Sean Hurley

Bonking is a dreaded experience, an exhaustion of fuel and shutdown of the body’s ability to exert itself. The term gets thrown around a lot, but if you’ve ever felt it you know how bad it can be, and how hard it is to recover from. So just what is a bonk, why is it a bad thing, and how can you avoid it?

VO2 max is not fixed, and structured training can significantly improve this key factor, especially if maintained consistently over the long-term. Let’s take a look at how.

With over 100 million workouts completed during the last ten years, TrainerRoad athletes have gained an incredible amount of experience, so we asked what useful tips they’d learned along the way.

A dirty chain can cause expensive components to prematurely wear out, poor shifting, and lost efficiency—costing you watts. Learn a quick and easy way to clean and lube your chain, so you can keep putting in the hard work.

Sometimes, it’s fun to put real life aside and spend a few days focused only on riding your bike and getting fitter. This is commonly known as a training camp, and it’s one of the true joys of cycling for athletes of all abilities. So what should you know before planning your next training camp?

For optimal results, you need to adjust your training plan. Whether it’s because of a change in your schedule or your fitness, there are ways to adjust your plan to achieve your full potential.  But what types of changes should you be making?

Protein is an essential macronutrient and plays a major role in the process of getting faster through training. If you’re an endurance athlete you probably need more of it than you think, but timing is key, and there are lots of variables to keep in mind. Let’s clear things up!

Training Stress Score (TSS), Intensity Factor (IF), and Workout Levels are useful ways to quantify the challenge and effect of a workout. Taken together, these 3 metrics help tell the story of your training, but it’s important to understand the differences of each. What does each metric mean, and how can you use them to get faster?

Cycling is usually thought of as cardiovascular activity and rightly so. But bike riding also works the skeletal muscles. The production of power to drive the pedals involves complex activation of several muscle groups. Of course, the muscles most used in cycling are the legs, but you use muscle groups through the trunk and upper body. Depending on your cycling discipline, the level activation of these groups will vary.

Regardless of your experience level, getting started with an indoor cycling training plan is easy. With the demands of family and work life, indoor cycling training is not only convenient, but it’s also incredibly efficient—meaning you can get faster in less time. In this guide, we’ll cover indoor cycling training plans, workouts, and tips for success.

When it comes to indoor training, the most common mistake we see athletes make is with their cooling. Heat can negatively affect your performance and workout quality. How can you make sure your indoor training setup has enough cooling?

Getting started with indoor training is easy. With plenty of options to choose from, you’ll be ready to ride in no time. Here are our recommendations for the best indoor trainer setup that meets your budget.

Despite countless advances in sports science, outdated and counterproductive beliefs about training and fitness are commonplace in the peloton. In this post, we take a look at five persistent bits of old-fashioned cycling wisdom, and update our understanding with a more modern perspective.

Learn how TSS measures training load, why it matters for cyclists, and how TrainerRoad helps you track and balance training stress effectively.

The body has three energy systems. As an endurance sport, cycling focuses on the aerobic system. But for those quick moments when peak power output is needed, it’s all about neuromuscular power zone. This article will cover how it works, how you use it, and what you can do to train it.

TrainerRoad’s one and only mission is to make you a faster cyclist. But what if, for some reason, you wanted to get slower? Here are our top tips for getting worse at cycling.

Good entertainment is essential for indoor training success, and it can boost your motivation and improve your workout quality. What’s the best entertainment option for your next workout?

FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power and estimates the highest average power can sustain for one hour, measured in watts. For cycling, FTP is a measure of fitness and an important metric that indicates the amount of work you can sustain for long durations. Additionally, it’s used to determine power zones that are used in training.

The offseason is the perfect time to introduce strength training to your routine. The good news is that you don’t have to invest much time to reap all the benefits. Here are exercises and tips to help get you started.

Nailing your cycling nutrition is one of the easiest ways to improve your performance. Often overlooked but rarely unimportant, it can be complicated and confusing. For peak endurance performance, you’ll need sufficient fuel and hydration, not only for training but for your events as well. This guide will help you with everything you need to know about cycling nutrition.

Understanding how your mountain, gravel, and road bike tire size is measured can help you fine-tune your equipment, and learning how tire size relates to performance can make you faster when it counts. What are the basics of bike tire size?

