When Was the Last Time You Sprinted?
 

When I was young (20s), I used to ride with a group of faster-than-me riders and we had a rule that if you saw a city limit sign on a ride, that was a sprint goal. Fast-forward to today at the age of 51, pretty much every ride has become and endurance ride with a consistent pace... i.e., I ride as fast as I think I can go, but until recently, I couldn't tell you when was the last time I sprinted, much less do it often.

As of the past month or so, I decided to add sprinting back into my rides using speed limit signs as goals. I may not sprint to every speed limit sign, but I try to sprint to several of them on a ride to create my own version of a HIIT workout (high intensity interval training). While at the doctor to discuss some heart rhythm issues I've been having, I asked him if he had any concerns with my "revving-up my heart" quite a bit and not only did he say it was OK, he encouraged it. While a big part of my brain absolutely hates sprinting, there's still a small part that likes the rush of a good sprint (when I'm feeling good!)

How about you? Do you put your ticker through the paces at your 50+ age or have you retired sprinting along with you job and anything else you hated doing? :D

I push myself on some climbs and small hills. Yesterday I hit 184 BPM and 668 Watts. I occasionally do a sprint, when I think about it, but it is not a regular deal since I don’t think about it. About a year and a half ago, I pushed myself on a 2 mile climb and the next day started having some unusual heart rhythms. Ended up at the ER and then immediately moved into the CCICU. It was determined after too many tests to count, I had bigeminy (an extra beat), which resolved itself in a few weeks - but understand it can return. As a result, I don’t push myself on long efforts, but certainly enjoy pushing hard on short punchy efforts. BTW, I am 70 and still enjoy getting after it as well as keeping my average speed up.

Sprinting for town lines is a time honored cycling tradition. When I'm riding with people who know, it still happens. The best wins come when you catch people napping.

Sometimes on a brevet I'll get in a funk, maybe on a long grinding climb, and put it in the red for a bit just to break out.

On the fixie, I have little choice but to get out of the saddle and hit it hard on climbs.

Sure, I'll still do some sprints occasionally.

Just last Monday, I joined the local club's Double Expresso Coffee Ride. It's a pretty fast pace line, with a few sprint spots. At 67, I was the oldest guy on the ride, by maybe a good 10 years or more.

The ride has this long, flat straightaway that ends with a sprint before the coffee stop. The leadout train was doing a steady 25mph, and I was sitting third. A new (and young) guy to the ride sprinted by from behind, so I jumped on his wheel, gave it everything I could, and I beat him at the line with a bike throw. My top speed was 31.8 mph, max cadence 115, max power 12.1 W/kg. Not quite my best ever numbers, but pretty close. I was happy to discover that I still have some zip in the legs.

Strava says my power profile pegs me as an all-rounder (here I thought I was a climber :) ), and that I need to add just 9W to my 30-second power to move up from "Semi-Pro" to "National Star". Ha! Who at Strava makes up these titles?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...365e0c860.jpeg

Aw, now I have to go try some 30-second sprints. Strava, you evil temptress!

2019, the last year I rode with a fast club a few times a week. We'd often do a few sprints.

Since then I took most of 2020 off from group rides due to the pandemic (I'm vulnerable to respiratory bugs due to an auto immune disorder and history of lung scarring), but TBH I was glad to see my friends still enjoying group rides.

By the time I was ready to try fast club rides again my neck was shot -- serious C1-C2 damage from being hit by cars in 2001 and 2018. I can't handle aero bars or a drop bar road bike in the drops or with a slammed stem anymore, and can't keep up with the younger, faster guys and gals from the more relaxed setup on my favorite road bike.

I did okay on some Strava climbing segments and snagged a few top tens in 2020-2021 riding solo, so the speed was still there as long as I didn't need to tuck into the drops or similar position.

But my body got old in a big hurry by late 2023 and it's pretty clear by now the former me ain't coming back. Fun while it lasted, though.

I always sprint one flat stretch mid ride and two slight rises at the end of my usual route.

Im the same, I like sprinting up short climbs probably because Im a masher and not a climber.
I should do longer climbs and sprints on the flats if I wanted to increase my level but generally just enjoy zone 2/3 riding these days.

I don't care for sprints unless they happen to be on slight but long descents - high speeds don't excite me on their own at all. If the question primarily relates to the effort, my heart gets quite an exercise every day while commuting to and (especially) from work - it's a 35-40 minute high heart rate ride.
So, the answer is probably "I have no idea" because it is not an event I would remember on its own, as it's not important. I do, sometimes but very rarely, sprint to avoid getting stopped by a red light in one of the suburban intersections with zero traffic.

I have no idea when either - But surely it was to get out of the way of something that was a lot bigger than me! Could have been yesterday. :)

Never IRL anymore. I ride mostly alone.

But Zwift? All the time

You don't need to be racing somebody to sprint. A couple sprint efforts can add some fun into your solo ride.

I may still sprint, but it is hard to tell.

PoorInRichfield I can't remember. I'm 63 and I mostly commute. While I like to keep a brisk pace, I have to keep in mind to not "outride my brakes", especially on surface streets with potential cross traffic at intersections. While the trails allow for longer uninterrupted segments, the paths and trails I commute on are fairly busy, especially in the warmer months. Also, when I was 48 I slipped a disk in my neck while straining to give it my all sprinting away from a stoplight. I was in constant pain for 6 months and off the bike for a year. That made me a little more circumspect about all-out efforts.

