I don’t stick rigidly to a four week training cycle. But, a low mileage week after 1,000 miles in January seems a good idea.

Unfortunately, with freezing temperatures predicted for next seven day, another low mileage week looks likely again this week

• Sunday 29th – 35 miles – 2.11.00 – @ 15.51mph
• Monday – rest
• Tues – 24 miles – 1.14.00 @ 19.4mph
• Wed – rest
• Thurs – Turbo – 1.30.00 – some intervals at threshold. 2* 5 mins of Low rpm power intervals.
• Fri – Turbo – 30 minutes recovery.
• Sat – 25 minutes at race pace. 30 mins
• Sun – rest
• Weekly total 120 miles

Turbo training not as bad as feared. First one quite enjoyable.

Yesterday, the front page of the Times carried a headline ‘Save Our Cyclists’ It is partly motivated by a young Times journalist, Mary Bowers, being involved in a very serious accident on her way to work in 2011. It was quite a surprise to see a major newspaper give their front page to improving cycle  safety and promoting cycling in cities. The Times also identify different steps which would help make cities safer for cyclists. The Friday edition has more on how cycling can work in inner cities, and one mother’s fight against lorries in cities.

8 Steps to Make Cities Safer For Cyclists

1. Trucks entering City centres should be fitted with sensors, audible truck turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists been thrown under wheels.
2. Identify 500 of the most dangerous junctions and redesign them for safety.
3. A National Audit of cycling to find how many people cycle, and most common cause of accident / death.
4. Earmark 2% of Highway Budget for next generation cycle routes.
5. Default Speed Limit of 20mph in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.

   

6. Improved training for cyclists and drivers. Cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
7. Businesses should be involved in sponsoring cycle schemes such as Barclays backed super-highways – This helps make cycling be seen as an integral part of society.
   
8. Every City should have a cycling commissioner to push for cycling ref ors.

All eight points make good sense, and it is good to say a major newspaper take such a clear stance in supporting common sense policies to improve safety in cities.

Some Cycle Statistics

• Risk of Death in UK per billion Kms cycled
• Rural A roads 313 – bn / Km
• Urban A roads 60 – bn / Km
• Rural minor roads 29 bn / Km
• Urban minor roads – 11 bn / Km

Shows we don’t just need safer cities, but also improved safety in rural areas. However, safety gains in urban areas will have bigger total effect because of much greater cycling volumes in urban areas.

Death Rates

• 111 cyclists were killed in 2010 – 7% increase from 2009.
• 2,660 cyclists were seriously injured in 2010.
• Cyclists three times more likely to be killed than the Netherlands.
• Cyclists two times more likely to be killed than in Germany or Denmark.
• 42% of Britain’s own a bike – 2.2% say bike is main form of transport
• More cycle statistics

It shows how Britain could be made safer for cyclists. Some might say highlight dangers might put people off, and cycling is still relatively safe. If you include health benefits of exercises, the small risk is perhaps outweighed by the great benefit.

But, the truth is most people, especially women, wouldn’t dare get on their bikes and cycle through big cities. It doesn’t feel safe to be negotiating roads with fast moving heavy lorries. This kind of campaign identifies practical steps to make things better.

Did I just praise a Murdoch newspaper? Well, I hope the soul of George Orwell will forgive me, but it does show cycle safety is not a political issue, but an issue of common sense.

Related

• Cycle Safety
• Tips for cycle safety

For example, many good cycling clubs add the suffix Vélo. It is an instant way of transforming the club from a doughty British town into the height of continental sophistication.

Take Rotherham Wheelers v South Yorkshire Vélo

Rotherham Wheelers raises connotations of mugs of tea for 30 pence in a cafe off the A87 after your 6am Sunday morning time trial. South Yorkshire Vélo raises connotations of gleaming Campagnolo and immaculate Italian bikes. (yes, French club, but Italian bikes – I guess all Europeans are the same really)

If you want to be cool in cycling, the farthest you can get from Britain the better. I know Team Sky have done the best to challenge this historical truth. They have this extremely un British habit of being successful and professional. It even looks like the French have, temporarily, become the plucky losers, a mantle they picked up from the old British style. But, no matter how many marginal gains Team Sky make, France will always be the spiritual home of cycling, in a way the British Isles will never be able to.

