Gang, just got back from my lbs and was talking mileage, blah, blah, blah. They were encouraging me to kick up my volume quite a bit. Right now I’m in the 70 mile a week range…so you can see I have lots of room to add more mileage.
So, is there a method or general guideline to increasing cycling mileage (as in comparison to running where the rule of thumb is no more than 10% a week)? I’d like to get it to 150 or so and go for a 75 mile or century in Aug or Sept.
Thanks for any advice (and pardon for being such a beginner),
No more than 10% is a good rule of thumb for cycling as well,
I know you’re the coach and all…but why would the 10% rule hold for cycling as it would for running, presuming a certain level of fitness? Since cycling is virtually non-impact, I would think it would be okay to bump up more substantially (so long as the extra riding wasn’t in huge gears or up mountain passes) than one would in ramping up running mileage?
I mean, 10% over 75 miles would be another 8 miles, which at, say, 18 mph (many presumptions here) would take roughly 25 minutes…
Not trying to be a smartass, smartass, just wondering what the method is behind this “madness”…?
You just have to take it up a notch. Get up early this Saturday and ride 10 miles or so farther than your current long ride. Don’t worry about your pace, just commit to covering the distance.
I think the “10% rule” has some merit when applied to running but even there it really only applies when you are already at your “max.” I don’t think anyone is going to hurt themselves on the bike going from 70 to 100 miles in a week.
It is called avoiding an overuse injury. And overuse injury is not all about impact. Sure you might be able to do more, but if you get injured because of it, then what good have you done? It is called training smart, or you can train macho. Take your pick.
True enough…which is why I noted in my question that the ramping up has to be done smartly (sans big hills or gears initially)…
**Sure you might be able to do more, but if you get injured because of it, then what good have you done? It is called training smart, or you can train macho. Take your pick. **
I suppose some of us take the written word a bit too literally…I don’t think I was even hinting at something like, say, doubling mileage right away…I was merely questioning the merits of the 10% rule when it comes to cycling. Physiologically it is a much more gentle endeavor than is running, so it would seem to me that one could get away with a more aggressive training increase on the bike so long as it is done intelligently.
So in your opinion, is ramping up mileage 15% macho?
since you’re already riding 5 hours at a time(at least that’s what you posted a week ago), making your other rides longer would probably be better than extending your long ride. It does feel like you can ramp up mileage much faster biking than running but your knees will be happier with a slow progression. ramp up your stretching and core exercises along with your biking. a strong lower back makes long rides much more comfortable. my wife is riding a century on sat. and she has done well training by adding 5-10 miles per week to her long ride. you want to be tired when you get back but if you’re not recovered 24 hours later, you probably added too much. you can also make long rides more of a workout by riding more and stopping less and for the shortest time possible. a 4 hour ride completed in 4:15 is much tougher than one done in 5 hours.
I would argue that you can ramp up your mileage way more than 10% a week - you just have to add easy rides to your long and/or hard ride(s)
For example, if you ride 4h on Sunday, a 2h ride on the flats, done at an easy pace during the week won’t bring any risks - not a lot of gains to be expected from it, apart from the added fitness from sheer mileage. Of course you have to be careful not to add a ride on top of a long run day if you don’t have lots of volume yet.
Back in February, was riding 3h a week (2x1h30 on the trainer). In March, was riding 6/7h a week and in April did some weeks at 10h of riding or more…and in May, did some weekends at 11h (over 3 consecutive days)…not an injury in sight coming from the riding.
A lot of riders say that sheer mileage gets you faster on the bike. I would agree with this.
Let’s not get carried away here. Kittycat said something about her background and where she wants to go. I gave her a broad, safe guideline. That’s it.
yes I believe i need to add 2 shorter distance rides during the week, in addition to the 10 mile TT and a long weekend ride. if those 2 rides total 50 miles or so, plus the increasing long ride mileage i should have some nice volume going before long. thanks everyone!!
Paulo, not trying to get carried away here at all…just wondering what the methodology behind the 10% rule on the bike was, that’s all. I understand that it’s safe, broad and very general. If that’s all there is to it, I suppose that’s cool. Perhaps I’m picking nits, but just curious as to why 10 and not, say, 20% since as a rule the bike is easier on the body than running is?
No tempest in a teapot brewing here, just curious…that’s all! After 20 years in the sport I’m still learning…trust me on that one.
You are puking nits. Volume increases on the bike can be larger than on the run. Also impact weeks on the bike can be a lot bigger than impact weeks on the run. But as general, broad SAFE advice, 10% is fine and I’m pretty sure kittycat won’t get in trouble using it. That’s the most important thing.
So in your opinion, is ramping up mileage 15% macho?
So, what is the rush. She is trying to get from 70 miles per week to 150. At 10% per week she will be there in (77, 85, 93, 102, 112, 123, 135, 148) 8 weeks with almost no risk of an over use injury. At 15% per week she can get there in (80, 92, 106, 122, 140, 150) 6 weeks at what risk of over doing it? We are not talking about a single episode of a long ride or two but a sustained increase in load. Do too much too fast and everyone will get injured. The 10% number is considered safe because it doesn’t take forever to increase things but has stood the test of time from an injury point of view.
Getting injured by trying to do too much too fast is macho, whatever the number.
The easiest way is to get your gutt up to Loveland on Sunday am (Nisbert Park) or Wednesday pm and just ask for the “Gears for Bears” group. We have up 38 riders (breaking up into about 3 pelotons) that will get you going, meet some GREAT people, and get your mileage in. You can move through the “ranks” all the way up to Mary (our resident Pro female) who is loads of fun to ride with (the only female normally in the gazelle pack up front 20mph+ min, 25 avg, 30+mph sprints/marked). The “slowest” group can avg as low as 14 mph so you will be fine no matter your speed. We all meet up eventually and never leave anyone behind. The routes are also well marked on the roads. Distances from about 30-60 miles, depending upon the mood of the pelotians.
Hope to see 'ya there! Also, we have a Sat am open water swim at Caesar’s creek going on now as well if you are interested.
Bingo, Sojourner, no one asked the question…hence my questioning of the 10% rule here since no one really knows what her current 70 mpw consists of. Is it 7 10-mile rides? Two 35-mile rides? Two 20’s and a 30? And over what terrain, at what speed, etc.
But hey, 10% sounds good, doesn’t require much thought, won’t get her hurt, yada yada yada. It’s not about “being macho” as Frank seems to be caught up on, it’s about asking some deeper questions and then coming up with a reasonable response based on goals, history of racing, training and injuries.
And I’m the dick for questioning SAC and somehow coming across as a member of the Village People to Frank.