How do you transition from track to road cycling?

[JPradun]

I will admit, I've never raced track and my first time there will be this Monday. However, my 5 sec sprint is 1314w and my 15s sprint is almost 1200w. I'm 67.5", 147lbs.

The problem I have is with road racing -- my endurance, apparently, is just not there. I can fly past 10+ people in the final straight, but when I'm starting from 30th position (of 60) it's not a good finish.

I seem to be struggling throughout the whole race keeping near the front without being exhausted (and it's not tactics, it's just the constant accelerating out of turns -- even near the front). Do any track riders who turned to mostly road cycling have any tips? Since my sprint is strong, should I completely skip <6min workouts next season until June? My A-races are in July (superweek).

Thanks

[CafeRacer]

Continue doing your sprint work but fit in some longer temp intervals into you regime. I started doing 2 interval road rides a week plus one long one for fittness sakes and found that I completely hurt people in local group ride sign sprint comps.

The ability to sprint is somting your born with, but you can add fitness ontop of it so you can hang on untill the final 30 meters. About the only thing you cant get a sprinter to do well is climb

[ultraman6970]

a lot of mountain, a lot of miles and a lot of sprints to do not lose the pedal stroke when sprinting.

Thanks.

[CafeRacer]

Mountains dont make sprinters faster, or fitter. They make them slower and barf.

[dutret]

Mountains dont make sprinters faster, or fitter. They make them slower and barf.

Don't tell tadashi that.

[dmotoguy]

if you are making it to the end of a road race you are in good enough shape to be in the top 15 or so at the end to start your sprint.

[Ceya]

try motor pacing and more racing. u will get it soon.

S/F,
CEYA!

[mezza]

Mountains dont make sprinters faster, or fitter. They make them slower and barf.

Totally true. I'm a sprinter and decided to try and become better on hills. My top speed dropped by 9kmph and yes, hills still make me want to barf.

Oh, and I'm still no faster up hills after 6 months. Back to sprinting I guess...

[bitingduck]

I seem to be struggling throughout the whole race keeping near the front without being exhausted (and it's not tactics, it's just the constant accelerating out of turns -- even near the front).


I started racing road and track at about the same time, and these days mostly do track as an endurance rider with a decent sprint.

If you're struggling to keep near the front dealing with the accelerations out of turns, you need to work on your cornering. When I was doing a lot of crits I tended to stay in a lower gear and spin smoothly into and out of corners, coasting only a little. My cornering has gone to hell since I switch to mostly track-- it's not noticable when I race in the lower categories, but with masters (where around here it's a bunch of 1's and 2's and a few ex pros) I really notice that my cornering isn't as good as theirs, even when I race just fine against a bunch of them on the track.

You need to do a lot of long moderate miles to get your endurance up, and intervals to help both your recovery and the intensity you can sustain for a long time.