So I hope to be riding in Salt Lake City in May 2019. I’ve populated my calendar with base and build plans which bring me to the end of January 2019. I was looking for a specialty plan specifically for climbing hills? Suggestions?
(I’ve never been there but I assume the place has painful hills and …not snowing that time of year?) And if folks have recommended routes from the Grand American, I’m all ears. When I get closer, I’ll of course check Strava’s heat maps.
5 min climbs or 20 min climbs? If it is long grindy climbs century would work well. If it’s shorter climbs that you can sprint up rolling road race would work better.
Hey there!
Many riders seek climbing ability, however, your ability to climb comes down, very simply, to your FTP and your weight. Maximize your FTP (through TrainerRoad training plans) and optimize your weight, and you will become a faster climber.
All TrainerRoad Training Plans will make you a faster climber (by improving your FTP). But when it comes to choosing a training plan, you need to ask yourself “What kind of climbs do I want to be good at?”.
The Crit Plan and associated foundation plans make you very good at climbing 1-3 minute hills, very very hard.
The Rolling Road Race and associated foundation plans would make you very good at climbing 5-15 minute climbs at a high pace.
The Climbing Road Race and associated foundation plans will make you very good at climbing 30-90 minute climbs at a high pace.
The Century Plan and associated foundation plans will make you very good at climbing all day at a sustained pace.
Since you will be visiting Salt Lake for a riding vacation rather than a race or series of races, the
Sweet Spot Base → Sustained/General Power Build → Century Plan
will be your best bet for a great trip.
I hope this gives you a bit of context for selecting your training plans! I know it’s a long ways off but I hope you have an awesome trip! Salt Lake City is an awesome place to ride a bike. I’ve ridden from Salt Lake to Park City up little cottonwood canyon and it’s a beautiful (and brutal) climb.
Cheers!
!
Sustained power build. Simply the best plan ever. If you complete it successfully, you are simply a more all around rider. IMO not just steady state. I can pain through anything.
I wasn’t making the gains I wanted with my coach. So, I put my coach on ice. Turned on sustained power build, finished it and simply crushed this year.
Needless to say, my coach is still on ice. Love sustained power build.
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Emigration Canyon and then up to Big Mountain Pass (that one is my favorite)
Millcreek Canyon
Head north and tag the North Ogden Divide.
So many more too! The riding around here is excellent. You can’t go wrong with any of those.
Useful information thanks Bryce.
One point of clarification please. This blog article [Training Plans Update: Get Faster for Your Climbing and Rolling Road Races] refers to think climbs 12-40 mins long when choosing the Climbing RR speciality, so does that mean that if you are targeting climbs in the 15-30min range, which is not covered in your post, we should be thinking of the CRR plan over the RRR?
Hey Andrew!
In that case, the Climbing Road Race will be the best choice if you are attacking these hills at a race pace. If you are attacking the hills at a “gran-fondo” pace, then the Century Plan in combination with Sustained Power Build is likely your best option.
Cheers!
Thank you @Bryce et al. Exactly. Not racing, just looking to ride and explore. And I was looking under the wrong category. The file tree you posted above helps!
Hi Bryce. Is this still your advice, based on current TR plans? I am not a racer (yet) but I do take part in the odd weekend group ride which tends to be around 70 miles at a fast pace, with probably around 4,000ft - 5,000ft+ of climbing. Climbs are anything between a few minutes long to upwards of 10 minutes (though most, I would say, are below 10 minutes). My goals are to be at the higher end of this group ride (20mph+ average) and to compete in a some events for the first time, including hill climbs races and probably some sportives.
In terms of discipline in Plan Builder, I am torn between choosing Climbing Road Race (Sustained Power Build > Climbing Road Race) and Rolling Road Race (General Build > Rolling Road Race). What would you suggest? Feel free to ask for any more info if you need. Also would be interested to hear what you might think, @IvyAudrain ? Thank you 
Climbing Road Race is still likely your best option, while even through those climbs are ‘shorter’, that’s a big overall elevation gain over 70 miles.
Have fun and good luck!
Thanks as always Ivy 