Become a Stronger Cyclist (with this Simple Challenge)

[@epicme2000]

Thanks Cam, as someone who only got on the bike after age 40 and only Benn riding for 19 months, I've learnt a lot watching your videos. In fact I put this into practice earlier in the year after getting a used indoor turbo trainer. I have went from that guy who get dropped at every group ride to the one being consulted for advice on training tips. I was also able to do 200km solo ride with 2k meters of climbing after twice failing at riding a century before your tips.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Austin, that is bloody magnificent! Well done on doing the work and thank you for sharing on the thread! Awesome stuff.

[@ronbell7920]

I have to give this a try, because for 50 years I have been "that guy"!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha, nice one Ron. Thanks for sharing on the thread

[@awakenedbahamut2574]

Z2 is amazing. I did a 150 mile ride where I did Z2 for over 6 hours (2 hours of hard riding in a 4 man group because I didn't plan the long ride. The night after the ride, my resting heart rate was up to 52 BPM. The next night, after I was recovered, my resting heart rate was down to 38 BPM, the lowest I've ever gotten.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome to hear mate, thanks for sharing on the thread. Cam

[@michael1]

Great if your goal was to get the lowest heart rate, but there aren't many 'lowest resting heart rate' sporting events. - and if there were there are people in the morgue that would win everything.

[@johanp8391]

For those of us enduring winter on our trainers 16,000 km away from the beaches of Melbourne, Rouvy has a great route that runs 40 km along the same roads, 'Melbourne Victoria - Parkdale Beach -Catani Gardens'. Cam, your videos are great, please keep them coming.

[@jayclark1551]

Training on a track bike is great for this it forces you to pedal through the pain and you’ll adapt much quicker than you think to constant cadence. Avoid big downhills if possible to not blow up your legs, but a few days a week on the track bike will make riding a road bike that much easier and faster.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes great point Jay!

[@secretagent86]

i used to have a track bike which could accommodate a front brake. i would not advise riding a fixie on the road without a brake (i have seen people do it though). anyone as a kid we had an early season TT 25 miles with a 72 inch gear restriction. I was very fit, and used my track bike on an undulating course with no traffic (put my brake on). rode one hour seven minutes (came 2nd, darn it). that was some serious spinning.

[@batesady]

Beach road is a great workout on a tall geared single speed. The speed graph is very even but the power certainly is not. So not a great tool for maintaining steady high aerobic / tempo effort as per this vid. Can suck with the bay winds too! As per earlier comment, a fantastic training tool for strength work.

[@mattismac]

I agree with what you are saying here if the goal of your ride is to hit certain zones for a specific workout. However if one aways rides like that outside then you are wasting a lot of energy and will never learn how to read the road , when to push and when to hold back. The method you are pushing here will end up with a much slower average speed with the same average watt output, than one who is more effective with when to push and not to push. I have seen a lot of people that do too much work on a trainer and not enough outside with big fluctuations in gradient and speed. Most racing does involve a lot of free wheeling down hills , into corners, behind other riders. Also almost always in a race there will be much bigger outputs up the hills , and far less so down a hill. Pushing a bit harder up the hills as long as you don't blow up will save you more time than going easy up the hills and still pushing down a steep hill the same output . You could be doing zero watts one minute then 900 the next. Especially in a crit race. I know you already know this, I just worry that people will take the message you have here, and think that that method is what will get them faster from point a to point b. It is a great training method for sure, one that could just as easily be done on a trainer. But it should not be how one always rides or they will get blown up in no time the next time they are in an actual race with huge fluctuations in output. By the way I do love your channel , and I agree with most all the points you put forth. I just wanted to add an alternate view. You could do a video on how to go the fastest over varied terrain , let's say a TT over hilly terrain. I cannot assume that you would suggest that you put out the near exact same output the whole way for the fastest time.

