[carbonispretty]

im really looking to start racing alot this season, been riding for 2 years, but how should i go about training to be competitive in road races? obviously a lot of miles, but theres gotta be more to it than that, but i dont know what that is

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[LT Intolerant]

Start by buying Joe Friel's, Cyclist's Training Bible. You'll read this book and read it again, and again, and again to absorb the advice that he dishes out. I've been racing off/on for almost 20 years and still refer to this text for advice.

There is step-by-step advice for crafting a training program based on the number of hours you have available to train. BTW you should focus on hours not, miles, becuase you may do lot's of climbing which takes lots of hours but not lots of miles. To be competitive I would say that you'll be looking at a minimum of 300-350+ hours per year. Most Cat 2-4 racers I know are putting in between 400-800 hours per year.

The other thing I would recommend you do is find a local group ride and learn how to handle yourself in a pack. You'll need to learn to draft and move around in the group, ride in an echelon/paceline, and ride a straight, predictable line.

Last, be patient. If you're just starting out, and you don't have a solid aerobic base or lot's of raw power you will be pack fodder for a while. I was dropped countless times in my first year of racing, and it was humiliating and infuriating (I sound like Jackie Chiles). So enjoy the journey! You will get better!

[DannoXYZ]

Lance's book is pretty good too. :) And so is Eddy B's.

[RiPHRaPH]

im really looking to start racing alot this season, been riding for 2 years, but how should i go about training to be competitive in road races? obviously a lot of miles, but theres gotta be more to it than that, but i dont know what that is

do whatever it takes to improve your road handling. you've got to accelerate through corners, learn to recover quickly and be able to accelerate up to 28-30 mph in a snap, hang on, actively recover then go for it again.

intense intervals.

[timmhaan]

get a book. training for races and doing well is a long term commitment. it requires a lot of time, energy, and dedication. you want to approach it the best way possible otherwise you'll just end up wasting a lot of your time and getting poor results.

getting information here is fine, but you really need something that you can refer to as the season goes on. good luck.