Long rides vs shorter sweetspot/tempo rides....
Discussion
Typically I do 1 long ride a week of 3-4 hours, sometimes a little more, but rarely less than 3 hours....IF varies but typically around 0.7 so TSS tends to be minimum 150.
There is a lot of debate over the benefits of doing a long ride, and whether it's worthwhile or not for those who already have a good aerobic base. I tend to do 2 hard interval sessions per week, 1 gentle ride and 1 60-90min sweetspot ride. Is it worth ditching the 3-4 hour ride but doing something nearer 2 hours at a higher intensity so the TSS is similar? Or will it likely fatigue me a bit much?
Thoughts?
Thanks
There is a lot of debate over the benefits of doing a long ride, and whether it's worthwhile or not for those who already have a good aerobic base. I tend to do 2 hard interval sessions per week, 1 gentle ride and 1 60-90min sweetspot ride. Is it worth ditching the 3-4 hour ride but doing something nearer 2 hours at a higher intensity so the TSS is similar? Or will it likely fatigue me a bit much?
Thoughts?
Thanks
Not training for anything in particular at the moment, I was going to get into racing this year but house purchase imminent and a few other things have got in the way so I'm just doing it for fitness as well as enjoyment really. Maybe I'll just mix it up (just do the odd 3-4 hour ride and the odd 2-3 hour ride at a higher tempo) and see how I get on.
I'm quite a stickler for consistency and even if the weather is bad I'll still do a long ride (even on the TT, if needs be) so perhaps I could save the bad weather days for sweetspot intervals on the TT perhaps.
I'm quite a stickler for consistency and even if the weather is bad I'll still do a long ride (even on the TT, if needs be) so perhaps I could save the bad weather days for sweetspot intervals on the TT perhaps.
I have been back into riding for a couple of years now. My focus at the start was to quickly get into shape for a L'Etape. So I lost weight, got stronger and spent a lot of time on the bike at fairly high efforts. Worked great!
I did another Etape last year, problem was I went too far on the weight loss, though still did much better than the previous year.
Now I am training for the fun of it. I go out with a club three times a week, 2 hours per ride. We have a laugh, try to beat each other on the flats, up and down hills. I am fairly competitive so sometimes I get home from a ride destroyed. Other than these rides I do a few hard hill climbing intervals, maybe 6 repeats of 5 minutes pushing my legs until they are burning hard.
As you can see I am not particularly scientific in my training. I have just recently joined Strava and find it fun.
Getting back to your point. I think very long rides are not the best use of my limited time. I think beyond 4 hour rides are great for losing weight, but somehow I think I lose power too. Power makes riding fun.
I did another Etape last year, problem was I went too far on the weight loss, though still did much better than the previous year.
Now I am training for the fun of it. I go out with a club three times a week, 2 hours per ride. We have a laugh, try to beat each other on the flats, up and down hills. I am fairly competitive so sometimes I get home from a ride destroyed. Other than these rides I do a few hard hill climbing intervals, maybe 6 repeats of 5 minutes pushing my legs until they are burning hard.
As you can see I am not particularly scientific in my training. I have just recently joined Strava and find it fun.
Getting back to your point. I think very long rides are not the best use of my limited time. I think beyond 4 hour rides are great for losing weight, but somehow I think I lose power too. Power makes riding fun.
I'd say ditch all of these ride statistics and just get out on your bike and have fun. All of this FTP, normalised power, IF stuff is useful if you're racing or training to a specific goal but I do think it erodes the fun aspect that got most of us into cycling in the first place.
I've got hung up on training to power in the past, and do understand the interest in 'numbers', but if you're aim is to get 'fit' then just mix up your rides - chain gangs, long rides in the countryside, short hill rep sessions. Just keep it interesting and the fitness will come naturally.
I've got hung up on training to power in the past, and do understand the interest in 'numbers', but if you're aim is to get 'fit' then just mix up your rides - chain gangs, long rides in the countryside, short hill rep sessions. Just keep it interesting and the fitness will come naturally.
If you aren't riding for anything except general cycling fitness, then a bit of everything is good to have in there surely?
I like to do a few 100 - 120 mile rides through the year and at least 2 x 150. These are all day jobs with a social element, but I do notice different factors coming into play in terms of how the body reacts to sustained periods of exertion, albeit fairly low level exertion in the grand scheme of things
I like to do a few 100 - 120 mile rides through the year and at least 2 x 150. These are all day jobs with a social element, but I do notice different factors coming into play in terms of how the body reacts to sustained periods of exertion, albeit fairly low level exertion in the grand scheme of things
E65Ross said:
Typically I do 1 long ride a week of 3-4 hours, sometimes a little more, but rarely less than 3 hours....IF varies but typically around 0.7 so TSS tends to be minimum 150.
There is a lot of debate over the benefits of doing a long ride, and whether it's worthwhile or not for those who already have a good aerobic base. I tend to do 2 hard interval sessions per week, 1 gentle ride and 1 60-90min sweetspot ride. Is it worth ditching the 3-4 hour ride but doing something nearer 2 hours at a higher intensity so the TSS is similar? Or will it likely fatigue me a bit much?
Thoughts?
Thanks
Your training sounds horrendous, do you actually enjoy riding the bike? All these numbers and you don't even race. Go out and work on your tan lines and leave your computer at home.There is a lot of debate over the benefits of doing a long ride, and whether it's worthwhile or not for those who already have a good aerobic base. I tend to do 2 hard interval sessions per week, 1 gentle ride and 1 60-90min sweetspot ride. Is it worth ditching the 3-4 hour ride but doing something nearer 2 hours at a higher intensity so the TSS is similar? Or will it likely fatigue me a bit much?
