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reasonable improvement on bike
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 2015-09-01 11:37 AM |
 439   nashville, Tennessee |  Subject: reasonable improvement on bikeFor the last couple of years I've looked at hitting 23 mph for sprint/Olympic distance course as an ultimate goal and thought if I ever reach that point I'd be ecstatic. Well after 4 years of training I finally started training with power about 5 months ago, and I have finally gotten to that level. For the last couple years I hovered in the mid 22's range. I've done a certain 20 mile course periodically over the last few years and sort of use it as my guage. The last two times I rode the course I avg'd 23.1 and 23.4 mph for 20 miles, which I'm very excited about. So now I'm looking towards next tri season. My question is, with a good hard bike plan over the winter, do you think it would be a reasonable possibility to break 24 mph on that same course? I realize that there's not a huge difference between 23.4 and 24 mph, but I know that the faster you get the harder it is to improve. So I'm just wondering the likelihood. |
| 2015-09-01 12:15 PM in reply to: mchadcota2 |
Not a Coach 11473  Media, PA | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike Is it reasonably possible for you to increase your power output by ~5% or so over the winter? Maybe get a bit more aero? Have the wind blow in your favor? |
| 2015-09-01 12:34 PM in reply to: mchadcota2 |
| Oakville | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike I switched to power a few years ago and saw an increase in FTP but then it felt like I was plateauing and not making any more gains. Joe Friel discussed a study that looked at short intensity vs long intensity workouts: http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2014/07/high-intensity-interval-duration.html Based on this, I gave it a try and for the 8 week block before race season I would do 2 hard VO2 workouts a week and one threshold workout. The VO2 workout was usually 3 sets of 13x30 seconds at 115% to 120% of FTP with 30 seconds rest. With no other significant changes to my bike or aero gear, my average race speed increased by just over 1 km/hr. This is comparing the times for 6 Sprint bike courses to the same courses last year.
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| 2015-09-01 12:53 PM in reply to: Scott71 |
Pro 4675  Wisconsin near the Twin Cities metro | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike As the previous posters have alluded to, you'd be much better served monitoring changes in your critical power ( or FTP) over time versus speed on a particular course that is affected by many variables. You have the ability to measure power (and spent the money on it) so you might as well get every bang for your buck that you can. Good luck! |
| 2015-09-01 2:11 PM in reply to: mchadcota2 |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike So how are your other disciplines? You can spend a lot of time getting to that 24MPH mark but if your swim and run stink you not putting the time into the right discipline. I just did an OLY this weekend and held 23MPH for the ride, only 2 people in my AG were faster on the bike; one negligible by 5 seconds and the other one had a 24.1mph avg. However I didn't podium because 11 guys in my AG beat me on the run which left me in 6th. My point is I can easily get my bike up over 24 MPH avg, but to do it I don't have time to train the run and in the end it hurts my triathlon races to bike faster. Go for the low hanging fruit first. |
| 2015-09-01 2:45 PM in reply to: #5138115 |
| 439 nashville, Tennessee | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike My run is my strongest discipline while my swim is very weak. So I could make up lots of ground on my swim for sure. |
| 2015-09-02 7:04 AM in reply to: mchadcota2 |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike Originally posted by mchadcota2 My run is my strongest discipline while my swim is very weak. So I could make up lots of ground on my swim for sure. You would be better off swimming 4 or 5 days a week in the off season(maybe getting a coach). from the sounds of it you maybe able to make up 5 to 10 minutes on the swim whereas that little jump in speed on the bike will only get you 1 or 2. |
| 2015-09-02 8:55 AM in reply to: 0 |
Extreme Veteran 5722 | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike Originally posted by JohnnyKay Is it reasonably possible for you to increase your power output by ~5% or so over the winter? Maybe get a bit more aero? ^ this and you know what's really sad : given the circumstances of low volume and no access to coaching, the bulk of triathletes would probably get more out of getting aero than doubling their swimming. May the flaming begin :-) But the real answer is do both. and to the OP, increasing power 5% does not mean getting 5% faster. The faster you go, the less you get from each incremental watt. Edited by marcag 2015-09-02 9:03 AM |
| 2015-09-02 9:38 AM in reply to: marcag |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike Originally posted by marcag Originally posted by JohnnyKay Is it reasonably possible for you to increase your power output by ~5% or so over the winter? Maybe get a bit more aero? ^ this and you know what's really sad : given the circumstances of low volume and no access to coaching, the bulk of triathletes would probably get more out of getting aero than doubling their swimming. May the flaming begin :-) But the real answer is do both. and to the OP, increasing power 5% does not mean getting 5% faster. The faster you go, the less you get from each incremental watt. Your making the assumption he is not aero to start with, and we all know that without wind tunnel testing after a certain point we are chasing a white herring. I'm going to make the assumption that if he is hold 23.5mph in an oly tri he is already reasonably aero and improving upon where he is may not happen. Also if he could swim better he would have more energy for the bike and most likely be faster, so the real answer at this time is to work on his swim. |
| 2015-09-02 10:21 AM in reply to: mike761 |
Extreme Veteran 5722 | Subject: RE: reasonable improvement on bike Originally posted by mike761 Originally posted by marcag Originally posted by JohnnyKay Is it reasonably possible for you to increase your power output by ~5% or so over the winter? Maybe get a bit more aero? ^ this and you know what's really sad : given the circumstances of low volume and no access to coaching, the bulk of triathletes would probably get more out of getting aero than doubling their swimming. May the flaming begin :-) But the real answer is do both. and to the OP, increasing power 5% does not mean getting 5% faster. The faster you go, the less you get from each incremental watt. Your making the assumption he is not aero to start with, and we all know that without wind tunnel testing after a certain point we are chasing a white herring. I'm going to make the assumption that if he is hold 23.5mph in an oly tri he is already reasonably aero and improving upon where he is may not happen. Also if he could swim better he would have more energy for the bike and most likely be faster, so the real answer at this time is to work on his swim. I said "the bulk of triathletes". Take the race pictures of an IM race and you can easily pick out big mistakes in 95% of the participants. If not 99%. Second. You don't need a wind tunnel. A power meter will do just fine. 10 watts are much easier to find if you never tested than to add on when your FTP hits a certain point. The topic was improving bike speed. If your solution to improving bike speed is swim more, that's an opinion, just not the same as mine. |
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