muscle mass increase or decrease?

[Xplora]

Why? Because sprinting requires strength beyond just your legs. Because my muscle imbalances mean I get pain in my shoulders if I don't have a strong back. Because upper body mass is cool, and I'm not chasing the Chris Froome "ideal climber physique". At 6'1", 75kg is still a runt in the pack. Creatine helps with the endurance of your Z6 efforts. Z6 wins races.

Won't you a break away type or just changing now?

Your numbers are still very good. Is your body fat in the single digits?

I break away... and hopefully I have 1-2 friends who break with me, and we get away. In the final straight, I am still in a bunch sprint, but the bunch has 2-3 people instead of 20-30 in it. You NEED some sprint power if you aren't riding pursuit or doing long course triathlons. Not much, but some. Also, on the damn hot dog crit circuit locally you need to hit 700-800 for 10 seconds every lap if you want to race above D grade. There are a lot of riders who use the slow corners to break the pursuit/breakaway riders who are waiting to attack. They can't attack if they are spending half the short lap recovering from the Z6/Z7 effort.

It's just part of being a well rounded rider. I know an NRS development rider who basically has no sprint at all, and he doesn't race much. I am not interested in racing once a month. 1-2 times a week means local races, means flattish crits, lots of them. That means sprinting. Hurt them with your strengths, train to improve your weaknesses. Body fat is NOT something holding me back, at 75kgs you wouldn't be fat either. Ride long, ride often. How has your training been lately?

[foo on patrol]

I think you blokes get to stuck on pacific details. I never did or could be bothered with body fat indexes when I was racing and my race weight was 72-75kg and I was racing what is now called Elite but was Aces back then.(ranked in the top 10 in QLD) I did two rides a day and 1.5hrs of weights at night, Monday to Thursday. I also stayed flexible by stretching regularly. Oh and I was 182cm.

Foo

[mikesbytes]

I agree with Foo

Why not focus on power to weight ratio

[zill]

You honestly just want to focus on a particular look, and not get hung up on %s.

It's very true that a particular weight range gives a particular look and feel.

After being obese then lose 34kg at a rate of 3 kg per month, couldn't drop more weight because I was feeling skinny for the first time in my life. Psychologically wasn't ready to live being skinny let alone drop more weight. Started binge eating desserts for 3 months and gained a few kilos (if I wasn't riding, would have gained much more). However, am back to drop more weight because I am ready to feel and live skinny!

[CKinnard]

yes, it's probably a good idea to have plateaus on the wt loss journey. It gives your body some time to rebuild lean tissue.
don't beat yourself up about it.
just get back on the horse, and get back in touch with that feeling of being 'light'.
it helps to be calm, and feel really feel your body.
stress dulls you to what's going on in your body. which is when you start to overeat.
the antidote is to calm yourself regularly, through meditation and adequate sleep.
that will re-sensitize you to your viscera and a sense of being full.

never beat yourself up. just like a guided missile, calmly guide yourself back on course tomorrow.
over time, you'll break the cravings.

[zill]

Why? Because sprinting requires strength beyond just your legs. Because my muscle imbalances mean I get pain in my shoulders if I don't have a strong back. Because upper body mass is cool, and I'm not chasing the Chris Froome "ideal climber physique". At 6'1", 75kg is still a runt in the pack. Creatine helps with the endurance of your Z6 efforts. Z6 wins races.

Won't you a break away type or just changing now?

Your numbers are still very good. Is your body fat in the single digits?

I break away... and hopefully I have 1-2 friends who break with me, and we get away. In the final straight, I am still in a bunch sprint, but the bunch has 2-3 people instead of 20-30 in it. You NEED some sprint power if you aren't riding pursuit or doing long course triathlons. Not much, but some. Also, on the damn hot dog crit circuit locally you need to hit 700-800 for 10 seconds every lap if you want to race above D grade. There are a lot of riders who use the slow corners to break the pursuit/breakaway riders who are waiting to attack. They can't attack if they are spending half the short lap recovering from the Z6/Z7 effort.

It's just part of being a well rounded rider. I know an NRS development rider who basically has no sprint at all, and he doesn't race much. I am not interested in racing once a month. 1-2 times a week means local races, means flattish crits, lots of them. That means sprinting. Hurt them with your strengths, train to improve your weaknesses. Body fat is NOT something holding me back, at 75kgs you wouldn't be fat either. Ride long, ride often. How has your training been lately?