[@michael1]

Yeah, you don't agree - and shouldn't - because he's spouting nonsense. Not the least the analogy with running where he's asking if, when running do you "sprint" then back off. Firstly, cyclists pushing up a hill aren't sprinting so the sprinting thing was particularly dumb thing to say. Secondly the speeds obtained on a bicycle are significantly higher and thus more affected by aero than running, so yeah the reason runners have a more consistent pace is simply because they're slower - you watch Tom Pidcock descending at 70kph without pedalling that's because of gravity - if you then went to a runner and said "Eww, why don't you descend like a cyclist at 70kph without moving your legs" - he would think you sound like a twat - moreso if you ask a swimmer why they don't swim downhill. I mean jeez. You sound like a twat if you're telling cyclists they need to descend like a runner or a swimmer. Why else do cyclists do this? Well, as Coggan explained in his book it's because there are no events where a constant power output makes any sense - it's in the very nature of cycling for the power requirements to vary because of wind, terrain etc. So much so that Coggan wrote a few paragraphs explaining what exactly he meant by an effort being at a specific ''zone' or 'level' doesn't mean riding at a constant power. As you rightly suggest if you're training for an actual event it would make no sense at all to try and ride it at a constant power and the other riders will just drop you. Lastly some might think "But if he's spouting nonsense online like a gibbering buffoon how come his power numbers are reasonably high" - well that's the thing with riding a bike - you tend to improve your fitness if you do it regularly and train whatever you do. "But, wait, no there's a doctor online and a lot of other people waffling on about zone 2 like it's the reason pogacar is winning everything - isn't z2 riding going to make me super fast?!?!" - look idiots online just follow trends of the latest cheat who claims his performance is down to whatever - with Lance Armstrong and Carmichael it was 'high cadence' and they got lots of amateur cyclists spinning away like hamsters for years believing they were going massively improve their performance. Today it's zone 2 - Listen to this instead : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2enmZmDf61raqc

[@twowheelsandcroissant]

I just started to realize this when i bought an indoor trainer and followed the training plan on Zwift.. Within just 2 weeks, my body feels different in a positive way though the training seems boring in Zone 2.. Now incorporating this in my outdoor training as well, hope to bump into you sometime on Beach Rd Cam :)

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for sharing that on the thread mate. So right. Yes, although I’m out of Melbourne now. Will be back soon though, lots of 40th birthday parties this year.

[@riffmeisterkl]

Definitely agree about zwift training plans. It has drastically improved my fitness, endurance, climbing and whatever else physiological for riding.

[@JamieMMac]

Thanks for preaching this Cam. I"ve been paying attention since you put out the video on how to do base training. I'm trying to build my heart and cardiovascular system to be like a reliable constant rpm diesel.... not a rev happy turbo 4 cylinder. I'm an insulin dependent diabetic which is the main reason I got into cycling exactly a year ago this month.The adaptations that come with consistent Zone 2 training builds the more than just the aerobic cardio system... on an even larger scale its the framework for being able to better respond to all of life's physical and mental stressors. I like getting out of the saddle on climbs so it can be challenging to keep the power down sometimes... I have to remind myself before the start of each ride what my heart rate and power goals are. Best cycling advice ever. Thanks again. I appreciate all of your content.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for sharing that Jamie! Really awesome to hear. Keep up the great work.

[@tacodiegoburrito9926]

Awesome video! I started doing this a few weeks ago after watching one of your videos on the topic. Zone 2 rides went from easy and boring to down right hard. It’s amazing what you miss with the constant surging and freewheeling. As a bonus my interval days have become more fun too.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome to hear mate, thanks for sharing on the thread.

[@bx_cyclingchef]

I recently started watching your channel. I've learned more about my bad cycling habits then from other channels. I will watch more and learn. Thanks for these great videos. So helpful!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for the feedback mate, much appreciated. Good luck with the training

[@christianemeiners9224]

So true Cam! Since I have listened to your advice and changed my riding to ride e.g. Z2 constant pressure and sticking to zones as required my cycling certainly has changed to the better. I am for sure a better rider than I have ever been and still improve (as you know).

