Ollie Bridgewood - from dropped to Dropper!

[naavt]

Does anyone has any insights on the real traning schedule and nutrition that Ollie Bridgewood have put into practice to develop his recent form?

[TobinHatesYou]

I mean, Ollie was fast even when he was at Cycling Weekly. Him and Dan being "slow" is reflection of not really riding much at all, and bouncing back is very much getting back to normal rather than razor-focused training.

[naavt]

I mean, Ollie was fast even when he was at Cycling Weekly. Him and Dan being "slow" is reflection of not really riding much at all, and bouncing back is very much getting back to normal rather than razor-focused training.

Do you think? Dan was a professional and that's not Ollie's case. Besides that even GCN was all bells and whistles about Ollie's training program to overcome the fact that he was always the dropped guy in GCN's reviews and tests.

You probably right about the amount of hours riden but I suspect that Ollie never been in this shape before.

[TobinHatesYou]

Dude. He wasn't a pro, but Ollie was pretty shredded in the Cycling Weekly days.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWXhpglDXhG/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYLF-Lwjrv8/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdAqzfhgG5h/?hl=en

Don't try to model your fitness regime after a random person on the internet. Your motivations will be different than his.

[ianeire]

I mean, Ollie was fast even when he was at Cycling Weekly. Him and Dan being "slow" is reflection of not really riding much at all, and bouncing back is very much getting back to normal rather than razor-focused training.

Do you think? Dan was a professional and that's not Ollie's case. Besides that even GCN was all bells and whistles about Ollie's training program to overcome the fact that he was always the dropped guy in GCN's reviews and tests.

You probably right about the amount of hours riden but I suspect that Ollie never been in this shape before.

In fairness, he was getting dropped by riders that have ridden at a very high level in the past - Simon Richardson was a very good Continental level rider; Conor Dunne was pro-Continental/World Tour level; Hank was previously selected to ride on National squads for the UK. These lads all know how to ride a bike and obviously have great physiology.

[TobinHatesYou]

Where does Conor Dunne end and space begin?

[naavt]

I understand all of your point of views, but nothing sheds the fact that Ollie was - until a certain point- a subpar rider compared to all the riders you've mentioned, and now it rides at least equal to them, so something went on on Ollie's end

[Mocs123]

Ollie has always been a good rider. In that video he said when he was a "bad" rider in 2018 he was 75kg (165lbs) and had an FTP of 290 watts - which is 3.9 watts per Kg - that's not a "bad" rider to me - Not Cat 1 level but certainly better than most. Now he's 68kg (150lbs) and has an FTP of 325 watts - which is 4.8 watts per kg.

[spartacus]

I understand all of your point of views, but nothing sheds the fact that Ollie was - until a certain point- a subpar rider compared to all the riders you've mentioned, and now it rides at least equal to them, so something went on on Ollie's end

minmaxing marginal gains + a multi year stack of base ("zone 2") miles and being dragged around by pros.

That's why he got faster.

Oh also probably significantly improved his diet and off the bike activities just based on who he associates with at all times.

[Tifosiphil]

He said himself in his video he did more base hours and just focused on getting some quality training in every week.

Consistency is literally the "secret" to all training plans. You're going to be considerably fitter training on your bike for 10 hours a week than just riding round for 5 hours

[mikemelbrooks]

I have ridden with Ollie and Alex they are different builds. Alex is more a classics type Ollie was skinny, what Ollie loses on shear power he makes up for with being more aero. Ollie races more, in local TTs and hill climbs, Zwift etc while I feel Alex is just happy to ride his bike and has nothing to prove. You can follow most of the presenters on Strava but they don't upload alot of their rides.

[FlatlandClimber]

In his cycling weekly days he did a 48 min 25 mile TT, performed super well in the Haute Route Alps and a 31 minute Sa Calobra... all of that means he was really really fit in 2017. Tobin is pretty on point here.

[RTW]

I've messaged him. Perhaps he will come and respond. He's a good guy and a super strong rider. As people have mentioned above, it is about the company he keeps as opposed to being 'slow'.

[naavt]

I've messaged him. Perhaps he will come and respond. He's a good guy and a super strong rider. As people have mentioned above, it is about the company he keeps as opposed to being 'slow'.

Great. Thanks. It would be great if he could share the details of his training/nutrition, mainly because I'm interested on changing some of my own habits and my numbers are not that far off from the initial Ollie's numbers (apart from age )

I'm somewhat new to the sport. Have been riding for about 5 years now. I'm 52yo, 180cm 70kgs. I'm always around the 280w mark for a 20 minute effort, but I have a chronic anemic condition which I'm trying to source the cause, and even if I don't eat that well (sugar cravings), I don't eat all that bad either.

Last year (2022), was the first one where I've put some effort in a structured training plan. This year I've started with a major illness which I'm putting through paces now and finally comming back to traning as we speak, but I wish I could get to the 300w mark for the first time this year.

[CampagYOLO]

I mean, Ollie was fast even when he was at Cycling Weekly. Him and Dan being "slow" is reflection of not really riding much at all, and bouncing back is very much getting back to normal rather than razor-focused training.

Ollie has quite a few Strava KOM's round where I live that he set several years ago. These are for popular segments and a number of riders now in the pro peloton also grew up around here.