Do you usually race at B grade but trying to do well in A this coming season?

I've been just catching up with the rapid weight of lost in the past 9 months and have been binge eating desserts of all things which obviously is terrible. Luckily, only gained a few kilos due to doing daily riding. I have lost those kilos now and am continuing my journey to being very fit.

So I've just thrown away 3 months of what could have been good training.

But I have been riding almost everyday and averaging 300 to 350km per week with one rest day per week which seems essential, not just to rest the legs but also the heart and lungs. As a result, I am feeling stronger but with the poor diet in recent months, progress has been slow. The important thing though is that I am back now and have a good diet plan going. Do you follow any particular diets or approach to consumption of food?

[mikesbytes]

Well done on loosing 34kg, your done awesome mate

[zill]

yes, it's probably a good idea to have plateaus on the wt loss journey. It gives your body some time to rebuild lean tissue.
don't beat yourself up about it.
just get back on the horse, and get back in touch with that feeling of being 'light'.
it helps to be calm, and feel really feel your body.
stress dulls you to what's going on in your body. which is when you start to overeat.
the antidote is to calm yourself regularly, through meditation and adequate sleep.
that will re-sensitize you to your viscera and a sense of being full.

never beat yourself up. just like a guided missile, calmly guide yourself back on course tomorrow.
over time, you'll break the cravings.

For some reason, I have been really into fatty desserts like chocolate cake in the past 3 months. So much so that I would eat desserts and only desserts as meals (once had 16 different cafe desserts in a day at different cafes in the city). This is completely new as historically, I have never been someone with such a sweet tooth. Back when I was obese, I did enjoy desserts (in moderation) but always had them after a main savory meal.

Very grateful this (costly) craving is now over!

[Xplora]

Well I accidently sandbagged c grade at a smaller club race and walked off the front (embarrassed, didn't want to do that), so yeah b grade is my normal spot. I will need to win b regularly to decide to go to A. I don't see this happening for 6 months.

If you are really doing 300-350 a week, and you aren't kidding yourself with those kms, even dodgy kms where you are riding slow, if you are feeling worn out at the end, you are improving and walking that path to A grade which you have said is a goal. You will gradually do those kms faster and faster, and you will develop a strong base to build your power to weight. Takes time though.

Funny you mention diet. If you are riding 300kms, stop eating sugary anything including fruit and just eat fats. Reducing sugars makes your body rely on fats to produce energy. You probably crave the endorphins from the sugar rush. This is fine as long as you binge once a fortnight. You will quickly break the habit. But addiction is a big thing to break, so just focus on a week of discipline at a time. If you have the guts to pound out 350kms a week, you have the stones to skip dessert a couple times easily. My general eating plan is to be sensible with the sugar only because you put away 3000kj very quickly and it is addictive. Better to eat a steak and salad for energy, no crashing etc. same reason I go easy on the coffee. Anything performance enhancing is typically bad news if you use them constantly.

Well done on the weight loss. These journeys take a while. Sustainability is harder than achieving the goal. You will get there.

[CKinnard]

For some reason, I have been really into fatty desserts like chocolate cake in the past 3 months. So much so that I would eat desserts and only desserts as meals (once had 16 different cafe desserts in a day at different cafes in the city). This is completely new as historically, I have never been someone with such a sweet tooth. Back when I was obese, I did enjoy desserts (in moderation) but always had them after a main savory meal.

Very grateful this (costly) craving is now over!

Always a good idea to include a little sweet stuff in your main meals, if not as a dessert.
i.e. when I stuff a pita bread, or make a salad, I include fruit (peach, pear, etc), or add chutney or relish.
This gets some sugar into the blood stream quicker than if I didn't include fruit.
I find this keeps me sated for longer.

[Xplora]

I was having a think about this on the drive home from church and I do make a deliberate effort if I'm sneaking up in the weight to not eat until the point of satisfaction aka feeling full. If I weighed myself and hit 76 today, I wouldn't go out of my way to finish the potato bake or eat chocolates etc etc.