[@roadcyclingacademy]

💯 thanks for sharing on the thread Chrissi

[@hrukin]

Another thing you can add to this challenge if you want to dig deeper into your number is to track your cardiardic drift, or decoupling as you can find in different software, free as well. As you get fitter, the hr and power will stay linear together longer before the hr will start to rise. Keep in mind to hydrate well though, or the hr will drift anyway.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes very good addition.

[@DancerOfClouds]

Mate, this is possibly the best advice I needed to hear. Yep, I'm the guy that charges up the hill and coasts down. I have known this is wrong. I am going to ride in zone 2 much more now. Thank you

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Let us know how you go 👍

[@ceftx2375]

Alrighty then, challenge taken. Checking back in on July 15.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Good stuff mate, look forward to hearing your feedback.

[@maxwellsteven868]

Same here see ya there 😍

[@ceftx2375]

Hey, Cam...here's my 30 day report. I mapped out a 1 mile route with a few easy rises and curves to make it not too boring. Weeks 1 & 2; three 1-hour rides, fairly easy pace and completed about 13 miles each ride...followed by my regular Saturday 25-30 mile ride. Week 3; three rides at about an hour each with a little faster pace and around 14 miles...followed again by my Saturday ride. Week 4; again three rides at an avg 14mph, but longer ride time...about 90 minutes. My last Saturday ride was 37 miles and averaged 17mph. PLUS, I wasn't totally sapped at the end of the ride and could have gone further, but time constraints cut it short. I am going to continue with the shorter rides during the week...and increase/lengthen them over time as time permits, as well as lengthen my weekend rides. I am targeting to do a 100km ride in October with a stretch goal of a 100 mile ride by the end of the year.

[@RichardMigneron]

Hi Cam, Did this for 6 weeks starting on March 25th, since I didn't had my bike fit yet (done, now), I alternated between 1h and 1h30 (2 x 45min with 2 min of repositioning and rest), 6 times a week for 6 weeks. Week 1 at 55% FTP, 2 at 60%, 3 at 70%, for Wk 4 I scaled back to 60%, then 5 & 6 at 65%. I also targeted a cadence of over 100 RPM. Got the 1h and 1h30 of Drift pretty controlled (about 5 or 6 beats). After the 6 weeks, I did the 4 Weeks of Advanced High Intensity Program you had given us access on trainer road, with The Sufferfest. Started with an FTP of 206, and after 4 weeks got and FTP of 218, MAP went from 241 to 262 and LTHR went down from 153 to 151 (bizarre, PS: I'm 58). All this was done on a smart trainer indoor. If you want to see, I've got everything recorded on Strava and Trainer Peaks. Not easy implementing Zone 2 on the road, my power varies considerably all the time, although my heart rate can stay in Zone 2 for very long duration even though I have spikes & drops in power (HWY overpasses, lots of wind etc).

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Super awesome to hear this Richard. Well done for doing the work and thanks for sharing on the thread. Cam

[@joer2962]

I’ve done this. It works. People think it’s easy because in the first 20 minutes it is. It’s when you get 3 hours into that ride where you quickly realize you’ve trained incorrectly for a very long time. I also think this happens mostly with these people that live in the “group ride”. They never have consistent zone 2 efforts. Great video

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Joe thanks for sharing on the thread

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Joe, thanks for sharing on the thread

[@emilyemz]

The best thing I ever did was keep a consistent, constant pressure on the pedals 👍🏻 absolutely ups your riding game! Great video for everyone who does the sporadic riding!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome to hear Emily, thanks for sharing on the thread. Cam

[@1999vizz]

My 1x7 15kg gravel bike gives me no choice haha. Grind the easiest gear uphill and spin out the hardest gear down.

[@layton3503]

I already ride the way you describe. I am not going the other way to see what happens.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha, nice one Layton. Keep it up,

[@shannonparker7404]

Yup. Im "That guy" Gunna ride 2 100k days a week at zone 2. Challenge accepted.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Shannon. Let us know how you go.

