As a dude who's never rode in a group this was pretty informative. I can average around 15mph on my own and found it dumbfounding looking at others average speed.

I was waiting for tips to ride 26 mph with minimal effort solo..

Had no idea this is what’s going on in a race. Couldn’t imagine going that speed so close to each other especially when you are so close to the curb or gravel. Hats off.

Sitting in and saving energy is my forte. Solid top-100 finish every time.

Lots of good info here, thanks for the tips and data sharing. It's so cool to see the power output overlayed onto race footage w/ commentary.

Simply an excellent and informative video, and very much so even for those of us who bicycle regularly but don't race. The fluency of the narration, supported by zeroed-in graphical data points and perfectly edited video, was spot on and compelling. Kudos! And thank you!

As someone who rides solo 95% of the time, 200-210W on flat terrain can get me to 20 mph over a long ride. Gonna need a Remco-esque CdA for anything more than that!

I love watching those numbers when bridging to a breakaway. Modern bike tech has gone wild in the last two decades. Wireless shifting, tubeless tires, and all metrics being recorded in real time (with corresponding footage of terrain.). Great video!

Great video. I haven't raced in 13 years, but man this makes me want to get back into it. Without racing, you have no idea how powerful a good slipstream is. The combination of the commentary, video, power, heart rate and speed. Feels like super Mario.

This is awesome man. Just got a gravel bike after not riding for a long time and this kind of stuff is really motivating.

Absolutely love following your exploits on the interwebs!! Thank you for sharing your experiences so honestly 👍🏼👊🏼🇺🇸

I have a Phoenix Hydra 29 bike (not a road bike). I have been mostly on solo rides only and pull about 100 watts with an average speed of 24 kmph (nearly 15 mph) for about a 60km (~37 miles) ride. I wondered about others on Strava who had average speeds of more than 30 kmph (>20 mph). I always thought that it was because of the slim tires of their road bike. But this video changes that perspective and cleared a lot of doubts!

"What are you doing and why are you doing it?" Definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks Jeff cheers man🤟🏼

I like the "Two Questions". Definitely important reminders to be intentional about your work in a race. If you want to get really deep, you could apply this to your actions outside of cycling as well. :)

I find these videos of yours very educational. Many cyclists are not aware of the aero effects. These two questions: What are you doing? and why are you doing it? are very helpful to find out if one's making a mistake in a race in case he/she can't answer them. Thanks from Brazil.

I've never been to any race event but this video is pretty interesting that I've watched it all.

Xcellent video. Loved the strava data.

Very cool and instructive. Thanks.

Amazing video, loved seeing the Sauce in action again too!

Good stuff man! Thanks again.

Such a joy to watch Great content

Love those videos of yours👍🥇

That’s awesome to see an a great aluminum road bike among others great road bike like the one at 6:45, Allez Sprint Comp, I have one like this, 2017. Great race and video as well. Greetings from Brasilia 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

Great video. As a novice cyclist, I learned a lot. Thank you!

This is really interesting, I'm looking at getting in to racing soon. I started cycling July 2021 but only really cycle alone and am a bit nervous to take the dive as I didn't really know where I was currently at would be good enough to hang in a group. My solo average is a steady 19-20mph (cycle 5 days a week), 190W would be a touch above Z2 for me so feel fairly confident after watching this. Thank you 😆

I'm not a cyclist as such, though I do enjoy my bike rides too. But it would make me nervous riding so closely alongside another cyclist competing to get ahead. Unlike cars cyclists don't have rear vision or side mirrors. I don't know how you do it, but you guys do a marvellous job.

im a big rider. i highlighted a segment on a recent ride. 33:13, 201 watts ,9.6 mph. max power 1079. i had another ride 38:00 , 209 watts, 7.5 mph, max power 1236. i dont live where its flat. i couldnt imagine what power i'd need to get 26 mph. thanks for the vid bro

When i got into racing at 15 y/o my Belgian dad urged me to do no less of 18-19 mph when solo riding. He also fixated on maintaining high average revolutions, arguing that kept the legs and joints flexible and ready to go at any time. Thanks for your very analytical and informative video!

what are you doing and why are you doing it are 2 good life questions tbh, but def apt in cycling. great video. subbed!