A helpful guideline was the Harris Benedict equation if you're unsure about your snacking and your personal interaction with the RDI info on the packets. When I was doing 300kms a week, even given my slim frame I needed to eat 25% above the RDI of 8700kJ daily just to maintain my weight. That meant that a trip to Maccas with 5500kJ would not concern me at all, because I would eat that, a small bowl of cereal and a moderate dinner with a handful of peanuts that day. If you aren't sure, a little extra info doesn't hurt to give yourself a frame of reference.

[zill]

Well I accidently sandbagged c grade at a smaller club race and walked off the front (embarrassed, didn't want to do that), so yeah b grade is my normal spot. I will need to win b regularly to decide to go to A. I don't see this happening for 6 months.

If you are really doing 300-350 a week, and you aren't kidding yourself with those kms, even dodgy kms where you are riding slow, if you are feeling worn out at the end, you are improving and walking that path to A grade which you have said is a goal. You will gradually do those kms faster and faster, and you will develop a strong base to build your power to weight. Takes time though.

Funny you mention diet. If you are riding 300kms, stop eating sugary anything including fruit and just eat fats. Reducing sugars makes your body rely on fats to produce energy. You probably crave the endorphins from the sugar rush. This is fine as long as you binge once a fortnight. You will quickly break the habit. But addiction is a big thing to break, so just focus on a week of discipline at a time. If you have the guts to pound out 350kms a week, you have the stones to skip dessert a couple times easily. My general eating plan is to be sensible with the sugar only because you put away 3000kj very quickly and it is addictive. Better to eat a steak and salad for energy, no crashing etc. same reason I go easy on the coffee. Anything performance enhancing is typically bad news if you use them constantly.

Well done on the weight loss. These journeys take a while. Sustainability is harder than achieving the goal. You will get there.

How long have you been riding seriously? How many average km do you do per week at the moment? You seem to be very keen at training and employ "advanced" techniques like weights but still not good enough to be in A? Why is that?

I really am doing what I said per week mainly because I commute everyday and the route I take to work is fixed so pretty easy to keep track of my kms. The thing is I don't drive so very easy to ride a lot per week, even when raining! I guess not having a car is a positive in this sense! I love riding and would like to ride more if given the time. Almost all the time, the rides I do I put everything into them. You have mentioned before to do a slow ride once a week. I find it much better to take a ride free day instead once a week and do about 20km of walking, which is what I have done today. You say that I am on my way to A grade with this kind of mileage but I realise a lot is about the heart and lungs hence a lot about genetics, you think that might limit some to get into and perform decent in A grade?

If you are riding 300kms, stop eating sugary anything including fruit and just eat fats.

Are you suggesting this would accelerate my weight loss? If someone wasn't riding, should they also stop eating sugary anything for weight loss?

The good news is that I don't have the strong desire to binge desserts anymore but the desire is still there, just not desperate.

I was having a think about this on the drive home from church and I do make a deliberate effort if I'm sneaking up in the weight to not eat until the point of satisfaction aka feeling full. If I weighed myself and hit 76 today, I wouldn't go out of my way to finish the potato bake or eat chocolates etc etc.

A helpful guideline was the Harris Benedict equation if you're unsure about your snacking and your personal interaction with the RDI info on the packets. When I was doing 300kms a week, even given my slim frame I needed to eat 25% above the RDI of 8700kJ daily just to maintain my weight. That meant that a trip to Maccas with 5500kJ would not concern me at all, because I would eat that, a small bowl of cereal and a moderate dinner with a handful of peanuts that day. If you aren't sure, a little extra info doesn't hurt to give yourself a frame of reference.

Thanks for the info. Some say that not all calories are equal in our bodies. For example, carbs are worse for us than fats. What do you think?

[Xplora]

I started riding with a view to getting stronger maybe 18 months ago. Started racing 10 months ago. 18 months ago rode 300 most weeks. This last 12 months, different work situation so it's more like 120-150 a week IF I race, I get more kms in that way. 3 kids!

I am informed about training. I have my limits. I need some work about 10kms away to help pad out my base aerobic riding, with a calmer wife. I do the weights to assist with my limiter of poor strength. It is good for MY general health, we should all do some weight bearing exercise to stop Froome SKYleton. a grade relies on great aerobic health, but also good bike handling skills. You have to be able to take fast corners fast, you have to be confident on the bike. That takes time. One thing worse than a sandbagger, and that's a hero wannabe who takes out the bunch because they had no business messing with the big boys. LBS bunch ride had some Hubbard show up and take out our Elite MTB champion. A week before his final 7 hour race of the season. I won't become an A grade Hubbard. Learn in D and C and B. don't learn in A.

