AzTallRider

Hi folks - first post here (I mostly hang out in the 50+ forum) but I'm getting serious about my training, and have a question that relates to my current goal, which is to not be dropped on weekend club rides. I've been commuting to work for 18 months (9 miles each way), and became a 'roadie' about six months ago. I started taking longer weekend rides, and a month ago started joining a local club on their Saturday morning rides. I fully expected to be dropped on the climbs, and I was, and I knew the 50-60 mile lengths would be a challenge, and they are. But I'm getting better, especially now that I have my hydration and nutrition sorted out a bit better.

What I was hoping to do better with, however, was staying with the group on the flats. I can maintain the group pace unless I get separated and lose the benefit of the draft, but I can't bridge the gap to rejoin (especially late in the ride), as that requires a solo effort at ~23mph, and I'm not yet up to that. The separations are happening at stoplights or turns: the group just accelerates away from me. Talking to one of the members, he says that the racers in the group have that need to accelerate away from the stop so firmly entrenched, that they just take off, and it can be very hard to stick with them.

So, bottom line, is I need to get faster, and especially get up to speed more quickly. From the reading I've done, it seems intervals are the thing. But what constitutes a good interval program? Doing a BF search results in hundreds of hits that aren't what I need. Can anyone provide some tips on interval training, or point me to a reference? I'm happy to procure a book if there is a well regarded text. I'm hoping I can turn my commutes into interval training sessions.

My longer term goals are to be able to tackle 50-60 mile rides and think about performance as opposed to surviving (and not being dropped), and also to handle a century a couple of months from now and not have that end up a 'survival ride'. Right now, I just want to end the ride with the group!

TIA

ericm979

Pratice what you're having problems with. If it's keeping up from a stop, do short (30 sec-1 min) intervals from a slow speed.
Or on your commute, sprint away from each stop and get up to cruising speed quickly. I do that so much that it's habit, I have to conciously decide to take off slow. Make sure you are in an appropriate gear. If you don't downshift you'll be slow getting off the line. It takes less effort to accellerate quickly and stay in the draft than it does to let a gap open and close it at speed.

More experience in pack rides will help. You'll learn to recognize when the pack is speeding up before there's a gap in front of you. Looking far up the field helps, you can see them speeding up.

It's normal for there to be an accordion effect in fast group rides and races. That's why being on the back sucks.

AzTallRider

Is it generally an etiquette violation to move up at a stop, to avoid being at the back of that accordion during the restart?

caloso

Check out this thread in the Racing subforum: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ut-recipe-book You are probably looking for anaerobic capacity. The Waterrockets Intervals and 30 second intervals will definitely help your off-the-line efforts.

AzTallRider

Thanks for the reference caloso; that's very helpful.

ericm979

If you do it skillfully without getting in anyone's way or in traffic, and you're not in the way when they get going again, it's not a problem (unless someone's feeling extra competitive and thinks you're "cheating". But I don't ride with people like that). If you did it at every stop, only to take off slow and make me come around you to close a gap, I'd make sure you stayed behind me.

It's better to get up front by riding there.