[@TheUlitamateStunt]

Training for consistency is very useful, but in defense of the 'surging' style of riding - in a race context this is much more efficient, because high power is more worthwhile on steep climbs than descents. Training this way will boost your lactate threshold. But you definitely need a good mix of capability.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes you need both. Most don’t do this one though!

[@rogerhartley4456]

Hoping to beg, borrow or steel (maybe not the last one) a cycle while we’re back in the country - my wife thought clothes were more important than my bike when it came to packing! Another great video!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha! Classic Roger, and cheers. Hope you get back in OK!

[@rogerhartley4456]

@@roadcyclingacademy we have one hour of our quarantine left and then we can breathe fresh air and walk more than a few meters at a time!!Will be interesting to see how hard the first ride is.

[@00great226]

It's not as challenging on the trainer except for the duration...time passes much quicker out on the road !! :)

[@roadcyclingacademy]

That is true.

[@gavinbutler1109]

Another awesome Vid with great content Cam. That's the science behind riding.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Cheers Gavin. Cam

[@trevourmcgoon2858]

Gonna give this a try this week, once it stops raining in Napier NZ. Thanks for the training tip Cam 🤞🤞

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Trevour, let us know how it goes 👍

[@malaysiadentist4637]

Cam ...you are the man! I'll take up that recommendations!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one, good luck with the training

[@malaysiadentist4637]

@@roadcyclingacademy cycling every day😅👍

[@occyman]

Pretty good suggestion Cam and one of the reasons I am a big fan of ergo work....so I will give it a shot, probably on Zwift as it’s more controllable

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one mate, indoor trainer is perfect for this.

[@richardhutchings1980]

This is an excellent video and really helpful.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Cheers Richard

[@Kelso66]

I have been incorporating z2 efforts in my cycling for a few months now after finally buying a hr sensor. I have not really gotten faster as I had hoped, but I feel like my engine has grown. When I ride with mates that ride like "that guy", I, have to do my best to keep up at the fast tempo parts, but after 2h their tank is empty while I could still ride 2h or more in z2, or even have juice left for a sprint. Faster, no, better, yes.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for sharing Kelso. Z2 training won’t necessarily make you faster, but it will build the platform to help you train better at intensities.

[@brianwoods2998]

Thanks, challenge accepted.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Brian

[@lukaszbbbb]

Correct. Constant pressure on the cranks on up or down hill.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Constant pressure is the key, as you say Lukaz! Cam

[@lukaszbbbb]

@@roadcyclingacademy I heard you say this a while ago,as I was one of those guys that just went out everyday flatout. I've been using this daily now. Rather than go out everyday completely full gas,I've just been using this constant pressure on the cranks at a decent cadence,and things have been getting better.👍

[@abhateja29]

Very insightful. I tried this and found that by maintaining constant even pressure on the pedals my AP and NP were nearly identical and the variability index was just over 1.0

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes it’s interesting when you compare data like that.

[@Terrierized]

Well said mate I'll take that on board

[@roadcyclingacademy]

👍

[@bustedbehera]

i guess every subscriber can predict when Cam is going to say "to the next level" :D :D

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Haha 👍

[@mwilko79]

Great video Cam as always 👍 going to give it a go 😛

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Mark, good luck 👍

[@JuanRivera-wg8iv]

I am going to be honest here. I did it!! And whatba difference. The next day I was sore..very sore but felt something different....something very positive

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome Juan…keep it up! And keep us posted on your progress, Cam

[@JuanRivera-wg8iv]

@@roadcyclingacademy I have incorporating this type of riding into my weekly routine, and have seen a huge difference. Great stuff !!

[@geoffreymccann2841]

Hahaha you forgot one of the biggest reasons this happens EGO!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

yes, that is why it's best to go at it alone! Very good point though Geoffrey.

