Originally Posted by
oik01
Background: Im 34 not naturally fit especially poor aerobic tolerance and a demanding job. Ive been cycling more regularly for two years now. Maybe 4 months of regular training last year but lots of zwift and solo rides otherwise. This year Im getting back into regular training. FTP is somewhere between 210 and 230 is my best estimate but when I do workouts I can usually complete trainerroad with a setting of 230 ftp with minimal incompletes.
Work on FTP. Zwift has more than a couple programs that'll do it, but the biggest gains I saw on Zwift was doing group rides and a race or two. You'll be at/over threshold much more than during workouts. I've found that it takes 3000mi a year at a
minimum to be in decent cycling shape, at least the kind of shape that leads groups to the tops of hills. I'll also echo the comment that it takes a while to develop cycling legs but also cycling
form --it's an efficiency thing. If you're wasting watts due to poor fit or inefficient stroke, you're already handicapping yourself. My tip? Buy some rollers for this winter. And do spend the money on a bike fit (even if you're comfortable now) --talk to your fitter about your goals on the bike and that will help get things dialed in.
And above all else, keep riding. Good luck--