Working toward 50K ride.

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DoogleDave
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby DoogleDave » Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:34 pm

Perhaps you could keep your 50km+ rides for the weekend where you can just get out there and enjoy riding the longer distances, but then during the week try something like riding 30km's within an hour (or 20km's within 40mins) - essentially training rides where you are trying to come home with a 30 km/h ave speed?

And I agree with Josh, as you start to ride longer distances and your legs and cardio get stronger you will naturally be able to maintain a faster ave speed.

This time last year I was busting my butt trying to ride even 20km's with a 30km/h ave speed. 28's weren't too hard but hitting that 30 mark just seemed to be difficult (unless I had a good tailwind with me for most of the ride).

Now, 12 months later and alot more km's in the legs, holding a 30 km/h ave isn't too difficult - and for the 20 km circuit I often ride I have recently hit 33-34 km/h ave speed.

So don't be in too much of a rush to improve too quickly. Just enjoy what you are achieving now and the improvement will come in time....though you will find you're never happy.
The quicker you get, the faster you want to go - LOL :-)

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Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:10 pm

DoogleDave wrote:Perhaps you could keep your 50km+ rides for the weekend where you can just get out there and enjoy riding the longer distances, but then during the week try something like riding 30km's within an hour (or 20km's within 40mins) - essentially training rides where you are trying to come home with a 30 km/h ave speed?
Yea, well I have managed a 35k ride at 27kph and 21k ride at 28kph and a couple of 15k rides at 30kph. Essentially, everything is moving in an upward direction, so I am pretty happy. Nothing like goals to keep you moving forward (& Strava :P )
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Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:16 pm

joshnh wrote:
Mind if I make a suggestion? Rather than focusing on your average speed, focus on the distance ridden. My guess is you will enjoy your riding more if you aren't so focused on keeping your average high. Also, your cycling fitness will improve with longer rides. Time does become more of an issue though.
Good idea.
Last edited by Paul B on Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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briztoon
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby briztoon » Sat Sep 14, 2013 5:39 pm

Paul B wrote:
joshnh wrote:
Mind if I make a suggestion? Rather than focusing on your average speed, focus on the distance ridden. My guess is you will enjoy your riding more if you aren't so focused on keeping your average high. Also, your cycling fitness will improve with longer rides. Time does become more of an issue though.
If I did that I wouldn't be me :mrgreen: I'm pretty driven by goals and stretching. Anyway, as far as focusing on the distance, that was the point of the thread. Achieved that goal... moved onto the next challenge. Avg speed :evil:
Most peoples distance goal is to ride 100km and then an imperial 100. 50km is just a short afternoon spin after work. As others have said, increasing your average speed just happens the longer you ride.

Plus is your 50km ride one long ride without a single stop because of traffic lights? I can't ride more than 1.5km from my place without having to stop at a red light. If so, lucky you, I hope the country side offers some fantastic views. Smashing out 30kph average over 50km is pretty easy when you've got small recovery periods at every red light.

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 5:58 pm

no red lights here mate... this is rural Tasmania :-)
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Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:07 pm

briztoon wrote:
Most peoples distance goal is to ride 100km and then an imperial 100. 50km is just a short afternoon spin after work.
Umm... I'm not most people... I'm me :P Just having some fun. I know 50ks is no big deal.
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briztoon
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby briztoon » Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:36 pm

Paul B wrote:no red lights here mate... this is rural Tasmania :-)


Any where near the Huon Valley?

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:44 pm

no mate... even better, East coast. My house looks straight over the beach, and our ride to Primrose Sands looks out over the cliffs, proceeds along a river, and passes by sheep filled paddocks. Lots of challenging hills and undulations and long sections of flat. All with hardly a car to be seen.
Last edited by Paul B on Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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briztoon
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby briztoon » Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:09 pm

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:mrgreen:

Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:22 pm

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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2wheels_mond
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby 2wheels_mond » Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:45 am

Paul B wrote:Lots of challenging hills
I could be wrong, but surely there's not a whole lot of hills out that way.