As a dozen have said, you need to practice racing because race riding is nothing like bunch riding or commuting, and I recognise that my time on the trainer was actually detrimental to my bike handling *it's not the same as bunch riding, you just learn to spin your legs* and having good handling skills is important to riding well. Things like riding without hands on the bar, or drinking from your bottle without wandering off your line. These things aren't hard, but they take time for some people to do WELL. Hence, I'm not A grade. I have weaknesses that I'm not ashamed to admit

On the food side of things, I suggested those things because you've clearly got an addictive tendency with the sugar, it's a crap way to live because you end up needing the instant fix and you just don't get that surge and crash cycle with a diet that gets its calories from olive oil in salads. Olive oil has just as many calories but no one eats 4 tablespoons of oil. They might hit 2 if they lurve the stuff. But it's easy to eat 8 tablespoons of chocolate. You're programmed to prefer it. Sugar is great. But you just don't need it as much as you will purchase, and research shows you will adapt to the fats as the fuel rather than the sugar. If you hit the coconut cream, you get enormous numbers of calories but the nature of coconut oil is fuel, not fat butt. There are a number of health choices that can keep you happy and healthy, just important to remember the body takes 6 weeks to adapt to the new regime, and going cold turkey is a bitch.

If you are walking/jogging 20kms instead of riding, that's a great rest day. It's not really rest, but you're slowing down. That's the key. You aren't a machine, you have to ease off the throttle to tell your body to start to repair.
I reckon I'll get to A grade, God willing, but that takes time and humility. I want to enjoy my riding and my racing. If it's not fun, what's the point?

[zill]

I started riding with a view to getting stronger maybe 18 months ago. Started racing 10 months ago. 18 months ago rode 300 most weeks. This last 12 months, different work situation so it's more like 120-150 a week IF I race, I get more kms in that way. 3 kids!

I am informed about training. I have my limits. I need some work about 10kms away to help pad out my base aerobic riding, with a calmer wife. I do the weights to assist with my limiter of poor strength. It is good for MY general health, we should all do some weight bearing exercise to stop Froome SKYleton. a grade relies on great aerobic health, but also good bike handling skills. You have to be able to take fast corners fast, you have to be confident on the bike. That takes time. One thing worse than a sandbagger, and that's a hero wannabe who takes out the bunch because they had no business messing with the big boys. LBS bunch ride had some Hubbard show up and take out our Elite MTB champion. A week before his final 7 hour race of the season. I won't become an A grade Hubbard. Learn in D and C and B. don't learn in A.

As a dozen have said, you need to practice racing because race riding is nothing like bunch riding or commuting, and I recognise that my time on the trainer was actually detrimental to my bike handling *it's not the same as bunch riding, you just learn to spin your legs* and having good handling skills is important to riding well. Things like riding without hands on the bar, or drinking from your bottle without wandering off your line. These things aren't hard, but they take time for some people to do WELL. Hence, I'm not A grade. I have weaknesses that I'm not ashamed to admit

On the food side of things, I suggested those things because you've clearly got an addictive tendency with the sugar, it's a crap way to live because you end up needing the instant fix and you just don't get that surge and crash cycle with a diet that gets its calories from olive oil in salads. Olive oil has just as many calories but no one eats 4 tablespoons of oil. They might hit 2 if they lurve the stuff. But it's easy to eat 8 tablespoons of chocolate. You're programmed to prefer it. Sugar is great. But you just don't need it as much as you will purchase, and research shows you will adapt to the fats as the fuel rather than the sugar. If you hit the coconut cream, you get enormous numbers of calories but the nature of coconut oil is fuel, not fat butt. There are a number of health choices that can keep you happy and healthy, just important to remember the body takes 6 weeks to adapt to the new regime, and going cold turkey is a bitch.

If you are walking/jogging 20kms instead of riding, that's a great rest day. It's not really rest, but you're slowing down. That's the key. You aren't a machine, you have to ease off the throttle to tell your body to start to repair.
I reckon I'll get to A grade, God willing, but that takes time and humility. I want to enjoy my riding and my racing. If it's not fun, what's the point?