Example 2.

If you want to prove you are a real cyclist – a genuine Velo connoisseur. There are two things you can do.

• You can shave your legs
• You can drop in French words with disarming regularity into your cycle chat.

‘He was a real grimpeur, but he forgot his musette and bidon and ended up in the Voiture Balai after bonking on the unforgiving Virage’s of the Geant de Provence Mont Ventoux.’

‘The patron of the peleton excelled at the contra le Monde, but…’

(see below for translation)

English (much to the dismay of the French) has undoubtedly made it as the world’s global language. But, for all the universal triumph of English into every Chinese takeaway from here to Timbukctoo, there is something cool about French.

For example, with the help of French, we can say we took ‘un besoin naturel’ – even the most ardent francophobe has to admit that ‘un besoin naturel‘ is a hundred times cooler and more dignified than saying ‘I went behind a bush to take a pee.’
But, how far do we take this love of all things French? Everyday I go to a coffee shop and I’m confronted with this awful dilemma.

If I want a pain au chocolate? do you use a broad Yorkshire accent and pronounce it like it’s written? or do we have to order ‘the pain au chocolate’ with our best imitation of a real French accent, you picked up from 5 years of GCSE French lessons?

The existential angst of deciding how to pronounce often leaves me ordering a chocolate crunch. No messing, just two solid English words. If I do order, a ‘pain au chocolate’ I tend to pronounce the first word in French, but by the third word have descended into English – a kind of unsatisfactory compromise.

Anyway I digress. I must go and suceur de roue for the upcoming Classement general.

French Cycling Terms

• un autobus – group that rides together to finish within time limit
• un commissaire –  referee who makes decisions about race. E.g. allowing a bigger time limit to avoid eliminating whole autobus.
• un coureur  -  rider, cyclist
• un cycliste – cyclist
• un directeur sportif – manager
• un domestique  - support rider, often carrying bottles for leader
• un échappé – breakaway
• une équipe – team
• un grimpeur – climber
• un grupeto – same as autobus
• un peloton – main bunch of riders, near front of race
• un poursuivant – chaser
• un rouleur –  smooth and steady rider
• un soigneur – rider’s assistant
• un sprinteur – sprinter
• la tête de course – leader

Cycling Styles

• à bloc – riding all out, as hard and fast as possible
• la cadence – pedaling rhythm, often referring to high cadence
• chasse patate – riding between two groups (literally, “potato hunt”)
• la danseuse – standing up

Equipment

• un bidon – water bottle
• un casque – helmet
• une crevaison –  flat, puncture
• un dossard – number on rider’s uniform
• un maillot  -jersey
• maillot jaune – yellow jersey.
• une musette – feed bag
• un pneu  -tire
• un pneu crevé – flat tire
• une roue – wheel
• un vélo de course – racing bike
• une voiture balai – broom wagon

Tracks and Courses

• une borne – kilométrique ~milestone (literally, a kilometer marker)
• un col-  mountain pass
• une côte – hill, slope
• une course – race
• une course par étapes – stage race
• une descente – descent
• une étape – stage
• la flamme rouge – red marker at 1 kilometer from finish
• hors catégorie – beyond classification (extremely difficult mountain)
• une montagne – mountain
• une montée-  upward slope
• un parcours – route, course
• une plaine – plains, flat land
• une piste  - track
• une route-  road

Standings and Scoring

• la bonification – bonus points
• une chute – fall, crash
• le classement  - standings
• contre la montre  - time trial
• la lanterne rouge – last rider
• le maillot à pois – polka dot jersey (worn by best climber)
• le maillot blanc – white jersey (worn by best rider under 25)
• le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by overall leader)
• le maillot vert – green jersey (worn by leader in points / best sprinter)

