Training & Nutrition - Is this bad or good for my training?

I love to ride my bike, I am going to try to ride 5+ days a week, obviously without killing myself, because I want to race some day, I'm 16 years old. But I ride with my dad a lot which he is VERY slow (20-25km/12-15mi/hr)!!...on a flat...
I can average about 30-35km (18-21mi)/hr solo for at least 60km (37mi)(never tried any further solo). I have a few questions about this:

1. Does my fathers slow pace hurt my performance/training? I know it's base miles but it's like everyday so I can rarely train at my tough pace.

2. I am looking in getting a Garmin Edge speedometer to track my HR/cadence, I hear you need to get one if you want to race. Any info I need about this? Is it worth it/if so which is a good one?

3. Is there anything I can do to give myself a better chance to become better at riding (ie. training routines, tips/tricks etc.) ?

Thanks in advance.

Lot of questions here.

Riding relatively slowly never hurt anyone. Use the rides with your Dad as recovery rides or to build your aerobic base. When you are on your own, do more intense rides . If you are riding with him every day, try letting him get five minutes ahead then chasing to catch up, or going hard up the hills then waiting for him, or whatever.

HR and cadence monitors can certainly be useful, but aren't necessary. You don't "need one if you want to race".

There are lots of training tips and routines for racing. Take a look at the road bike racing sub-forum in road cycling. There are stickies giving advice both on training routines and on how to prepare yourself for racing.

If you want to race, join a local club that caters to young racers. The slow riding won't hurt you but it also doesn't count as training. Provided you have enough time to train properly, a little extra walking or slow riding isn't going to hurt anything.

Thanks for the feedback, I have started to do the hills faster and waiting for him but it just sucks that I have to wait like 2-3 minutes of just slow rolling :( anyway I've done 120km in 3 days, 1 day rest, then about 180km 4 days up until now. I am feeling absolutely great! But my dad is like dead.. Lol looks like another rest day, I got to start doing those more often. Thanks for the feedback though!

I have started to do the hills faster and waiting for him but it just sucks that I have to wait like 2-3 minutes of just slow rolling :( The simple solution to that is first one to the top goes back down and does the hill again.

The simple solution to that is first one to the top goes back down and does the hill again.
+1
Or I'll go around the block & come back.

I'd recommend trying to structure your training week to include riding with your dad as a recovery ride. Check out the sticky for interval workouts at the top of the racing subforum. Do the higher intensity intervals earlier in the week, longer medium and lower intensity intervals later in the week, and intersperse them with easy rides with dad.

poor dad lol

I'd recommend trying to structure your training week to include riding with your dad as a recovery ride. Check out the sticky for interval workouts at the top of the racing subforum. Do the higher intensity intervals earlier in the week, longer medium and lower intensity intervals later in the week, and intersperse them with easy rides with dad.

That is a good idea, I'll definitely try to do that more often especially because he cannot go for as long as I can or as many days in a row. Thanks for the recommendation.

@Scotiascotia Yes, poor dad ahah

@gregf83 Great idea, I'll try and do that when he starts to really fall behind! :P

Thanks for the feedback, I have started to do the hills faster and waiting for him but it just sucks that I have to wait like 2-3 minutes of just slow rolling.....

Do the hills extreme balls-to-the-wall such that you have barely stopped huffing-and puffing and can fake being calm and relaxed when he catches up. :) :) I was on a ride tonight with a cycling newbie who just a few weeks ago did the last of her breast cancer radiation treatments. She is in a triathalon June 3rd and we are trying to coach/train her on the cycling end of things. I let her and the other rider get ahead of me and then charged up the most severe hill on the whole ride like I was being chased by a pack of pit bulls. I flew past them and had barely recovered when they caught up.

A rider who is a quite respectable racer often takes his MTB with big fat 2.1 knobbies when he ride on the street with us.

There are lots of options.

+1
Or I'll go around the block & come back. Or ride 10, 20, 30 (whatever) miles before joining him.

Don in Austin

Do the hills extreme balls-to-the-wall such that you have barely stopped huffing-and puffing and can fake being calm and relaxed when he catches up. :) :) I was on a ride tonight with a cycling newbie who just a few weeks ago did the last of her breast cancer radiation treatments. She is in a triathalon June 3rd and we are trying to coach/train her on the cycling end of things. I let her and the other rider get ahead of me and then charged up the most severe hill on the whole ride like I was being chased by a pack of pit bulls. I flew past them and had barely recovered when they caught up.

A rider who is a quite respectable racer often takes his MTB with big fat 2.1 knobbies when he ride on the street with us.

There are lots of options.

I like the idea of letting him go ahead and chasing him. Other than that I wish the "cycling newbie" the best of luck!

OP, you're so fast.

Find a group ride, ride with dad on the "slow" days or easy days. If you have the time ride with dad, and once you get home, you keep going 15 20 more miles, but instead of 20-21, crank it to 23 if possible, or doing 23 to 25 miles intervals. Make sure you are not out of breath during the intervals.

Max out every now and then, like maybe once every two weeks, tap for race/group days.

Wanna get strong, find a group, I wasted time trying book this, book that... and everything turned two when jumped into the 25+ group rides, some days we go for 40 miles and other days for 65 miles rides. Help the group in the front and when tired get in the draft. You will learn about technique, riding smartly, proper time to attack, reading other riders strength and weaknesses, and is fun. Ask your riding partners the slower and faster ones, challenge them, but please be humble there is nothing worst than an arrogant "pro attitude" cyclist.

You can also go out an hour earlier etc, and then pass by and meet up with him. I dont know if it can be done, find a route where you both meet split up and you take the "long" route and meet at a certain point, and on that split crank it...

Find a group ride, ride with dad on the "slow" days or easy days. If you have the time ride with dad, and once you get home, you keep going 15 20 more miles, but instead of 20-21, crank it to 23 if possible, or doing 23 to 25 miles intervals. Make sure you are not out of breath during the intervals.

Max out every now and then, like maybe once every two weeks, tap for race/group days.

Wanna get strong, find a group, I wasted time trying book this, book that... and everything turned two when jumped into the 25+ group rides, some days we go for 40 miles and other days for 65 miles rides. Help the group in the front and when tired get in the draft. You will learn about technique, riding smartly, proper time to attack, reading other riders strength and weaknesses, and is fun. Ask your riding partners the slower and faster ones, challenge them, but please be humble there is nothing worst than an arrogant "pro attitude" cyclist.

You can also go out an hour earlier etc, and then pass by and meet up with him. I dont know if it can be done, find a route where you both meet split up and you take the "long" route and meet at a certain point, and on that split crank it...

Yes I have been out on 3 rides with a group every wednesday for 3 weeks now. I am going to go on thursday this week because they have sprints and KOM's during the ride so I will be able to see how that plays out more like a race.
I like the idea of going on a longer route when we reach home. I never thought about it, I'll have to try that out, thank you.