hi there, 62 years old flat country long distance rider here.

lighter gearing, higher cadence and intervals,intervals,intervals, on and off of the bike.

there are several podcasts which over music in intervals series for runners. Podrunner.com springs to mind. I alternate a day of at least 30 miles of intervals (both speed and resistance) on the bike with a lighter day of stretching and working intervals at the gym for an hour or so and have managed to get myself up to an easy 18 long time or distance crusing speed, which is just about as fast as I want to be right now.

marni