Verbs

• accélérer to accelerate
• s’accrocher à to cling, hang on to
• attaquer to attack, spurt ahead
• changer d’allure to change pace
• changer de vitesse to shift gears
• courir to ride
• dépasser to overtake
• déraper to slip, skid
• s’échapper to break away
• grimper to climb
• prendre la tête to take the lead
• ralentir to slow down
• rouler to ride

Related

• Cycling Terms Explained
• Questions on Tour de France

photo onions top http://www.flickr.com/photos/scaglifr/

photo onions midde http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/

some energy bars

Over the years, I’ve gotten through hundreds of energy bars. This is a review of some of the energy bars I’ve used. As a general rule, I like to have a variety on a ride. Variety is good from a psychological point of view. But, also, studies often show the benefits of getting a variety of energy source (mix of carbs and protein) – mix of sugar sources (whole grains / fructose)

If you are a recreational cyclist, there is no need to buy the more expensive types of energy bars. But, although they are expensive, I like to have a few box of 24 energy bars. For long rides 3-5 hours, you need to take on a lot of calories, you can by muching through the equivalent of 6-7 energy bars or even more. On this kind of rides I will take a few top of the range energy bars to slip into back of pocket.

Each manufacturer tends to make claims about the unique nutritional value of their energy bar. In practise, it is hard for a rider to objectively evaluate which energy bar provides the optimum energy source. At the end of the day, we tend to buy those energy bars which have the nicest taste. I don’t use energy bars in races (well, not until I do a 12 hour race). But, use them for training rides so I don’t feel it is critical. Liquid food is more efficient if you are racing because it is less for stomach to deal with.

• I use a combination of (more expensive) specific cycle energy bars and the cheaper muesli bars and nutri grain bars. These museli bars from supermarkets are not specifically designed for cyclists and so are cheaper. They have a similar food composition to the more expensive energy bars (though often have a higher fat content). However, I still like to take 1 or 2 Power bars on long rides, and increasingly a protein bar which offers a wider nutrition range.
• I use Liquid energy gels particularly when doing racing or interval training. It helps to replenish energy quickly without being heavy on the stomach.
• There are alternatives to energy bars! Bananas are good for variety and natural fruit sugars.
• People might be surprised how much you can need to eat on long rides. However, on some training rides (less than 2 hours), I try to get used to not eating too much. This means in a race, the body is more efficient at using glycogen stores.

Zip Vit Protein /  Energy Bars

These Zip Vit are well designed. I probably buy the most of these. Not really because I can tell they are nutritionally better than other bars. But, they feel tasty without trying too hard and being over-sweat. I first received these in a free promotional pack (you may be able to get one too at free energy bars). They are  good though. In particular they feel easy to digest.

Zip Vit energy bars at Wiggle

High 5 Protein and Carb  Energy Bars

high5

Good nutrition is not just about carbohydrates. High 5 state that after researching the best combination of energy bars, a combination of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein helps give best nutrition for long rides. Some research shows that this combination of 4 parts to 1 part protein helps give optimum energy uptake, especially on long rides.

Often when eating on a cycle ride, you are also feeding for the next day as well. I take a few protein bars because it helps provide a balance to all the sugary and carbohydrate bars and drinks.

• High 5 4:1 Energy Bars

Rawfood bars

These Rawfood bars by Bike Food is a good contrast to the more processed and sugary energy bars on the market. They are made entirely from natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruit. They are a little harder to digest, but they make a good contrast to the bars with processed sugar. They are great for long rides and sportives where you want to have a mixture of energy sources. I went through a whole box, but unfortunately found it difficult to buy more so I stopped using them. But, if you can find them they are good.

