Ian Richards gives us the low-down on his Wattbike training

Posted by Matt Moran on Aug 16, 2011

You've probably read about some of the great performaces Ian Richards has been putting in as he enjoys his first season of European road racing here on the Wattbike blog. From completing his first full UCI Tour to becoming champion of South Holland, Ian's season has gone from strength to strength.

It's fair say that Ian's a perfect example of how putting in a tremendous amount of work and focus into your training will often not only reap the results you want but also at times exceed them. Ian is meticulous in planning his training, whether it be out on the road or indoors on his Wattbike.

I asked Ian, as a road rider, what he is mainly using his Wattbike for and how exactly it is helping him to gain the edge on his competition. It was no surprise to hear that the miserable weather we've experienced in Europe this summer has meant that his Wattbike is getting some serious use. Ian also shares one of his 'favourite training sessions below which is well worth giving a try. Here's what he had to say:

During the racing season the Wattbike is the best training tool; when I’m racing up to 4 times a week and riding in week-long tours every couple of months training on the Wattbike fits perfectly into my European racing calendar.

My training is based around the power aspect of the Wattbike. Using the power readings on the Performance Computer I can safely smash out my efforts at 100% without risking myself with traffic and the numerous other hazards on the road. This isn’t the best bit either; the weather is also very temperamental in Europe, and with any sign of rain I’m straight on the Wattbike without the risk of catching a cold or crashing in the rain.

My training is done in 2 segments each day, Either 2 sessions on the road or one on the Wattbike and another on the road. These are called split days and enable me to train at a higher level without suffering from high levels of fatigue. The benefits of having a Wattbike means that I can train at any time of the day without having to worry when it is dark, cold or windy.

My least favourite type of effort on the Wattbike is called a 20/10; I say least favourite because it hurts...A LOT! This is 20 seconds at high watts, then 10 seconds at lower watts, repeated for 4 minutes, 3 times. Ouch!

This effort represents the changes in speed during a race and enables my legs to get used to this race-type lactate period and helps my aerobic system to adjust as well.

Wattbike has been fantastic in supporting me and it's great to be able to use a Wattbike very day of the week.