Where to start?

[nickobec]

I have been riding for a few years now, nothing serious just some commuting and social riding with friends.

When I ride with friends I tend to be at the back of the pack and often get dropped on the slight inclines that are called hills on Perth's coastal plain.

I want to raise my level of fitness to keep up with those friends at least, and it would be nice to climb much better.

I have a HR monitor and understand HR zones. I have also recently purchased a nice trainer (TACX fortius) so I can ride at night

So where do I start?

[Rockford]

Get one of Alex's training plans. $150 and well worth it.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Get one of Alex's training plans. $150 and well worth it.

Thanks!

But even if one doesn't go for a tailored plan, essentially you need to incorporate some increased effort(s) to induce fitness improvements. That's typically a combination of:
- attaining a regular frequency and consistency in riding
- increasing intensity, both absolute and relative
- increasing volume/time riding in a progressive and sustainable manner

Here's an item I wrote for Bike Radar a while back on that.
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... less-18287

[nickobec]

Alex thanks for the info and the link. I got what I needed in a round about way.

What I should of asked was:
What are the basic principles of training, that somebody new to training needs to understand.

Are there any other sites or even books that you would recommend?

[casual_cyclist]

Alex thanks for the info and the link. I got what I needed in a round about way.

What I should of asked was:
What are the basic principles of training, that somebody new to training needs to understand.

Are there any other sites or even books that you would recommend?

Do you mean like this? http://ezinearticles.com/?Progressive-O ... id=1500118

I used to weight train and went too far too fast without enough rest. I ended up burning out and never worked out again. So, my advice is to not ramp up too fast and to give yourself adequate recovery time.