If you can keep riding through the winter, that would be great. Do a non-stop four-lap, self-assessment ride in mid February 2006 and see how you come out on the NYCC self-assesment test, and then chose the appropriate SIG.

When you do the self-assessment, avoid weekends and try it on a weekday between 10AM and 3PM when the park is closed to motor traffic. In mid-February, you shouldn't be plagued by too many pedestrians and roller-bladers etc unless the weather is unseasonably warm.

The A-19 SIG usually holds a gentle-paced 'get-to-know the leaders' ride in mid-February, which allows the opportunity for you to ask them questions, and it might help you to make a choice.

In the meantime, you might want to consider doing some interval training and when you do laps of the park, ride one lap in your session one gear higher than you normally would. That might help speed and climbing. Insofar as stamina is concerned gradually increase the distance you ride when you go on rides outisde of the city.

If you are used to doing, say a B14 ride, try a B16 or B17 and see how you get on.

Look up a ride on the club's library and download a cue sheet and give it a go. If you are used to riding 50 miles, try a 60 miles ride, then a 75 miles ride. Before you know it, you will find a century a realistic goal if you are riding regularly.

Enjoy!

--Lose weight.

--Get a lighter bike.

--Regular cardio training.

--Quad strengthening--lunges and leg presses.

I found Sally Edwards's Heartrate Monitor training book and workouts to be useful for what little time I have.

We can always improve. But age and physique seem to set the upper limits.

Kate,

Are you referring to your average speed on a given ride, or your speed for relatively short segments?

Most cyclocomputers will tell you your average speed, and your actual riding time. There may also be a feature for total elapsed time on the computer, or you can use your watch or heart rate monitor.

Cycling is not a steady state activity. Whether or not you increase your speed on flat segments significantly, you can improve your average speed by climbing and descending faster. These are two skills that work well together. When safe to do so, you can use the momentum gained on downhills to propel you up all or part of the next climb.

The other posters have given good advice. Skill development and improvements in fitness will both help you to ride faster. Don't forget that often neglected element of training---recovery!

Good luck.

Gary

"Of course NOT.

But there is, after all, ONE hill in the CP loop. If you can increase your climbing speed, your ""average"" or ""cruising"" speed as reported by that little pesky eletronic gizmo on your handlebar WILL creep upward! ;o)

On the other hand, you may have the same problem as me. I can easily hang out with any B18 rides in Westchester (i.e. hills), I had trouble staying with a B14 group to Long Island! I got dropped when the gang ""cruise"" down the mirror flat Service road at a true 17 mph!

Building flat speed take quite a different approach. Getting a lighter bike may increase climbig speed significantly. But it doesn't do squat in flat speed. On the other hand, having a low and areodynamic position helps flat speed quite a bit. So does paceline skills. I think advice from 'fendergal' are also useful for that purpose."

"When a rider says they desire an increase in ""speed"" what the rider means is he/she wants to increase their functional threshold power, which is the foundation of anaerobic cycling ability. Performance then is largely based upon morphotype. Smaller riders tend to have a better power-to-weight ratio and perform better in climbs, larger riders tend to have a better power-to-BSA ratio (body surface area) and perform better on flat terrain, assuming proper position. Muscle fiber type composition is a subfactor.

So how to increase functional threshold power? Increase training volume just below your functional threshold power. This is the zone that is 80-90% of your maximum heart rate, or about 90-95% of your functional threshold power. Ride multiple times a week for at least 45 minutes (high end, an hour or more low end) in this zone and over time you will see gains in your performance. When you start to plateau, switch to short duration more intensive riding (short-medium hills).

Forget about leg weight lifting; it is at best a waste of time for cyclists and at worst can cause injury, convert valuable Type IIb fibers to Type IIa and lead to weight gain. Core body exercises are great in the winter, but when the weather is nice, ride, but don't forget to structure some recovery time to your training program."

"as Greg Lemond once advised a novice, ""the best way to get faster on the bike is to find hills, and ride up them"".....or something like that."

"There's been a lot of good suggestions in this thread. Essentially, if you want to boost your ""cruising"" speed, you have to push yourself to ride faster than your cruising speed. You will have to work to increase your lactate threshold by training your body to become more efficient at clearing lactate as your muscles produce it. One way to do it is by doing high intensity intervals. In The Ultimate Ride, Chris Carmichael describes them as SteadyState Intervals^TM. He suggests doing them at about 90% of your mhr as determined by his CTS Field Test. The volume is two to four efforts of 8 to 20 minutes each, with a 1:1 work-to recovery-ratio. The terrain should be flat to rolling. Cadence on short hills 70-80, but otherwise 85-95. Allow at least 48 hours between sessions."

Weights? To lift or not to lift??

I know some very accomplished riders who do and some who do not.

However, I know several Cat 1 elites semi-pro animals, and one and all, every single one says do the weights. When I mention that so and so does not lift, they ask how many races has he won??

Your choice. But I think all around fitness has a place for weights.

"Ric Stern"

Sheesh, I'm up against JZ and El Jefe, 2 experienced guys I respect. Be gentle with me.

But, here I go, IMHHO, and I am not cat at all, just someone trying to learn and practice what I learn:

To differentiate between cycling fitness and all around fitness can be misleading. Sure, cycling is largely aerobic- legs, lungs and heart. And JZ’s analysis is on point. However, if you are a fast cyclist but not generally fit and start riding with the hammerheads, or even just longer slower rides, problems start. Weak arms may become carpal tunnel, bad elbows, shoulder pains, neck pains. Weak core may lead to back/hip problems. Your entire body should be addressed, of course with proper emphasis. I think the stress you put on your body will find the weakest link and cause discomfort if not pain, maybe injury. Weights, along with stretching, help lots.

JZ and I had a conversation recently and he is erudite, but I still have questions. He said – and pardon me John if I misconstrue – anything other than training at peak wattage is de-training. But then how do you improve? If, for example, and not considering time/endurance here, peak power for someone on the flats is 100 rpms in the 53 x 15, how do you improve? Do you go to the 53 x 14, lessen your output for a while, but them improve? Same for the hills, but different gearing. I don’t know, but that seems right. And weight training would help you turn a larger gear at the same or faster cadence. I personally prefer “weight” training on the bike, and stick to some weights for upper body, but I do squat and press sometimes. (BTW, some of the weightlifters in the gym do about the same poundage I do with the legs – cycling works for me.)

Jeff, the guys I refer to are mostly folks I see and ride with (well, try to for a few miles, haha). The people I know are Tony Taylor and Kirk Whiteman. Tony especially is an adamant weight guy. But every one that I have asked and who has flourished with a number pinned on his butt, says do weights, leg weights.

Any how, constructive comments – hey, witty anonymous foolery flames – are appreciated ...

You say to-may-to
And I say to-mah-to
You say po-tay-to
And I say po-tah-to.
To-may-to!
To-mah-to!
Po-tay-to!
Po-tah-to!
Let's call the whole thing off....

60+ degrees that is! I'm a cold weather wus at heart...