Quote:
Originally Posted by maviczap
Because all they do is ride, rest & eat. Sitting in a group of highly trained cyclists then its easy to ride fast, you do your turn, then someone else takes a turn.
Riding on your own, you have no one to shelter behind, to get a bit of a rest. Riding behind someone else requires 10% less effort I think, so you don't waste energy like a solo rider, which is why solo breakaways seldom work out on flat roads. Different in the mountains  |
10% at about 20mph maybe (although I heard it's about 30% at 20mph)
I think it's closer to 50-80% less effort in the peloton than it is up front on your own. They spend most of their time sitting in zone 2 I believe (on the flats) cruising along which is basically how they do it.
Apparently, the best way to train for that is lots of slow(ish) rides to get your body used to using that specific zone where you are able to ride all day long at a decent pace (although I assume this 'training plan' expected you to already be able to ride at the pace you want.)
On another note,
anybody up for the London to Southend on Sunday 15th July?