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Faster on bike?
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Due to work and family life I do a lot of riding on the trainer. When I get out on the road I average about 15 mph, I can’t seem to get to the 19/20 mph that I desire. Any programs, tips, or exercises etc that I can look into that might assist me with this since I don’t ride with others and 90% of my training is solo.
Any info is appreciated.
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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What range of power are you putting out while riding on the trainer?
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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Jim's question is a good place to start. Include your weight as well (big guys need more power to go the same speed as smaller guys...duh).

It's very common to be faster on Zwift than out on the road. Zwift has no corners, no headwinds, no stop signs, no wearing flappy clothing, no sitting up in the wind, no coasting, etc., etc. I find the the effort level that gets me 18mph IRL will get me 21+mph on Zwift.

The way to get fitter is to add some intensity. On the trainer, look for workouts that are built around increasing your FTP. Jumping into some Zwift races is also a great way to add some hard sessions with the added motivation of racing. For this you need your FTP (w/kg)...back to Jim's question.

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Re: Faster on bike? [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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I'm the opposite on zwift. An effort that would get me 20mph on the road will get me 17-18 on zwift.

With that said, definitely look for workouts to increase FTP.
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Re: Faster on bike? [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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jaretj wrote:
With that said, definitely look for workouts to increase FTP.

But what if "increase ftp" has nothing ultimately to do with his style of riding. Just throwing "ftp" at something isn't always the answer.

It depends on a lot of stuff. What is the person trying to accomplish? How far do they want to ride? Will they race? What kind of races and how long are they?

Things that would be useful to know right now to be able to help more would be:

-what is your goal in riding?
-what time/distance/intensity do you want to focus most of your riding (or racing) around?
-how much time per week could you ride?
-do you do other sports also?
-what is the terrain like where you live compared to what you weigh and how strong you are?

Once we know that, we can get somewhere.
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Re: Faster on bike? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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Can you describe a situation that the OP may encounter while averaging 15 mph that raising FTP won't provide the biggest benefit?
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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brosemail wrote:
Due to work and family life I do a lot of riding on the trainer.

Do you do high intensity intervals on the trainer or just puttering around at a comfortable pace? If it's the latter, then you will need to stress your body in order for it to adapt and improve.
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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A trainer doesnt put any emphasis on body position, i will ride much more hunched over on the road for aerodynamics than on a trainer, where im much more upright

Besides that, zwift will be faster in game than on the road

For reference, i average about 20mph doing 250w avg at a total bike weight of 180lb over the course of an hour on a hilly terrain

Strava
Last edited by: rsjrv99: Dec 3, 20 7:30
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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Probably need to slowly and progressively ride in a lower position outdoors. That'll be the easiest way to get faster, the fastest. Take it from a guy who doesn't like to train so hard that he bleeds from his mouth.

Raising your fitness is important too. Workout directly targeting FTP would be nice. But you might not have a power meter, if you're relatively new. I rode without a power meter for the first few years of recreational training and you can get faster and fitter without one. Promise!

Simple tips for haphazardly getting faster while enjoying your life and not thinking too much about everything or spending any money.
  1. Train MUCH harder, some of the time. (maybe 1-2 d/wk)
  2. Train longer at the same intensity you are now, but for longer, other times. (maybe 1d/wk)
  3. Ride one more day per week than you are now, and do it consistently.
  4. Sleep more, if possible.
  5. Take one week of easier riding, every 3rd, 4th, or 5th week.
  6. Fuel your training with carbohydrates and electrolytes any time it's 60 minutes or longer. The less fit you are, the more fuel will benefit you. Again, take it from me! ;) 60-100g carbs per hour, from mix of Gatorade and sugar, in water, is great. Add 1/4 tsp salt (or just randomly salt it your beverage, you'll be fine).
  7. Slowly learn to do all of the above while bending your elbows more, and getting your head down a bit more.

I did this for 2 yrs and went from being able to ride 15mph for 1 hr max, to 22mph for 3 hrs. No serious method to my madness at any point. Not "optimal" but fun and free!

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Re: Faster on bike? [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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jaretj wrote:
I'm the opposite on zwift. An effort that would get me 20mph on the road will get me 17-18 on zwift.

With that said, definitely look for workouts to increase FTP.

Road or TT bike? I was referencing road. The TT bikes on Zwift are nerfed.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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Hard to even consider without knowing anything about terrain and power. If you're averaging 15mph on 250 watts in a flatter area, the answer is entirely about getting more aero and maybe fixing your bike. If it's on 150 watts, it's about getting fitter. If you're climbing a lot with good power, it can just be about little things. Keeping the power on over the crest of a hill, recovering at a little below threshold instead of soft pedaling, etc.
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Re: Faster on bike? [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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Road as well, both indoor and outdoor.

I'm probably faster on the road because I'm so small. Yes, I have my height set correctly in Zwift.
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Re: Faster on bike? [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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I'm about the same on Zwift vs real world (road)

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Re: Faster on bike? [brosemail] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the info gang, I will try and make these changes. I wanna get faster on the bike cause due to a bad knee (hydro injections)I’ll prob take longer on the run. So weight loss and higher intensity, got it.
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