Power Bar Energize Bar

These feel like the premium energy bars. Perhaps because they are the most expensive! I tend to save for longer rides, though this winter I’ve got through 2 boxes of 24. The good thing is that they pack a lot of calories into a thin product. It does mean that when you eat  you need to take on extra water. But, I like the taste and feel. They also have 7-10 grams of protein. I prefer the chocolate flavour, it really tastes quite nice. If you buy in a pack of 25 they are better value. Power Bar at Wiggle.

High 5 Energy Bars

These are 58% real fruit, and 22% wholesome grains. I went through a box of 24, I didn’t really like them. If you do buy them, you may find you only want 1 per ride. However, fruit sugar is a good source of energy on a long ride. It has a low glycemic index and makes a change to the usual maltodextrin.

Protein Bars

On longer rides I also like to take a couple of protein bars. Maybe 1 protein bar for every 2-3 energy bars. Again it’s nice to have a variety of food. When cycling don’t just think of nutrition for current ride but also your recovery and energy for next day. I’ve tried Zip Vit and High 5 Protein bars, it’s hard to choose much between them.

Recovery Energy Bars

Don’t forget to eat sufficient quantities after a ride. Personally I much prefer Recovery drinks to recovery bars. Recovery drinks help you to rehydrate and is easier to digest when you’re stomach often doesn’t feel like eating.

Cheaper Energy Bars

You don’t have to buy the expensive specific cycle energy bars. With the manufactured energy bars, you do pay a lot. You can find all kinds of muesli and energy style bars in a supermarket. It is worth checking nutritional labels at back. They tend to be higher in fat. Nuts can be harder to digest when you’re on the bike. But, it’s a good way to avoid spending £7 on energy bars for each ride.

Alternatives to Energy Bars

In the ‘old days’ people used to cycle 100 miles on nothing more than a few jam sandwiches and if they were a lucky a small pork pie and scotch egg. Just because you get on a bike, doesn’t mean you can’t use real food. Sometimes, I take other foods on long rides, for example – sandwich, malt loaf.

See also: Cycle Food
Related

• Energy Bars at Evans Cycles

Related Articles

• Nutrition Tips

• Food and nutrition for cycling

My ski gloves are bigger than those.

I wanted to go on the time trial bike, because I’m conscious I’ve entered my first race in less than two weeks! It’s good to get used to the time trial bike as it is quite a different position and uses some different muscles.

Because it was so cold, I wore three pairs of gloves, including one pair of thick ski gloves. It’s really difficult to ride a time trial bike with narrow tribars and ski gloves! I’d also forgotten how difficult it is to ride a time trial bike. My arms and shoulders are aching more than my legs. To get aero, doesn’t mean to get comfortable.

• By Comparison, The winter training bike is 12 Kg, the Time trial bike, with super smooth tubulars on a Zipp 404′s is 7Kg and super fast!

Riding a time trial bike in January is like a kid opening a present three months before Christmas. Winter usually means slow cycling @ 15- 16mph. To get a quick glimpse of the time trial bike, cruising along the flat at 28mph is a nice reminder of why I’m doing all this winter training.

I finished the 12 mile RR circuit at average speed of 25.7mph – quicker than same course on winter training bike  last week – (av. 23.1mph). I would have been faster if my water bottle hadn’t fallen out and I had to stop and go back and pick it up. But, the difference in speed from last week was all due to the better bike.

warm but not ideal for time trialling.

My selection of gloves.

Also, on any kind of descents I didn’t use the tribars, I didn’t trust myself to stay upright.

The ride was good, I really reminded myself of:

• Why I don’t usually enter races in February.
• Why I advocate wearing two pairs of shorts, when it’s really cold! (cycling in sub zero temperatures)
• When you average 15mph on a winter training bike, it doesn’t mean you are slow – it’s the bike!
• Time trial bike is superfast, but it’s hard work keeping the aero position. I need to go and do some pushups or something.
• Breathing with tongue at top of mouth is said to warm the air flowing in. The air definitely needed warming up!
• When it’s cold, it’s a very good reason to have a low mileage week.

