Winter is a tough time for many cyclists. The days get cold, the nights get longer, and motivation is often low.
In my racing career as an ultra-endurance cyclist and from my experience working as a personal trainer to cyclists, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of a well-thought-out winter training regime.
Fasted training, or “fasted cardio,” involves engaging in exercise on an empty stomach, usually in the morning, following an overnight fast.
In this in-depth analysis, I’ll explore the essential knowledge you need about fasted workouts for cyclists, delving into the science, pros and cons, and who should consider incorporating this approach into their training regimen.
I was a relative latecomer to cycling, only getting into the sport around a decade ago when I was in my twenties, but I was an immediate convert to the physical and mental health benefits of cycling.
Don’t just take my word for it though – there are a ton of benefits of cycling backed up by expert advice, and the experience of thousands of other cyclists like me. From cardiovascular fitness to mental clarity, cycling has been proven to be a huge bonus for overall well-being.
Cycling is an incredibly popular form of low-impact cardiovascular exercise, which not only offers an eco-friendly and exhilarating mode of transportation and travel but also serves as an effective way to improve fitness levels. The impact that cycling will have on body shape varies between men and women due to a number of inherent physiological … Read more
Put simply, your FTP is the maximum average power output you can sustain across one hour.
In this article, I’ll be walking you through the key elements of Functional Threshold Power, from the different formats of FTP, how to do an FTP test for yourself, and how you can use your FTP to train like a professional.
Whether you’re a casual social rider or a serious racer, I want to share my experience and guidance as an ex-professional cyclist to help you understand the factors that affect how fast you climb hills on a bike – and outline how you can improve them to boost your climbing performance.
Simply put, a “Watt” (W) is a unit of power. On a scientific level, it’s equivalent to one joule per second.
Watts are most commonly calculated for cyclists through the use of a power meter, which measures torque and cadence to display power output.
Read on to find out what Watts means for cycling power, why it’s such an important element of power to understand, and how this knowledge can be implemented in your training.
In short: Yes, cycling does build muscle. However, it’s arguably more important to understand how and why cycling builds muscle, which muscle groups cycling works, and – equally importantly – which ones it doesn’t.
Strava comes in two “flavors”: Strava Free vs Paid.
After years of using Strava’s free version, I was lured in by the additional features on offer and finally decided to take the plunge and upgrade to a premium Strava subscription.
But what’s the difference? How much is Strava premium? And is the upgrade worth it?
As an ex-professional cyclist with years of experience in competitive cycling, I’ve come to understand that success on the bike isn’t just about raw power and endurance.
Whether you’re a novice cyclist looking to improve your efficiency or a seasoned rider aiming to optimize your training, understanding the importance of cycling cadence and its relationship with your cycling performance is essential.
Cycling is an efficient, low-impact form of cardiovascular exercise and is a great tool to utilize when it comes to burning calories.
Today we will discuss the science of cycling and its role in weight loss, the pros and cons of cycling 1 hour a day for weight loss, and the other health implications.
As the starting gun echoes through the morning air, a swarm of cyclists surges forward, their eyes fixed on a singular goal: the Champs-Élysées.
But what factors decide who gets there first, and what is the Tour de France average speed?
As with most things in life, the technological revolution has dramatically impacted professional cycling. New cycling tech changes the way in which amateurs and professionals alike interact with the sport.
Revolutionary advancements in aerodynamics, tracking, equipment, communication, and anti-doping tech have had direct consequences in the sport itself. Nowhere is this more present than in cycling’s biggest race: the Tour de France.
As we count down to this year’s Tour, we delve into the intense preparation that makes each pedal stroke on the road to Paris possible.
Cyclists and runners are often regarded as some of the fittest athletes on the planet, thanks to their incredible endurance and muscle strength.
However, despite the overlaps in endurance, cyclist legs vs runners legs are very different, with the two sports requiring distinctive training and injury prevention.
It might not fit our romantic ideal of cycling, of man against machine and mountain, but it is an undeniable truth that numbers win bike races.
And no number is more sacred, more enshrined in cycling folklore, than the power-to-weight ratio.
Typically measured in Watts per kg (W/kg), it is a measure of the power a cyclist can generate relative to their body weight.
Handling is one of the most important things to develop in order to enhance your cycling performance. But are there any tricks to accelerating this development?
Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned cyclist, there are always improvements to be made in your ability. Handling is perhaps one of the best routes to such improvement.
