redoctober203

So I got a CycleOps trainer this past Christmas and have been training at least twice a week with the time trial DVD that came in the box and other Spinnerval DVDs. I live in CT Its been really cold here.

At first I could not maintain above 100 cadence for 1 minute much less 5 mins doing the time trial tape that came with the CycleOps. Now, I can in 'small cog' - 15/16/17 . I can even do the spinnevals dvds and not feel like I am dying anymore.

So, I figure if I hit the road now, and do the same tracks as I was doing last spring and summer, 30-40 miles, I should see big increases in my time, pace and average mph over last year. After all I trained all winter indoors. (I bought a bike and started riding for the first time last spring). My legs are bigger, and my heart rate is not spiking as much anymore. On the trainer I am not even breathing too heavily. I am 6ft 2in, 175, 35 yrs.

So I hit the road for the first time yesterday, since last October (after training for 3 months) and when I plug the data into Garmin training center the my time was exactly the same. Actually, my average pace on the same route was 16.7 now its 16.5, and my time is no quicker than it was last fall, riding the same exact route.

What does this mean? I thought all this training would amount to something. All I could think of all winter were those guys that blew by me last fall and look so effortlessly doing it, I thought for sure that now if I see them again I would at least be able to keep pace and compete. I guess not. What am I missing here??

hammond9705

It's hard to compare one time with another. Maybe the wind was much stronger today then last Oct. Maybe you hadn't eaten enough or gotten enough sleep. It sounds like you are much stronger then last year.

bdcheung

It doesn't mean anything. Average speed is worthwhile only if all other variables (weight, wind, weather, etc.) remain constant.

telenick

there's a big diff between pushing resistance on a trainer and pushing your own meat on the road.

maybe you have excellent weight to strength ratio ...i don't know. but from what i can tell from the little data you've given i would suspect that you should look at your strength to weight and strive to improve that.

MiRider

You shouldn't care if you are marginally slower at the beginning of this season compared to the end of last season. You should be happy that you are essentially beginning right where you left off last year rather than spending several weeks to get to the point where you left off. Now you can concentrate on making this year your best ever.

slowandsteady

Riding twice a week isn't training, it's maintaining.

damage24

I experienced the same thing. I took spin classes 3x a week and had really improved there and expected to be much better than I was when I quit for the winter. I was dying at first but felt like I was doing really well after a couple of months so surely I'm improving, right?

I got back on the bike in Feb and there was virtually no improvement. But, the people that were around my level in November and had done little or nothing for 3-4 months were off the back in a hurry.

I guess there's no substitute for the real thing, but at least I maintained what I had and can keep improving instead of working to get back where I was. I have noticed that the hills don't kill me as badly as they used to and I can stand up a lot longer than before, so it wasn't a total waste.

CCFISH81

If this did not rhyme would people still say it?

DerekU2

You're also making the mistake of comparing your ride data from LAST FALL to THIS SPRING. Do you have data on last Spring? That'd be a much more worth comparison. You also need a bigger sample size than 1 ride.

gfrance

Maintaining is nothing to be bummed about.

I also have a theory that wind/air is heavier in Spring. Even when I look around and see nothing rustling in the trees, I swear there is a nasty headwind fighting me. Sometimes this time of year, if feels like there's a headwind regardless of direction!! I don't get it. I've ridden in the park loops here in NY and swear there is a constant headwind all around the loop.

Don't sweat it just yet. Let time work it's magic on you. You'll be fine in a month or two.

Lithuania

dont sweat it. in any case you are most likely a lot stonger then you were this time LAST year. Just wait til you are regularly riding on the road again. Im betting you will see increases then.

redoctober203

No, I dont have sample data from last spring, I wish, but I bought the Garmin Edge in the summer. So I have data from summer. But the route that I did was exactly like one I did last fall. I will do more and compare.
Like damage24 stated, I felt good, the hills were not as tough, the ride seems easier. But still its hard to believe that all I was training for was to be were I was last year :-) wow. I guess now I am glad I did train.
Telenick - You mentioned strenght vs weight ratio...can you tell me more about what this is? should i start lifting weights?

Lithuania

if the route felt easier but your times were the same as last year then that alone should show you improvement. Now go out and make the route feel as hard as it did last year and look at your numbers.

FixdGearHead

Indeed; how's the quote from Lemond go? "It doesn't get easier...you just go faster"

merlinextraligh

1) Even if you've improved your fitness on the trainer, it just not the same as the road, and it may take a bit for the work to show up on the road.

2) Forget about your average pace for your loop. Unless your doing it as a TT, its just not relevant. And if you focus on your average pace, your likely going at the same moderately hard pace too much of the time. (instead of really hard when its supposed to be hard, and easy when its supposed to be easy.) Focusing on average speed makes for an average rider.



3) If you want to get faster, do intervals.

patentcad

Give up the sport. That's the only logical conclusion to draw from all of this.

Why is merlinextrahigh still here? Wasn't there a big drama about him leaving? But he is correct, if you want to get faster, do intervals.

I don't get this place.

munkyv22

I haven't ridden in a few months... Trainer like 5 times over the winter. My last outside ride was February 1st or so.

I am going for a 30 miler this afternoon. We'll see what happens.

munkyv22

I left without saying a word and came back. I just got sick of all the inane bickering and repetitive threads about meaningless crap.

We'll see how it goes this time...

Homebrew01

" .. So I hit the road for the first time yesterday, since last October ..."

There's part of the problem. Why so long off the road ? I live in CT, and don't have much free time to ride (house to fix, 2 kids, busy job ... blah blah ...), but I still get out several times a week. Get some good winter wear (heavy booties, jacket, gloves etc...) and hit the road !!

bac

+1

... Brad

bobby c

While no expert - it sounds like the core of your training was cardio - spinining with a few intervals. You now have the basis to work on power. Someone like Charmichael would have you do this (from my understanding) - really get your cadence up and not worry about power for quite awhile. Once you have that basis, now start working on strength. Put the two together & you'll have it all.

Just my 2 cents - but it sounds like you are on the right track!

cmh

Quit listening to all these people telling you it is OK to be so slow. What you need is the nega-coach:
https://davefoley.com/bikeracing/negacoach/index.html.

Now get out there a ride!

jrennie

I would agree that twice a week isn't training but on the other hand you get to start the season with the same speed and better fitness than last year. Go out and ride and it will get faster.

And if you want to know how hard you are going then you need a powermeter to eliminate the variables VVVV

DScott

Yes!!

Thank you for that!

daytonian

That's the best part.