My Winter Training Bike from Ribble - looking suspiciously clean!

My winter training bike is an old road bike, that I used for racing in my first season. It is a basic Aluminium 6061 frame, Carbon fork and Shimano 105 groupset. I bought from Ribble Cycles about 7 years ago, costing around £800. Since then, the bike has done an estimated 20,000 miles – a pretty good return for £800 and minimal upgrades.

Upgrades and Downgrades to Make a Winter Training Bike.

SKS Race blades. The current mudguards are a two year old SKS race blades. They are easy to fit and keep the worst of the rain and mud off. However, if I replaced them, I would go for the SKS race blades long.

Lights Rear and Front. Essential for winter riding. I often leave rear light on flashing whenever it is overcast.

Armadillo Rear Tyre 25‘ This gives confidence for riding through gritty roads. I haven’t had a rear puncture since using this tyre. It is also very hard wearing and very resistant to cuts and scratches. It is slower, heavier and higher rolling resistance, but it is a trade off worth having. Armadillo Tyres

Continental Gator skin Front tyre. The front wheel has a Continental Gator skin. Excellent puncture resistance, though tyre lasts for a shorter time. When I replace, I may replace with Armadillo. (winter training tyres)

Saddle bag. This Altura saddle bag is a little small for my needs. I’d like  a bigger saddle bag so that I can carry a weightier waterproof. I currently just have a lightweight race cape. I can carry a waterproof in a cut off water bottle, but often need two bottles for long rides.

Cheaper Cassettes. When replacing cassettes, I’m usually taking bike to local bike shop, so I just ask for cheaper cassettes or chains. I don’t see point in buying Shimano 105 for a winter training bike.

Gearing. I don’t need a triple chain-ring, but I chose a luxury rear cassete with 28  - 12 teeth – offering a nice range of gear choices for keeping high cadence.

How Often do you Change Chain on Winter Training Bike?

On my racing bike, I change chain after 1,000 miles or even shorter (changing chain). This is because I want maximum power transfer from chain. With this method, you can get quite a few chains before the cassette block needs replacing. But, with my winter training bike, I just ride it into the ground; . When the chain starts slipping, which may be up to 4 – 5,000 miles, I will replace chain and cassette at same time, and possibly front chain rings.

How Often do you clean your Winter Training Bike?

Whenever I’m taking pictures of the bike for my blog! I just intended to take photos, but the more photos I took, the more I wanted to clean it.

Perhaps I clean once a month, but when its wet and dirty, it’s too dispiriting to wash after every ride, knowing in 20 minutes, it will be back to the same state. However, some times the dirt build up is so bad, the dirt between brakes and front wheels starts to rub, and I have to knock it off with a stick.

However, I should say – if the road is salty – definitely you should spray off the salty dirt, as it will be very corrosive. For ordinary mud, not so serious, but still worth doing!

The problem with cleaning your winter training bike is that you always fear there must be something bad hidden under all those layers of mud. If you start to clean, somehow you fear it could start to fall apart. This is actually what happened here. Cleaning bike showed paint come off carbon forks.

Position of Winter Training Bike

The position is essentially the same as summer racing bike. The saddle is the same height. I keep the bars slightly higher to make more comfortable for long rides.

Oiling Winter Bike

I regularly spray with GT-80 and also use some winter wet lube – quite a heavy oil. I also spray and grease my Speedplay pedals in winter.

Winter Training Bikes

When I bought a top of the range road bike, one justification was that I was also getting a free winter training bike. But, if started at the top, and want to buy a specific winter training bike there are quite a few options.

Specialized Tri Cross

A lightweight A1 Premium Aluminium double butted frame. Comfortable frame geometry, internal cable routing for low maintenance performance in any conditions. FACT carbon forks for improved comfort of ride. Triple chain ring for all gear combinations

• Specialized TriCross £700 at Evans

Under £500

Claud Butler San Remo £499

A budget bike leaving some cash left over for necessary winter accessories. The Claud Butler San Remo is aluminium frame, steel forks and Shimano 23000 groupset. Claud Butler at Evans Cycles

Other bikes to consider – Trek 1.2, 1.7 or 2.1. Focus Cayo.

