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Cycling of course! The friend I ride with most is about the same standard as me at the beginning of a ride but by the end is significantly faster becauseI have got steadily slower even when we have eaten and drunk the same. How do you build stamina? Is it just a matter of getting out on the bike more?
Give them a dead leg far easier than training
Yes. I'm lazy, so I tend to build up generally. But basically, if you keep going out for longer, you'll be able to ride for longer still.
Good nutrition, and a well set up bike play their part too. As does rest after pushing the boundaries. Mixing the style/terrain up will help too- as will some running or similar.
Enjoy!
Train, fuel properly before hand, train, get a new body, train, ride more, be more efficient when riding for a start.
The more you ride the better it will get generally.
Fueling properly before hand will help, what do you have for breakfast etc.
Use less to do more, are you pedalling when you should be flowing? Are you braking too much then pedalling hard out of stuff?
Next question , how long to rest after a big ride?
Ride further more often.
Unfortunately some people have more latent fitness and stamina, some people have to work at it. 🙂
Next question , how long to rest after a big ride?
Generally until the next big ride.
How big is big?
Are you trying to push a bigger gear than him on the climbs?
If he rides more often or further week by week, he'll do better when he's out with you. Or it could be that you are just made physiologically (or even mentally) different - ie he can recover faster from effort and keep going longer, or is prepared to suffer a bit more (while pretending to be fine!).
are you carrying more weight than him (and his bike)?
rest depends on how much you did but a gentle recovery ride may help
9 times table backwards works for me.......oh 😳
He is heavier than me but has a much more general sporty background e.g. Rugby , tennis, fell running although he only cycles these days. He eats for three people at least and only has two modes, flat out and asleep! I see I am going to have to do much more sneaky training.
As regards how big is big I did 5 hours actual riding yesterday and did about 35-40 miles mainly off road and feel a bit limp today.
fell running
There's your answer. Sounds like he's physically much better prepared for sustained effort. Unfortunately the only way to match him is to suffer on a regular basis.
1 big ride every now and again you probably will feel battered the day after so make sure your hydrated and eat well before during and after.
if you do a big ride weekly with smaller rides inbetween you should adapt to it better. sleep and rest will help a bit but genrally just time until your body recovers and you get used to it.
He's fitter than you?
You could go for a ride with Chris Froome, eat the same, but I'll wager he'd be a little better after a couple of hours, he just wouldn't be trying as hard!
But yes, ride more.
just a case of mixing up long steady rides (4hrs+) with shorter harder ones, coming up to winter you could also try some turbo sessions for some speed. hours spent on the bike are more important than miles ridden if you want to increase endurance
Train harder and better, lose excess body fat.
Ride more and then ride some more.
If you're a bit of a bifter, cut the rubbish out of your diet and loose some weight
commuting is a good way to get the miles in to up your weekly total - that will help.
But generally if you want to ride further, then ride further! You can always ride a little further than you just have done... just do this from one week to another and you'll incrementally get better and better...
Get a new friend who is slightly less fit than you but not so unfit it makes rides tedious 😀
There isn't much to add besides the importance of consistency in all of the above.
There isn't much to gain from one good night's sleep if you have 6 days of only grabbing 5 hours sleep a week. Likewise with riding, you can see some improvements in a month of decent riding (whatever that might be to you) but if you then don't do much for the next month or two then it is almost wasted. Most people have busy work and family lives so struggle to keep the consistency going which I feel is one of the hardest parts to staying decently fit and fast (not that I ever have been or will be fit and fast- just observing others 😀 )