Looks like you haven't been riding for long either. You've done well to race in B grade. I heard it takes at least 3 years of constant training to be a seasoned rider. You must be doing some really intense training riding only 120-150 km per week. You mentioned before doing cadence of 130rpm! I can't imagine ever spinning that fast!?

Don't think I want to race actually. Don't think I am that type. I realise the usefulness of FTP and categorise (very roughly):

C grade as 4.5 to 5 w/kg
B grade as 5 to 5.5 w/kg
A grade as 5.5 to 6w/kg and beyond

The lower range being mere participants in the grade and the upper range as contenders. I know there are other factors but they are trivial to me (not saying they are easy but something that can be learned from experiences which I would probably don't enjoy having).

So for me at least, there is no need to prove myself in a race. The numbers tell all!

However, I do love to race people on the road whether training or commuting.

[CKinnard]

zill, if weight loss is your main game, then the Calorie deficit trumps macronutrient ratio every time.
If you see a sports dietitian, they'll focus first and foremost on getting the deficit right, and tell you point blank macronutrient ratio variation does not influence weight loss independent of the deficit.
All pro cyclists trying to lose or control weight are subjected to the same science.

[zill]

zill, if weight loss is your main game, then the Calorie deficit trumps macronutrient ratio every time.
If you see a sports dietitian, they'll focus first and foremost on getting the deficit right, and tell you point blank macronutrient ratio variation does not influence weight loss independent of the deficit.
All pro cyclists trying to lose or control weight are subjected to the same science.

Are you suggesting all calories are the same? So no difference between fat calories and carb calories?

[g-boaf]

Looks like you haven't been riding for long either. You've done well to race in B grade. I heard it takes at least 3 years of constant training to be a seasoned rider. You must be doing some really intense training riding only 120-150 km per week. You mentioned before doing cadence of 130rpm! I can't imagine ever spinning that fast!?

Don't think I want to race actually. Don't think I am that type. I realise the usefulness of FTP and categorise (very roughly):

C grade as 4.5 to 5 w/kg
B grade as 5 to 5.5 w/kg
A grade as 5.5 to 6w/kg and beyond

The lower range being mere participants in the grade and the upper range as contenders. I know there are other factors but they are trivial to me (not saying they are easy but something that can be learned from experiences which I would probably don't enjoy having).

So for me at least, there is no need to prove myself in a race. The numbers tell all!

However, I do love to race people on the road whether training or commuting.

130rpm cadence is probably in a sprint. In fact, 140rpm+ is not unheard of. You could do that with practice. Some of the track riders do 160+rpm, certainly one I know does that. In normal fast riding, 100-110rpm feels easier especially when you get used to it.

Sit at 75-80rpm at 300w (or whatever your FTP is) for 5 minutes and tell me how it feels, versus 100-110rpm at 300w for the same time. You do that and tell me what the differences are.

I don't know about your numbers there, but from some numbers I know, 4.97w/kg is an NRS rider at 397w FTP (I won't mention names), and some A-graders are pushing around 4.5-4.7w/kg. Others are doing 330w FTP and around 4.4w/kg

That power is fine, but racing smart is what gets the win. The person who plays smart and is fresh at the end and well position enough is going to have a good chance at the win. And the big riders without as good w/kg can probably shut-down the hill-climbers on the flat so that when the hills do come the hill climber is worn down somewhat and can't get away quite as quickly.

[Xplora]

130rpm is a piece of the proverbial cake. Maintaining it for a few minutes, sure that really eats into your nervous system (lots more instructions going down the telephone wire than 85rpm) as you try and balance and stay smooth. I'm a bit of a hubbard on the bike handling front but I pumped out a short spin of 165rpm on the freakin' rollers on Friday night. I shouldn't have done it, sore knee since then, but doesn't mean it can't be done. Just have to teach your body to do it!

Perhaps my assumptions about how hard I need to go are different to some others. I just finished my weights session, I only have a 8, 12 and 16kg kettlebell set. I squatted my 2x8 with everything I had. I've built up to it slowly over 4 months, and while I'm not supposed to be adding weight, there is nothing lost by challenging yourself if it doesn't stuff up your riding. I will push harder than most, I actually rely on my data to slow me down, rather than speed me up. If you want to do 90% FTPintervals, doing 95-98% will bury you since you've planned the rest of the week around that 90%. Injuries are harder to recover from than underachievement in your sessions.