For many cyclists, the winter season offers an opportunity to reset and begin a new season of training. Here are ten tips to make the most of your winter training.

The end of the year is a great time to reflect on what you’ve achieved over the past 12 months and set your sights on what comes next. Try spending a month this winter focused on small aspects of training you can fully control with our 5 favorite process goals.

More athletes than ever before are switching to a plant-based vegan or vegetarian diet. What are the potential benefits, challenges, and things to keep in mind when eliminating animal products from your diet as an athlete?

Your indoor cycling setup doesn’t need to be glamorous. It just needs to work for you in terms of function and convenience. Here are some of the best cycling accessories to maximize your indoor training. 

Learn how Sweet Spot Training can enhance your cycling performance by improving FTP and endurance. Discover effective workouts and training plans tailored for time-crunched cyclists.

Every workout in a training plan is there for a reason. Sometimes, the purpose is obvious— long threshold workouts prepare you for a time trial, while criterium racers benefit from high-intensity repeats. But some plans also include relatively easy, hour-long endurance spins between harder days. What’s the point of these workouts, and is it ok to skip them?

Whatever your goals are and however you ride, you can become a faster cyclist, with the right training. From setting goals to choosing a training plan, our beginner’s guide to cycling training covers everything you need to get started.

There are many ways to quantify performance in cycling, but two of the most commonly-cited data points are VO2 max and FTP. These metrics are related but distinct, and the connection between them is easy to misunderstand. So what’s the link between VO2 max and FTP, and what role do they play in determining your fitness?

As an athlete, you put in countless hours of hard work. But are you sure you’re getting the most out of it? Different individuals respond to training at different rates, and unforeseen life events can cause training interruptions. In the past, it’s been up to you to adjust your training. Now with Adaptive Training, you’re an individual, and your training plan is too.

Have you ever wished TrainerRoad could actively respond to your unique strengths, weaknesses, and scheduling needs, to train you as an individual and make you faster? Now it can! Introducing Adaptive Training, the biggest update ever to TrainerRoad. Adaptive Training uses machine learning, science-based coaching principles, and an unprecedented data set to train you as an individual and make you a faster cyclist.

Whoever you are and however you ride, Adaptive Training treats you as an individual so you can get faster. Learn how to get the right workout, every time in this guide on how to use Adaptive Training.

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year for a variety of reasons. Add in the stress of managing your training and nutrition, and frankly, it can all be overwhelming. Don’t worry, here are some tips to help you manage your training throughout the holidays.

It’s finally here! After years of planning and excitement, our TrainerRoad teams are finally in South Africa for Cape Epic. Follow along here to meet our teams, learn about each stage of the race, and get daily updates!

Discover how to find your optimal cycling cadence and enhance your performance with effective cadence drills. Learn techniques to boost efficiency and power on the bike.

Every cyclist wants to get faster. By becoming more aerodynamic, more efficient, and more powerful with structured training, you can improve your cycling speed at any age.

Professional cyclists are among the toughest athletes in the world. But you don’t have to train like a pro to learn from them. In fact, training like a professional might not be the best fit for you. These five training tips from pros can be used by anyone that wants to get faster. 

Trying new things can be daunting, especially when there are as many useful features to explore as there are in TrainerRoad. It can be hard to know where to begin, and even with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you still want to be confident you’re making the most of your time. Well, we’ve got you covered! Follow these 6 easy steps to see how the training system that’s made thousands and thousands of athletes faster can help you reach your goals, too.

Peak sprint power is a combination of fitness and technique. Just because you wouldn’t label yourself as a sprinter, doesn’t mean you can’t have a powerful snap. With the right combination of cycling sprint workouts and drills, you can increase your peak sprint power. 

Part bike race, part rolling adventure, Gran Fondos offer something for every cyclist and are among the most welcoming cycling events. What are the defining characteristics of these rides, and how can you train for success at your next Gran Fondo?

Cyclists are constantly searching for that magic training bullet to take our performance to the next level. But we often spend so much time pondering what we should be doing, that we neglect to consider the things that we shouldn’t— and as it turns out, most of us are holding ourselves back with a few easily solvable mistakes. Which of these five common errors are you making in your training? 

