freeskihp

whatever you do, don't consult an internet forum

fishymamba

BarryJo

True!
The key is filtering through all the $#*t to find the good answers.
It usually starts with becoming familiar with the members and determining who are knowledgeable and who are simply here to troll or up their post count.
I think there's been a lot of good replies in this thread, especially for someone who is still trying to figure all this stuff out and make themselves a better rider.

STP

Buy time with a trainer or coach and a nutritionist. Be serious about cycling and training and make no excuses about work or weather. They make clothes for weather and lights for darkness. It's like chasing the "quarter mile," the faster you want to go, the more money you have to spend.

Besides, at 46 years old, you don't have the same body or metabolism as twenty year olds. That's why you need a coach and nutritionist, to tailer someone specifically for you and your body.

mmmdonuts

Lose about 25 years, get a faster bike with aero wheels and ceramic bearings, get a coach, a PM, all the books, and ride 20+ hours a week.

Or ride with people who are a little faster than you and try to keep up.

jr59

Ride faster for longer amounts of time.

That and riding more. I don't think you have the amount of base miles to do interval work at this time.

Find a group of faster riders, ride with them. Make sure you have a map, because you are going to get dropped.
Repete, over and over again, soon you will be able to hang on for longer and longer amounts of time.

Nick Bain

agreed this will build efficiency, but careful don't become one of those weak spinners.

STP

I overcame this by using a single speed mountain bike on dirt roads for miles and miles. Trying always to keep your rpm's constant, riding a single speed will help you develop strength at that cadence. When you're strong enough to push that ratio, change it. You could do this on a geared bike, too, but the lure of "being too tired" and switching gears to too tempting. When you're riding a single speed, you either riding or your walking, and riding beats walking every day!

NCMTBIKER

ride more..it's that simple...

SactoDoug

I was in a similar boat as you. I was trying to figure out how to get my speed up since it felt like I plateaued out at about 20-22 mph. I found that if I sprinted to 26 mph, then I could maintain 25 mph with what felt like just slightly more effort than it took to stay at 22 mph. I can't stay at 25 mph for more than a 2 miles but that distance is getting longer every time that I ride. Also, those spirited 25 mph bursts make riding fun. For me it is just easier to sprint to a speed, then try to maintain it than it is to try to gradually climb up to that speed.

jediphobic

Try riding with a group. I find that I tend to either wear myself out hammering up hills, or not get any benefit by letting myself cruise. Riding in a group lets you push hard to keep with them, while damping the tendency to push too hard. Of course, that'll really only get you part of the way, but it's a start.

Runner 1

I run about 3,000 miles per year. I'm going to go on a limb here and say you need a lot more mileage.

Agave

Epo

thump55

The secret?

Cantaloupe.

There, cat's outta the bag. Ban me if you want, but this guy needs help and I'm not going to stand around while you guys throw your "intervals" and your "ride more" at him. You'll all feel better once it's out in the open.

Now I know how Floyd Landis feels.

steingang2

For those who offered constructive advice to someone less knowledgable, I thank you. .

For those who want to put me down for not ridding a century every weekend or putting in thousands of miles a year, save your sarcastic comments for another forum.

I'm trying to ride more and I'm trying to learn from those more experienced. That's what riding is all about;-)

zonatandem

Ride a one mile distance full tilt . . .
Do it again the next day and try to be faster/better.
Repeat . . .and increase distance.

FLvector

Lots of good advice above. More time in the saddle, longer rides, intervals and a few rides per month in San Antonio will help.

Find a group that is a bit faster than you feel comfortable with, stay with it and hang on as long as possible. Pull if your up to it. There are so many groups in the Tampa/Clearwater/St Pete area to choose from, you should be able pick your poison. Although the Suncoast can be mind numbingly boring, it is a perfect place to train. Some other local options, Gaither, St. Pete bike club, San Antonio, Brooksville.

Do you ride with any groups now? Feel free to send me a PM if you're interested in riding.

Bquillero

Steingang, what he ^^^ said. There are a few great rides in hilly San Antonio, especially the Sunday morning ride, a lot of people from all levels go there religiously, affording you the opportunity to go out with a fast group, get dropped, and join the slower cyclists coming behind. I used to live in Wesley Chapel and improved a lot by riding there.

You can also visit San Antonio Cyclery (https://www.sananncycles.com/), the shop owners there are very friendly and will be able to give you maps of the area and different length routes you could take. Happy climbing