How do you get faster?

[Lucky, Fabulous]

I think my commute to work would be more enjoyable if I were faster. Any tips on how to get faster?

This is my first year riding, and I already did my first 50 mile ride earlier in the season. I have been commuting to work once a week (8 hilly miles) and usually do a 20 - 30 mile ride with a group once a week. I like riding with a group since it gives me something to think about other than pedaling and going up the next hill. However, my commute to work can sometimes get tedious, even though it is much shorter. I think I should get a heart rate monitor so that I can push myself without doing too much (which I tend to do) and also a computer so I can see how fast I am going and check my cadence. Any tips on exercises or other?
Thanks!

[PscyclePath]

The first thing is to build your endurance so that you can go the distance that you want to go... Once you're consistent on distance, you can work on building your power (strength) so that you can go faster, or go better on the hills.

One simple training method that many swear by is intervals... on a ride, do three to five sets where you step up the power that you're putting into the pedals. There are a host of training methods and philosophies on this, but a simple technique that doesn't take a lot of fancy gear other than your bike and a cycle computer is while you're rolling along at, say, 13 mph, watch your computer and speed up until you're going 2 to 3 mph faster. Hold that pace and count to fifty, then back off to your normal pace and rest a few minutes. Once you've got your wind back, do it again... and repeat the process. To get stronger, you increase the number of intervals you do, or ride a harder pace during your interval, or increase the time (i.e., count to a hundred before you let up and rest).

Climbing hills -- even gentle ones -- is a good way to build your power.

Sprints are good... both to build your ability to "jump" and get a gap or a good head start to drop that annoying guy who's been sucking your wheel the past mile or two... or beat your buddies on the group ride to the town line, to the coffee shop, or whatever the moment's goal is. Fartlek is a good method here that keeps things a little random and fun, unlike the strict by-the-stopwatch approach that intervals so often take on. Have an agreement with your riding buddies to sprint for city limit or county boundary signs, or for every tenth telphone pole, or whatever.

Find some buddies to ride with who are a little bit faster and stronger than you are. Ride with them and stay with them. When you can do that consistently, break out the hurt stick and make them try and keep up with you.

When out riding by myself, and see a rider way up the road, I'll turn up the gas and try to go catch them... sort of a long interval. When you catch up, catch your breath for a bit and go pick another goal up the road, and try to catch them.

None of these are real formal training methods, but they're simple and fun, and that's what cycling is really supposed to be about

[aicabsolut]

Find some buddies to ride with who are a little bit faster and stronger than you are. Ride with them and stay with them. When you can do that consistently, break out the hurt stick and make them try and keep up with you.

This is possibly the most effective method, so long as you have the mental toughness to keep pushing yourself when your buddies are kicking your butt. It is much more effective than using tools (like a HRM) to try to push yourself outside your comfort zone. They are pushing you, and sometimes you can really do more than you think you can. Don't do this every ride, obviously. It will get demoralizing and you don't want to be pushing your limit ALL the time. If you have a good group that challenges you, is friendly and makes the ride fun, you'll certainly get faster learning how to keep up with them.

[7rider]

When out riding by myself, and see a rider way up the road, I'll turn up the gas and try to go catch them... sort of a long interval. When you catch up, catch your breath for a bit and go pick another goal up the road, and try to catch them.

None of these are real formal training methods, but they're simple and fun, and that's what cycling is really supposed to be about

I'll do this on my commutes...which are (lately) normally solo rides.
I'll sprint for a minute....spin for a minute....sprint...spin...
It makes the miles go by more quickly and serves as some good interval training.

[bluebug32]

You can keep it interesting with town sign sprints too. Designate certain signs "sprint signs" and when you see one in the distance go close to or all out to get there.

I second the riding with the group advice, too. Overall, just stick with it and keep challenging yourself to go harder an longer and you'll see improvements.

[ilima]

Intervals. Throw in some 1 minute all-out efforts with 2-3 minutes recover. Repeat 5 times if you can. The 1 minute efforts really start to hurt at about 45 seconds.

Intervals actually help build endurance, too.