I race triathlons and for most events it’s actually illegal to draft but at the same time our bikes are Tt bikes so we can be more aerodynamic, there’s pros and cons but I love biking regardless!

I wish I was coached with these techniques back in my competition days. I did everything by brute force.

Hi Jeff. Love your videos. Keep ‘‘em coming! Btw, what power meter do you use?

Great stuff man.. Too bad I am 68 and on BP meds which limits my bpm. On a flat flat road I can average 16/17 but over a hilly course I am really slow. Just came to cycling late in life. Still fun for me.

back - yoyo, speed fast, slow fast middle - Save energy, accident prone top 5 front - more power compare with middle, avoid accident, see attacks.. and positioned better to finish

Giving me confidence in a 350w motor, if I can get rid of the waste as much as practical. Switched rear tire from a cheap gravel tire to Schwalbe Marathon Plus. That did a lot. I think I gained 2-3mph going downhill. And feel safer doing it.

Good presentation!!

Hope you guys get those sweet new propels

I would add that you also have to preemptively ask those two questions about different hypothetical scenarios that could be developing in real time and be able to execute at the precise moment in the race. Many times that moment is a split second decision that makes or breaks your race. Easy enough right!? 😂 Gotta love bike racing, best sport in the world 🤙

I remember about 6 years ago I was riding on the Sacramento bike trial and a group of riders rode by me they were going at a good pace. So I just tucked in the back and let them pull me through. Drifting can save you a lot of energy.

Interesting video and real food for thought. I've always been hesitant regarding groups rides and crit racing believing I'd never be able to keep up with their crazy average speeds. Recently my solo riding (over rolling English countryside) increased to 21-22 mph average over 30-60 mile rides, so, I'm thinking I might finally be ready. Crit racing like this though will be very scary! Definitely want to try it though.

I'm new to cycling, two years, but also in Canada so it's more like a few months of riding. Something I found that I did and still do is ride with my legs tense to a certain degree. As opposed to allowing the muscle to just exist and work off of the joints it's like I'm flexing my legs while pedaling. I notice that i'm tons faster with less effort when my legs and just in general my body is relaxed and not tense anywhere.

Great video and effort. I really love watching your videos. How do you make the cycling data overlay the video?

Worth noting different phenotypes / body types like to attack in different spots at Alviso. I actually like attacking into the headwind sections (Nortech/First/Santos/Wilson) where it's slowest. Bigger dudes love attacking the tailwind sections like Grand and Disk. Blaine likes to attack anywhere.

All the secrets out in the open at last 😂 - that’s for sharing great vid…

As a non cyclist, I would’ve never guessed that drafting played that large of a role. Cool stuff

Great vid!!!!

Very nice, thanks. A different question: what kind of camera are you using? What's the mounting system?

What are you using to do the metric overlays?

Haha. I knew that was Alviso before you even said anything. I used to ride through there back when I lived in San Jose.

Great video 👌

Ahhhh this reminds me of my Cat 3 days. I did a lot of motopacing to get my drafting technique at speed down. Most of racing is knowing how to have your technique in drafting down so you can concentrate on the tactical issues ahead. You will intuitively know how to save energy. What path to take. When to exploit a tactical advantage. Not to mention building muscle memory for speed. I would do a lot of my LSD rides behind her motorbike at 25 mph in her draft. My heart rate would be around 145. The same as when I was riding 20 mph on my own. Sometimes I would ride behind her in our hatchback with the hatch open drafting at 30mph or faster. Unless you have a half a dozen guys you can ride daily with and paceline, which is like never. So I taught my girlfriend how to pace me on her motorbike then the car. The improvement in my speed during races was dramatic and I was because I had learned how not to waste energy.

Great job. Fun, instructional video. It's weird to see guys with flashing lights in this race, but just plain scary to see that the course is apparently open to vehicular traffic...that must cause some Uncle Fester moments.

Nice video!!

Great video! Quick question @NorCal Cycling: Any particular brand you recommend for bike shorts?

Drafting and knowing the corse is essential to achieving this goal. The guy rides the course 7 days a week for a few hours everyday. It’s NorCal’s home turf and baby.

I love the content! This is a wonderful channel!

