Train smarter, ride stronger. Our fitness and performance guides cover training zones, periodization, interval sessions, recovery science, nutrition for cyclists, and the metrics that matter for measurable improvement on the bike.
Drafting, or riding in the slipstream of another cyclist, is one of the most effective ways to conserve energy on the bike. Studies have shown that riding behind another cyclist can reduce your aerodynamic drag by 25 to 40 percent, allowing you to maintain the same speed while using significantly less energy. In a well-organized … Read more
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 shapes the body in predictable ways: well-developed quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves; a strong but lean core; a relatively weaker upper body; and (for serious cyclists) reduced overall body fat. Long-term cyclists tend to be lean and muscular below the waist with average upper-body development. Adding off-bike strength training balances the upper body and … 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.
Power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) is your sustainable cycling power divided by your body weight in kg. It’s the most important number for climbing — gravity scales with weight, but propulsion scales with power. A trained recreational cyclist sits at 2.5–3.5 W/kg; a competitive amateur 3.5–4.5; a Cat 1–2 racer 4.5–5.5; a WorldTour pro 5.5–7.0+. Below we … 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 is the maximum oxygen your body can use per kg of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min) — the gold-standard measure of aerobic fitness. For men: a 20-year-old in good shape is 45–52, a 40-year-old is 38–44, a 60-year-old is 30–36. For women: 20-year-old 38–44, 40-year-old 32–37, 60-year-old 26–30. Elite cyclists hit 70–90. Below … 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 builds the gastrocnemius (the upper, visible calf muscle) and the soleus (the deeper calf muscle that handles long-duration efforts). The gastrocnemius does most of the work during high-cadence efforts and standing climbs; the soleus carries the load during seated steady-state riding. Cycling produces well-developed but not bulky calves — typical pro riders measure 36–42 … Read more
A 70 kg (155 lb) cyclist burns roughly 30–35 calories per mile at a moderate 14 mph pace, 50–60 calories per mile at 18 mph, and 70–80+ calories per mile at race pace. For a 1-hour ride: easy ≈ 300–400 kcal; moderate ≈ 500–700 kcal; hard ≈ 800–1000+ kcal. Heavier riders and steeper gradients burn … Read more
A Tabata ride is a structured 4-minute interval session: 20 seconds at maximum intensity (above VO2 max), 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times. The original 1996 Tabata study found this protocol delivered greater aerobic AND anaerobic gains than 60 minutes of moderate cycling. On a bike, that means 20-second all-out efforts in a hard gear … Read more
The six best HIIT cycling workouts are: Tabata (8 × 20s/10s), 30/30s (8 × 30s hard / 30s easy), 1:1 minute intervals (5 × 1 min hard / 1 min easy), the “40/20” VO2 protocol (10 × 40s hard / 20s easy), micro-bursts (15s sprint / 15s easy × 12), and the classic 4 × … 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
Average bike speeds: a casual cyclist on flat ground averages 10–12 mph (16–19 km/h); a fitness rider averages 14–16 mph; a trained club rider averages 17–22 mph on a road bike; mountain bikers average 8–12 mph on trails; and pro road riders average 25 mph in races. Below we break down realistic speeds by experience … Read more
Caffeine is one of the most effective legal ergogenic aids — 3-6 mg per kg of body weight (roughly 1-2 strong coffees) taken 30-60 minutes before riding can boost endurance performance by 2-5% and reduce perceived effort. Below, we cover dose timing, side effects, and how to use coffee effectively before training and racing. For … Read more
Zone 2 cycling sits at 65-75% of max heart rate or 56-75% of FTP — an effort where you can hold a full conversation. It builds aerobic base, mitochondrial density, and fat oxidation. Most pros spend 70-80% of weekly hours in Zone 2. Below, we explain how to find your Z2, how long to ride, … Read more
A healthy cycling diet should provide 5-10g of carbs per kg of body weight on heavy training days, 1.4-1.7g/kg of protein, and prioritize whole foods (oats, rice, lean protein, vegetables) for everyday meals — with simple carbs reserved for during/after rides. Below, we break down macros, meal timing, and sample daily plans. A healthy cycling … Read more
The best strength exercises for cyclists target the hip extensors and core: deadlifts (heavy, 3 × 5 reps), Bulgarian split squats (3 × 8 each leg), single-leg Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, plank variations, and Pallof presses. Twice a week of 30–40 minutes is enough — cyclists rarely need more volume. The goal is force production, … 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
The average cyclist takes 5-7 minutes to bike a mile on flat terrain (roughly 8-12 mph). Trained road cyclists average 3-4 minutes per mile (15-20 mph), while casual or e-bike riders fall in the 4-5 minute range. Wind, hills, traffic, and bike type can all add 30+ seconds. Below, we break down expected mile times … Read more
The most effective cycling intervals for fitness gains are: 4×4 minute VO2 max efforts (raises ceiling), 2×20 minute threshold (lifts FTP), 30-30 sprints (anaerobic), and 5-10 second neuromuscular sprints. Two interval sessions per week, paired with endurance riding, drives the fastest fitness gains. Below, we cover the top 10 interval workouts. Serious training for cycling … Read more
The fastest gains in cycling speed come from three things: building threshold power with structured intervals, lowering aerodynamic drag (position matters more than gear), and dropping excess weight (rider before bike). Most riders see 1-3 mph improvements within 6-8 weeks of consistent interval training. Below are the most effective ways to get faster on the … Read more