Indoor cycling is a fantastic way to stay fit when the weather turns grim, but you will need a few key pieces of kit to get started. In this guide, I'll break down what you actually need, from the best smart trainers to comfort upgrades - across a range of budgets

The real draw of indoor training is that, once set up, it’s a remarkably 'faff-free' pursuit suited to riders of all levels. For newcomers, it offers a safe environment to isolate skills like clipping in and out or riding out of the saddle without worrying about traffic or the dreaded red-light topple.

For experienced riders, it eliminates variables. Taking wind, rain, and junctions out of the equation provides clean, repeatable data to build form for spring. It's also an incredible time-saver: a structured 30-minute high-intensity cycling workout can deliver serious training adaptations from the comfort of your spare room or garage.

Smart Trainers

A smart trainer is the centrepiece of any indoor setup, but choosing between mount types, footprint, and app connectivity can feel daunting.

Trainers fall into two main categories:

Wheel-on trainers clamp your rear wheel against a roller. They remain the most wallet-friendly and best budget smart trainer options, though you will generally need a hard-wearing dedicated trainer tyre to avoid shredding your fast road tyres.

Direct-drive trainers require removing the rear wheel to mount the trainer directly to your frame. Direct-drive offers far greater power accuracy, smoother resistance changes, and zero tyre slip. That precision makes using the best indoor training apps, such as Zwift or Rouvy, significantly more immersive, turning what used to be dull turbo sessions into engaging, structured workouts.

Cooling & Clothing

Keeping cool and managing your body temperature is the single biggest hack to level up your indoor riding. Some coaches argue that hot, sweaty indoor sessions can mimic the physiological stress of altitude training, but to hit your target numbers on hard efforts, you need to stay cool.

Outdoors, forward momentum creates a constant breeze that evaporates sweat instantly. Indoors, with little to no natural airflow, heat builds up rapidly. As your core temperature climbs, your body diverts blood away from working muscles to the skin to dump heat, sending your heart rate soaring for the same wattage.

That is why investing in dedicated indoor training fans and some of the best indoor cycling clothing makes such a massive difference. Technical clothing wicks sweat away from your skin, while airflow evaporates it. It won’t feel like riding in a walk-in freezer, but keeping your temperature under control will make hard sessions far more comfortable and your workouts far more effective.

You don't need an entirely new wardrobe to start; your lightweight summer cycling kit or breathable gym wear will do the job. If you have hot-weather jerseys or mesh baselayers, these will work perfectly to get you started.

Indoor training shoes

The same logic applies to footwear: your standard and best road shoes are fine, but adding some of the best indoor cycling shoes could be worth adding to your arsenal.

These dedicated shoes focus heavily on mesh ventilation and open soles to prevent hot feet in a static riding position. Many also feature recessed cleats or softer walking pads to protect indoor floorboards from scuffs.

Level up your setup

If you have the space, it could be worth considering one of the best smart bikes. Bikes like the Zwift Ride Frame utilise a standard Smart trainer, meaning you no longer need to bring your bike indoors. It's always set up and ready to ride.

If you like CW's Steve Shrubshall and struggle to stay up in the winter, why not level up your skills and try riding rollers? The best bike rollers don't just train your legs; they force you to balance in a small space, ideal for breaking down the skill of riding on narrow trails, roads or even a peloton.

Indoor training often involves high-intensity efforts that can take a toll on your bike, kit, and even your home. So beyond the basics- a trainer, fan, and kit- a few practical accessories can protect your home and bike from corrosive sweat while streamlining your setup.

Here are a few key extras worth considering to round out your ultimate at-home training area:

Watch: Steve's first time on the rollers

The good thing about being young – apart from the obvious fact that you aren’t old – is that falling off your bicycle is but a minor inconvenience. You hit the deck, bounce straight back up and, with grazed knees and a solitary tear trickling down your cheek, happily remount your BMX or Grifter and resume your quest to catch the bad guys – all in one fluid and seamless motion.

Not so when you’re old.

When you fall off your bike in later life, you don’t bounce; you become one with the Earth’s surface, as though attempting to fossilise yourself in whichever patch of substrate has had the misfortune to break your fall.

Over the past two years, I’ve embedded myself in a variety of different surfaces – grass, mud, dirt, tarmac, gravel – with troubling regularity. I’m now on first-name terms with the triage team at my local A&E and, as pleasant as they invariably are, I have a strong desire to never see them again. I’m sure the feeling is mutual.

So why am I finding it increasingly difficult to stay rubber-side down? I put it down to a combination of ego and age. If the people on YouTube can rumble down technical descents with silky-smooth precision, surely I can, too. And as far as age goes, perhaps I’m actually unlearning how to ride a bicycle. My balance, it seems, isn’t what it used to be.

Tired of my perpetual moaning, my friend and colleague at Cycling Weekly, Dan Baines, suggested that, rather than spending the winter welded to my turbo trainer, a set of rollers might go some way towards improving my bike-handling ability.

Unlike modern turbo trainers, whose weight sees them stuck limpet-like to the floor, demanding little more from the rider than pedal strokes, rollers are a completely different proposition. You need to use body weight and momentum to keep the bike balanced, while smooth, fluid pedalling – souplesse, to use the French cycling term – and a consistent cadence are paramount to avoid a violent collision with the floor.

So, I decided to take his advice and have a go.