[@cleggycyclist]

last Sunday hitting over 700w to hold the wheel uphill then they freewheel down the other side and this repeated constantly for the 3 and a half hour club spin, 90mins of the 3.5hrs was at threshold or above and 90mins zone 1 or freewheeling, just a lowly 39 minutes zone 2. Steady consistent pressure is for solo cycling.

[@ronbell7920]

Yep, got to keep up with the group!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes you need to do this type of training solo!

[@ellipticalsoul]

I wish I had the money/space for an indoor trainer because I'm really guilty of that stop-start washing machine power you were talking about because there are so many traffic lights and impatient drivers around here and I always feel like I'm going too slow in zone 2

[@jonathanfroggatt5865]

Great video I’m having a go 👍

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Jonathan. Let us know how you get on. 💪 Cam

[@larisonjohnson]

Hit that sweet spot. Best advice ever. But, there is nothing like a catching the rabbit on a climb.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Haha! Very true

[@yisraels4555]

Hmmm I have mountains to go up and down. Going up I am at full throttle in lowest gear and going back down can't pedal fast enough to put pressure on the pedals. I already changed to a compact crank and just ordered a new wider range gear cluster, changing from 12-28 to 11-34. Should help.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Maybe time to invest in an indoor trainer. Great for this activity.

[@canningsimon]

Any tips on how to incorporate zone 2 when training in the mountains? It’s either long tough up or pretty quick down.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

I’d invest in an indoor trainer.

[@canningsimon]

@@roadcyclingacademy great shout. Been trying to justify a purchase. Thank you.

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

I agree with you, but i have to say, these people are most likely NOT training at the time, and probably not even doing zone training at all.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Of course, it’s the way most people ride. But those watching the video are interested in breaking bad habits in order to improve. This is purely an example.

[@RonBalone]

It's called interval training Cam - look it up! :P

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Ah yes, but you need to build the foundations (aerobic fitness) first. Most are riding at intensity out of the gate. Cam

[@RonBalone]

@@roadcyclingacademy 100%! Just making a dumb joke about charging up hills and coasting down them.

[@gheorghefalcaru]

Super!!!!!!! Thank you very much!

[@secretagent86]

no fancy gear, and yes i do push it hard on the uphills, but also love hitting peak speeds on downhills. fastest this year is 73.7 km/hour downhill for a short way. overall i believe i have subconciously doing what you suggest. rode 1650 km year to date. much stronger than 2 years ago and we have some crazy hills here that i used to walk up now ride up. longest ride is 84.5 km average 24.5 km/hr. could go further but things to do. age 64, 98 kg. but strong, despite belly. not the fastest guy on the planet but i love riding

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one, riding for enjoyment and what you want to do trumps everything

[@secretagent86]

@@roadcyclingacademy i agree... hit 75.4 km top speed now... looking for 80 lol. we have a mountain that would be easy to do it on, but too hard for me to make it up all the way. (besides a tourist crashed last year zooming and had to be airlifted to a major hospital centre)

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Just did a Wahoo RGT ride up the local mountain at FTP for two hours. This shouldn't be possible, but I've opined my FTP is too low...

[@rourkeyliiid4769]

Awesome insight cheers! Im definitely going to try it! I need to invest in a turbo trainer!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Rourkey. Good luck.

[@caperider1160]

Hi, what do you use to overlay telemetry data on your video?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

GARMIN VIRB

[@secretagent86]

where are the mice? i thought there is a mouse explosion there?

[@patrickparisienne1917]

It’s on!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Patrick, let us know how it goes.

