sgrifth13

Im usually ride solo and want to work on sprinting on days where I usually do not go out for longer rides...What are some workouts are best on improving form, speed etc?


Thanks

waterrockets 

First off, sprints can be a great workout to mix in with a longer ride, because they won't affect your ability to hold an endurance pace after the workout. Nothing wrong with doing them on short rides though -- I've done a couple 20 minute rides with six all-out sprints in them.

There are a couple things to work on. For the legs, you've got jump and speed. For form, you've got bike swing, position (for power), and aerodynamics.

This topic has been hashed a bit more before. I'm surprised we don't have the workouts in the workout recipe sticky. Hmm. Anyway, I'd recommend you start here and read up on it. Post questions in those threads, or refer to them in here with specific questions.

I'd post up, but don't have the time this afternoon.

mollusk

Look at the training "recipe" sticky, especially the anaerobic workout and strength workouts.

MDcatV

here's one I kind of like:

warm up well at easy pace

-4x15" small ring sprints, start from stop or barely moving, in 39x17 sprint as hard as you can go, dont shift. legs should be flying. 5' between reps and next set.

-4x15" big gear sprints, start from stop or barely moving, in 53x15 sprint as hard as you can go, dont shift, you should just spinning out the gear as you end the 15" (if you arent go a cog bigger), 5' between reps and next set

-4x15" flying start sprints. these are real sprints, race like. best done on a downhill to uphill transition so you're up to speed, gear appropriately and shift as you sprint.

if you're using power your last set will suck, and your legs will be wobbling by mid second set if done properly.

Creakyknees

You will get better if you have a well-matched partner, and a finish line or sign as a target.

carpediemracing 

Found an old BF post of mine.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post13354257

waterrockets 

True. If not, you can also note how much you normally beat them by, and give them that much of a lead.

rkwaki

The first team I ever raced with was comprised of several Olympians/Pro riders and was coached by a mean SOB.
Our sprint training was Tuesday evenings (we had a closed 1 km track with a bunch of corners (6).
The track had two start lines 500 meters apart (sorry I am not American so everything is metric).
Sprint 1 started at the first start line and was 500 meters, we started in a 53 x 15 or so from almost a stop (would end up in a 53x11 or 53 x 12). After the sprint we went to the small ring at an easy pace for 1.5 km then went again. Each set we did 4-6 sprints then spun for 10-15 minutes and repeated for a second set.

Creakyknees

I've done workouts very similar to this and I can attribute at least 2 race wins to them. For me, I don't start these until later in the season, because, they are very taxing and in the early months I'm already deep into a training curve. But once I'm getting the form that allows me to be with the leaders at the end, it's time for sprint work.

Just my .02

carpediemracing 

We used to do this loop:
https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5258049

From the start point (top area of map) we'd go to just before the road on the left (0.85 miles it seems). Then we'd do another 1.7 before we got back to the start point (a bus stop complete with little extra parking lane). 100-150 riders, start at 4:30 PM, about 7-8 minutes a lap, finishing about 7 PM. Crazy fast great fun.

Based on the satellite map it appears that the road doesn't go all the way through, or it goes under a lot of building stuff. In the old days we had two "underpasses" but it was open in the middle.

carpediemracing 

A definitive line also gives you a good "throw the bike" target and practice.

rkwaki

We used to bump it to three sets

shovelhd

I don't start sprint training until I'm done with my FTP program at the end of April. I have a stretch of main road that has about 2km of flat, 1km of -1%, leading into 100m of -2%, then a flip up to +3% for 200m. The lead-up gets you up to race speed without a lot of effort. I'll jump about 100m before the flip up and try and hold it up the grade to a road sign at the end. Turn around, ride back to the start in 3m or less, repeat. How many I do depends on a lot of factors, but I've never done more than ten. I'm crushed at the end. Thankfully it's a short ride home.

Out-The-Back

I did almost this exact workout today, 5x15"x3' high cadence starting at 120rpms to 170ish, 6x15"x3' low cadence starting from 70rpm and go up to 130ish but they were done seated in the drops. Flying sprints 5x15"x3' were done standing, in the drops starting at 110ish.

Frankly, they all sucked. Throwing down power and spinning your ass off repeatedly...not fun.