13 WEEKS. to go SINGLE FILE OR TWO ABREAST? JARGON BUSTER. What is F.T.P. Is it relevant to you and should you find out what yours is?

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Alexander Osborn Osborne
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13 WEEKS to go JARGON BUSTER SINGLE FILE OR TWO

A much debated topic with road users is if

1 13 WEEKS to go JARGON BUSTER SINGLE FILE OR TWO ABREAST? What is F.T.P. Is it relevant to you and should you find out what yours is? A much debated topic with road users is if cyclists should ride single file or two abreast Suggested Total weekly mileage: Km Suggested Long Ride Distance: 30 Km

Training tip of the week - What is F.T.P.? At some stage during your training, whilst flicking through the latest copy of Cycling World, you are bound to come across the term F.T.P. FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power and despite it sounding like a term best left for serious cyclists, it is actually less complex than it sounds.

2 Training tip of the week - What is F.T.P.? At some stage during your training, whilst flicking through the latest copy of Cycling World, you are bound to come across the term F.T.P. FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power and despite it sounding like a term best left for serious cyclists, it is actually less complex than it sounds. Your Functional Threshold Power is the maximum amount of power (measured in watts) that you can maintain for 1hour - although it can be worked out by performing a 20 minute test. One you know your FTP, training can be made far more productive by riding at a certain percentage of this figure, thereby taking the guess work out of how hard you should be riding. What s your F.T.P As simple as it sounds, there are obvious problems with finding out how many watts you can hold for an hour, with the most obvious one being - how do you get a watts reading when you re on a bike? In short there are two accurate methods at getting a watts reading and one more practical, though far less accurate, method. Watt Bike - If you are lucky enough to have access to a gym who have watt bikes, then you re in luck. Simply set it for an hour (or 20mins then subtract 5% from that figure) and see how many watts you can average over that time period. You should find the final few minutes of this test very challenging, so get prepared for a sweaty workout. Watt meter - If you have the money, then you can buy pedals or wheels which give you watts reading on your road bike. You won t get a lot of change out of 750, but if you have the cash, then perform the same protocol as for the watt bike and find out your average watts during a 20 minute test (then minus 5% to get your FTP). Find a flat road and see how you get on. Heart rate reading - Less accurate, but a far more cost effective way of estimating your FTP is by performing a 30 minute test on a flat (ish) route. Ride for 10 mins and warm up really well, then ride for 20 minutes as hard as you can. Your estimated FTP heart rate is the average you recorded over your hard 20 minute ride. (see last weeks newsletter for a recap on heart rate training) GH Training Cycling Newsletters 2

3 What s your F.T.P continued... Once you have performed either the watt bike test or the test on your road bike, you will have a figure in watts, or average heart rate, that you were able to maintain for an hour (or for 20 mins which you subtract 5% from) Once you know your FTP in watts or your FTP heart rate, you can use this data to work out how hard you should be pushing yourself in training. For best results, use a heart rate monitor in conjunction with your FTP test. Example of how to train using your FTP. So, let s say you ve done your FTP test and you ve managed to hold an average of 150 watts for an hour with an average heart rate of 160bpm. Based on these figures, a good workout out do to help you make great fitness gains if done regularly, would be to perform 2 x 20 or 2 x 25 mins performed at 85-90% of your FTP. This is a challenging session, but not completely exhaustive. So: 150 (watts) x 85% = 127 watts Easy as that. All you need to do is ride holding 127 watts for 2 x 20/25 mins. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should find that your average heart rate for the session will be around at 80-85% of your max heart rate). 160 x 90-95% = bpm+ There are a plethora of other workouts you can do based on your FTP, but now that you have a basic understanding of what it is, you are now far better placed to experiment with your training and try to improve your FTP over the next few months. There is plenty of comprehensive training advice on FTP on the internet, particularly at the British Cycling Website or on the Watt bike website, so click on the hyperlinks if you d like to learn more. GH Training Cycling Newsletters 3

Video tip of the week - Road riding Safety Single file v s two abreast The argument as to whether it s safer to ride two abreast or in single file, is one that rumbles on an is unlikely to be

4 Video tip of the week - Road riding Safety Single file v s two abreast The argument as to whether it s safer to ride two abreast or in single file, is one that rumbles on an is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Many motorists get incensed when they find themselves stuck behind cyclists riding next to each other, as they often feel they are hogging the highway and preventing faster moving vehicles from overtaking. Cyclists on the other hand, will argue that riding side by side is not only a far more sociable formation to ride in, but also a safer one as it usually forces motorists to pass by wider and claim this formation actually takes less time to overtake. So, who is right and should you ride in single file or two abreast? Although we will cover the skills and etiquette of group riding in few weeks, this video will give you food for thought in the meantime. Like many aspects of road etiquette, common sense must always prevail. Although two abreast may be the most suitable formation most of the time, if you find yourself on a narrow country lane with a car or two queuing up behind you wanting to pass, it s only common decency to change to single file formation for a short while, so that they can pass. GH Training Cycling Newsletters 4

Equipment tip of the week - Bike care at home Checking your Equipment at Home If your funds are limited, or you have recently had your bike serviced, then I still strongly suggest that you check the

5 Equipment tip of the week - Bike care at home Checking your Equipment at Home If your funds are limited, or you have recently had your bike serviced, then I still strongly suggest that you check the five things below before you head out on the road. You don t need to be mechanically minded, or have any knowledge of how all the various parts of the bike work. All of the these points are simple observations which take no time at all. If you do spot anything that either looks suspect or not right, take your bike to a bike shop where a mechanic will take a look for you. The following checks are often taken for granted and overlooked, even by experienced riders who adopt the it ll be fine approach. By doing a very quick visual check, if you spot it before a ride, then it ll save your bike (and possibly you) a lot of physical and financial pain in a few weeks time. 5 point pre-ride check list Tyre Pressure - Often, just looking at your tyres is a poor way to assume that they are sufficiently inflated. Many experts advise that the tyre pressure of most road bikes should be around psi, so if you re unsure, take a reading and get pumping if necessary. Does the wheel spin true - Damage caused by pot holes is not always immediately obvious. A bad encounter with one can damage your wheel and cause it to buckle. So, before you head out, spin both wheels and check that they spin true. Brake pads - Checking both the wear of the pads and their responsiveness is strongly advised before you ride. After all, they are the only thing that brings you to a stop after hurtling down a hill at 40 mph+. Saddle height - Long rides, bumpy roads and those dreaded potholes can cause your saddle height to drop a touch, so it s worth checking the height is the same as when you were initially fitted. Making a mark on the saddle pole can help you to see this without the need to sit on it to check. Oiled/Dirty Chain - A dirty / over oiled chain can be as much of a problem as an under oiled chain. Choose your chain lube for the conditions. As a general rule, use dry lube for dry conditions and wet lube for wet conditions. GH Training Cycling Newsletters 5

12 WEEKS. to go WHAT S IN YOUR SADDLEBAG? HILL TRAINING

12 WEEKS. to go WHAT S IN YOUR SADDLEBAG? HILL TRAINING 12 WEEKS to go HILL TRAINING WHAT S IN YOUR SADDLEBAG? Climbing is often feared by new riders, but with these easy tips it can be made easier - and fun! It might be small, but what you keep in your saddlebag