"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - What do you guys do in the off season?

I'm curious as to what people are doing in the offseason. I know some people who take a month off the bike, then do cross-training, lots of long rides and then start ramping up a few months after that. Then there are others who race year round and do cross in the fall before going back to road in the spring. Besides that, I've also heard of a lot of variations in the type of "base" that people do. Everything from long slow distance rides, to "elevated base" where they do some long rides but with some threshold work thrown in.

What is everyone else doing?

What is this 'off-season' of which you speak? Is that some retail fashion industry sales period?

If you need Pcad, he'll be out riding. F the winter.

Nothing changes. other than breaking out the leggins'

I'll take about 3-4 weeks complete off before starting up again with winter training. First phase is lots of base miles on the CompuTrainer followed by segments of strength and technique drills with intervals. Towards the beginning of the season, I try to get a way for a week or so of some outdoor riding where it's a bit warmer. That incentive keeps the drive thoughout the long boring winters.

I also do quite a bit of downhill skiing, but that's just for fun, so no serious cross training... although it does build legs strength.

Nothing changes. other than breaking out the leggins'

This may be true in FL, land of Wussy Winter.

In NY you break out:

• leggings

• layers

• booties

• gloves

• special shoes

• headgear

etc, etc, etc. And when it gets snowy you break out the knobby tired MTB (hey, at least they're good for SOMETHING).

no off season here, I still cycle and run.

When your iPod freezes, it may be too cold for riding.

I shall tell you, after my coach tells me what I do.

This may be true in FL, land of Wussy Winter.




But can you compete with our summer? We don't see a single day below 92F for 6 months of the year.

Does this man you Yankees have Wussy Summer?

Orlando Dec/Jan/Feb low57, high 72 and Sunny, perfect for wussy and damn happy about it

Off season starts the last week of September with a two week vacation overseas. Home for a week, then surgery to force me off the bike for up to a month. Then weights and bike work with power testing every month, riding 2-4 times per week. Power testing continues when weights stop in January. By January it will be 2 long rides per week (getting longer every week) with shorter rides (more intense) 3 times per week. Rest periods will be the last week of every month with Power testing performed the Monday after a rest week.

Racing starts in March.

Ski, Downhill. Gym. Ride, indoors.

TT series. Base miles.

What is this off-season you speak of?

When your iPod freezes, it may be too cold for riding.

:lol:

But can you compete with our summer? We don't see a single day below 92F for 6 months of the year.

Does this man you Yankees have Wussy Summer?

Orlando Dec/Jan/Feb low57, high 72 and Sunny, perfect for wussy and damn happy about it

Let's get a few things straight. The Yankees don't have Wussy Summer, but the Yankees are friggin wussy to begin with.

I was in the Outer Banks of NC the week of August 5. It was generally 93-99º with 101% humidity daily. It was not too hot for me to ride daily. Did I ride @ noon? No. Do I ride @ 6AM in January? No.

Summer is inherently wussy. Winter is not. Unless you're in Death Valley. Orlando gets hot, but it is not Death Valley (culturally perhaps).

:lol:

You think I'm joking? Do a BF search on 'iPod freeze' and read my story regarding same. If there's one thing Pcad doesn't joke about it's... well, OK, there's really NOTHING Pcad won't joke about, but you get the point.

I think it's such a shame that the road season essentially ends here in mid September. Late September and October are usually the best 6 weeks of the year weather-wise here in nor-cal. Sure, cross season is starting, but who wants to ride cross when it's 80 degrees and there's no mud to be found?

Anyway, I like to take about 2 weeks off after the season, but with perfect weather outside I usually keep up the training through October, then take a break for the first 2 weeks of November. After that I start base training for next year. Just lots and lots of easy miles in Zone 1. This fall I think I'll try a few of the "low key hill climbs" for a little fun.

http://lowkey.djconnel.com/2007/

In NY you break out:

• headgear


I can just see pcad in January, rockin' the headgear...

http://www.tandregulering.dk/web-grafik/rev.headgear.jpg

Hahahahaha. Pcad is too Butch for headgear.


