Originally Posted by halfspeed

Here's a simple recipe for a newer rider to improve his performance. Monday, hill repeats. Tuesday, recovery. Wednesday, group ride with faster riders. Thursday, recovery. Friday, hill repeats. Saturday, distance ride of 50+ miles at a moderate pace for endurance. Sunday, recovery. You can mix these around to fit schedules, but you need recovery after hard efforts. Recovery can be an easy ride in the small chain ring or a day off. If you do this, you will improve. For hill repeats, find a challenging hill and ride up it for five to seven minutes, then down and repeat immediately three or four times. Then rest for a few minutes and do it again. Rest again, and try another cluster. If you like the structure and training, you can look into Friel's Cyclists Training Bible and learn about periodized training.