See also:

• Touring Bikes
• Winter Cycle Training
• Cycling Accessories for Winter
• Road Bikes Under £1,000

There is a saying that you are what you are wear. A cyclist faces quite a few choices. You can try all kinds of different looks.

• The strict Italian roadie classic look. Immaculate looking lycra with matching sunglasses. Socks at right height (Armstrong’s knee high white socks are definitely out – even if aerodynamic benefits. If you wear arm warmers wear them properly, no skin showing between shoulder and arm warmer e.t.c.

not bad, though jerseys a bit baggy. And those yellow shoes, o dear…

• I’m not a cyclist look. The I’m not a cyclist wears the best possible clothes and then gets on the bike as an afterthought.

• The Defensive Cyclist. The defensive cyclist has been in too many near misses and scrapes to consider fashion or how they might actually look. The defensive cyclist will be a seasoned cyclist often commuting several miles. Visibility, practicality and safety are the highest priorities of the defensive cyclist. A pipe is actually an excellent defensive mechanism against air pollution. He is actually smoking charcoal.

• The improviser. The improvisor is your typical student cyclist who doesn’t want to spend any money on cycling clothes, but wants to make cycling practical.

Good style. Somehow with that bike, you can get away with anything – including trousers tucked into his maroon socks.

• The European Look

If you go to some European cities. People don’t make any effort to wear anything different for cycling. It’s very hard to spot someone who looks like a ‘cyclist’ – They are just people who happen to jump on bikes. e.g. cycling in Verona. Also it all seems so effortless.

When I Commute

When I got my first job, it was three miles down a busy A road to work in a  Little Chef. In those days 3 miles to the next village seemed a big deal. So I would go in my proper cycling clothing. The other Little Chef workers thought it was very funny:

• a) Someone would actually cycle to work on the A65
• b) You would turn up to work in skin tight lycra trousers.

I seemed to remember thinking it was great that people got joy from laughing at my cycling attire.  But, these days I don’t commute in my usual lycra leg warmers e.t.c. I go dressed for work, not for cycling. My only concession to the bike is sticking my trouser in my sock. Much to other people’s consternation, I then tend to forget to take the trouser leg out. In fact it becomes such a habit, I often took my trouser in a sock, even when not cycling. People think it’s a bizarre fashion trend that never caught on, but actually it’s just the brain operating on auto-pilot.

Keep Cycling Free from Lycra

There are some cyclist advocates, who seem to almost get upset at the idea of people wearing ‘cycling gear’ on the way to work. They argue that we should celebrate the ordinariness of cycling. You should be able to cycle as you are – and not have to get dressed up in all that horrible and unsightly defensive clothing –  the fluorescent jacket, helmet, lycra, pollution mask e.t.c.

I have some sympathy with this view. The Cycling utopia would be traffic free cycle lanes, where you can be free to display the height of fashion rather than being lit up like a Christmas tree hoping white van drivers are less likely to knock you off and later say ‘sorry, I didn’t see you mate’.

I hope people don’t get put off cycling because they feel they need to be dressed in suitable attire. But, once you’ve commuted around town a few times, you realise how it’s hard to see many cyclists. Given a choice between fashion and visibility, the Gucci soon gets discarded (not that I have any Gucci to discard), but whatever Gucci makes,  I don’t think it is fluroscent orange jackets. It’s also not a coincidence that the way cyclists dress tends to be a reflection of the local infrastructure.