However, your post had got me thinking. I quickly thought of 6 segments across all my commute routes that could be safely sprinted. And as long as I am not starting from a dead stop in too high a gear, I figure I'd be okay.

I often remember "Field Day" in 2nd grade. We had a 50 yard dash and one other kid and I tore away from the pack. I can still clearly remember the feeling of the adrenaline, how my heart felt like it would burst and how my legs felt like they were being driven by something outside of me. I've had that same feeling occasionally over the years, but I haven't tried for it recently.

This post has really got me thinking! I can, at first thought, count at least 6 segments on both trail and street with no or limited cross traffic where I can see the entire segment before me and any potential infringements at a safe distance. I know my cardio recovery is good and fast, so I just put a reminder on my phone to try sprinting.

It just never occurred to me to sprint a segment or two and then let up....thanks!

I don't ride in groups often. Usually only for the organized century rides I do a few times a year. Otherwise I'm solo most of the time since I prefer to ride midday. And the others I have ridden with prefer the early morning. When I rather watch the news and drink my tea or coffee. Which gives the sticky morning air time to dry out.

So yes I still sprint up hills most every ride and on a few false flats. As well as the last quarter mile stretch to my home. Which frequently even after 90 or 120 minutes of riding is the section I get my second highest 30 sec power output.

But for a group, if the group wants to only do steady paces, then maybe it's time to find or create a new group. Have you ask them why they don't add a few sprint points?

Nor do you have to always ride with the group. Especially if this is a once a week group ride. You should be going out several other times during the week on your own or with a few others. Then you can more easily do what you want and sprint.

This is another reason I created the post. Some of us old or older folk wish we could "be a kid again", but part of why we aren't like kids is that we stopped playing long ago. Most adults I know couldn't sprint (run) to their mailbox at any reasonable speed... and it's not because the human body isn't capable of doing that at most any age, it's that most people stopped trying. If you watch young kids, they run everywhere... and for no good reason. Granted, I doubt any of us has the energy of a child, but what law of life said we have to stop playing, running, and sprinting? As mentioned already, a HIIT workout (sprint intervals, in a cyclist's case) has considerable research showing its provides the health benefits of endurance exercise in much less time, not to mention that if one is ever chased by a bear, at least you'll have some chance of getting away. :D

I mean, I sprint when I'm trying to catch a light or when goofing around town coming back from the market. But it's not the same, not digging as deep as when trying to beat someone else.

I used to be pretty good at sprinting. It was actually the only thing I was good at against other club riders. At 71, it's mostly gone but I did sprint today against a woman who usually out climbs me. She passed me part way up the hill and I worked to stay close and sprinted around her and over the top. Small victories.

More often on foot and more in winter when I run more. I ride single speed so the closest equivalent of a sprint is really pushing up a hill or into a strong wind, where turning my middling gear at a high rate takes a lot of power.

Otto

Sprints (also called "intervals"), are a great way to pick up your average speed. I mix a few into every bigger ride, usually on longer straights or up mild climbs. I find they are a great way to elevate my fitness beyond what it would otherwise be.

Truth! When I started adding sprints back into my rides, my average speed went-up about 1 MPH on most rides :eek: For me, that's crazy as my average speed hadn't changed noticeable for decades, riding pretty much the same roads, until I started sprinting. (Note: I don't have a power meter and don't plan on buying one. I do realize that an average speed increase doesn't mean I got stronger... but I am going faster!)

I call this "the cat and mouse game". I.e., when I see another rider, they become "the mouse" that I, "the cat", must chase and pass. I think it's a great way to put high intensity riding back into one's ride that is also somewhat entertaining, however, it can be a rather inconsistent way to do it if you rarely see other riders on your routes.

Lately I’ve been doing a bunch of sprints and VO2 max efforts while helping my son train for XC racing.

Good for me, as it’s where I’m lacking.

Bad for me, because his 14 year old, 5’4 and 115# behind is now smoking me. First he started getting me on hill sprints, now he’s got me on the flats.

Last 30 second hill sprint I hit just below 1100w, he rode right away from me.

Yesterday we did a 4 min (for me) climb at full gas. I was pushing 340-350w, he put 30 seconds on me - put 10 seconds on his coach… out sprinted him at the top.

Sometimes when I miss a bus I race it to the next stop 😄

I sprint every time I ride. There is one stretch of road where I always do a last sprint at the end of my ride.




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This thread reminded me of a couple videos I watched about the importance of Intervals and Sprinting. It's a running channel, but can be modified for us cyclists.

In the first video he goes into the history of interval training and it's interesting because interval training has (and still is) used for Aerobic training, if done a certain way, which he covers. You do this by not going all out, nor even going Anaerobic, rather keeping it in the upper limits of the aerobic system, but faster than a tempo workout. Then take a short break and repeat.

It's a good alternative to boring zone 2 rides, but not nearly as fatiguing as how many people do contemporary interval training, where they do go Anaerobic. And it also stimulate more muscle fibers (faster fibers) than typical zone 2 training.







And for comparison he also talks about Sprint training, which of course is all-out speed/power. And this video is for endurance athletes, NOT pure sprinters.