The gradual toll of aging is an inescapable fact of life. But like a fine wine, many endurance athletes continue to improve their fitness and health even as the years pass by. What physiological changes do masters cyclists experience, and how can you use smart training and recovery strategies to get faster, no matter your age? 

Cyclocross is an exciting and intense form of racing with passionate fans and competitors. But what is ‘cross and what is the best training plan for it? Whether you have the technical skills & fitness of both a mountain biker and a roadie, or you’re on a path leading you to this incredibly entertaining cycling discipline, this guide will cover everything you need to know about cyclocross training.

Exploring new terrain on your bike is one of the true joys of cycling. But if you’re unprepared when flying to your destination, your trip can be ruined by expensive fees, damaged equipment, and logistical challenges. Luckily, flying with a bike can be fairly easy and affordable if you plan ahead. What do you need to know before embarking on your next cycling adventure?

Francesco Magisano, blind since the age of 16, is a triathlete, cyclist, and the New York City metro region director for Achilles International, a global organization dedicated to transforming the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connection. Tune in to learn how Francesco used TrainerRoad to add 120w to his FTP and place second in the 2021 USA National Para-cycling Road and Time Trial Championships.

Cycling is a great weight loss tool. Combining a healthy diet with structured training paves the way for increased performance. Whether you have a little or a lot to lose, these tips will help you lose weight and be a faster cyclist.

It’s fun to get faster. Whether you race or not, structured training is the most efficient way to reach your cycling goals. Get faster for your local group rides, gran fondo, or simply improve your fitness with a science-based training plan.

Jarret Oldham can regularly be seen at the front of the fastest crits and road races in the United States. How does he use TrainerRoad to succeed in elite-level racing?

Your heart rate naturally increases during exercise to fuel your muscles with oxygen. How can you improve your capacity to uptake oxygen and get faster?

Cyclists use the anaerobic system to power over hills, close gaps in the pack, and attack off the front to win races. How can you use anaerobic intervals to become a faster rider?

John Peter is an endurance athlete with a long history of high-volume training and racing that masked many signs of bipolar disorder. But throughout the journey, this father, teacher, and high school coach discovered ways to balance life, training, and mental health.

Track all the hard work you put into your training— even when riding without a power meter. TrainerRoad’s new and improved TSS estimation uses machine learning to calculate TSS for outside rides without power meters more accurately than RPE-based estimates.

Sweet Spot intervals are one of the most effective ways to get faster. And while they might feel difficult now, you can quickly improve your ability to nail these types of workouts. Let’s take a look at how to execute your Sweet Spot intervals.

Every bike race offers an opportunity to learn and improve, no matter how you finish. Let’s learn how to analyze data from a criterium so you can be a more effective competitor nice time you race.

Normalized Power (NP)® is a mathematically adjusted measurement of average cycling power, designed to better reflect the variable experience of riding a bike. How does Normalized Power work, and how can you use it to analyze your performance and get faster?

Logan McPherson, a soon-to-be father from Dallas, Texas, wanted to get in on the fast-paced action of crit racing. With the help of Jeff Linder of NorCal Cycling and TrainerRoad, Logan went from sitting on the couch to racing in one of the hardest criteriums in America—Tulsa Tough, and he has some tips to help any beginner racer.

Workout Alternates are a powerful way to find workouts with the same difficulty and structure as what your plan has scheduled, at a different duration. It helps keep your training on track, even when your schedule changes.

Whether you are training indoors or riding a gran fondo, hydration is crucial for your health and performance. Physiology, weather, and time all play a role in what to drink when cycling. Deciding what to drink when cycling helps you create a hydration plan and set you up for success.

Taylor Lideen’s victory at this year’s Unbound XL gravel race was an awe-inspiring achievement of physical endurance. But the sheer absurdity of riding alone for almost 23 hours, over 350 miles of rugged gravel, hides an even more challenging battle Taylor has faced with depression and anxiety.

Having the right gearing can make or break your ride. But with the wide range of options available these days, choosing the right gearing can be an overwhelming and complicated task. Let’s get to the bottom of how gearing works and how to choose the right gears for your terrain and discipline.

Workout Profiles give you a more detailed view of the intervals needed to build the specific fitness required for your goals. This guide will cover everything you need to know about Workout Profiles.