I did a few club rides with some pretty fast dudes back in my younger days. Yes you don't want to be in the back . I only did it a few times and hated the competition and the training. I couldn't get out in traffic and ride like 300 miles a week. It kinda ruined it for me, but luckily learned some good skills and love vintage steel bikes . So I'm fixing , wrenching and like touring , commuting .. Cheese and wine and destinations where its at !! Oh and I just gotta throw this in , in my late 20s a few moons ago . One year I could ride at 20mph , and throw in a sprint on my Rossin steel bike and hold 40mph for a minute 🤓😎

I don't evean cycle I would like too but still this video was really intersting and you got a new sub man!

30 mph! That's fast alright! Especially when you consider the power to overcome wind goes up as the cube of the speed, while tire rolling resistance is roughly linear. In other words, it takes 8 times as much power @30 mph than @15 mph to overcome wind drag, but only about double for the tire rolling resistance. Not sure about the Watt ratings though. 375 Watts is just over 1/2 of one horsepower. Pretty hard for anyone to maintain that for long.

Hi Sir, What software are you using for your video ? Thanks excellent content

Great bro! what program do you use to put your power/speed data on the video?

I have a question for more experienced riders, is 25mph top speed good for a 15 year old(on a mountain bike) on flat terrain? Ive been riding my bike 4 times a week ever since i got it a year ago, i went out with a group of people most had roadbikes and i was surprised when i passed them all.

I’d be curious how much more savings you’d have on my wheel. This 6’9” frame of mine kicks off a nice draft.

I used to pride myself on doing the Port of Oakland ride every week and never averaged over 200 watts

Hey Jeff and Crew, great vid as always, got an important question though. I also have a Giant TCR, and I was trying to get the same stem and bar as your set up. Which appears to be the ZIPP Sprint Stem and ZIPP SL70 Aero Bar Although my bike has their oversized OD2 steerer tube, which is measured at 1 1/4, and all of ZIPPs carbon stems are standard 1 1/8 steerer tubes. Not sure if I'm just seeing the stem wrong, or if you did some voodoo magic and had Zipp make a stem for you. I'd love to know what your exact setup is for your cockpit. Thanks!

bro amazing content. can you put a action cam for your gears like the cassete

In our evening time trial series on a 8.4 mile sporting course ( up and down ) Harry Tanfield maintains 30 mph riding alone. You may know of him ?

How to ride 26 mph with minimal effort - buy an Ebike

May ask what brand/model handlebars you have on your bike? I have a TCR as well.

just curios what do you use to tracks your watts and mph.

This is probably one of the top most important skills in racing.

How do you guys manage the cars/traffic at your track?

I see that on your chart at 08:47 that you made it from Cat 5 to Cat 4. Congrats! I didn't think you had it in you.

Jeff - love the videos. question. I broke my collar bone last September 2021 and had the plate removed this August 2022. Doc said I shouldn't be doing anything for 3 months as the bone is fragile with the screw holes in it. From your experience- when do you think it's safe to get back out on the bike? I'm not a "racer" but I do participate in some granfondos. Absent of falling and re-breaking - am I okay to get out on the bike and participate in events 5 weeks after plate removal? Thanks!

I was the huge dude in the Stanford jersey... you're welcome for the draft Jeff ;)

Hey what gears are you using and What size is your chain rings?

it took me a month after I recovered from Covid to get back to somewhat where I was pre-covid. It sucked and I don’t ever want to deal with that shit ever again

Flat terrain is easy .. However here in the high Rockies with ablvg gradients of 8 to 12 % consistently.. No one worries about speed..unless decending at 80 km ph

Been watching your videos, brother. Good content ngl. Im also doing crits here in the philippines and it’s either you join the newbie cat or the pro/open cat lol haha all of your strategies, i’ve been doing here in my local crit races and I haven’t won anything yet but with good roads and less traffic i’d win something. Would tag you soon when I win one hehe 🤝🏾✊🏾

So what happens when everyone is fighting for the front 1/3 of the pack? Do some people just give up? Or what about the corners? what if everyone is fighting for the inside corner? Do these situations create wrecks? Just asking, I never ride crits....

Didn't realize the huge benefits of drafting. I always ride solo and 191 watts= 18.5mph at best. Rode 215 watts for an hour...and averaged 20.3mph. (I weigh 200lbs btw)

ALLEZ alloy for the win!

