Originally Posted by carpediemracing

I always rode however I felt like riding. For about 5 years, except when I got sick (usually strep throat for 2 weeks), I rode pretty hard all year round. Intensity went up in the summer of course, but I'd do hard efforts even in the middle of winter, intervals on the trainer and such. The peak of it was the winter before I raced (for 3 weeks) in Belgium - I was doing 2 rides a week from Ridgefield to Kent, doing 4-5 climbs around Kent, then ride back. Probably 120 miles per trip. I had a number of years of very good racing. Only when work started interfering with riding did I ease up on the schedule.

Maybe that's why I can't push myself in training now, but I think it's possible, at a non-elite level, to ride hard for say 10 out of 12 months a year.

Originally Posted by VT Biker

A recent book has come out (see Velonews) that basically asserts that base riding is useless for racers, as they never will be in a race, riding in the lower level fat burning zones. So in terms of the benefits, it would mostly come from resting fatigued muscles and mentally taking a break from the rigors of training.

Again - this is what the book asserts, and on initial glance, it makes sense. But anyone who wants to refute this, I would be interested, as I am trying to form my winter training period.