The infamous fitness plateau is a state no athlete wishes to face. We’re going to make sure you never find yourself there. Throughout this discussion, we will introduce two foundational theories to understand what happens to our bodies when we train. By doing so, we aim to illuminate why certain practices yield results, while others achieve…
Power is the only objective metric you can use to train with. Other metrics — distance, heart rate, RPE — are subjective. This isn’t newfound knowledge. Most cyclists know this, but there are far fewer cyclists who have spent the time to really get it. So why is having more than a baseline understanding of…
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…
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…
Every cyclist will miss prescribed workouts in their training plan at some point, but it’s not the end of the world. The key is knowing how to adjust your training plan to keep your training on track. Training Interruptions Whether you’ve become sick or found yourself on vacation during the middle of a training plan, it’s…
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…