The big event is only a few weeks away. You’ve put in the hard work, and now you want to ensure that your body is ready to perform for your most important event. Tapering and peaking can seem complex. This guide will help you hit peak fitness just in time for your event.

Endurance athletes love a challenge, and reflexively gravitate towards harder workouts and higher volumes in their training. But for most athletes, this isn’t the most productive or sustainable path. Is a high-volume training plan right for you?

A clean bike is a fast bike, even when it’s on the trainer. Training is hard on your body and equipment whether you’re riding indoors or out. This bike maintenance checklist for training can make sure your bike is ready to work as hard as you do.

We cyclists spend lots of time thinking about how to win bike races, but what if we should actually spend more time thinking about losing? Hear us out— maybe by better understanding what leads to an outcome we want to avoid, we can prevent common mistakes, and fine-tune our efforts to achieve better results. In that spirit, we present our top 15 most effective and time-honored ways to lose a bike race. Tested and perfected by generations of disappointed cyclists, these ill-advised techniques are guaranteed to work for you, too.

TrainNow helps you quickly choose ideal individual workouts to fit your fitness and schedule. While it doesn’t replace the long-term focus of a training plan, sometimes you need more flexibility, and TrainNow lets you get faster on your terms. How can you benefit from TrainNow’s personalized workout recommendations?

Melissa Paurowski, a busy wife, mom, and teacher, searched for a new challenge after her goal event was canceled. She decided to enter a grueling, ultra-distance triathlon, with a 4.8-mile swim, 224-mile bike, and 52.4-mile run. Hoping to finish within the time limit, Melissa crushed her goal with time to spare.

For decades, athletes have blamed lactic acid for the burn in their legs during exercise, and considered lactate to be a waste product of the muscles. What does the science actually say?

Discover how to train effectively using cycling power zones. Learn about each zone’s benefits and how TrainerRoad adapts workouts to your fitness level.

For endurance athletes, carbs are vital for maximum performance. If you want to go fast, you’ve got to have sugar onboard. That means consuming 60-90 grams of carbs per hour of cycling. Whether you’ve got a big training day or event, these carbohydrate nutrition tips will help.

TrainerRoad is committed to constantly improving our training plans to make you a faster cyclist. We’ve used the data and insights from Adaptive Training and our machine learning algorithms to quantify workout difficulty more precisely than ever before. Every training plan still accomplishes the same objectives but has been optimized to increase its effectiveness.

There’s a variety of aspects to think about when you’re preparing for long solo rides. Whether it’s an epic time trial or even a long-distance mass start race, you can assume you’ll be riding alone for a good bit of time. Here are five tips to help you on those long solo rides.

TrainNow is a quick and easy way to choose ideal individual workouts, catered to your fitness and abilities. It’s perfect for athletes who aren’t on a training plan, or who want to supplement unstructured riding with some more productive time on the bike. And now it’s getting even better at picking the perfect workout thanks to some new improvements under the hood.

Today, we’re rolling out the first features of Adaptive Training. With this release, you can now easily compare workouts with Workout Levels, get the ideal workout type based on your recent training history with TrainNow. We’ve also updated all 100 TrainerRoad training plans and added over 600 new workouts. These new features are available today!

Workout Levels are a new way to understand and compare the difficulty of workouts. Workout Levels go beyond simple metrics like TSS or IF, and better represent the real-world challenge of training.

Erica Carney won the 2017 US national criterium championship, but like every racer she started as a beginner. We asked Erica what advice she wishes she’d received when she was just getting started racing bikes.

Get ready to push the pedals for one hundred miles with these five workouts for your century. The demands of your century can be wide-ranging depending on the course, but at the core is aerobic fitness and muscular endurance. These workouts will cover that and more.

TrainNow is a smarter way to choose individual TrainerRoad workouts. Incorporating the power of Adaptive Training, TrainNow recommends ideal workouts for your current fitness, at the duration and intensity of your choice. What does the data tell us about how and why TrainerRoad athletes are using this new feature?

To become a faster cyclist, there’s an optimal, science-backed training process to follow, and it’s more than just one type of workout. Learn how progressive training can help you to reach new levels of fitness.