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sun Sep 15, 2013 11:03 am

2wheels_mond wrote:
Paul B wrote:Lots of challenging hills
I could be wrong, but surely there's not a whole lot of hills out that way.
yea... probably right. No hills.. no real challenge.
Last edited by Paul B on Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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briztoon
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby briztoon » Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:20 pm

lol

Sorry Paul.

Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sun Sep 15, 2013 4:12 pm

2wheels_mond wrote:
I could be wrong, but surely there's not a whole lot of hills out that way.
Why not come along on the DFBTR and check it out for yourself :mrgreen:
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2wheels_mond
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby 2wheels_mond » Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:12 pm

Paul B wrote:
2wheels_mond wrote:
I could be wrong, but surely there's not a whole lot of hills out that way.
Why not come along on the DFBTR and check it out for yourself :mrgreen:
Sadly it's a long trip out for me, I do the Dome 6 a.m. ride that morning and I'm busy with uni during Thursday day. Perhaps over the summer, presuming it stays a regular thing.

abr89
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby abr89 » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:05 am

The best way I found to work up to any distance within reason is to set realistic goals. For me I started by working on a time basis and try and increase how far I traveled in that certain time frame. A good motivator is to compete in a social event, it makes you want to improve and get out there for a longer time.

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby abr89 » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:06 am

Or at least that's what I found worked best for me. Also one more thing, invest in a good bike computer. That allows you to keep an accurate track of distance and speed covered. You can identify the rate at which your improving :)

Paul B
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Sep 21, 2013 3:00 pm

abr89 wrote:Or at least that's what I found worked best for me. Also one more thing, invest in a good bike computer. That allows you to keep an accurate track of distance and speed covered. You can identify the rate at which your improving :)
yea I use a Garmin 500... Strava. Doing the 50K rides about 3 times a week at the moment and did the Cenotaph to Richmond Bakery round trip this morning (57.5 ks). I guess the next goal is 100ks which doesn't seem that big a deal. Ultimately, and the entire purpose from the start has been to be fit enough to keep up with a group of cyclist's. Well and truly on the way to that goal :)
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:33 pm

So the 50 km goal is well and truly history. Ridden 50KM plus ten times now and don't go under 40km any more. On track for 1000ks for October and did a 112 KM ride today :-) Feeling kinda trashed after that effort. Can I sustain the effort ? Time will tell.
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Cmm
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Cmm » Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:45 pm

Great work Paul! I did my first 100 the other week and its so good to get it done! Great work!

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Wed Oct 23, 2013 1:41 pm

2wheels_mond wrote:50 km/h at 30 kph + will be quite difficult as a solo effort you'll probably find, obviously depending on hills/wind/stoppages/etc. Don't want to sound discouraging or negative, certainly possible, big goal to have though, good luck!
Well mission accomplished, 53kms (AT) 30.9 kph. And I realised my goal of riding with the Richmond Bakery guys.
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casual_cyclist
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby casual_cyclist » Sat Oct 26, 2013 10:56 pm

Paul B wrote:
2wheels_mond wrote:50 km/h at 30 kph + will be quite difficult as a solo effort you'll probably find, obviously depending on hills/wind/stoppages/etc. Don't want to sound discouraging or negative, certainly possible, big goal to have though, good luck!
Well mission accomplished, 53kms (AT) 30.9 kph. And I realised my goal of riding with the Richmond Bakery guys.
That's awesome! :D
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2wheels_mond
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby 2wheels_mond » Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:52 am

Paul B wrote:Well mission accomplished, 53kms (AT) 30.9 kph. And I realised my goal of riding with the Richmond Bakery guys.
Well done! Just be careful of using average speed over the whole ride as your sole measure of performance, there are many, many exogenous factors which can affect it.

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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby Paul B » Sun Oct 27, 2013 5:56 pm

Thanks guys. Just completed the Tour de Norfy today - 100 ks. Feeling smashed at the moment. And yes I understand where you are coming from 2wheels... at the end of the day it is the hours in the saddle and the accumulation of ks at a consistent rate that count.
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doggatas
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Re: Working toward 50K ride.

Postby doggatas » Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:50 pm

How'd you go Paul B? Pretty tough couple of climbs after the dam hey?

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