@@BoredBricks Lol, thanks bro! I still think it'll be my retirement hobby (that's the 20 year plan hahaha). Legomam Tom will return in 2050. 😂

@@TomLeeCycling You should return now, the recent Star Wars sets are fire 🔥.

​@@BoredBricks Ngl, a lot of the new lego star wars sets for past few years have been so good. Have a nice sealed collection from 2019-now from when I've been at uni. But they are getting very pricey. Definitely need to funnel my savings to the cycling atm, but hopefully it goes well and the cycling will be self supported in the next few years.... And if not I'll have to get a real job anyway lol. 😂

@@TomLeeCycling I’m curious what your MOCs would look like now if you built them again.

@malmsey1541 It's a nice change to be back in the gym to try and get strong again. Scientific literature tells us that strength work is beneficial for cycling. However the transfer isn't so straightforward, and explosive power based movements are probably a better predictor of a max bike sprint.

@@albertocasagrande9610 Thanks! Can't complain with that 5 minute, considering how hard the 3 minute was earlier in the session.

@@jakobklinge_paracycling Thanks man, need to watch a few more of your vids to refresh my german! At least I still managed to get the testing done, albeit with a bit of delay.

@@malmsey1541 Feels that way... In a built up area you're kind of asking for it, but was really surprised considering where I was.

@jakobklinge_paracycling Thanks! Trying to maintain my form from the end of the season and see how this year's academy goes.

@@canyonrider9597 Thanks! I'm around 81-83 kg, and have FTP set as 380 W on Zwift. Think that's quite realistic for my road bike 1 hr power. I can probably do 420 W for 20 min fresh, however I don't think the 95% rule is a very accurate FTP estimation (hence 380 not 400).

@@finnmoffett1352 Thanks very much Moff! 😊

@@James-clarke Did for a few over under sessions, but other than that no. Prefer to do indoors on flat courses (or 0% trainer difficulty), then use my gears for resistance. Mentioned in the vid how horrible the simulated gradient felt at 11-12% pitches. As it increased the trainer difficulty like it would do in erg mode, so I was in a pseudo spiral of doom. Most unatural pedal stroke ever, and power dropped off for like 2-3 mins, despite trying harder. Find flat and high cadence is much more reliable to avoid that (which was the case for last year's 30 min max effort).

@@James-clarke Always one, man's the goat. 🤣

@@yeyeTF2 Man really wants that pro contract, hats off too him! 🤣 At the start I was like wtf, but there's normally at least one dodgy performance per Zwift race.

@@James-clarke Thank you very much! 😊

@@pano360 Thanks very much Tim! Least it was warm for the race, but it was bloody windy.

@@global_ragnar I was in track for 24 hrs this week before pulling the plug on Saturday. This being after 23 hrs the previous week (so pushing it a fair bit). Little bit of bad luck as well meant I overcooked it and got the heat rash.

@@antonymoss8274 Lol, I wouldn't say that. I was outside pretty much all of this week (Week 51), and was very happy with how the training went. Not sure I could hack 23 hrs on the bike if I really hated it. Was just feeling a bit out of sorts last week (Week 50). But it is an undeniable fact that the roads aren't great, and some drivers are real cunts. Everytime I get outside I have to be super alert and on my A-game, and even then I know there's a chance some careless driver could end my life. I don't typically complain about that sort of thing, even though they'll be at least one risky incident with a car each time I'm out on the bike. However last week it just felt constant and I had to vent a little. Not gonna sugar coat it, and I'll be honest with how I feel. Also sometimes recording for the videos seems like a bit of a chore, but it's something I want to keep doing to have a catalogue of my training. I think I've mentioned this before, but my cycling journey is all about pushing myself. And enjoyment isn't enough to get you in the saddle on days you feel like shit. I do enjoy riding my bike. But how I feel day to day doesn't affect if I'm gonna get the training done or not - if I'm healthy and it's in my plan, that's what I'm doing! Bit of a rant, but there is some truth to what you perceived so thought I'd explain myself. 😊

@@James-clarke I'll be left riding up and down my driveway before too long. 🤣

@@global_ragnar Thanks man! 😊

@@global_ragnar I'm not doing circuit champs this year, but best of luck! 10 mile Nationals at Cambridge is end of the month for me.