I can just see pcad in January, rockin' the headgear...

http://www.tandregulering.dk/web-grafik/rev.headgear.jpg

Fixed gear + fenders = all-weather spinapalooza.

(And I run more during the winter.)

Last year: Watch a lot of TV. Eat lots of chocolate. Suffer through one of probably 3 weekly gruelling 60-90 minute sessions on the trainer in the garage while watching either COPS, or Seinfeld re-runs (almost always call it quits after the first 30 minutes). Try by any means necessary to get in a 35+ mile ride in on the weekend. Repeat process.

This year: RUN. RUN. RUN. Commute to/from the train to work 2-3 days a week. RUN. Throw my 20W headlight on the bike and put in 20 miles between 11pm and midnight a few days a week, etc. Eat lots of chocolate.

You think I'm joking? Do a BF search on 'iPod freeze' and read my story regarding same. If there's one thing Pcad doesn't joke about it's... well, OK, there's really NOTHING Pcad won't joke about, but you get the point.

well,I ride in the winter too with an ipod, pcad and I doubt our weather is better then yours and this never happend to me, but then again you probably keep it close to your heart and you know what they say about those new yorkers:p

Don't you live in coastal NH where you can tell people you live in New England but in reality it's a climate closer to the NJ Shore with one 3' snow dump annually?

I ride my bike - mostly fixed gear w/fenders, but geared on the rare day when it is dry. I do some skiing, but I wouldn't call it cross training. No running, no weights, none of this silly cyclocross stuff (why would anyone ruin a perfectly good bike race with those ridiculous steeple chase-esque barriers?).

I drop the high intensity intervals and mostly ride at tempo - LT heart rates. I also keep up some sprint work, mostly in low gears.

Don't you live in coastal NH where you can tell people you live in New England but in reality it's a climate closer to the NJ Shore with one 3' snow dump annually?

:lol:
I see you've never been to coastal NH!
you're on, if you can survive the high frigid winds and all the snow we DO get, Ill buy you a new ipod, even stalk you for a bit as you wish.:p

I take a month or more off the bike. If we have good snow I'll back country, downhill, and cross country ski. Last year I headed "down under" and to Mexico and went spearfishing for a few weeks, probably do the same this year and maybe bring the bike to Oz. Start hitting the weights, then bust out my winter clothes and start the long cold rides.

i will continue to ride......allot.

Pedal pedal pedal.

I'm curious as to what people are doing in the offseason. I know some people who take a month off the bike, then do cross-training, lots of long rides and then start ramping up a few months after that. Then there are others who race year round and do cross in the fall before going back to road in the spring. Besides that, I've also heard of a lot of variations in the type of "base" that people do. Everything from long slow distance rides, to "elevated base" where they do some long rides but with some threshold work thrown in.

What is everyone else doing?

Get Fat. :(

Used to XC Skii. Don't think I have the right base and wax for San Antonio so I may need to invest in some new gear.

Used to XC Skii. Don't think I have the right base and wax for San Antonio so I may need to invest in some new gear.

http://www.evajurenikova.com/bilder/2006/rollerski_big.jpg

:lol:
I see you've never been to coastal NH!


Wait. Wouldn't that make you (cringe) RED SOX fans? On the other hand anybody that can go into the depths of Mordor (Yankee Stadium) and break hearts there can't be all bad.

http://www.evajurenikova.com/bilder/2006/rollerski_big.jpg

Hey...in your sig line I think you missed, "Member FDIC".

;)

Hey...in your sig line I think you missed, "Member FDIC".

;)

I'll email Legal and see I can claim that.

Wait. Wouldn't that make you (cringe) RED SOX fans?

Moi?
nahh......