Your power to weight ratio is an important indicator of your cycling performance, particularly your climbing abilities. In this article, we’ll discuss power to weight ratio for cycling, why it matters, and how to measure your power-to-weight ratio on the bike. We’ll be covering: Let’s dive in! What Is Power To Weight Ratio? Power to … Read more
Energy drinks or sports drinks can be a super convenient way to simultaneously meet your hydration and carbohydrate needs. However, a lot of commercial sports drinks have artificial ingredients such as chemical dyes and flavorings, making them a tricky option if you’re really trying to be mindful of putting healthy fuel into your body. The … Read more
Heart rate training is one of the more scientific approaches to cycling training, as your heart rate during exercise is strongly correlated with your effort level and intensity based on the percentage of your VO2 max. However, in addition to the utility of monitoring your heart rate during exercise, or even resting heart rate, it … Read more
It’s happened to most cyclists at one time or another. Your ride is going great, you’re enjoying the miles in the saddle, your legs feel strong, and your heart rate is under control. But within minutes, everything changes. The wheels fall off – metaphorically speaking. Suddenly, every pedal stroke feels ten times harder than the … Read more
VO2 max, which is a measure of your maximal oxygen uptake, can be a particularly useful metric for cyclists because it’s a reflection of your aerobic capacity. Many cyclists have a vague understanding of VO2 max, but it can be confusing to know how to interpret VO2 max and how to use it to inform … Read more
There are many physical and mental health benefits of cycling, from improving aerobic fitness and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease to strengthening the muscles in the legs and boosting mood. Another fantastic benefit is cycling for weight loss. Biking is an efficient form of exercise to burn calories, helping you maintain a healthy weight. … Read more
There are numerous approaches to cardio training for cyclists. Some cyclists focus on doing a lot of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), others tend to stick with moderate-intensity steady-state cardio workouts, and others use heart rate zones to guide heart rate training. Another worthwhile approach is polarized cardio. Polarized cardio splits the focus to the two … Read more
There are many different metrics you can track as a cyclist, such as your speed, power, and heart rate – to name a few. Monitoring these metrics helps quantify the amount of work you’re doing on the bike, and gives you a window into the intensity of your workouts, your fitness progress, and the effectiveness … Read more
When it comes to measuring the intensity of your cycling workouts or overall cycling training program, the most reliable metric to look at is your cycling power. Sure, there’s heart rate monitoring, speed, and cadence, but your cycling power measurement is far and away the most reliable and accurate measurement of your intensity or effort. … Read more
Cyclists love nothing more than getting on their bikes and smashing through the miles. What’s better than a long ride on the road with the wind blowing through the vents of your helmet on a beautiful spring day, or a good ride on the trails where you can put the hustle and bustle of work … Read more
If you’re a multisport athlete or a triathlete, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of brick workouts. Put simply, a brick workout involves combining two different disciplines of triathlon training (usually cycling and running) one after another to simulate the physical demands of switching straight from cycling into running during a race. Brick workouts are … Read more
Whether you’re a mountain biker or roadie, you’ll split your rides between sitting on the saddle or standing up on a bike. For experienced riders, this is second nature – and you’ll often find yourself changing between riding positions subconsciously. However, you’ll often notice during a group ride that some of your buddies are sitting … Read more
Cycling is well-known for its aerobic benefits, but it also works out a variety of muscles. Professional cyclists have very toned legs, which is hardly surprising, as your legs are the primary muscle group associated with riding bikes. But is it cycling that gives these elite athletes toned legs? And how does having bigger calves … Read more
It is no secret that cycling is an excellent workout for many reasons. But how many calories does cycling burn? It would be great if we could give you a quick answer for how many calories are burned biking, but the answer isn’t so simple. There are more factors than you may think that determine the … Read more
Tabata is a specific style of HIIT training that involves extremely high-intensity efforts and very short rest periods in a specific 2:1 ratio of work to rest. A Tabata ride is a cycling workout that uses the Tabata style for hard-easy intervals. However, if you’d like to learn more about Tabata workouts to help you … Read more
High-Intensity Interval Training workouts – or HIIT workouts as they are usually abbreviated to – can offer huge fitness and speed benefits for cyclists of all abilities. Whilst you might be experienced at long-distance rides, a HIIT cycling workout can really test your ability to push yourself, and in doing so, can offer massive health … Read more
Tempo training cycling is a great alternative to Zone 2 training and an excellent way to improve your aerobic performance. Zone 2 rides are long rides at low intensity, which are pretty easy going on your body while going a long way to improving your fitness. These endurance rides have their place, but you can … Read more
Whether you ride solo or love a group ride, there’s a decent chance that you measure your progress by comparing yourself to other cyclists. With the ever-increasing popularity of cycling, we are becoming more curious about how our average bike speed measures up against other people. It’s easy to do with Strava and the various other fitness … Read more
Many people start their day with a cup of coffee to wake themselves up, but does slurping a cup of coffee before cycling give you any benefits? Of course, the caffeine content in a cup of coffee can give you a boost that will enhance your performance during a ride. This is a fact recognized … Read more
During a long and steady ride, you probably don’t think of what heart rate zone you are in. But there is a good chance you are zone 2 training for a large portion of these long-distance rides, especially if you ride regularly. The great thing about zone 2 cycling is that you experience a whole … Read more
A healthy cycling diet should provide your body with the energy and nutrients you need to fuel and recover from your rides, increase lean body mass, and support overall health. A poor diet can not only compromise your rides and limit your performance in workouts, but it can also detract and undo much of the … Read more
The massive benefits of strength training for cyclists have become one of the biking community’s worst-kept secrets. The pros have been doing it for decades, and the rest of the cycling community is finally cottoning on to what is arguably the most effective way to boost cycling performance and prevent injuries – without actually getting … Read more
The”ideal” cyclist body is a subjective concept with no single answer. Even among professional cyclists, body types vary massively according to the event a rider competes in or their role within a cycling team. A Grand Tour climber is likely to be small and extremely light to maximize their power-to-weight ratio, for example, whereas sprinters … Read more
As you get more experienced as a cyclist, you will set yourself goals. Riding 10 miles is an excellent goal to set yourself as it is a realistic distance without being too strenuous. Knowing how long it takes to ride 10 miles is a good idea, as you can plan your rides around your day. … Read more
Serious training for cycling takes more than just going for a pedal for a couple of hours at the weekend. If you want to start making some progress, you need a training plan. Training plans consist of several different sessions; these may include gym workouts, a cycling workout, and even yoga. But the most efficient … Read more
Who doesn’t want to know how to cycle faster? Whether they are chasing Strava segments or looking for a way to monitor your progress, cyclists are always looking for extra speed. Your speed is a good benchmark, as it is easy to understand, but quite a few variables affect your average speed. You don’t always … Read more