Alcohol is intimately related to cycling and racing in general. Post-ride trail brews, podium champagne and “recovery beers” are all a regular part of our cycling vernacular and culture, but if you’re trying to take your training seriously, should they be? The effects of alcohol on performance can be narrowed down to two things: how…
For many cyclists, their warmup routines before a race look a lot like riding around at a moderate pace for 10-20 minutes, depending on how long their event is. This is changing. In place of loose, unspecific pre-race workouts are structured workouts that riders are opting to do on the trainer — you may have…
If you’re brand new to racing, it’s pretty straightforward to know which racing category you should start out in. But what if you’re coming back to racing? What category should you race and, more interestingly, what does it say about you as a racer? These are just a couple questions I’m about to dig into. Cycling…
Burnout is a common problem with serious cyclists, but recognizing burnout and differentiating it from common fatigue is necessary if your goal is to get faster. Here’s our guide to burnout — how to recognize it and what to do about it. What Is Burnout? Training hard makes you faster, but only when it’s structured appropriately. Every time…
Every interval of our training plans is intentionally placed and structured to make you faster. So what should you do if you can’t complete an interval? Here’s our simple guide to teach you how to know when it’s okay to bail out of an interval workout, plus tips for bailing out smartly. Interval workouts are meant…
We’re commonly asked, “Does bike geometry affect power output?” Or more specific questions like, “Does my saddle position affect my power output?” To get to the truth of the matter, we interviewed an expert. Overview Brian Gordon is a kinesiologist, certified Body Geometry Fit Specialist and Mountain Bike Product Developer for Specialized. Over the past…
Most bike races and triathlons are endurance events that require you to pace your effort. To make sure your next race is successful, create a pacing plan and follow it with precision. In every bike race your energy should be viewed as an hourglass. The harder you work, the faster the sand falls to the…
The objective of an FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test is to get an accurate indication of your current fitness level. As you progress through your training plan, your fitness will improve. Since your FTP is used to adjust the intensity of your power-based training to your needs, it’s extremely important that you have an accurate measurement…
Prioritizing your races throughout the year is a necessary part of building an annual training plan. By strategically planning your events, you can build fitness, confidence and experience that will give you the best chance at success for your big race day. Why Prioritize Your Events? Cyclists and triathletes tend to be very competitive people who…
TrainerRoad’s Ask a Cycling Coach podcast is dedicated to making you a faster cyclist. It gives you the chance to get answers to your cycling and triathlon training questions with USAC certified coaches Chad Timmerman, Jonathan Lee and special guests. Check out a couple questions we answered in our latest episode. Listen to the Full Episode How do…