My after-work training ride normally consists of about 16-20 miles, all uphill or down, gaining about 1400-1600 vertical. While fun, especially the downhill, I wonder if this is the best use of my time. Would there be any advantage to riding a flat course for the same distance or do watts = watts regardless of how they’re used? Also, one of the tri’s I’m training for has quite a bit of climbing in it (about 1000 vertical feet), if that affects anyone’s opinion.
You should be so lucky, when I lived in Louisiana we looked for bridges and freeway overpasses to pretend they were hills. You can do a lot of stuff on hills like your 8-12 min cruise intervals up hill. Seated overgear training, and even simulated motorpace on long gradual downhills. Be creative and mix it up. Sometimes though a nice long 20 min flat is pretty darn good training.
Also, one of the tri’s I’m training for has quite a bit of climbing in it (about 1000 vertical feet), if that affects anyone’s opinion.
How far is the distance is that? Sprint, OLY, 1/2?
A humble hill is the best training equipment money can’t buy for running or cycling. Use them frequently.
Try the east coast of Florida. Absolutely dead flat except the Vilano bridge. I use the bridge for my hill workouts. I climb it 20 times…BORING!!!
Olympic. Boulder Peak at the end of June. The climb is in the first 8 miles or so, then it’s downhill or flat the rest of the way.