Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

I wouldn't blame the weight gain too much. You can run your numbers through this calculator: Bicycle Speed (Velocity) And Power Calculator
I suspect that 10 lbs. might cost you .3 mph on a long 10% climb

Originally Posted by cubewheels

Flats can be as difficult as the steepest hills if you're trying to sustain average speeds above 22 mph solo on a road bike with road kit

Originally Posted by terrymorse

From personal experience, I've learned that my aerobic power on flat terrain comes back quickly (weeks), my climbing power comes back more slowly (months).

Especially on longer, steeper grades (>8%). That type of fitness appears to take the longest.

If you're like me, just give it time. Those climbing legs will come back, eventually.

Originally Posted by big john

Are you still on the comeback trail?

Originally Posted by CoogansBluff

Pre-pandemic, I was doing group rides 1-2x/week with a group that's 25 miles north, and the group then usually road further north, meaning hillier terrain.

During pandemic, with no group rides, I was naturally staying closer to home on flatter roads. It's not like the mountains vs. the sea, but probably 1,000-1,500 climbs vs. 2,000-3,000 on typical rides of 30-40 miles.

So my first group ride back earlier this month, I surprise myself and average 20.5 mph over a 43-mile group ride, climbing 1,250 (which is relatively flat for that distance around Raleigh). This is near home. I'm thinking I'm as strong as I've ever been.

Days later, I go north with my old gang and get dropped on 18 mph rides twice in three days on 40-mile routes climbing 2,400. Now, I'm thinking I've lost more ground than they have over the pandemic.'

Not that it matters, just having fun, but I'm curious. How did that happen?

I should add that I weigh about 10, maybe 15 pounds, more than I did when riding w/ the northern group in 2019. But I'm posting similar times on my old solo routes around home.

So, what is the best explanation for these recent performances?

-Haven't been riding hills enough lately. Give it a month.

-Engine is fine, as evidenced by good speeds over flat, but added weight is taking a toll up hill.

-Hills are just the devil. That's all it is.

I also might've just been more ''up'' for the first ride. It was my first group ride back, and I didn't think I could hang w/ them, so I was busting it. On the hillier ones, I was overconfident and perhaps not mentally ready to grind.

Originally Posted by terrymorse

I did beat Ned Overend's time on a short Strava segment climb yesterday.

Originally Posted by UCantTouchThis

What about long sustained rides? Say Breathless Agony or Ride Around the Bear? Would the same go for over 200 pounders be the same difficult level on long climbs like this? Not steep imo but long.

Originally Posted by UCantTouchThis

What about long sustained rides? Say Breathless Agony or Ride Around the Bear? Would the same go for over 200 pounders be the same difficult level on long climbs like this? Not steep imo but long.

Originally Posted by UCantTouchThis

Have you ever done Ride Around the Bear? If so, did you like one over the other? RAB vs BA ?

I thought RAB was much nicer in every way. Too bad they did away with it, was my favorite ride ever.

Originally Posted by big john

I did the Heartbreak Hundred once and some variation of that route many times going back to 1989. I love that route but chickened out on it a couple weeks ago when my club did it.

Originally Posted by spelger

Not familiar with this climb. What are the units for the graph? Meters, feet, miles, km, time?

Originally Posted by terrymorse

Hey, there's some good news for us "years enhanced" cyclists: we may not be getting faster, but we are probably getting more resistant to fatigue.

So maybe it's OK to go after some of those longer rides that intimidate us.



I'm taking this as encouragement to go out and do some longer rides.

Originally Posted by big john

To me, the flaw in that is a rider doesn't just slow down .3 mph in a group ride,, the rider will try to keep up and exert more power and blow up, then drag ass the rest of the ride.
As the backmarker on hundreds of mountain rides, this happens to me. Then they wait, so, not wanting them to wait too long, I try even harder to limit my losses. Of course, when I get there, they are tired of waiting and take off immediately giving me no chance to rest.

Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

Well, that's certainly true. My normal position was "off the back." Some folks could do a hill repeat and catch me. I worked on getting stronger. Over the years, I also lost 15 lbs, which helped. But the main thing, by far, was increasing my ability to hold high power levels for long periods, i.e. to be able to stay near LTHR and repeat that on successive hills. Riding with faster people was huge. The other thing that helped me the most was doing 3 sets of 30 in the weight room until I could squat almost my body weight that way, and do 700 1RM on the leg sled. That little project took 2 years. I didn't worry about weight loss at all, it just gradually came off. I only did one ride a week at my limit. The rest of the week I did Z2 and a lot of pedaling drills. Like ride rollers for an hour, including pedaling 117 cadence for 1/2 hour and then go to the gym. Also 1-legged pedaling and low cadence pedaling. I did everything I could think of to increase my endurance at high power.

Originally Posted by colnago62

what % of FTP do you consider zone 4 and 5. An hour and 15 minutes sounds like a long to be those zones

Originally Posted by big john

Your discipline is admirable. My problem with that is I don't have any. None. Not with diet or training. I used to enjoy weight training and would do it again if the right situation happened.