[Closed] Sprinting at end of race.... How do you?

Change up, spin up fast and then drop down the gears once you're on top of the gear.

Having said that, 400m out is way too late. I like to be at 100rpm with at least 600m to go and then drop down the gears steadily.

Winding up in the gear I'm in and then shifting down the cassette as speed / power increases*

*I'm not a very good sprinter and can only hit about 800w flat out

Depends on the context. Bunch sprint or small group or 1v1?

There's usually 10-20 in the group. I'm generally last of my group. I can't seem to hit more than 500w.
A lot of that is because I'm at 180bpm and that's right on my limit, I can't then dig and find more.
If I'm sprinting from a low HR in a training context I can his 700-750. But everyone I race seems to have 900w+

 I can’t seem to hit more than 500w.
A lot of that is because I’m at 180bpm and that’s right on my limit, I can’t then dig and find more.
If I’m sprinting from a low HR in a training context I can his 700-750. But everyone I race seems to have 900w+

What do you weight? Surely that's more important than just power. 500w if you're only 50kg will be better than 900w at 120kg.

90kg. And I know at that weight I should be able to find more. But currently I cant

Surely it’s hardest gear and powering. 100+ RPM, whatever you can manage.

On Zwift, in my experience, often the pack I’m in REALLY eases off for a bit around 1k out as everyone catches their breath and gets ready for the push. Then it’s balls out when it’s time to sprint. I’m usually stood up, the turbo is rocking around and when I get over the line I collapse in a heap and come off shaking with my heart feeling like it’s bursting through my chest wall!

My son's coach always put a max effort sprint towards the end of every ride regardless of time/distance so that you get used to doing a massive effort when tired (this excluded recovery rides!).

Yeah, I think you have to train it by doing a sprint at the end of yr rides

I'm shit at it if there's been pace in the race itself - maybe 650w for 30 seconds or 800 for anout 5 sec

On an easy ride I can do maybe 1100 but nothing like that in a race

Change up, spin up fast and then drop down the gears once you’re on top of the gear.

Do you mean up and down as in up and down the cassette rather than up and down gear-wise?

Pick a gear, normally the bottom of the block for me on a shorter sprint, build the speed up in that gear seated. Then out of the saddle and smash the RPM. I think I switch to stood at around 7-800W. No gear changes unless I've mucked up as at that power they sound horrible and you have to ease/loose momentum. For longer efforts a lower gear and more seated spinning. I'm told you shouldn't watch the power but sometimes I do to check it's over the 1000 mark.

@slowoldman

I would shift into an easier gear, wind up cadence til I'm at 100-110rpm and then shift into harder gears as my cadence rises, aiming to always keep cadence above 100rpm.

Then I'm always on top of the gear and can increase power steadily without ever grinding through.

So changing down (easier) then working up (harder) through the gears?

I tend to get in a hard gear early which does mean dropping cadence a bit and then winding it up from about 250m to go but means only thing to think about is stuffing everything I have through the pedals. However as per others I really struggle to do a good sprint if it’s a fast finish.

Crap at sprints, but I tend to clonk it down a couple of gears (smaller cogs), get out of the saddle and try cranking as hard as I can. I vary the sprint distance depending on the course, how strong I think the people in my group are and how knackered I am 😆

If I stand I get too much tyre slip on the turbo roller. Can do steady efforts out the saddle but anything at spring speed I can't get enough weight over the back wheel.

The high cadence from the start is a bold move! I can barely see, never mind trying to click through half the cassette without easing off. I’m in the camp that moves into a smaller cog and slows cadence a bit, but still fast enough to know that I’ll be able to accelerate. OTOH I’m a 62kg weakling with no actual sprint anyway.

A lot of that is because I’m at 180bpm and that’s right on my limit, I can’t then dig and find more.

If you’re already maxed out before the sprint starts then you’ve already lost the battle really

I think you need to get away from the group before the sprint

Race speed needs to be largely aerobic, then anaerobic sprint at the end 👍

It mostly is, but the pace ramps up