Either way, you're too kind. I'm just doing what I'm doing. Your assumptions around FTP are WAY out. I know a few A grade sprinters with FTPs around 3.4-3.5w/kg. The breakaway riders might be pumping out 4.5, sure, but FTP is just part of the package. Like I said, you need a sprint if you want to ride road. I can promise you that Mick Rogers or Tony Martin could outsprint most riders on this forum, despite being TT/domestique specialists.

It's the smarts that wins races though. Older riders win because they have the experience to know when to go. I think you'd be robbing yourself of the chance to race a bit (despite some of the reasons mentioned before) because it does present a unique and safer opportunity to test yourself... have I trained well? have I learnt enough? have I got the guts to throw it out there? Can I pick the winning move? You don't get those chances even in the coffee sprint on the shop ride, because there is no agreed goal, no agreed result, no agreed insurance and certainly no numbers on the back.

[CKinnard]

zill, if weight loss is your main game, then the Calorie deficit trumps macronutrient ratio every time.
If you see a sports dietitian, they'll focus first and foremost on getting the deficit right, and tell you point blank macronutrient ratio variation does not influence weight loss independent of the deficit.
All pro cyclists trying to lose or control weight are subjected to the same science.

Are you suggesting all calories are the same? So no difference between fat calories and carb calories?

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Derny Driver]

...A grade relies on great aerobic health, but also good bike handling skills. You have to be able to take fast corners fast, you have to be confident on the bike. That takes time. ...
I reckon I'll get to A grade, God willing, but that takes time and humility. I want to enjoy my riding and my racing. If it's not fun, what's the point?

... You've done well to race in B grade. I heard it takes at least 3 years of constant training to be a seasoned rider. .

I don't know about the BMI figures, power numbers or nutritional tips ...but patience is the key to being an A grader. You are 100% correct.

I was watching the Tahiti Pro surfing at Teahupoo, as a former surfer myself I was trying to work out how the hell these guys actually get the guts to paddle into one of those waves. The answer I think is the same for any sport: experience. Confidence comes from being there before and having done it before. Knowing what to expect, how it will all pan out. Knowing yourself and your ability.
You or me as a surfer could have great athletic fitness, core strength, the right body type, the best surfboard, might have watched the wave on youtube lots of times ...none of that is really going to help if we tried to ride that wave. All that would help is having a good funeral plan paid up. Guys like Slater can ride Teahupoo with relative ease because of their YEARS of experience, starting on small waves, graduating to bigger ones, learning on sandy beach breaks before graduating to small reef breaks, surfing waves all over the world...eventually being able to confidently ride the worlds nastiest waves. That is how experience works.

Too many cyclists think there are short cuts. There are none. Ride your bike, make mistakes, learn, adjust, get to know yourself physically and mentally. Serve your apprenticeship. Learning is a lifelong experience and that applies to sporting activities as well. A person who rides every day improves 5 times quicker than a weekend warrior. The guy who races weekly improves 4 times quicker than the one who races monthly. The person who rides State Opens improves more than the person who races club only.

There is no rush to be an A grader / club champion / race winner / king of the peer group ride. Patience is the key to improved performance. Confidence is a by-product of experience.

[zill]

Looks like you haven't been riding for long either. You've done well to race in B grade. I heard it takes at least 3 years of constant training to be a seasoned rider. You must be doing some really intense training riding only 120-150 km per week. You mentioned before doing cadence of 130rpm! I can't imagine ever spinning that fast!?

Don't think I want to race actually. Don't think I am that type. I realise the usefulness of FTP and categorise (very roughly):

C grade as 4.5 to 5 w/kg
B grade as 5 to 5.5 w/kg
A grade as 5.5 to 6w/kg and beyond

The lower range being mere participants in the grade and the upper range as contenders. I know there are other factors but they are trivial to me (not saying they are easy but something that can be learned from experiences which I would probably don't enjoy having).

So for me at least, there is no need to prove myself in a race. The numbers tell all!

However, I do love to race people on the road whether training or commuting.

130rpm cadence is probably in a sprint. In fact, 140rpm+ is not unheard of. You could do that with practice. Some of the track riders do 160+rpm, certainly one I know does that. In normal fast riding, 100-110rpm feels easier especially when you get used to it.

Sit at 75-80rpm at 300w (or whatever your FTP is) for 5 minutes and tell me how it feels, versus 100-110rpm at 300w for the same time. You do that and tell me what the differences are.

