Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
BF is so much fun! True, you don't know me, but the riders I go out with definitely try to hold speed steady, which has a tendency to spike my power quite significantly on the risers. But that's a good thing. Thing is, random acceleration on the flat requires an expenditure of energy and expenditures of energy are not recoverable. Yeah, I know, some think that subsequent deceleration gets it back, but that's not true. That's the reason some find that holding steady power is hard - you're always accelerating and decelerating. You have to in order to hold power steady. You bet it's harder. My point.
I don't follow. What's your point again? You said you don't ride to power outdoors, you ride to speed. But that's just wrong for anyone that actually trains with power. It's "harder" only in the sense that people don't do it. Once you start doing it, it's not hard in the least. You just keep constant pressure on the pedals.
Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
We're talking endurance riding in this post. I don't know an endurance rider who doesn't try to hold speed steady. Ride the hills hard was the first thing that was shoved down my throat or perhaps up my . . .in my introduction to endurance riding. The second thing was hold your speed and line. That's beginner stuff.
I thought the 2.5 hour No Go on Z2 was actually pretty good. I have a tendency to do too many single hours of endurance. Not to repeat myself or anything, but endurance begins when you start to endure. I think 2.5 hours is the leading edge of that point. It's usually 50 miles between brevet controls. One simply holds it steady and a zone 2 power average is taking it easy. Then repeat and repeat. Hills don't make it easier.
You think endurance is only built in a single ride? Surely not. I can ride 1 to 1.5 hours every day and build endurance. I can go out and crush a 100 miler on that plan (well, maybe not crush, but ride it well enough). Endurance is cumulative. Training stress is cumulative.
Now, I wouldn't necessarily go try a 120 mile race off of nothing but two hour rides, but that's an altogether different kind of endurance. Suffice to say, consistent shorter rides build substantial endurance, too, especially in easy zones.