 hours of core strength in the morning (abs and legs mostly)
hour run in the evening, varies depending on where i am in my training cycle
wed: 1 hour time-trial (fixed) at lunch
thu: same as tue. morning, evening is 1.5 hours of speedwork on the track (running)
friday: rest
sat: 2 - 5 hours of running (or racing) hilly trails in the morning
fixed ride w/ the crew in the afternoon
sunday: 3 - 6 hour geared ride with people who are a lot stronger than i am

(i also rock climb mon-wed-fri mornings, but that doesn't have any effect on my running/riding, except to make me a little slower)

Damn, G. You're an active guy! Thanks for the breakdown, that's what I'm looking for.

Ps- rock climbing kicks ass. Carabiners aren't just for holding your keys (though I'm mostly guilty of this ;)

Does anyone have a remotely serious answer?

skeletor would not be pleased.

Training just to keep in shape for the occassional road race (running) with my girlfriend. If I stay in good/decent shape, I'll try the 8 hours of adrenaline race in the early summer. If that works well, I'll train for 24 hours solo the following summer. Train on the road for speed offroad.

damn dolface when do you rest?
that's an impressive sched.
i spent 12 years pretty much rock climbing full time. finally got burned out, quit completely, and have been riding since then.
for me i have to keep it fun. i mix riding my geared road bike climbing, fixed gear for flat rides, do fireroad and singletrack on my cyclocross bike, try to commute at least one day a week, do a couple cross races each year, do a couple fun rides(centuries and half centuries). in april i'm taking bikes to the south of france in april. always trying to keep it fresh and fun.

damn dolface when do you rest?
that's an impressive sched.
i spent 12 years pretty much rock climbing full time. finally got burned out, quit completely, and have been riding since then.
for me i have to keep it fun. i mix riding my geared road bike climbing, fixed gear for flat rides, do fireroad and singletrack on my cyclocross bike, try to commute at least one day a week, do a couple cross races each year, do a couple fun rides(centuries and half centuries). in april i'm taking bikes to the south of france in april. always trying to keep it fresh and fun.


i rest when other people are having a life :D

(as i said, i rarely hit all those workouts; especially if i'm tapering. the ones i do religiously are the climbing, the core-strength thing -- i teach the class so i have to show up -- and the long runs. the rest of them depend on work and how i'm feeling).

What am I training for? I am training to be 48 next year and 49 the year after etc.
What more can you ask for, than to live healthy and happy? I do not want to ever be a wheezer trapped in a fat body.

wow bruce and dolface,
i've got a similar background. campusing and hanging out under boulders, and always being injured and/or flat broke burned me out a few years ago. came back to cycling and messengering. i recently quit messing, but i still want to wreck it at alleycats and track meets. did pretty good by my standards at worlds and MT 6. and now i'm feeling to up the ante.

my training is for MT 7 in feb, road races on sundays, track meets on thursday nights, and philly in june.

50 - 50 on cardio/intervals and weights. lotsa squats & stair runs- there's a mtn in the middle of the city here.
plus road rides, hill runs and general arsing around on my SS cross bike and non-NJS miyata.

dang. dolface is the resident dean karnazes...

this fall and winter i'm in the process of cutting. w/ the calorie deficit, i'm limiting cycling/running to about an hour max five days a week (weight training, too) to minimize lean mass loss. tougher workouts on mount diablo (geared) and trail running. was thinking of a late spring century (maybe grizzley peak) or marathon. mostly depends on where i am w/ my cut. if it takes longer, maybe a marathon next fall after a spring and summer of shorter races/rides.

check out the fixedgearfever.com forums for lots of track training advice

To go as fast as I can to campus without breaking a sweat.

You can do that simply by getting really dehydrated. Done!

I'm training for not being a ****** anymore.

aaarrggh-campus boards. ruined my fingers for life.

I'm training for collegiate road racing - our season starts in March. I started riding this summer after many years of athletic neglect...I was (correction: still am) totally out of shape, just ask the Boston crew, who kicks my ass every week at the Ghettodrome. Trying to get in some kind of shape, I rode my fixed gear(s) on nice long, reasonably slow rides. Spent much of the fall doing skills clinics and mock races with my team...and playing intramural football.

Now I'm getting into the beef of my training plan. Two months of nothing but aerobic base work (basically rides keeping at ~70% of max HR), one month of aerobic + speed work (cadence drills, etc. at ~80%), and then two months of racing, with one day of LT (lactate threshold) training per week, in addition to the racing. I'm aiming to peak at the end of April when we have our regional championships, to give you an idea about timeframe.

The other part of the plan is periodization - basically build volume for 3 weeks, rest 1 week, start out the next month at a higher volume, build for 3, rest for 1, etc. If you wanted an example of hours per week, my February looks something like 10, 12, 14, 10...you can see the build, then rest. This seems to be a fairly general scheme used by many coaches and followed by many racers.

And after all that, I think I'll take it easy for a month and then start training for collegiate track nationals. Then I might even be able to pimp some of you *****es at the next Meat n' Greet.

Some people have some pretty regimented workouts. Me? I just like to pedal and stay active. I'm not fast, I'm not slow, I'll just do my best and keep it fun. Yep fun is where its at.

Right now I am kind of out of a training schedule, usually ride on weekends and once or twice a week. School has been kind of busy escpecially with my one day a week field experience and night classes. But its my last full semester.
Once I start student teaching, 9:20 start time, I plan to ride every morning for 1 to 2 hours and then longer on weekends with some sort of training plan. Last spring when I was training for a double I followed the double century training plan from a book, I was riding solo centuries and then some every Saturday for a while. I usually lay down a base of 1,000 miles before doing any speed or hill training. My biggest weakeness is my diet and I am starting to work on that now so when I start really training I will already have better eating habbits. My goals are really just to lose weight so I can feel like I am riding at my full potential, and do the MS 170 on a fixed gear. I've done that ride 3 times and I need a new challenge to keep it interesting, although the year I rode home from the end point after the first day turned some heads.