How to ride faster?

This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

The guys in my club like to ride around 20mph and I'd really like to
be part of the pack. I'm always bringing up the rear at around 16mph.

On Fri, 20 May 2005 08:42:27 -0400, wrote:

This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

No, it's a matter of working on your technique (especially cadence -
it is common to find that you can go faster in a slightly lower gear),
and ride the bike a lot.

In my view, pushing long gears does nothing much for fitness, builds
strength slightly, slows you down compared with using the right gear,
and screws your knees up.

If you want to build strength, ride up bigger hills (but spin!). If
you want to improve speed, ride more, and see if you can keep the
cadence above 95rpm. I find that my comfortable cruising cadence is
around 100rpm.

One man's opinion.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
: On Fri, 20 May 2005 08:42:27 -0400, wrote:
:
: This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
: speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
: longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of
: the ride.
:
: No, it's a matter of working on your technique (especially cadence -
: it is common to find that you can go faster in a slightly lower
: gear), and ride the bike a lot.
:
: In my view, pushing long gears does nothing much for fitness, builds
: strength slightly, slows you down compared with using the right gear,
: and screws your knees up.
:
: If you want to build strength, ride up bigger hills (but spin!). If
: you want to improve speed, ride more, and see if you can keep the
: cadence above 95rpm. I find that my comfortable cruising cadence is
: around 100rpm.
:
: One man's opinion.

Learning to pedal properly makes a huge difference in speed. You must not
just mash on the pedals, but also pull. Doing so involves both the quads
and hams (powered through the hips) in moving the pedals.

wrote in message
...
This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed?

Eddy Merckx's response would be -"ride lots"

wrote:

This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

The guys in my club like to ride around 20mph and I'd really like to
be part of the pack. I'm always bringing up the rear at around 16mph.

First (as Eddie and another poster said), "ride lots".

Second, don't spend all your time in "club mode". Get in some much
shorter, but more intense rides. I've found that doing nothing but
long rides tends to make your terminal velocity lower (that is, long
slow rides train you to ride slow). Your legs and lungs have to get
used to the stress of supplying more power, and the only way that'll
happen is to give them the chance to do it regularly.

And remember what Greg LeMond said.... "it doesn't get any easier -
you just go faster".

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

wrote in message
...
This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

The guys in my club like to ride around 20mph and I'd really like to
be part of the pack. I'm always bringing up the rear at around 16mph.


train smarter, become fitter. If necessary, get a lighter bike. Improve
cycling technique - become more aerodynamic, pedal smoother, more
efficiently. Fit an engine...

Cheers, helen s

Roger Zoul wrote:
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
: On Fri, 20 May 2005 08:42:27 -0400, wrote:
:
: This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
: speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
: longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of
: the ride.
:
: No, it's a matter of working on your technique (especially cadence -
: it is common to find that you can go faster in a slightly lower
: gear), and ride the bike a lot.
:
: In my view, pushing long gears does nothing much for fitness, builds
: strength slightly, slows you down compared with using the right gear,
: and screws your knees up.
:
: If you want to build strength, ride up bigger hills (but spin!). If
: you want to improve speed, ride more, and see if you can keep the
: cadence above 95rpm. I find that my comfortable cruising cadence is
: around 100rpm.
:
: One man's opinion.

Learning to pedal properly makes a huge difference in speed. You must not
just mash on the pedals, but also pull. Doing so involves both the quads
and hams (powered through the hips) in moving the pedals.


I agree, pedal in circles, learn to spin, spend time on the bike, all of
it is important. Do paceline drills with your club. Also get a set of
rollers, it's like riding on ice but if your form is correct you'll stay
up. The trick with rollers is that they force you to pedal smoothly and
evenly, and when it's too nasty to pedal out side you can pedal inside.

--
Roy Owen

Keep the leather side up,
and the rubber side down.

Bob wrote:
This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

The guys in my club like to ride around 20mph and I'd really like to
be part of the pack. I'm always bringing up the rear at around 16mph.

There's a big difference between 16 and 20 mph. Technique and equipment
alone won't be enough. You'll have to work on the engine. If you're getting
dropped on the hills, losing some weight will make a difference.

Interval training is often touted. But why torture yourself? There's always
going to riders faster and slower than you. If you're riding for fun and
fitness, just do a pace that's within your limits. Do solo rides, or find a
group that you can keep up with. Ride at a pace that's fast enough to
increase your heart rate and breathing, but not so fast that you're
exhausted and gasping for air. Over time your speed will gradually increase.

Art Harris

On Fri, 20 May 2005 08:42:27 -0400, wrote:

This is probably a stupid question, but what can I do to improve my
speed? Is it just a matter of pushing a bigger gear for longer and
longer times and I'll eventually be pushing it for the duration of the
ride.

The guys in my club like to ride around 20mph and I'd really like to
be part of the pack. I'm always bringing up the rear at around 16mph.

I have some ideas, but first a couple questions. How long have you been
riding, how many days a week do you ride?

I ask this because, ime, sometimes it's just a matter of duration (time in
the saddle), sometimes a matter of consistency (frequency of riding) and
sometimes it's just a matter of perception (getting used to a higher
speed).

jj

On Fri, 20 May 2005 09:49:38 -0400, Roy Owen wrote:

The trick with rollers is that they force you to pedal smoothly and
evenly, and when it's too nasty to pedal out side you can pedal inside.

When would that be? I've ridden a sports recumbent bike with slick
tyres in freezing sleet with ice and snow on the ground :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound