most of you riders on here ride trainers because of the cold and bad weather. i dont use a trainer because i don’t have one anymore. but they are very handy. i will get one sooner or later. but how do ya’ll approach the riding season as far as rides and miles go.
i do a lot of 20’s and one day a week i will do a long ride. i realize that a lot of folks live up north where it gets really cold and snowy. so there is little if any riding done. Now, for the ones who use trainers. lets say your on it for like an hour. i can remember , this was a good workout. and it felt a lot more intense than a regular ride because of no wind to cool you down. i used afan.
but when did 3 hours on it , it was all i wanted. my question is , what would 2 hours be like compared to a regular ride? And after the cold days were over , i got to do some real riding , and the trainer as good as it was. it just is not the same.
one last question, how many miles do ya’ll try to get in be fore ragbri starts? safe ride’in
26 Replies
I try to get anywhere from 500 to 1000 miles in before RAGBRAI. Two years ago, due to bad weather and a hectic work schedule, I only had 350 miles in. I made it across fine. Am I speedy? No. Do I have fun? Yes.
I don’t like trainers so in the winter months, I do different workouts at the gym. When I can finally get on my bike, I just have time to ride on the weekends. It works for me. This will be my 18th RAGBRAI so I know what I need to do in order to ride across Iowa.
I have about 420 outside so far this year, probably another 1600 before RAGBRAI, finished last year over 3500. When I use the trainer it’s with a TV show, sprint during commercials and then an easier spin during the show so I can hear it.
My goal is to hit 1000 prior to RAGBRAI. I think I will have no problem hitting that number prior to July if the nice weather holds up.
I had over 2000 miles in before RAGBRAI last year and ended with 4500 miles for 2105. In previous years I was lucky to get in 1000 by RAGBRAI and 2000 for the whole year. By mid April last year I had 400 miles. This year I’m almost to 900 miles. The miles really rack up when you ride every day, and I do mean every day. Training for this upcoming RAGBRAI started the day after RAGBRAI last year. And I lost 30 pounds in the last year and hope to lose another 30 year.
Get on your bikes and ride!
It has been a relatively mild winter and the snow melted off some weeks ago so many of us northerners have gotten outside early this year. We are a hardy bunch, the cold is not much of a deterrent and for some few of us (not me) the snow and ice is not a problem either. Some ride outside all winter.
When I am training indoors I ride on rollers. It is good training for holding your line and I prefer it to any other indoor training by a margin so large as to make it the only option I consider. I do intervals and a moderate steady ride in alternate sessions. I watch videos while I am on the rollers to pass the time, just beware videos that have motorycycle chase scenes shot from the rider’s perspective. Try it and you will see what I mean! I could probably do two hour sessions physically but I rarely have personal time for more than one hour at a time.
Garmin Connect tells me that I have 357 miles in for the year. My goal is to have around 1200 by RAGBRAI. I’ve heard of people successfully doing the ride with as few as 30! My outdoor training consists of a bike/train commute to work whenever weather permits using a folding bike plus weekend rides on my main bike which is a Fuji road hybrid or flat bar road bike as they now call it. I look for hills to train on, I ride in the wind, I ride in the rain, its all part of RAGBRAI and you do well to prepare for it. I connect with my RAGBRAI teammates on weekends for rides whenever we can. We usually do a century ride first Sunday of June although for various reasons we opt for the metric or perhaps this year the 75 mile loops. When I am alone I ride as easy or hard as I feel like. Last night I had an early evening appointment to keep and a late meeting at work so the ride to the train station was a sprint! When I ride with my buddies we tend to ride at our 12ish RAGBRAI pace. My evening ride to the train station normally includes 280 feet of gravel riding alongside the tracks near the end. I might look for more gravel to train on although I had no trouble last year.