Thoughts?
Thanks
I've had a similar discussion over 'junk miles' with someone who doesn't race yet monitors power output everywhere and likes to smash mates on rides out. For me, not one mile of riding is junk, as any ride helps to improve me physically and mentally, despite how hard or easy im going. I feel the further you go with numbers, the further you move away from the enjoyment of riding your bike
Chicken Chaser said:
I've had a similar discussion over 'junk miles' with someone who doesn't race yet monitors power output everywhere and likes to smash mates on rides out. For me, not one mile of riding is junk, as any ride helps to improve me physically and mentally, despite how hard or easy im going. I feel the further you go with numbers, the further you move away from the enjoyment of riding your bike
No such thing as 'junk miles' for someone like me. My only targets this year are to ride 6,000 miles for the year and fit a century in every month for the rest of the year. So ALL miles are good miles.I have a Garmin, and Strava. But no power meter and no Premium membership, so all I have is estimates for energy output/power. I've been told many times that average speed and distance are useless for monitoring improvement, but they're all I have. I don't race road bikes. Never have, probably never will. But I do use cycling as a coping method for mental health issues.
I do enter MTB races, but training for those usually just takes the form of riding the race venue (or similar terrain) in the weeks leading up to a race, and hammering myself to work out just how fast I can go without crashing on single-track sections. At my level, I'd rather spend the power meter money on essential components to keep the bike in the best shape possible.
My advice, OP, would be to just go out and ride routes you enjoy at a pace you're comfortable at. Any sort of training needs an aim, a focus. I focus on simply enjoying the beautiful surroundings of "Jane Austen Country". Any improvements to pace or endurance are just a coincidental bonus...
A lot of you are saying to forget the numbers and just enjoy it.....but none of you seem to think that by working hard, looking at the numbers etc are enjoyable to me I like working hard and seeing how I progress.
Years ago I used to run pretty competitively....never amazingly but not bad (I was a 16:40 5k runner) but due to illness I can no longer run, but I can cycle (it's a weird, long story!) and part of what I enjoyed so much with running was really working and pushing myself, and the fact I'm still able to do that (admittedly, in a different sport) is something I'm grateful I'm able to do
I like working hard and seeing how I progress.Years ago I used to run pretty competitively....never amazingly but not bad (I was a 16:40 5k runner) but due to illness I can no longer run, but I can cycle (it's a weird, long story!) and part of what I enjoyed so much with running was really working and pushing myself, and the fact I'm still able to do that (admittedly, in a different sport) is something I'm grateful I'm able to do
E65Ross said:
A lot of you are saying to forget the numbers and just enjoy it.....but none of you seem to think that by working hard, looking at the numbers etc are enjoyable to me I like working hard and seeing how I progress.
I'm the same. I love the data and being able to see an accurate measure of my progress is hugely rewarding. I like working hard and seeing how I progress.As for the long rides, I'd say they're useful for a few reasons. They add some variety, which will target different parts of your fitness and metabolism. That variety also prevents you getting bored with the short sharp stuff and repeating the same old routes that short rides dictate.
Gruffy said:
E65Ross said:
A lot of you are saying to forget the numbers and just enjoy it.....but none of you seem to think that by working hard, looking at the numbers etc are enjoyable to me I like working hard and seeing how I progress.
I'm the same. I love the data and being able to see an accurate measure of my progress is hugely rewarding. I like working hard and seeing how I progress.As for the long rides, I'd say they're useful for a few reasons. They add some variety, which will target different parts of your fitness and metabolism. That variety also prevents you getting bored with the short sharp stuff and repeating the same old routes that short rides dictate.
To answer your question I'd say do what you're likely to enjoy the most. Sometimes it's nice just to ride but I still like looking at the data afterward!
I think you need a bit of everything. If all you do is batter yourself for 2 hours, sure, you'll improve at that. But when a four hour ride comes along you'll suffer. I love that feeling of getting up early and heading out on a loooooong ride, it's so different to the mindset of the usual. I probably do similar rides to you but maybe 6-9 times a year I'll head out on an all dayer, it doesn't matter how long it takes. I'll look at the Garmin during the ride and after, but the only "goal" is to do the ride. It's usually racking up the big hills
If you're into numbers (as I suppose I am) Veloviewer is a neat webite which analyses youre strava feed in several ways. Not free, but only c. £10 a year if I remember correctly. I expect there are others.
I started road cycling late in life, 3 years ago, after grade 4 knee OA (bone-on-bone) put paid to running. Friends of my age who've cycled all their life are inevitably declining yet I'm able to improve (for now). Kinda satisfying. First overseas trip booked for July so am seeking to do more 75+ milers and consecutive days. It's nice to have ssomething to aim for, before the knee replacement this autumn!
I started road cycling late in life, 3 years ago, after grade 4 knee OA (bone-on-bone) put paid to running. Friends of my age who've cycled all their life are inevitably declining yet I'm able to improve (for now). Kinda satisfying. First overseas trip booked for July so am seeking to do more 75+ milers and consecutive days. It's nice to have ssomething to aim for, before the knee replacement this autumn!
Everyone is different re data.
Personally if I was not racing though, I would only do longer rides if I wanted to, I ride with a few people who don't bother doing anything beyond 4 hours as they just don't find it that enjoyable. As with everything, a mixture is good, I like the odd longer one, with some harder stuff at the end, which is good race simulation I suppose.
Personally if I was not racing though, I would only do longer rides if I wanted to, I ride with a few people who don't bother doing anything beyond 4 hours as they just don't find it that enjoyable. As with everything, a mixture is good, I like the odd longer one, with some harder stuff at the end, which is good race simulation I suppose.
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