Layman's advice on bike training

This came from Rich Strauss on Gordo's forum, it seems to ring true.

Layman's advice:

If you want to ride fast, you have to ride fast.

The shorter the ride, the harder you ride.

If you have time to ride long, ride long.

If you don't and only have 5-7hrs/wk to ride but you ride like the guy with 18-20hrs, you will be slow.

If you noodle around at 18-20mph, what makes you think you'll magically be able to ride faster some day? Again, gotta ride fast to ride fast.

20mph in the aerobars is not fast. If you think it is, you need to train with other people who will expand your perspective of what is possible.

50-60 miles is not far. But if you think you're special because you can ride 100 at 18-19mph and run off the bike, you're wrong. That roadie who only rides 50-60 on the weekend, at 23-25mph, could knock out a couple centuries and fall asleep next to you at your pace. Fast at 40k is fast at 180k. Period.

Don't be afraid to ride too hard. Don't be afraid to ride too long. Don't be afraid to ride too long or too hard. That's what cell phones are for.

Insert rider on bike. Push watts, recover, repeat.

Train with faster people, much faster. Learn group skills.

Your fitness is a vehicle for doing cool shit. Love the bike and love the speed. Put cool shit on the calendar that is a fun mix of hard and long. Train for that cool shit, recover, repeat.

The Ironman run is much more about durability and so is a different animal. But in the past year I've seen new athletes make huge strides because they've bought into the points above: they show up, work, repeat.

In the end, the most successful athletes I've seen simply love the speed of the bike and the excitement of doing cool shit. No one has told them they can't do something so they just do it.