@@TomLeeCycling cool... I'll be 1 position higher. Best of luck in Cambridge, I won't be there unfortunately, I'll be on P884B/15 on the 26.08

@@pano360 Thanks Tim! 😊

@@James-clarke Oh no, hopefully you get that sorted. Yes, was very neat from how the previous owner set it up. Think he used a bit of heat stink material right by junction box and with the rear brake cable and Di2 cable that goes to the derailleur. Lots of electrical tape as well round the risers! 😂

@@TomLeeCyclingthanks will have to give it a go

@@pano360 I'll be sticking with what I've got for this year tbh. Then decide on a new skinsuit during the off-season rather than panic buying one now. Same with changing cleats and pedals, don't want to mess around with that until I have more time on my hands to figure out the new system properly.

@@James-clarke Thank you! I haven't this year, but thinking I'll do some chemistry tutoring going forward. Ideally more during the winter, then ease it off during next summer when racing picks up.

@@TomLeeCycling yeah that sounds like a good idea. Do you think you’ll be able to make it as a pro?

@@James-clarke Definitely, I think it's good to do occasionally, as holding position outside does feel different to indoors imo. Having the efforts be uphill helps, as the speed is lower - but that's because I don't have many flat roads lol. I've only really used my Wahoo Element Bolt. It's been really good tbf, not the cheapest, but it's very reliable, has all the features I'd need, and their customer service is very good if you have any issues.

@@ScottVandersluys-tt8db I had one bottle with 480 g of sugar (and salt) to fuel the full 4.5 hrs. Then my other bottle was just water, that I'd switch out when empty. I took two bottles of water from my mum in the feed zone at 130 and 170 km. Thankfully it wasn't baking hot, so I didn't need a huge amount of water on the day.

@James-clarke Maybe. Not sure how acute the effects of heat training are, and how fast they drop off. As I'm doing it to try and perform better in hot conditions during summer races, so introducing it mid spring then ramping it up made sense as an approach. Not sure I'd want to do it year-round, and could use the other parts of the season to focus on different stimuli - eg. gym work and high torque work. I've brainstorming ideas for how I'm going to approach the 2025 season already hahaha. Once I've got my head around it (and at least have an idea as to what work for me). I'm going to make a specific video about how to do heat training. I'll give the studies on the area a read, to see if I'm missing something. I studied chemistry, which I think is probably why I like experimenting with these different ideas in my training.

@@TomLeeCycling Yeah ok that makes sense, vid on heat training will be interesting

@James-clarke That's what I've been leaning towards it being, more specifically from the introduction of the heat training on top of my regular training. Maybe this could've caused the hypothermia as well, and I think recovering from that was the main thing that messed me up for the week. I shouldn't have any micronutrient deficiencies, as I've extensively tracked using Chronometer in the past, so I have a pretty good intuition for getting a balanced intake. But my diet hasn't been as consistent recently, so that's a potential factor too. I took three days completely off the bike and feeling much better now, so easing back into training from today. Not sure about reintroducing the heat work, but if I do this season I'll be more cautious with it for sure. Thanks for your input BTW, seems like you're very on top of this sort of thing yourself. Always good to think about these things!

Thanks 😆. Might splash out and get a proper haircut soon lol.

@yeyeTF2 Makes sense, as it's that specificity for the longer efforts. Just took me getting my ass whooped to figure that out lol. And I didn't completely crack on the first 25 mile TT I did, which is the main reason for the long efforts.