The infrastructure of Amsterdam may well encourage a laid back approach. Cycle around Kings Cross, London, and you can feel like a Lancaster bomber on a low flying mission across occupied Europe – trying to remain unmoved by all the flack coming from every angle. It’s not a surprise American and London cyclists are the most likely to wear a helmet, fluorescent jacket et al. , even if the effect is purely psychological, you feel like you need some kind of protection.

hat tip for  Lancaster bombing analogy to Michael Hutchinson’s column in Cycling Weekly. As absurd as it sounds, it can feel true!

Related

• What Kind of Cyclist are you?

• Sun 22nd – 35 miles @ 15.5 mph – 2.15.00 – A recovery ride after previous days 85 miles. Slow and cold. Not the best combination. But, a good weekend of endurance riding.
• Mon 23rd – rest
• Tues 24th –  25 miles. Including 12 mile hill TT on winter training bike. 12 miles @ 23.1 mph. First kind of training at race pace. A local road race circuit. I averaged 23.1 mph, which is quite good for this time of year, given winter clothes and winter training bike. Felt good to be riding at this intensity. Recovered from effort fairly well.
• Wed 25th – 41 miles @ 16.3 mph. 2.30.00. Recovery ride. Nice weather. Fairly steady.
• Thurs 26th – 35 miles @22.1 mph. Hardest ride of the year. 1.45.00 at threshold level. Chose a flat circuit and kept constant pace. Included some leg strengthening exercises. A few minutes uphill in big gear at 50 rpm. Am being cautious about this due to last year’s problem with knees. Got cold in last 5 miles. Temperature dips in late afternoon, and the sweat started to dry. Very good ride, but really hard work.
• Fri 27th – rest. Thought about a recovery ride, but decided the bathroom needed cleaning instead. I could write a book ‘100 reasons not to do a winter recovery ride when temperature is less than 5 degrees’.
• Sat 28th – 60 miles @16.3 mph. Legs still feeling effect of Thurs ride, so took it at easy pace and only did 60 miles, rather than last weeks 80+ miles. When the temperature is less than 5 degrees, it seems no matter how many clothes you wear, you still end up getting cold by end. Role on warmer weather. In terms of recovery I reckon Thursday’s 2 hours @22mph was as hard as riding 100 miles at steady pace. I know understand why Graeme Obree said, he took 3-4 days to recover from these kinds of rides!
• Weeks total around 200 miles (including commuting miles)

January will be 1,000 miles in the legs.

Question: Why do we do the most miles, when the weather is the coldest? At least roads are nice and quiet at this time of the year.

See: Tips for Cycling in the cold

Hot Pads

These are an excellent accessory. For me they are a necessity to get through winter. I buy a pack of 40 in October. When temperature is cold, I open a pack and put the hot pad in between 2 layers of socks. The heat generated keeps feet nice and warm! If it is really cold I put a pack in my gloves as well. However, I find in gloves to be less effective, as you can’t get the pads so close to your fingers. But, it definitely  helps.

• Hot Pads for Cold Feet – pack of 40 for £21
• Hand Warmers – pack of 10 for £12

A Heated Cycling Seat

Well, its pretty cold out there, but, I can’t help but think this heated cycling seat is going to be another of those cycling inventions that just don’t catch on.

Related

• Winter Cycling Training 

It is expressed as litres (ml) of oxygen / weight Kg / per min.

Some of the top athletes have recorded figures as high as 95 ml / KG/ Min

• Greg Lemond had a recorded 92.5 ml / KG / Min
• Miguel Indurain had a recorded 88 ml/ KG / Mind
• According to his coach, Coyle, Lance Armstrong had a VO2 Max level of 85 L/KG/Min. Though in this article, Jamie Pringle, suggests it would have been closer to 93  mls / KG / Min (Cycling Weekly – how powerful are the pros)

To put it into perspective, the average untrained male, will have a VO2 max of around 36-50 ml/ KG / Min.

What Determines Max VO2?

There are many genetic factors which determine VO2 Max. Size of lungs, cardiac output, efficiency of blood and capilliary system. It is also determined by age, gender and general fitness.