[@carlosflanders518]

Go hard on the uphill, easy on the downs and steady on the flats. That's how cycling works - not a mistake.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

It's not really how it works. Train with the pros and you will see how they do it. This is, of course, if you want to improve your cycling. Some people don't, which I completely get. Cam

[@carlosflanders518]

Anyone who wants to improve is well aware of interval training and its effectiveness

[@muhammadabuzayd]

i guess that guy was doing interval training 😂

[@JFomo]

Can i use this as an excuse for getting dropped all the time?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Haha, sure

[@JFomo]

@@roadcyclingacademy so I just tried it this morning, power 210 - 250 as best as I could, especially on climbs, not a single achievement was seen on strava 😑. On flats i couldn't do 200, its too hard. Edit: Ok a few of the segments towards the end I did show BIG improvement compared to the last 5 rides, probably because I had more energy. I guess it does work.

[@alldayali1695]

New to cycling and can certainly relate to the out of breath inability to talk while riding sometimes. Certainly appreciate the tips. Will this work during hill training ?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

I probably wouldn't worry about it on hill days, assuming you have somewhere to dedicate to this. If hills. are your only option, I would suggest saving for an indoor trainer.

[@Konzuug]

Challenge accepted. Only question I have is how many times a week should I do this? I also started going back to the gym twice a week since they finally opened again after a year.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one. Once to twice! Good luck

[@evanramos3359]

can this simple challenge replace my recovery ride once a week?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Could do, although you may initially find it fatiguing. So I would suggest dropping one of your HIT rides for it.

[@evanramos3359]

@@roadcyclingacademy got it thanks!

[@yatharothyim]

Which camera device do you use to record your ride activity? How to input speedometer data in the video? Thanks.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Go pro and then sync file with Garmin Virb

[@Jefferent319]

Option 4... put them on an indoor trainer, they wont be able to coast... highly doubt they would get one, if they won't even want to invest on a HRM or power metre, because that's too "full-on" and but they still want to get fitter... No next level then :D

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes indoor trainer is ideal

[@lwhite7991]

Can you point me in the right direction to figure out my zone two via heart rate.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Of course. Work out roughly your max and then aim for 65-75% of that! If you don't know what roughly your max is, you have a project this weekend. Find a super hard 3-5 minute segment and go all out. You may not reach your absolute max, but you'll get close! Cam

[@anthonybennett6089]

Great if you live on the coast however if you live in an hilly area it is damn near impossible to ride in zone 2 without actually getting off the bike and walking. Elite cyclists may be able to tick along in zone 2 @ 230watts but if you don't have that level of fitness your going to find it very difficult to follow this approach.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes I can appreciate that Anthony. Maybe save up for an indoor trainer.

[@adrianselway6985]

Does the Elemnt Roam Head Unit tell you what Zone you are in when using a heart rate monitor

[@roadcyclingacademy]

It should do Adrian, although I am not 100% sure. Cam

[@Meskanew]

As the Rolling hills vary 5-10% grade where I live, this becomes impossible. There is no way to stay in zone 2 up hill, and then downhill is 35-40mph freewheeling.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

You need to invest into an indoor trainer when possible.

[@Titanium308]

This might be what I need, I will try it and let you know.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one, good luck mate 👍

[@kevmocycling]

Is this zone 2 on a 5-zone system or a 7-zone system?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

7 zone but for most methodologies zone two stays roughly the same.

[@kenguie]

I'm a new biker, still on the sidewalk and still yelling at people, "I'm a new biker coming around your left!" because I'm too nice and I think a bell is annoying and too impersonal. In any case, I try to set up a comfortable cadence at what you call level 2 at least at the beginning and on some days, i intend to do the whole route that way, BUT, in a comfortable gear, I find it will get easy when I'm at speed where i start uncomfortably squaring my leg movements as I've heard people say. Because of that, I go to the next gear that forces me to bike harder and go faster. After a certain point, I get tired, especially against the wind, and have to go to an easier gear to catch my breath. The point is that it doesn't seem possible for me to go a consistent level 2 because it gets uncomfortable and then I get tired. I hope this made sense and thanks for entertaining my long question. Finally, is there a trick? Maybe I just have to keep going and get more comfortable. Thanks! Love the videos, found them a few days ago, subscribed and watched a bunch. Keep up the great work. For newbies, it's appreciated!

