@jeffb stop sandbaggoing and join the A where you belong
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This (4w/kg) would put me at 270 watts. That seems a long way from my current 220.
Are most people just training as normal and seeing an increase, or are you using a specific bike power training plan?
Smash yourself in Zwift races mixed in with longer sweet spot and recovery ride efforts. That got me from 220 to 280 earlier this year. Been slowly declining since then.
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Very similar tactic to JGav, and largely saw similar results. Started the year coming back from a longer winter holiday at the 220ish mark. Got up to 267, which was about 15w higher than I’ve ever achieved before. Definitely now on the decline, but hoping it will be easier to attain those kind of numbers again next season now
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Regular intervals at sweet spot works for me 20/30 minutes
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Just to clarify.
Sweet spot = 90% FTP?
Whatever you can hold for 30 minutes?
Yes around 90%
I think I posted earlier on this thread over the winter I’ll do a weekly 2x20 or 2x30 at sweet spot.
I’ll probably start doing these in January
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As a cyclist I respect is that all you do @Adam ?
The article below while talking a lot of sense also recommends a lot (lot, lot, lot) more SS training than I could absorb.
I wasn’t sure if I should be putting how unrealistic I felt this was on the “50+” thread.
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I don’t respect him. He sounds like a douche.
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Yeah As that article says 2-3 sweet spot sessions a week will bump your power up nicely. I do enjoy the odd 5x5 vo2 sessions also but these are always grim on the turbo
The problem as we all know is juggling the load with running too.
The earlier part of this year I was doing two a week I think. With one longer ride and everything else easy. My FTP went from around 290 in January to around 320 in the summer. I think if you planned these into a 8-10 week block you’d be alright
Many of the strong riders in my cycle club do loads of sweet spot. I’d go as far as saying that’s all some of them do. Then added training rides at threshold
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I’ve always thought this regarding the overall picture. 3 proper bike sessions a week. 3 Runs. Swimming minimum 3 times a week. 2 strength sessions. And don’t forget a rest day.
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However, racing on Zwift last winter/spring, 3 times per week, typically 30min to 1hr30. my FTP went from 315 to 350. So similar big jump in FTP, but not the same stucture
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Those rides were probably somewhere around sweet spot through to threshold
Most, especially the shorter ones, were at or even above threshold. The longer rides were as close to threshold as I could maintain. Learned a lot about pacing
It does match the theory of riding over/unders on sweetspot and threshold if you want to push up the power you can hold for long periods of time. I’m never sure what the long Sunday cafe rides do, other than they are pleasant and social.
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I’m very much in the @Matthew_Spooner and @Jgav camp of using Zwift races as my threshold/SS sessions 2-3 times a week and then an easier ride for recovery or endurance. I usually combine the easy run days with the Zwift days so race and then go for the plod afterwards or later in the day.
I was out on Sunday with my mate who is 6’ 3’‘- 4’’ and always goes out a little too hard, that has me at sweet spot for long sections on flat rides 
. We had tea and cake too though. On the way home he has tired a bit so back into Z2 for me.
Whats the point of anything? Cycling life init, be healthy, have friends, go places & eat nice food.
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I agree with that. I think if you’re training for an IM or similar then then a long ride just stopping to refill bottles, etc. rather than a sit down, coffee and cake is needed but this time of year it’s what I want. Besides, right now it’s the only social life I can realistically have.