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/blonduathlongrl/redsox005.jpg

We (me and the Metsies that is) will see you in October my little triweeniette. Oh yes. Hopefully you won't have any Buckners with you this time around.

http://www.evajurenikova.com/bilder/2006/rollerski_big.jpg

Been there done that. Wouldn't that blow a few peeps away around here??:D

Been there done that. Wouldn't that blow a few peeps away around here??:D

Yeah, I saw some at the Veloway one time, then realized I hadn't seen them in years (since Washington Park in Denver).

We (me and the Metsies that is) will see you in October my little triweeniette.
:lol:
love those nicknames you keep giving me..

see ya then! bring it on!

This year I make an around the world move with the family that will eat up my "transition" period. Race season ends for me Nov 25th though (races Oct 27th, Nov 3, Nov 18, and Nov 25th). I'm forcing my schedule to have a late peak to push back the transition to fit my move.

First two weeks of December will be a bunch of "fun miles" followed by two weeks of moving from Japan to Wash DC. So December is almost a wash. Will look for some good training in Arizona on vacation around Christmas.

Then first week of January starts the new endurance/power phases for spring racing.. woot! Tradezone and Quicksilver training series up first.

What is this 'off-season' of which you speak? Is that some retail fashion industry sales period?

If you need Pcad, he'll be out riding. F the winter.

+1

I'll be riding with the DC Randonneurs throughout the winter. Their weekend rides are all centuries and they do them back-to-back, Saturday & Sunday.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=328185

Here are some other peoples' regimens'.

I'm going to be doing 60% outdoor riding and 40% indoors; I'm not sure if I want to hit the gym and do lots of weight training and pack on a lot of weight or not and keep the same weight.
The weight training would help for everything but climbing, which I already need help in.

I just switch to studded tires. Nothing builds you like tires that weigh 1Kg EACH.

I just switch to studded tires. Nothing builds you like tires that weigh 1Kg EACH.
Which tires?

:lol:
I see you've never been to coastal NH!
you're on, if you can survive the high frigid winds and all the snow we DO get, Ill buy you a new ipod, even stalk you for a bit as you wish.:p


Not to interrupt youse guys little love fest or anything, but there's gotta be a t-shirt to commemorate that, no? "I got stalked by blonduathlongrl, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!"

Which tires?

Nokian w/ steel beads.

This year I make an around the world move with the family that will eat up my "transition" period. Race season ends for me Nov 25th though (races Oct 27th, Nov 3, Nov 18, and Nov 25th). I'm forcing my schedule to have a late peak to push back the transition to fit my move.

First two weeks of December will be a bunch of "fun miles" followed by two weeks of moving from Japan to Wash DC. So December is almost a wash. Will look for some good training in Arizona on vacation around Christmas.

Then first week of January starts the new endurance/power phases for spring racing.. woot! Tradezone and Quicksilver training series up first.

Good luck with the move!

I crash my mountain bike in the woods.

Moi?
nahh......

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/blonduathlongrl/redsox005.jpg

Blondie, you're making it harder to hate Red Sox fans. I am trying to maintain my anti-Boston ardor in preparation for post-season combat. Kindly desist with the Bosox Babe photos immediately.

I do however admire your devious and manipulative conduct. There is a job for you @ Fox News any time you're ready. And let me remind you I was present @ Shea Stadium in 1986 the night the ball went through Bill Buckner's wickets. You can't ever change that.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Lots of winging about hot weather on this thread. Where I live it is 35-40 degrees Celcius from march till the end of October. There is no off season.

September has Tour of Korea, November is Tour of Okinawa, the Tour of South China Seas is in December, Tour of Tiawan in March plus several other stage races in China, Malaysia and Australia (if I can convince someone to pick up the tab). Then, if you're any good, you can go race in NA or Europe for some Division I team.

I'm a little too old for all that now (I manage some) but I have team mates that do many of these events. There is no more off season.