[@hendipray1016]

How to maintain pedal pressure on uphill & downhill? My gear is 11-30 & 50/34. Is it okay if for uphill i use 50-17 & for downhill use 50-11, to maintain the same pedal pressure?

[@phoenixaroui8712]

Have the feeling on ur legs not on your Gearing , when your on a uphill go down in the giring to the same pressure when u where on flats and when the Road goes down make a big gearing to have more pressure on cranck , and you will have a consistant riding

[@hendipray1016]

@@phoenixaroui8712 thanks mate! Appreciate that

[@BennyHubba]

Challenge accepted!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome Ben, keep us posted on how you progress. Cam

[@sysosyso4247]

Would u say that zone 2 is also the best for weight management cam? Eg shedding some lbs and how many days a week should u do this to maximise loss? Thanks mate

[@roadcyclingacademy]

No, I would say HIIT training. 1-2 min hill repeats at 80-90% or your max. Do 8 in a session and work your way to 15 over a two month period. Do this session twice a week, separated by a few days. You’ll lose weight.

[@mwcalder95]

Hey mate, with these Z2 rides - how would you fuel for them? Got a target in Sept and already behind because of sickness!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Hey Michael, I wouldn’t. Train yourself to do faster rides at a zone two level, unless they’re over two hours. Of over two hours aim for 30-60g per hour. I like bars over gels. Banana is roughly 15-20g too.

[@mwcalder95]

@@roadcyclingacademy alright, dry July and Z2 July it is

[@pointbreak2811]

Dude on the bike was so random LOL

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha agreed.

[@benshort7959]

Max I've seem my heart rate while riding is 185bpm. So 70% of that is ~130bpm. At that heart rate I'm barely moving. Probably 19kph on the flat. Stupid twig legs :(

[@roadcyclingacademy]

It’s not about average speed when you’re training. Average speed is for event day!

[@totalrepawns]

the power meter is the difference - most of us dont have them

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes does help, but you can still focus on constant / consistent pressure.

[@DanTuber]

Runners and swimmers don't stop unless they have to. It's natural for runners to take it easier on downhills for safety.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Correct, but runners don’t stop on the downhill.

[@DanTuber]

@@roadcyclingacademy Well technically, gravity is moving them forward. Legs are working but it's a different sort of effort. If you cycled constantly slightly uphill vs slightly downhill, would you not gain more fitness going up rather than down? Activating different muscles no?

[@carlosflanders518]

This phenomenon

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yep, realised that one after the shoot.

[@Steve-cc8zg]

So, here's the million dollar question: How do you calculate max heart rate? There seems to be a bottomless pit of answers to that one, but please don't tell me it's 220 minus my age. That one seems so arbitrary. Thoughts?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

220 minus your age works for about 60% of the population. Keep in mind ‘rough’ numbers are great. So if you’re 5 beats off your true max don’t stress too much. I am assuming you’ve tackled a KOM or a hard session we’ve you’ve been close to a peak. Use that max.

[@dmv4554]

Doesn’t matter.

[@awakenedbahamut2574]

Take your max from training peaks. Mine is 199 and I'm 15. If I got by the formula, it should be 205 but I've never gotten above 200 before.

[@JonReid]

Do a ramp test. My max heart rate is about 20bpm higher than what the formula suggests. The ramp test constantly pulls out a number that I don’t see on even my hardest bike rides.

[@ronbell7920]

@@awakenedbahamut2574 , I can hit over 200 and I am 63! Heart rate is a very personal thing!! Don't believe any formula, believe your own data!

