We started Ask a Cycling Coach with one goal in mind: to give cyclists — TrainerRoad users or not — the information they need to make the most of their training and achieve their goals. More than 150,000 listens later, we’re introducing a page dedicated to our podcast, along with a few new ways to ask…
“How do you like to recover after training hard or an event?,” is the lone question that caused an avalanche of deeply thoughtful and unique responses. Before I go any further, let me give you some back history. Prior to sitting down to write this post, I asked this question on Slack, a messaging platform…
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…
Reading a hundred online articles sometimes doesn’t provide the same benefit as reading one great book — at least that’s what I’ve found in my 10+ years of researching cycling topics including power-based training, nutrition, strength training and more. On my office bookshelf alone I have upwards of 250 books. This list of ten are…
Lately, we’ve been getting an influx in questions about whether smart trainers are bad for your training. Our straightforward answer is no — we’ve actually found the opposite to be true. For athletes who might have concerns about using a smart trainer, in today’s post we’re addressing five questions we’ve been asked recently. Question #1:…
Mitchell Quinn never misses a workout. Rather, he rarely — very rarely —misses a workout. Nearly 50 days into 2016 and the multi-disciplinary rider hasn’t gone a single day without getting on the trainer — that’s not even the most impressive part of his story. Since September of 2014, Mitchell has been riding consistently every…
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…
Cyclists who ignore metrics like Resting Heart Rate (RHR) to measure their recovery are leaving a lot on the table. This simple approach to quantifying recovery takes little time or effort, it can guide your decision making, and it might even give you that little bit more you need to win. Overview Power meters enable riders to precisely measure their…