Training Advances - What's your favourite and how would you rate it?

I’ve been training “seriously” since 2005. I bought my first power meter in 2007, it changed everything and is, without doubt, the best investment I have ever made in terms of becoming a better cyclist and a fitter human being.

I don’t think I am alone. Power meters have revolutionised training. While there may be some who train to world class level without ever using a power meter they will I think be the exception, even more so if the demands of their speciality last longer than a few 10s of seconds.

However power meters have been around for a while now. Decades in fact. My feeling is that training has not moved on significantly, certainly in terms of theory and, to a lesser extent in terms of software/hardware since they first became available to folk like like me.

Things have changed for sure. Power meters are now commonplace and cheap so they are widely used. So many benefit rather than the few.

But in terms of advances in training approach I am not sure what progress has been made since 2007, especially in terms of what has become mainstream and accepted.

So a question. What are your views on what has got better about cycle training over the last 15 years? And, if power meters are 10/10 in terms of scale of impact how would you rate them.

As a starter here is my number 1.

“Smart Trainers” 8/10 (personal) 5/10 (general)
Smart trainers (those that can be programmed to change resistance) were a game changer as far as I was concerned. They allowed me to train for the specific demands of my preferred rides (long climbs and TTs) in a way that is impossible in real life given where I live.
They also enabled the explosion of apps, including Trainerroad, that used them to deliver a range of indoor training options.

However while these have been popular with some I think they are still in a minority. Outside of lockdown most cyclists prefer to ride outdoors. I understand and respect that, for many the objective of riding a bike is to ride a bike. Also many, if not most, are more motivated by outdoor training and that alone makes it the best method for them.

Any other thoughts? What significant improvements have there been in training (theory, software or hardware) and how would you rate them out of 10 and why?

on bike Nutrition.

I’d put it up there with power meters. 10 years ago, 90g/hr sounded insane. I think we are just starting to understand how far we can actually take on the bike fueling.

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