[@GOLTEB]

After 3months of doing this ive lost 21lbs!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Really? That is amazing. Just from constant pressure working zone two? Surely some diet shifts? Cam

[@johnmiller7427]

Great advice. I tried your Z2 recommendation over last month Used Wahoo HRM and Element Rides have varied between 1 hour and 3 hours i Overall the effects feel beneficial Although it's Hard to quantify performance improvements. But great for morale I actually look forward to going for a ride Hard to find a flat circuit which means it's difficult to constantly stay within zone 2, steep inclines take me into zones 3 and 4 for a short while. Maintaining Z2 downhill can be hazardous often reaching 35/40 mph therefore need to be careful. Maintaining Z2 requires more gear changes. Maintaining z2 has forced better cadence, smoother and efficient style Overall loving it

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Hey John, well done on taking the challenge and doing the work. It is hard to 'quantify' improvements unless you test before and after. FTP testing, or benchmark climbs are a good one. However, often for base work, you may not see improvements in your top end speed until you start adding HIIT work into your base training. You should however start to notice a lower heart rate for the some aerobic output and less heart rate drift. That is an indication that your heart muscle is bigger and more efficient...with regards to what you're experiencing out on the road. This is very normal, as it's new. Over time you will find it easier to stay below threshold Z4 when going up an incline (Z3 is fine up an include) and keeping pressure on the cranks on a decline at speed. Keep it up! Cam

[@johnmiller7427]

@@roadcyclingacademy Cam, many thanks for your advice and encouragement, I 'll keep at it and add some HIIT sessions.

[@riffmeisterkl]

I almost heard midichlorian instead of mitochondrial…wouldn’t mind developing my Jedi powers….

[@dul22]

Or maybe they just want to enjoy a ride with no specific goal and push on the pedals whenever they feel they want to... or maybe it can be an intervals-type training ride...

[@Ultegra10SPD]

5 minutes to describe (but miss) 'C*ck Contests' or 'measuring the peepees'. Though i will say you can also see this on zwift. Group Rides often splinter on rollers but pace partners stay together (yes surgers have to slow down after hill and come back but the pack stays together). i dont do zwift group rides anymore b/c its always measuring the peepees. -U10

[@lancearmstrong680]

Why such a low heart rate/effort? I tend to ride at 85% of my max heart rate for 2-3hrs twice a week.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Accumulation of lactate at higher intensity disrupts aerobic adaptations

[@lancearmstrong680]

@@roadcyclingacademy Thanks

[@I-am-theStorm]

And this is why I nearly always ride in ERG mode on a trainer

[@roadcyclingacademy]

ERG mode on the trainer is one of the great training tools. Well played David. Cam

[@criollo]

how about the fact that most people don't have a power meter..........

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes watch the video until the end and I suggest options for those without power and even heart rate.

[@rodneybracken1103]

I have been trying this however I live in Healesville and it really hilly.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes I get that. Maybe time for an indoor trainer.

[@Timochen]

This was something that another cyclist yelled out at me on the down hill when I passed him on the uphill 🤣 A question: on an undulating road, to keep it in Zone 2, I'm forever playing with gearing and which distracts the ride. This is the same for free riding on Zwift. Any advice on how far we 'stray' away from higher end Zone 2?

[@marc_aussie]

Cyclists yelling at complete strangers their ‘training tips’ or opinions is ridiculous

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Firstly, I would ride higher cadence downhill and lower cadence uphill so you don’t have to vary your gears a lot and you work different physiological systems. Secondly, don’t stress too much about being out of your Z2 range on uphill and downhill, as long as you have constant pressure on the cranks. Cam

[@jcsrst]

You have to go slow to get fast!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Yes that's a good way to put it!

[@vietnguyen4312]

The reason why cyclists increase their power on small inclines up Beach Rd is ego. Lol Too many traffic lights for a constant zone 2 on this road. lol Altona/Williamstown route has one traffic light & is flat as a pancake. Excellent for zone 2.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Between Sandy and Mordi you can mostly get a free run, but interesting to hear about the west side. Thanks for sharing on the thread.

[@jordanlowrie4874]

00:30 come on they are literally riding on the wrong side of the path

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha

[@stevenmcfarlane8831]

Buy a fixed wheel. Ride that.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Good call Steven, that would work quite well

[@gpobillo]

Challenge accepted!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Nice one Gem