NorCal Cycling I have question which one bitter rim brake’s disc brakes

Can I do 26Km with a normal Btwin bike? I'm from Africa I love your advices brother more power to you

Fighting the wind and yourself are the biggest challenges.

How do you get all of that advance power data above the speed line in Strava?

How did you get all these data and stats on strava. I have a subscription but don't have all these details and graphs...

Hm i thought it would be a video on individual performance, because you can already get a lot more out of yourself if you consciously pedal evenly and use as many muscles as possible for your base load. This may be newbie stuff, but it's rarely talked about imo. Obviously using cleats changes the game already, yet even then techniques are always different, especially when performing under pressure. I think it's the appropriate change between sprinting with your down/upstroke and the smooth use of the whole revolution at lower speeds that gives you the ultimate individual efficiency. Nobody really talks about it, but when being dragged/doing endurance u have to use the whole revolution forward>up>down>backwards to spread the base load over as many muscles as possible, even your upper body can help. You're effectively resting the thigh at a fraction of it's power by using complimenatary muscles. Then in the sprint you can use that restored thigh, fall back afterwards and repeat. Sounds easy, but if you really focus on the circular motion there's a lot of energy to gain from smaller muscles offsetting power from the main thigh muscles. Then again it may be bad for your knee if you overuse your other (non walking) muscles, but there's still a middle path there: Pedaling in a perfect circle is unnatural, so you have to learn it. Try going in high cadence or without any resistance even or with only one foot on the pedals, and you'll find your movement is all jerky, because you're not using all your muscles. This makes you lose power, because your opposite thigh has to fight those unused muscles - the weight and also muscle resitance of the opposing leg - putting more strain on it. By training to rotate your leg in an even circle, not just up and down, you take that load off of your other muscles. Think of it as "bending" your down- and upstroke around your bottom bracket. If you can do high cadence runs smoothly, you'll find your sprinting and endurance runs get smoother, because your legs aren't in each others way that much and you gain efficiency and endurance. Focus on this when training if you aren't already, it takes time to accomodate to but can unlock more potential in the long runs. I actually experienced something weird in this regard when i first used clipless pedals after years of riding. I felt less strain and had little more than normal aching of the legs, but when accelerating i could feel my blood rushing, was breathing heavily and my body was generally more exhausted. I had to hold myself back from using all my power, because my heart got pumping too much, because it had to serve more muscles. After a couple months that settled, i could go on endlessly and i'm now focusing on my leg coordination a bit more.

can you please explain normalized power vs average power

Just picked up a trek alpha 2.1 as my first road bike. any tips for finding cyclist groups in Orange County SoCal?

From someone who just jumped on a beginner racing bicycle to get a change from running every now and then: This looks insane! You're telling me you're going 35 km/h for extended periods of time and that's bad? I guess everybody is judging themselves pretty hard in their own niche :D

Hey Jeff. What stem is on your bike

I can walk at 4.9 mph for about an hour and 26 minutes before I go into a painful flight or flight response. I have gone through the same thing with my XL GIANT at 28 mph. The walking is far more stressful and more work. You can always push harder.

serious question, i ride solo down here in soflo, i avg about 20.5 MPH on 25-30 mile solo rides... you think thats decent enough to ride group rides?

That was a hard bridge attempt :( . Had no legs by the end game.

what type of gearset to do I need to be able to go this fast? Will a kent 700c road bike be able to keep up with you guys at 30mph?

Do you not have to stop at the red lights?

I can hear Durianrider's voice in the background "Well the first thing you gotta do is ditch the road disc brake setup!

What kind of power meters do you use

Good stuff. Are you cat5 or is that just the name of this particular training program, because those speeds sound more like cat 123?Unless it’s just so flat that it changes the average speed that much. Or it could be that bikes are much more aero than 10+ years ago. I remember averaging around 27 for an official, one or two hill, office park race (this looked more like a group ride on an open course at race pace) when riding 3/4. And that perfectly summed up what you’re saying. Riding with 4/5 sucked because they are so inefficient, especially, ESPECIALLY in the corners, whereas riding in 1, 2, 3 had far fewer unnecessary accelerations and corners were more like a school of fish than the most direct line, which often created chaos. There’s a typical misunderstanding in 4/5 that “hold your line” means YOUR chosen line. It does not mean that, which would mean you’re cutting people off.