How to measure cycling progress: the numbers to trust
Which numbers show that your cycling is improving, in order of how far to trust them, with a fair retest, a monthly table to copy and normal plateaus.
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Cycling coaching questionnaire: a template to copy
A new-rider questionnaire for cycling coaches in seven parts, with a health screen and red flags, a filled-in example and the first four weeks it leads to.
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Sportive training plan: 16 weeks at three levels
A 16-week sportive or gran fondo plan for 5, 8 or 10 hours a week: the long-ride build, climbing sessions, fuelling practice, the taper and pacing on the day.
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Gravel race preparation: course, pacing, fuel and kit
The last four weeks before a gravel race: study the course, set power caps, plan food and water by the hour, choose tyres and kit, and carry your own tools.
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Lower back pain cycling: what to check, in what order
A sore lower back after riding points to the cleats, saddle, reach and drop, cranks or a jump in training. What to check first, and when to see a doctor.
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How to increase FTP: what works, and a 12-week block
How to raise your FTP with steady riding, sweet spot, threshold and VO2max work: how much it rises at each level, a 12-week block and a fair retest.
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Training diary for cyclists: what to write and why
What to write in a cycling training diary in under a minute, a week's template to copy, the weekly look back, and how a coach reads a diary.
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How fast do you lose fitness when you stop cycling?
What research shows for one, two and four weeks off the bike, after illness and in the off-season, what comes back first, and how to return to training.
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Pro cyclist power output: what the studies show
How many watts pro cyclists produce on climbs, in sprints and over a whole stage, from peer-reviewed team data, and how to compare your own numbers fairly.
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Cycling goals: how to set goals that work
How to set cycling goals that work: outcome, performance and process goals, measurable targets, three worked examples, a monthly review and what research shows.
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Bike fit cost: what you pay for at each level
What a sizing, basic, full and motion-capture bike fit include, what makes one cost more than another, how to judge value and what to ask before booking.
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TRIMP: how to calculate training impulse for cycling
Banister's TRIMP, Edwards' zones, Lucia's thresholds and the individual version, worked through one ride, and how each compares with session RPE and power.
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History of power meters: from SRM to smart trainers
How the cycling power meter began with Ulrich Schoberer's SRM crankset in the 1980s, spread to hubs, pedals and smart trainers, and changed training.
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