Sprint top speed

A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.

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Sprinter Denmark
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:18 pm

by Sprinter Denmark

hi all

I have a very fast acceleration, but my top speed is not quite good.

how can I improve my top speed?

kind regards nicolai :)
Sprinter - swimmer

by Weenie


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ALx
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Québec

by ALx

you could try to train on the track! making 200m can realy improve your speed
Sprinters are born not made

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Tippster
Posts: 2482
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 3:11 pm
Location: Frederica (Denmark)

by Tippster

Sprinter Denmark wrote:hi all

I have a very fast acceleration, but my top speed is not quite good.

how can I improve my top speed?

kind regards nicolai :)


Whats your Max HR and AT HR?
"Ride it like you've just stolen it!"

Sprinter Denmark
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:18 pm

by Sprinter Denmark

My Max Heart rate is 208 and my AT is about 188. :lol:
Sprinter - swimmer

Racing Aardvark
Posts: 639
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:44 am
Location: Boulder, CO

by Racing Aardvark

Tippster wrote:Whats your Max HR and AT HR?


What do either of those have to do with top sprint speed? Sure, you could say sprint till you hit your max HR but that's not an effective way to accomplish much.

There's three sprint workouts I used to use:
1) Have a nice flat length of road with no obstacles. Do repeated sprints in increasing gears for 300 meters, starting from a low speed. Full recovery between. the goal is to go as fast as you can regardless of gearing. This is also a great way to improve your "jump" as you have to get the bike moving quickly from a slow speed.

2) Same as #1 except with a slightly downhill approach before the sprint to get you up to a higher speed. Use a shorter sprint distance and you should (obviously) be in your top gears, but again, keep changing the gearing.

3) Uphill sprints. Short, 200m very steep hill sprints. Out of the saddle all-out effort. Gauranteed to increase your strength.

smallfish101
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:32 pm
Location: AUSTRALIA

by smallfish101

Going faster requires (a) turning a bigger gear (b) faster.
To do this build on both of those i.e. strength, strength and a bit more strength, whilst keeping the cadence as high as possible. It will not help just to pump big gears.
GO HARD OR GO HOME

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Tippster
Posts: 2482
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 3:11 pm
Location: Frederica (Denmark)

by Tippster

smallfish101 wrote:Going faster requires (a) turning a bigger gear (b) faster.
To do this build on both of those i.e. strength, strength and a bit more strength, whilst keeping the cadence as high as possible. It will not help just to pump big gears.


Why not add to this...

VO2 Max, Pedelling technique and the body's overall effictiveness of processing fuel and oxygen and converting that into cycling effort...

my recommendation is to get some training books and read around the subject...
"Ride it like you've just stolen it!"

stumpytrunks
Posts: 1136
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:25 am
Location: Tas, Aus

by stumpytrunks

Agree with racing aardvark especialy regarding uphill sprints. Motorpacing on the track (sprint specific) is very helpfull. Another technique that I use when the motorbike is broken I head out to a local hill on my track bike and do sprints down that on a 76 gear. Extremely good for the leg speed but the hill is a one n a million with hepas of run off and very limited traffic use.

Overall I'd just sprint, sprint, sprint. No better way of improving.

by Weenie


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Tippster
Posts: 2482
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 3:11 pm
Location: Frederica (Denmark)

by Tippster

stumpytrunks wrote:Agree with racing aardvark especialy regarding uphill sprints. Motorpacing on the track (sprint specific) is very helpfull. Another technique that I use when the motorbike is broken I head out to a local hill on my track bike and do sprints down that on a 76 gear. Extremely good for the leg speed but the hill is a one n a million with hepas of run off and very limited traffic use.

Overall I'd just sprint, sprint, sprint. No better way of improving.


I disagree with the final statement from stumpytrunks.

First you need a base fitness, from this base or foundation, you can lay on top a structured training plan to achieve specific aims.
"Ride it like you've just stolen it!"

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