Basically I ride like I normally would if RAGBRAI did not exist but I am a little more dedicated to riding in conditions and road surfaces I would ignore if it were not for RAGBRAI. I think most people find that if their butts can take the hours in the saddle then their legs will get the job done!
I do spin classes in the winter but only about once or twice a week. I will get out a little on my MTB as well during winter but nothing serious. I will plan on getting about 1500 miles in before RAGBRAI but those training miles are usually at a much quicker pace than I will do on the ride. That way Im in condition to take off and go when I want but I spend a lot of time at lower speeds and of course stopping to eat, drink, and pee.
I broke my ankle 51 weeks ago, a triple break, and so I didn’t even walk for five months of last year. I cheered on my Ragbrai teammates while in a morphine-induced cloud, and with tears in my eyes. Strange twist of fate, two of them had broken their ankles in the past year, El Capitan in June of 2015, and The Colonel broke his in Nov of 2015. They all had a successful ride.
Ten months of Phys Therapy, with strength and conditioning added in the last few months, has me stronger than I ever expected. Still an achy ankle on occasion, but the pain lessens as the weeks go by. I have another 14 weeks of targeted strength and conditioning three days a week ahead of me which will have me stronger than I was two years ago.
I have done some riding on the bike on a fluid trainer in the living room watching TV, as I was reluctant to get out in the real world with real (read: “stupid”) drivers on the road too early. I have now been riding mile loops in a nearby park without cars, 30 miles at a time. Starting this weekend, I will ride three 15 mile loops out in the Everglades along with my Ragbrai teammate Panama, along with dozens of sweet old alligators. We should get in about 750 to 1000 miles by mid-July.
Ragbrai 2016 is my “official finish line” of my recovery. I can’t wait to smell the grilled meat as we ride into the pass through towns, and tossing back a lovely Iowa craft beer while lounging in the shade of a farmyard tree.
Ride On!
One rule of thumb I’ve seen is one hour trainer equals two on the road. Something about coasting. Anyway, I will hit the trainer one or twice a week during the season for “focused” work. I have a ride coming up with steady climbs for 15 and 30 miles. I program in the distance and slope and go at it, just to get used to the grind. Others are for HIIT. Much easier to do when I only have to go back up stairs instead of make it home. I can leave it all on the bike. Weekends are for long rides, weekdays are for training, hit it hard and fast. I don’t measure miles except on weekends.
ok ya’ll it all sounds good. i just get out and ride. i will try and get close to a metric century this weekend. maybe the weather will be good. thanks for all the good info. safe ride’in ya’ll
Just get out and ride! Riding lots of hills will make you strong. A strong rider will have more fun on RAGBRAI!!!
I put on a shoe for therapy yesterday for the first time since my surgery Jan 8. So today I strapped on the brace and road 20 miles on a paved rail trail. The ankle feels fine but the rest of me is dying. I’m not supposed to be full recovered until October so we’ll see how it goes. Worst case, I figure I’ll be good for riding at least half days.
Nick and SFC; I’ve been where you guys are. All I can tell you is it will come back. Bones will heal but soft tissue takes forever, more-so when a joint is involved. Do not give up.
Thanks Sexton,
I rode 30 easy miles with teammate Panama in the Everglades today. Easy ride, my ankle feels just fine. It was a slightly sad day as there were few alligators to watch us, only about two dozen. Several other riders liked my Pork Belly Ventures jersey with the fat, happy bike-riding pig, one group liked it enough to ask to take a picture front and back of jersey. Hahahaha. I obliged. I am confident this will be a great Ragbrai.
Everyone, shake off the doubts, train as best you can, and enjoy Ragbrai in your own style. Easy ride, enjoy every town you ride into, refresh, and ride another 15 miles. You can do it!
Ride On!
Training? We don’t need no stinking training! Just ride hills!!!
Rode 22 miles Fri. with 1 beer stop. Got 30 miles in Sat. 4 micro brewery’s. 30 miles Sun with 2 bars. Ready for RAGBRAI