Importance of Max VO2

VO2 Max is very important in determining aerobic capacity and is very important for endurance sports. Someone with a low VO2 max will not be able to be competitive with someone with a much higher VO2. However, VO2 isn’t everything.

Other things which are important:

• Tolerance to lactic acid
• Efficiency of using oxygen generated.
• Tolerance to pain and determination.
• Efficiency of cycling action.

VO2 and Threshold Level

VO2 is above your threshold level. Your VO2 Max will be roughly 105-120% of your threshold power. Studies suggest training VO2 max, can improve your threshold capacity at the same time. High Intensity intervals (90-95% HR max) increase VO2 Max more than threshold training (link) Intervals and Threshold power (link pdf)

VO2 Max and Heart Rate

It is possible to estimate your exercise intensity as a percentage of VO2max from your training heart rate. A study by David Swain et al. (1994) [1] using statistical procedures examined the relationship between %MHR and %VO2max. Their results led to the following regression equation:

• %MHR = 0.64 × %VO2max + 37

Examples

• 90% Max heart rate = 82% Max VO2
• 95% Max hear rate = 90% Max VO2
• Though using heart rate has limitations because of the delay in heart rate responding to effort levels. Also, as you get close to 100% of VO2 max, it suggests a heart rate of above 100% which doesn’t make sense.
• It is more accurate to find VO2 max in terms of your power.

Finding VO2 Max Rate

• The Astrand test uses a cycle ergometer and 6 minutes of riding at a heart rate of 130-160 bpm. Requires assistant to measure results.
• Metabolic Tests to find Vo2 Max

 Vo2 Intervals

To ride at your VO2 max is a high intensity interval. It requires substantial effort and determination to keep your effort at this maximal level. It is not a sprint interval, but it is difficult to maintain for a period of 5 minutes. VO2 Intervals could involve

• 3* 3 mins, with 5 minute rest in between
• 4 intervals of 4 minutes. With a 5 minute gap between first two. And then a long rest between the 3rd and 4th interval.

• or 10*30 seconds.

Non Scientific VO2 Intervals.

As part of my training, I’m often doing hill intervals. Often the target is to ride up the hill as quick as I can, but not be utterly spent. These hills may be 4 or 5 minutes long. On a ride I will warm up for 30-40 minutes, then make a measured effort up the hill. I don’t collapse at the end, but I’m pretty to close to my racing limit.

Then I will take quite a decent rest, as I ride to another hill, and then try and repeat the interval.

On the second interval, I’m usually about 15% slower because of the lactic acid and tiredness of the muscles. Therefore, you can’t quite get to the same power output as the first interval. After that, the 3rd, 4th and 5th intervals can be as quick as the second.

If I do shorter hills of say 2 minutes, I try to keep a similar effort level throughout the interval repetitions. To keep this constant effort requires to hold off slightly and resist the temptation to sprint like a hill climb. The benefit of holding back just a little, is that you can then have several intervals at this same high intensity. The intervals get harder and harder.

Quality over Quantity

The amount of intervals you can do at your VO2 threshold will be quite low in the beginning. The important thing is to push yourself into the right level of effort. Through the season, you can slowly increase the quantity of intervals. But, usually, you will know when you’re fatigued and just can’t get anywhere near the level. Needless to say, you need to be reasonably fit before progressing on to this VO2 max intervals.

From my training diary, I see I often did 3 * 3minute efforts in early years of racing. On the 4th, I couldn’t do anything close to VO2 max. I remember thinking – ‘only 9 minutes of training! But, over the years, your tolerance improves. Last year, I found I could maintain the same intensity for a higher number up to 10* 2 minute intervals at close to VO2 max. But, every training session is different, when you’re pogged, you might as well go back recover and try another day. It is important to listen to your body and get to feel what you body can cope with.

Related

• Tips for intervals
• Threshold Training
• Training for 10 mile time trial

Further Reading

• Killer intervals for VO2
• VO2 Max intervals to improve your climbing