@James-he4qc Thanks James! If you watch Dylan Johnson you'll know that there is scientific basis behind getting in the gym, to improve your cycling performance rather than it just being for injury prevention. However if you look at most of the world tour guys, my assertion is that they're either not doing any gym work, or it's quite minimal stuff - ie injury prevention/ rehab or prehab work. But then most of the track guys are definitely spending a good amount of time in the gym. Now for me, I already had a good strength base before starting cycling, so I've mainly just been trying to maintain it really. Therefore I haven't seen any crazy benefit from it, but likewise no detriment to my cycling when I stop doing it for a few weeks. But I could say the same for other supplements, and I'll trust that they are having a positive impact even if it's no measurable. With that speel done, I'd say it depends. If you're a time crunched cyclist (ie. <12 hrs per week to train) focused on maximising 'cycling performance', I'd prioritise time on the bike, but maybe introduce some basic excercises you could do at home. Sort of like an extension of yoga, that would help you keep on top of any strength or mobility imbalances you may have, to catch them early before they may result in an injury. However if you're more of a recreational cyclist, I really would recommend getting in the gym. Building and developing a base of strength has a miriad of benefits. And you'll just be a more functional human at the end of the day if you can lift heavy stuff (strong muscles) and can ride you bike fast (strong heart). Even as someone trying to go pro I value the balance of the two, so don't be afraid to put on some muscle that will make you marginally slower on the climbs, it'll still be a net positive in overall life! If you're looking for lifting advice, Mike Israeltel (renaissance periodisation) on KZbin would be my go to recommendation.

@@TomLeeCycling Thank you for the response man very insightful

It was a hard day out, big respect to the boys that got round the full 145 km. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the next road race I do lol.

@commando25101 Thanks Lee, how's your season been going? I've been racing a lot tbf so makes sense I'd picked up a few points lol. I've got my first road race on Sunday, so I'll decide where to take the rest of the season from there depending on how that goes!

@@TomLeeCycling 14 points so far. Yet to have a bad race really. Which RR you at?

@@commando25101 Nice one! Yes, did the East Midlands Divs. Are you planning on doing some road races the latter half of the season, or mainly stick to the crits?

@yeyeTF2 Thanks, they're just RockBros ones that you should be able to get on Amazon or Ali express actually. They're pretty good quality too, but the tinted ones do scratch over time (for both pairs I've had). The clear photochromic ones have done great, and work well in all light conditions.

@malmsey1541 You're definitely right, that's definitely the major thing for me to be working on. But I do think I'm getting more efficient each race, and it will just come with time. Not sure I can just force it really. But I'm also wanting to learn other things in the process like recognising when and where to attack to get separation and establish a breakaway.

@christoph1 Definitely, thanks for the heads up before btw. Just need to make sure I'm consistent at speaking into the microphone, otherwise the sound could drop off and be more inconsistent. Probably not this season tbh, but it's definitely something I'll look at doing next year. Hopefully I'll enter and film some more interesting races like NatB road races as well. Then be able to tell a proper story of how the race unfolded.

I'll have a think about getting a GoPro setup for the bike. 😁

Noted, thank you. I'll see if I can boost the audio in OBS next time.

I guess it's to be expected having come to the sport at a later age and this being my first season racing. I have been getting out to do some bike handling practice since starting racing, but the main learning comes from getting involved in the races. But I am definitely getting better each race. It's probably more so seeing other riders in said races, and realising there's still work to be done to get to that level. :)

It's definitely the "in thing" right now that lots of people seem to be talking about. I wouldn't say it's a game changer, although I'm already coming from 170s, so the change from 175 would be more noticeable for example. But then again, I'm also still running 172.5s on my road bike atm, and they don't feel significantly worse than the 165s. It's definitely something you might want to experiment with, but it's not totally necessary imo. The theoretical main benefit for me is that I can lower my saddle (to get more aero) whilst maintaining the same hip angle. The classic shorter cranks talk of "opening up of the hip angle" sort of implies ones saddle was too low to begin with. So equally that could be changed in a bike fit, rather than needing new cranks. You'll still see an aero benefit on a road bike, but I'm only concerned about it for my TT bike, where I might be able to save a few aero watts by reducing my CdA.

