How to improve my 100 mile TT time

Leviathan wrote:

Can 100miles really be classed as a TT? Sportive,  audax, race, but TT?

Eh???

It’s a key time trial distance, one of the standard events that make up the BBAR. It doesn’t have the Blue Riband title of 25 mile but some old school TTers feel that you’re only a ‘proper’ tester when you’ve completed a 100.

The first sub-4 hour ride was by Ray Booty in 1956 riding a 86″ fixed gear bike (so he must have pedalled an average cadence of 100rpm), hailed as a feat comparable to Bannister’s 4-minute mile. The Bath Road event and course have since been lost but another long standing event is the Anfield BC ‘100’, first run in 1889. It still takes place on the Bank Holiday at the end of May.

The advice I’ve read that I’m told works is to train around 85-90% of FTP (or Andy Coggan’s sweetspot) for as long as you can, increasing the time spent as you improve: https://www.fascatcoaching.com/tips/sweetspotpartdeux/

I’ve seen this advice given for other distances as well – train at a target intensity/speed and increase the duration as you get fitter.

Leviathan wrote:

Can 100miles really be classed as a TT? Sportive,  audax, race, but TT?

100 miles is a TT, recognised by CTT, the national governing body for cycling time trials in England and Wales. 

Sufferfest and other commercially branded training videos are not really what you need… I’d recommend a tailored training plan created by a cycling coach with experience of your racing distance. It will cost you to have set up initially, but the benefits will soon show when your 3hr30’s come rolling in…

With the controlled environment that Turbo Training offers, you will easily be able to see the gains in your numbers. Don’t worry about not being able to cycle outside… A good proportion of the guys that I know who TT only train on the turbo for races… Cycling outside is just a social occasion.

The below article is rather useful too, Tejvan is very helpful and responsive too!

100 mile time trial – Training and pacing