Snicklefritz

I'm curious as to what people are doing in the offseason. I know some people who take a month off the bike, then do cross-training, lots of long rides and then start ramping up a few months after that. Then there are others who race year round and do cross in the fall before going back to road in the spring. Besides that, I've also heard of a lot of variations in the type of "base" that people do. Everything from long slow distance rides, to "elevated base" where they do some long rides but with some threshold work thrown in.

What is everyone else doing?

patentcad

What is this 'off-season' of which you speak? Is that some retail fashion industry sales period?

If you need Pcad, he'll be out riding. F the winter.

YMCA

Nothing changes. other than breaking out the leggins'

audiojan

I'll take about 3-4 weeks complete off before starting up again with winter training. First phase is lots of base miles on the CompuTrainer followed by segments of strength and technique drills with intervals. Towards the beginning of the season, I try to get a way for a week or so of some outdoor riding where it's a bit warmer. That incentive keeps the drive thoughout the long boring winters.

I also do quite a bit of downhill skiing, but that's just for fun, so no serious cross training... although it does build legs strength.

patentcad

This may be true in FL, land of Wussy Winter.

In NY you break out:

• leggings

• layers

• booties

• gloves

• special shoes

• headgear

etc, etc, etc. And when it gets snowy you break out the knobby tired MTB (hey, at least they're good for SOMETHING).

blonduathlongrl

no off season here, I still cycle and run.

patentcad

When your iPod freezes, it may be too cold for riding.

UT_Dude

I shall tell you, after my coach tells me what I do.

YMCA

But can you compete with our summer? We don't see a single day below 92F for 6 months of the year.

Does this man you Yankees have Wussy Summer?

Orlando Dec/Jan/Feb low57, high 72 and Sunny, perfect for wussy and damn happy about it

cat4ever

Off season starts the last week of September with a two week vacation overseas. Home for a week, then surgery to force me off the bike for up to a month. Then weights and bike work with power testing every month, riding 2-4 times per week. Power testing continues when weights stop in January. By January it will be 2 long rides per week (getting longer every week) with shorter rides (more intense) 3 times per week. Rest periods will be the last week of every month with Power testing performed the Monday after a rest week.

Racing starts in March.

skinnyone

Ski, Downhill. Gym. Ride, indoors.

curiouskid55

TT series. Base miles.

jit5

What is this off-season you speak of?

blonduathlongrl

patentcad

Let's get a few things straight. The Yankees don't have Wussy Summer, but the Yankees are friggin wussy to begin with.

I was in the Outer Banks of NC the week of August 5. It was generally 93-99º with 101% humidity daily. It was not too hot for me to ride daily. Did I ride @ noon? No. Do I ride @ 6AM in January? No.

Summer is inherently wussy. Winter is not. Unless you're in Death Valley. Orlando gets hot, but it is not Death Valley (culturally perhaps).

patentcad

You think I'm joking? Do a BF search on 'iPod freeze' and read my story regarding same. If there's one thing Pcad doesn't joke about it's... well, OK, there's really NOTHING Pcad won't joke about, but you get the point.

Pizza Man

I think it's such a shame that the road season essentially ends here in mid September. Late September and October are usually the best 6 weeks of the year weather-wise here in nor-cal. Sure, cross season is starting, but who wants to ride cross when it's 80 degrees and there's no mud to be found?

Anyway, I like to take about 2 weeks off after the season, but with perfect weather outside I usually keep up the training through October, then take a break for the first 2 weeks of November. After that I start base training for next year. Just lots and lots of easy miles in Zone 1. This fall I think I'll try a few of the "low key hill climbs" for a little fun.

https://lowkey.djconnel.com/2007/

CyLowe97

I can just see pcad in January, rockin' the headgear...

UT_Dude

Hahahahaha. Pcad is too Butch for headgear.

caloso

Fixed gear + fenders = all-weather spinapalooza.

(And I run more during the winter.)

ryanspeer

Last year: Watch a lot of TV. Eat lots of chocolate. Suffer through one of probably 3 weekly gruelling 60-90 minute sessions on the trainer in the garage while watching either COPS, or Seinfeld re-runs (almost always call it quits after the first 30 minutes). Try by any means necessary to get in a 35+ mile ride in on the weekend. Repeat process.

This year: RUN. RUN. RUN. Commute to/from the train to work 2-3 days a week. RUN. Throw my 20W headlight on the bike and put in 20 miles between 11pm and midnight a few days a week, etc. Eat lots of chocolate.

blonduathlongrl

well,I ride in the winter too with an ipod, pcad and I doubt our weather is better then yours and this never happend to me, but then again you probably keep it close to your heart and you know what they say about those new yorkers

patentcad

Don't you live in coastal NH where you can tell people you live in New England but in reality it's a climate closer to the NJ Shore with one 3' snow dump annually?

cmh

I ride my bike - mostly fixed gear w/fenders, but geared on the rare day when it is dry. I do some skiing, but I wouldn't call it cross training. No running, no weights, none of this silly cyclocross stuff (why would anyone ruin a perfectly good bike race with those ridiculous steeple chase-esque barriers?).

I drop the high intensity intervals and mostly ride at tempo - LT heart rates. I also keep up some sprint work, mostly in low gears.

blonduathlongrl

I see you've never been to coastal NH!
you're on, if you can survive the high frigid winds and all the snow we DO get, Ill buy you a new ipod, even stalk you for a bit as you wish.