@@TomLeeCycling might try a few things out with adjusting my saddle height before trying 165, thanks for the response mate, loved the vid

I think a 25 miler is going to be a pretty good approximation for my 1 hr threshold, so I've got a few of them coming up in the calendar. Plus the whole purpose of this TT threshold training is to be in my best form for the 25 mile CTT Nationals in the Summer.

I am self coached atm. I'm not against the idea of working with a coach at some point, but I'm currently really enjoying the process of planning out my training and executing it. Yes, I'll make mistakes along the way, but I'd expect the same process working alongside a coach, as we figure out what does and doesn't work for me specifically. We're very fortunate that solid training advice is out there on the internet, so long as you can sift out the nonsense, and isn't too complex really. You want to improve your threshold - well you're gonna have to spend a lot of time at threshold! Rather than several years ago, where having an experienced coach in your corner was maybe more necessary for improving your performance. I think if I were being coached I'd still want to be heavily involved with the process of planning and periodizing my training. Knowing exactly why I'm doing each session, rather than blindly following the prescribed intervals. And being your own coach means you are the most involved as possible I guess. I'm definitely still open to new ideas and training methodologies though, and I'm sure my training will look quite different in several years time!

@pano360 Yes, thankfully lots of adjustability with the extensions that I have on the bike atm, so I'm able to play around with different ideas. Couple of nice days, then we had a storm at the weekend. 😂

It's a size large. Doesn't fit me amazingly tbh, as there's a fair bit of wrinkling around the shoulders and biceps - so I'd probably need a custom fitted suit to get around that..

@yeyeTF2 Thanks, definitely finding the time trialling a lot more straight forward than the crit racing atm lol. The main goal is to improve race to race, in terms of position and power, just as a sanity check that I'm getting fitter and reducing my CdA. Then my A races are at the start and end of August, and I've got a bit of a monster training block planned to hopefully be in my best shape ever for those. Yes, been a bit off this week and last week tbh, just some mild cold symptoms that I can't quite kick. I'm going to race this weekend, and if I'm not better than take Week 33 very very easy - even if it's still just a mild cold. I've been making tonnes of little tweaks to the setup this week (and probably next week too). Once those are made I'll probably stick with what I've got until August, and just continue getting comfortable in that position. So once that's finished I could give a run down of the bike. I do have a Rule28 suit, it doesn't fit me amazingly (wrinkles at the shoulders and biceps), but I'll stick with it for this season. I reckon I'd definitely benefit from a custom fitted suit to save a few more aero watts.

I think at some point reducing your CdA will become more of a struggle than learning crit racing :D You will be forced to throw thousands of dollars and countless hours at the CdA thing later...@@TomLeeCycling

@aprikosenmann2416 I should definitely appreciate this time as a newbie while it lasts then! As you're right that the gains will only become harder and harder to come by. For the time being though, the body position is the low hanging fruit, and if I get to the stage where my equipment becomes the limiting factor then that will be great. As I know I can achieve some really solid results once I've optimised the current setup. 😊

Thanks Tim! No not really lol. We get a few days of sunshine, and then the heavens inevitably open again. 😂

@@TomLeeCycling Hang in there! We finally got spring weather over here for a few days at least!

@TheJasabe Thanks for watching! Lots more racing to come in the Spring, so should have a bit more interesting data on the way, rather than just my threshold sessions lol. 😊 Check out Tom Lee on Strava www.strava.com/athletes/80352451

@jasonjenkins1975 Yes, does seem to be a bit quiet, thanks for pointing that out. I'll see if I can fix that when recording next time! 😊

@reecedawson6113 Glad you stayed on the bike, I wouldn't recommend this crashing business 😂. Yes, I guess those little micro movements happen constantly, so part of it is learning to see and react to them before a crash occurs. I was actually forced onto the grass on an earlier lap when someone closed the door on me. Definitely don't want to be caught half wheeling again, and feather the brakes more when things are getting bunchy like that.