After months of consistent riding—long weekends and daily sessions—you might have even enjoyed extended saddle time during vacation. Yet, despite all this riding, you might find your sharpness on the bike lacking. Your accelerations, prolonged efforts, and sprints may feel less intense than usual. These signs indicate it’s time for a fitness boost to convert your solid base into sharp, high-intensity performance. July is coming to a close, and soon it will be August. Summer still has plenty of time left, but if you’re looking to refine your form before the end of the riding season in Canada, here are some tips:
Join a spicy group ride
Consider joining a fast-paced drop ride. Long weekend rides are often more enjoyable when done in groups. Riding with others allows you to catch up with friends and stop for coffee on a leisurely day in the saddle. However, if you’re aiming to improve your fitness, this approach may not suffice. To shake things up, seek out a fast drop ride that pushes your limits. You can still enjoy the social aspect of riding with others while challenging yourself to maintain pace and keep up with the group. Fast group rides provide an excellent opportunity to incorporate challenging efforts within a supportive social setting.
Avoid overdoing long rides
While it might seem counterintuitive, preserving your leg freshness for intense rides is crucial for developing peak fitness. Engaging in several long rides per week could diminish your capacity to push hard during workouts and high-intensity rides. Focus on prioritizing shorter, more intense rides and workouts over long rides to enhance your already well-established base and achieve sharper form.
Start interval training
High-intensity interval training is highly effective for cyclists with limited time as it enhances overall fitness and boosts top-end performance from a strong fitness foundation. Structuring a training regimen around intense intervals can elevate your fitness to new heights. Tailor your intervals based on your goals, whether it’s short bursts of 30 seconds to 2 minutes or longer sets of 5 to 10 minutes. Both approaches will enhance your fitness beyond the endurance required for sustained moderate-intensity rides lasting up to four hours.
30 seconds on/off intervals are a great way to get some kick before the spring
Increase your time riding cyclocross or mountain…
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