Originally Posted by
cyclezen
no one has mentioned group riding.
sure you can focus on TT discipline, but at your current level, big gains can be made just by doing a weekly fast paced group ride. It has the same effect as motorpaced training, which was also an effective way to add speed. It's mostly depricated (motorpacing) on the street because it is dangerous and much of the same can be done in group doing strong tempo. One of the things you learn in group is how the shift points of your gearing can help keep your speed/momentum going.
You can gain in two months of wkly fast group rides what might take a yr of grinding the miles out on your own.
There are quite a few such rides within not too far a drive from where you are. Check the big shops and local clubs for info on these. A query in SOCal forum might also give some good references. Along the way you'll also develop some good bike skills.
I would love to do some group rides but I don't think I'm quite there yet. Realize I've only done one ride ever in my life >15 mph and that was yesterday. Also knowing my own psychology, getting dropped 5 min into a group ride will just turn me off on group rides. I would be better off working on my own until I can at least hang in there for the duration on a group ride. Being the worst one on a group ride would not bother me, but failing to complete it would be a big deal (to me).
There are two cycling groups in our town that I am aware of. One is a pretty intense cycling group of men. Their website says their group rides are 18mph. Obviously that group's not for me. There is also a group sponsored by a local cycle shop who seem like a friendlier bunch- still pretty intense including a racing team. But that might be an option fairly soon. The one thing I really don't want to do is drive anywhere in a car. I have a pretty nightmarish commute and voluntarily hopping in a car and driving 40 min each way to join a group ride will take all the fun out of it.
I also have the phobia I mentioned up thread about getting unclipped. I have to get over that but in my defense I've only had cycle shoes for 7 weeks now. I think I rode the metric century way faster than I expected to because I don't like anyone immediately ahead of me, I'm afraid they'll stop suddenly and I won't get unclipped and I'll crash and fall over. I'm not even really that afraid of getting hurt, I just don't want to look like a doofus.
H