Two Up Training: How it's done and why

[Too Tall]

Gentlemen, as Mark Twain so aptly says "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." When we train two up it is not a game of picking on the weakness of your buddy rather it is a mutual and constructive sufferfest. Riding two up with pals who know the game is how I like it best. Others chime in, there are thousands of ways this game is played and some of you have never see it in print.

Two Up - Side by side riding subthreshold or tempo most of the time. Stand when you pal stands and sit at the same time. Why? Because it is polite and you are both assuming a similar workload. Remember? You are training together not against each other.

Seated Hill Sprints - Whoever initiates it, keep your Johnson in your pocket, make the effort "doable" for both of you even if that means you are both wasted at the top. If you are in the front and stronger, look down for their front wheel and keep it in sight. If you are behind and stronger, take off one gear and spin harder, don't come around your pal. he already knows you are stronger (you 1/2 wheeling SOB).

More

[jeagelman]

It's not quite 2 up but very similar. 4 or 5 of us will go to a old high school track close by and get in a pace line doing about 15-17 MPH. The front guy takes a flyer and comes around to the back of the group. When he gets there the next guy in front takes off and comes around. It can make the time go by quickly and provides some hard effort and enough recovery. The hard part is keeping the pace consistent, it tends to creep up as time goes on.

[Tom Officer]

Two up, long endurance rides with some good climbs thrown in was always and still is one of my favorite training days. You have to have some one of the same mindset and similar strengths, being little I'd usually get up the climbs first, but would always turn around and ride back down to my partner and then ride back up at his pace. The last hour we'd often do some pace line work with town line sprints, alternating lead outs and sprints each time. You can't beat this if you're a dedicated road racer.

Glad to see you started this Too Tall, good idea ;-)

[Too Tall]

Two up, long endurance rides with some good climbs thrown in was always and still is one of my favorite training days. You have to have some one of the same mindset and similar strengths, being little I'd usually get up the climbs first, but would always turn around and ride back down to my partner and then ride back up at his pace. The last hour we'd often do some pace line work with town line sprints, alternating lead outs and sprints each time. You can't beat this if you're a dedicated road racer.

Glad to see you started this Too Tall, good idea ;-)

Thanks Tom. I've got a very short list of riders that share this. The old ways are not dead, we just need to keep passing the knowledge along.