I don't know about your numbers there, but from some numbers I know, 4.97w/kg is an NRS rider at 397w FTP (I won't mention names), and some A-graders are pushing around 4.5-4.7w/kg. Others are doing 330w FTP and around 4.4w/kg

That power is fine, but racing smart is what gets the win. The person who plays smart and is fresh at the end and well position enough is going to have a good chance at the win. And the big riders without as good w/kg can probably shut-down the hill-climbers on the flat so that when the hills do come the hill climber is worn down somewhat and can't get away quite as quickly.

It makes me feel better to hear that A graders don't have ridiculously high FTP watts to kg ratios.

[zill]

zill, if weight loss is your main game, then the Calorie deficit trumps macronutrient ratio every time.
If you see a sports dietitian, they'll focus first and foremost on getting the deficit right, and tell you point blank macronutrient ratio variation does not influence weight loss independent of the deficit.
All pro cyclists trying to lose or control weight are subjected to the same science.

Are you suggesting all calories are the same? So no difference between fat calories and carb calories?

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0804748" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks a lot for this article. Are you in the area of nutrition yourself?

[zill]

130rpm is a piece of the proverbial cake. Maintaining it for a few minutes, sure that really eats into your nervous system (lots more instructions going down the telephone wire than 85rpm) as you try and balance and stay smooth. I'm a bit of a hubbard on the bike handling front but I pumped out a short spin of 165rpm on the freakin' rollers on Friday night. I shouldn't have done it, sore knee since then, but doesn't mean it can't be done. Just have to teach your body to do it!

Perhaps my assumptions about how hard I need to go are different to some others. I just finished my weights session, I only have a 8, 12 and 16kg kettlebell set. I squatted my 2x8 with everything I had. I've built up to it slowly over 4 months, and while I'm not supposed to be adding weight, there is nothing lost by challenging yourself if it doesn't stuff up your riding. I will push harder than most, I actually rely on my data to slow me down, rather than speed me up. If you want to do 90% FTPintervals, doing 95-98% will bury you since you've planned the rest of the week around that 90%. Injuries are harder to recover from than underachievement in your sessions.

Either way, you're too kind. I'm just doing what I'm doing. Your assumptions around FTP are WAY out. I know a few A grade sprinters with FTPs around 3.4-3.5w/kg. The breakaway riders might be pumping out 4.5, sure, but FTP is just part of the package. Like I said, you need a sprint if you want to ride road. I can promise you that Mick Rogers or Tony Martin could outsprint most riders on this forum, despite being TT/domestique specialists.

It's the smarts that wins races though. Older riders win because they have the experience to know when to go. I think you'd be robbing yourself of the chance to race a bit (despite some of the reasons mentioned before) because it does present a unique and safer opportunity to test yourself... have I trained well? have I learnt enough? have I got the guts to throw it out there? Can I pick the winning move? You don't get those chances even in the coffee sprint on the shop ride, because there is no agreed goal, no agreed result, no agreed insurance and certainly no numbers on the back.

Given you keenness with weights and bulking up, are you naturally a skinny person?

On the subject of number on the back, that is one thing that puts me off about racing. It's such a pain to use the pins, not to mention taking your own jersey off. Just too much of a bother!

[Xplora]

I have to eat KFC and Dominos for breakfast for months to put on 5kgs. I have done it before. My "fat" look makes the Biggest Loser contestants look like tubbies at the end. I'm very slender. The weights is simply a recognition that you need to wake up your nervous system and your postural muscles and bones with something, and bikes and computers don't do a good job at doing that. Squatting 100kgs sends a very clear message to your body that "hey, you need to pay attention here!". It's one of the reasons they say if you want to ride fast, you have to train fast... because your body does what it needs to, and given my natural frame is quite light I need to thump it with some weights to behave a bit tougher.

I've never taken a jersey off, if I am having a bad shoulder day I get help to pin it on. A great way to make friends, especially if you're both running late! You pin my back, and I'll pin yours

[CKinnard]

Thanks a lot for this article. Are you in the area of nutrition yourself?

Yes. I am part of a multi-disciplined health clinician group that conducts regular workshops for those with chronic disease wanting to change their lifestyles and diet. So I am on the front line of seeing and feeling what happens to obese bodies and the changes as the weight comes off.