Topic: What a difference some road riding has made!!

[eclark]

  I always said I had no interest in road riding, made fun of the spandex and the facial grimaces of the roadies, and now I have become one.  My wife committed to doing a 2 day 185 mile charity ride in january and I grudgingly agreed to help her train, this was back in April.  I bought her a road bike and borrowed a road bike with a flat bar from a buddy.  The first couple of times we went, I spent as much time waiting at the car as riding, then I started enjoying it.  I have since bought myself an actual drop bar road bike and have been putting 75 to 150 miles a week on the thing.  My mountain bike schedule has really been thrown off and my regular riding buddies have not been seeing me anywhere near as much as they used to.
  I have always been fast on the dirt trails for the first 25 minutes or so, then I was a just grinder who could at least ride through anything.  Yesterday however, I felt great on the dirt.  I have a buddy who I would always start to lose by the midway point of the ride.  I rode with him yesterday and it was awesome being able to either keep up or lead the entire time.  We road everything and the fast guy and I went back for 2nds after everyone else was done yesterday.  It is funny, I was trying to get into decent xc shape for the last 2 years by riding alot but it wasn't working.  6 months on the road bike and I lost 15 pounds and feel like a new man.
 

[Darrinw2001]

what do you think gives you the added edge from road riding? the number of miles at a sustained speed? constant pedaling? better cardio? I am wondering if you could get the same effect from riding more miles on flatter dirt trails like at the WTA loop, the quads at Boyette, or at Croom..

[BillT]

While I'm not road riding, I have noticed the same thing just by working out during the week and changing up my diet.  I used to get by eating horribly and just doing my weekly (weakly) ride on the dirt...on occasion I would maybe do 20-30 min of riding during the week and some push-ups and situps, but nothing consistent, nothing that pushed myself in the least.  Like EC said, I could get by for a while on my dirt rides, but I would fade quickly and just go into survival mode.

Since changing my diet, I've dropped 10lbs and since starting a workout program, another 5 and all this added exercise during the week is making my weekend rides so much more enjoyable.  I can now take my big bike out, keep up with everyone, and have fun instead of just trying to get to the end of the trail so I can rest.

[Darrinw2001]

Yeah Bill, I was thinking that it is just the added exercise and weight loss that makes the difference. I am putting a workout program together that will be similar to Body for Life with a strict diet of 6 small meals per day and 6 days for rotating cardio and weights. I lost 60 pounds of fat a few years ago with this type of system and have a complete home gym to do it in. Got injured (shoulder, knee, back), busy, and lazy so gained most of the fat back....

[FACTORe]

what Road riding does is give you a much more controlled workout than MTB - you can do exact efforts for exact times/distances etc. that might be harder to do even at faltwoods or other non technical trails.  You can go out and ride a MTB on a paved trail or road and get these workouts.  You don't have to have a road bike.  It is about being able to control effort at precise points in time.

[eclark]

I think it is the sustained pedalling of the road riding.  I was already hitting the weights but it didn't do anything for my heart/ wind.  Since April, I have dropped 15-20 pounds so I know I am getting real results.  My diet has changed, but not drastically.  Instead of having that 4th or 5th slice of pizza, I stop at 3.  I still drink beers regularly as Guiness is a building block of a happy and healthy mind.  I don't go out and totally hammer on the road, but we have recently moved up to a 21-22 mile pace for 5-8 miles at a time.  I would never be able to crank at the constant pace on dirt, even the dirt loop at flatwoods.  I always thought I was in pretty decent shape because of the mt biking, but I am happy to learn that I have a lot more top end left in me.  When I started mt biking at 25, I always said I would quit at 40 and start golfing, and last year at 38 I was sure that was a great idea.  I was always sore and didn't even like riding some days.  I just turned 39, rode all of alafia and some twice yesterday and have a road ride tonight and the idea of golfing at 40 is totally out the window.  I love my bike again like when I first discovered it.

[BillT]

The workouts I have been doing alternate between a lifting day and a cardio day and the cardio stuff is very tough and changes a bunch so you never really get used to what you are doing.  It is fun stuff.

[FACTORe]

road biking certainly gave my cycling a big boost.  I love it more than ever.  I can't wait to start crit racing in 2 weeks

[catman]

If all goes well my road bike should be done this week. I hope to get results like you are talking about. Probably start off doing a few loops at flatwoods and seeing if I can get to the point of constant pedaling instead of my burst and coast technique (which isn't working). Currently my legs go to mush on long flat hauls and that is what I want to change. Even when I was riding Alafia 2-3 times a week I still could not maintain a constant pace on the Boyette two track and or Croom. Legs would start burning so bad that I'd just quit pumping and watch the part time roadies disappear ahead of me. I promised myself I'd enter the Alafia race this year and part of my training was to complete my road bike and actually ride it instead of just looking at it hang in the garage. Well I didn't even meet this very attainable goal for the year and that has kinda lighted my fire again.

Thanks for the encouragement eclark!

[FACTORe]

If all goes well my road bike should be done this week. I hope to get results like you are talking about. Probably start off doing a few loops at flatwoods and seeing if I can get to the point of constant pedaling instead of my burst and coast technique (which isn't working). Currently my legs go to mush on long flat hauls and that is what I want to change. Even when I was riding Alafia 2-3 times a week I still could not maintain a constant pace on the Boyette two track and or Croom. Legs would start burning so bad that I'd just quit pumping and watch the part time roadies disappear ahead of me. I promised myself I'd enter the Alafia race this year and part of my training was to complete my road bike and actually ride it instead of just looking at it hang in the garage. Well I didn't even meet this very attainable goal for the year and that has kinda lighted my fire again.

Thanks for the encouragement eclark!

when you get acclimated to the skinny tires - hit up us closet roadies and catch a ride or three with us

[eclark]

Josh,
  Vanny and I ride the flatwoods loop 2 or 3 times during the week, let me know when your bike is ready and we can ride together.  Pedalling constantly is easy as heck on pavement with the right bike, you will be amazed at how quickly and easily your fitness increases.  I am no training expert but even without being really serious, my wife and I both lost a decent amount of weight and are getting into much better condition. 

[FACTORe]

Josh,
  Vanny and I ride the flatwoods loop 2 or 3 times during the week, let me know when your bike is ready and we can ride together.  Pedalling constantly is easy as heck on pavement with the right bike, you will be amazed at how quickly and easily your fitness increases.  I am no training expert but even without being really serious, my wife and I both lost a decent amount of weight and are getting into much better condition.

I can put together a simple training plan to help you progress if you want.  I am trying to learn the coaching/training side of cycling so I study the science of it quite a bit.  Let me know if you are interested.

[ProEdgeBiker]

I try to do 70-100mi on pavement during the week but with my MTB on 1.5's, most def helps the cardio

[Garry]

Try practicing to maintain a pace that you can stay with "all day" so to speak.  Everyone rides at different levels so don't try to match someone else right now.  After a period of time your speed and endurance will grow and your buddies will behind you riding over their tongues to keep up.  Boyette and Flatwoods/Trout Creek are great places to do this with the seemingly endless miles of relatively level terrain.    Croom too if that is convenient for you.  I learned to enjoy sand learning the Croom trails. (Sorry Gregg, sand is good. :-)...)

[eclark]

FE,
  I would love to try some training plan, but I think I would have an awful time trying to stay on it.  Between 4 dogs, work and the wife, I have a hard time fitting in the workouts that I do now.  I did just clear with my bosses that I will be leaving work at 3 a couple days a week so I can keep up my roadie riding!!  WoooHooo!!