Ride 1: Cattai

On the corner of Shirley road and Pacific Highway in Crows Nest. Start times may vary depending on the ride but will typically start at 5:30am as they are longer rides and it gets extremely hot in summer.

The goal is to build a strong base as most of your riding will be in tempo and sweet spot zones on the day of the event. We start with a few long endurance rides to build up a base, and then move into some structured training rides to build strength in higher zones. The structured training rides are key rides that will help to improve your speed and give you the best chance of completing 3 peaks in sub 9 hours. Without them, you will have only built endurance, and there are many parts of the ride that require a higher intensity effort to stay with a group, or make it up a steep section of a climb.

It is expected that you are self-sufficient for the ride. This means that you will have the tools + equipment to repair punctures, and that you carry sufficient nutrition for the ride. It is also expected that you download the course in advance. It is also required that ALL RIDERS must have an Aus Cycling membership.

Of course! Provided you are comfortable riding at a sub-9 hour pace. I just ask that you please do be respectful that the goal is to train for 3 peaks which is a long endurance ride. Therefore we will be focusing on steady efforts rather than fast, surging rides.

All weather calls will be sent via email on the morning of the event. Weather calls will be made roughly an hour before the ride start time. If no email has been sent, then you can assume the ride is still on. If there are any signs of patchy or light rain, I will send an email with a verdict on the morning of the ride. In the event of heavy rain, rides will be cancelled. In the event of light, patchy rain, the ride will continue.

On endurance rides with no set structure, we will be riding at a sustainable pace for a 9 hour target rider. You can expect this to be around 3-3.5W/kg average by the end of the ride. The goal is to keep it smooth, without surging, however this is not always possible in a group ride. On structured training rides the pace will be more strict. We will aim for a Z2-Z3 pace and I will be vocal if the pace is surging. This is because the goal of these rides are to have high quality hill repeats, and this will only be possible if the pace leading into the reps are smooth and sustainable. We will regroup at the top of each climb, and it is recommended that you ride around sweet spot on the climbs. This will give you a solid training benefit for peaks while not burning yourself out for the remainder of the ride. Riders will be reminded of the pace before the ride, but do be prepared for some surging and discomfort in pace.

If you are an experienced rider that rides 3+ times per week consistently, and enjoy pushing your limits, there is a good chance you will be strong enough to finish peaks in under 9 hours - provided there is decent weather and you don't encounter any major issues on the day. If you ride with a power meter regularly and know your FTP - it is a good sign if your FTP is above 4 w/kg before starting the training rides in November. As you get closer to the event, your aim should be to have an FTP closer to 4.5 w/kg or higher, and also have a strong resistance to fatigue.

No, these are just training rides and I will not be organising a group to ride together on the day. The best advice I can offer is to ride with the 9 hour or 8 hour pacing group on the day depending on your goals. These are experienced riders put together by the race organisers and will give you the best chance to reach your goals.

Depending on the numbers on the day, we will split groups into manageable sizes. Please do register for each ride so that we can have an estimate of the numbers in advance. This will ensure we can organise a leader for each group.

8 and 9 hour riders will only be separated if we have the numbers for it. It is expected that the groups will be combined, and if so, we will be riding at a pace suitable for those aiming for a 9 hour time.

These training rides will certainly help you to reach your goals with 3 Peaks. They will be very demanding sessions and will help you to prepare for the challenging day ahead. That being said, training outside of these rides is just as important in order to reach your goals. I am not a coach so I can't give you specifics but I would encourage you to talk to other people on these rides as see what they are doing during the week. Especially those that have completed peaks at your target time.