Alex Sandilands had a rapid rise to 4.8w/kg after transitioning from years of running, but that quickly fell apart after an MRI from an overuse injury exposed disturbing effects of starvation. Fortunately, Alex became aware of his disordered eating and got his health back on track to reach new heights in terms of both power and health.

Group riding is one of the great joys of cycling. Drafting lets you go much faster than you would on your own, and the camaraderie of others is a powerful motivation to push your limits. If you understand the crucial skills, techniques, and etiquette of group cycling, you can be a faster, more efficient, and safer cyclist on your next group ride.

Science is at the heart of what TrainerRoad does, and that means evaluating the latest research. Whether it’s creating new training plans or preparing for deep dives on the Ask A Cycling Coach podcast, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge that will make you faster. With some practice, anyone can critically analyze scientific research, and Amber Pierce has some tips to help you get started.

Few experiences in cycling are more dreaded than getting dropped. As your legs reach their limit and the wheel in front of you begins to slip away, a sense of panic gives way to a sinking feeling of helplessness, and ultimately frustration. What can you do to prevent getting dropped?

You’ve put in months of hard work training, until nervous energy keeps you wide awake the night before your event. Is your big day ruined? Probably not, but better sleep could still be the key to getting faster.

Power meters are the only objective way to measure cycling performance and have revolutionized how cyclists train. How much do you know about power meters and how to use them?

Competition runs in Georgina von Marburg’s blood. From the tennis court, to criteriums, to elite Enduro races, this versatile Australian athlete feeds on a challenge. She’s also faced setbacks along the way, but her love of cycling and commitment to consistency help her succeed and get faster.

TrainerRoad’s newly-redesigned mobile app for iOS and Android devices let you plan and control your training from one place. Create a custom training plan with Plan Builder, manage and schedule rides on your Calendar, and get intelligently recommended workouts with TrainNow. The new TrainerRoad mobile app is available today!

In Polarized training, the majority of training stress occurs at low or high intensity, with little to no time spent at moderate intensity. It’s a hot topic in cycling, but it’s also the subject of widespread confusion and uncertainty.

For endurance athletes, proper fueling is vital for peak performance. But are there any benefits to fueling your shorter workouts? Find out why, how, and when to fuel your short workouts.

Cycling is well-known for its health benefits, one of which is weight loss. But starting a weight loss program can be difficult, especially when managing a training schedule. Here are five tips to help you get started.

For Derek Teel, being fast means being strong. Derek is a former pro downhill racer and owner of Dialed Health, a strength training service for cyclists. Derek’s advice on getting stronger can make every athlete faster.

Exogenous ketone esters are a hot topic in cycling. In our second conversation with Dr. Chiel Poffe, we learn about his research into using ketone esters to benefit recovery from high-volume training.

There is a new way to train on your terms with the power of Adaptive Training. TrainNow gives you the flexibility to complete structured training, when and how you want, with intelligently recommended workouts. However you want to ride, TrainNow can help you get faster.

Power-to-weight ratio is one of the most important metrics in cycling, but it can also be a negative influence driving athletes to obsess over weight. Learn how it can help make you faster if used correctly.

If you’ve been paying attention to professional cycling over the last few seasons, you’ve probably heard talk of ketone esters. Can this substance improve performance? And if so, how?

After more than 30 years racing bikes, professional strength coach Art O’Connor continues to push himself with new challenges. Learn how he used smart training to conquer a 21- hour race in extreme cold conditions.

Heat adversely affects the body’s ability to do work, but strategic utilization of heat in a training regimen can facilitate performance increases. Dr. Chris Minson, one of the leading experts and researchers on this topic, explains how heat training can improve your performance and offers tips on how to prepare for events in hot conditions.

Power is the only truly objective way of assessing performance in cycling, but power meters and smart trainers are a luxury for many athletes. Find out how you can get the benefits of structured training without a power meter, and why this type of training can even benefit riders with access to expensive equipment.

Casper Green raised his FTP 70 watts with TrainerRoad to train for local group rides in Houston, Texas, all while being a busy father and working a demanding job in home automation. By making small changes along the way and staying consistent with a low-volume training plan Curtis lost 35 pounds and reached 4.0 W/kg.

Fitness is never stagnant, and if you reduce training stress, you experience detraining. Find out what it is, why it happens, and the rate at which it occurs.