Getting started

Having procured a set of Quick Motion rollers from the good people at Elite, I was genuinely taken aback by the sheer simplicity of this piece of apparatus. It looked, to be frank, downright medieval. Try as I might, I couldn’t quite picture myself happily pedalling away on what was essentially a raised frame comprising little else than three bright red rotating cylinders .

“Any more surprises?” I asked Dan, gesturing towards the rollers. “You’re not going to bring out a dunking stool for the warm-down or anything?”

Dan, having started cycling sometime in the late 1800s, is something of an authority on rollers and had a few tips to help get me started.

Top tips for riding on rollers

• Always have a bail-out option. A wall to lean against, a step to put your foot on – anything that prevents an embarrassing meeting with the floor.
• Keep your cadence up. A faster cadence helps promote stability.
• Look ahead, not down. Don’t panic if your front wheel starts veering from side to side. Above all, resist the temptation to stare at it.
• Try to relax.

Try to relax, he says. At this stage, I was so convinced I was about to meet the triage team for our quarterly catch-up that relax wasn’t a word in my current repertoire.

Regardless, after measuring the bike’s wheelbase and adjusting the roller frame accordingly, I enlisted the help of a neighbouring wall and a step, unceremoniously swung a leg over the bike and prepared to pedal. Or at least, I would have done, had the tension not been so great that I instinctively grabbed the front brake and promptly fell against the wall in a state of confusion.

This did not feel natural.

“Relax,” Dan reiterated.

From one minute, to phoning home...

The aim of this first session was to ride unassisted for a minute. “If you can achieve that,” Dan told me, “you’ve more or less mastered the basics. Then you’ve got a winter of fine-tuning your balance, pedalling fluidity and souplesse ahead of you.”

And so here I was, essentially learning to ride a bike all over again, with my de facto father, Dan, nervously tracking my progress.

It was a little like being a child again, attempting those first few metres on two wheels without on your own. The moment you glance over your shoulder to discover that Mum or Dad has let go and you’ve been riding under your own steam for the past few metres – before inevitably falling off due to the sheer excitement of it all.

That was how I felt when I finally found my rhythm. A genuine sense of accomplishment. This was something beyond anything I’d ever experienced on a turbo trainer: a far more involved, far more visceral way to ride a bike indoors.

A minute passed, then two, then three. Soon I was shifting into the big ring and even throwing in a sprint.. I was getting thirsty. Muscle memory kicked in and reaching down for my water bottle I once again found myself splayed against the wall before beginning a slow and squeaky descent toward the floor.

Erratic movements and rollers aren’t the happiest of bedfellows. But stolen bidon sips slowly morphed into hearty glugs and my confidence returned. I even managed to make a phone call to my better half, who admittedly thought I was in the throes of some sort of psychotic episode.

A rare success, then. An afternoon on the rollers had proved a lot more productive and far less painful than anticipated and I’ve now added an extra tool to my arsenal for training this winter.

Granted, I still need to learn how to ride in a pair of cycling shoes. I have a way to go before I feel confident riding intervals, but, that represents an opportunity. After one session, I've got the basic skills in my toolkit to progress.

Will it keep me from darkening the doors of A&E? That remains to be seen. But I’ve been reminded that there's more to indoor training than chasing watts and watching numbers on a screen. It's worth stepping back, stripping things down to the absolute basics and relearning a skill you thought you'd mastered decades ago. I'll be back for another session next week. I'll also be keeping that wall handy.

With the winter weather rolling in, temperatures dropping, and rain finally hitting after a summer of near drought, it’s the time of year when many riders start heading indoors.

But should you keep session duration the same, or can you drop the volume, especially when it comes to the traditional weekend 'long ride'?

What to do about the long rides

Winter training often means base endurance rides, 'winter miles equal summer smiles' is still an approach used by a lot of riders.

But, a four hour ride, for example, is a tough ask indoors.

In terms of physiology, some people suggest that one hour indoors equals 90 minutes outdoors. I’ve seen enough training files and analysed enough Training Stress Scores (TSS) to know that this is simply not true.

It’s true that, when outdoors there is more coasting; indoors you’re always pedalling. However, indoors you can keep the pace very consistent and controlled, hence why riders like Uno-X Mobility’s Jonas Abrahamsen spend so much of their low intensity, high volume riding time indoors.

Indoors, there are no spikes in pace, or surges into tempo up climbs. The session can be a truly consistent Zone 2 ride, resulting in a reduced total training stress based purely on the numbers.

On the flipside, indoor riding involves no windchill; without a good fan or ventilation, you can inadvertently be doing heat training each session, which adds extra physiological stress and strain.

Then, there’s the psychological element. The fact is, four hours of steady riding indoors, even with a series to binge, can be a bit mind-numbing. Some riders can manage this fine for long periods of time; others can’t stand it.

I have managed two-month periods at a time solidly on the turbo, where I’ve done rides over four hours. It’s done wonders for my fitness and reduced the time spent cleaning bikes – but it has hit me mentally after that period and impacted motivation badly.

Tips for successful long, indoor rides

• Find a good series to binge, podcasts, or audiobooks, even language audio lessons.
• Break the session into segments, even if high and low blocks within the Z2 region.
• Have a call with some friends, turn it into a form of social ride.
• Use it as a chance to get better at holding an aero position, maybe 5min on 5min off and progress.
• Try some different indoor training apps, there are a lot out there and all have a different flavour. One might not be your cup of tea but another could be.

Comfort is also a consideration. Often, indoors, the pressure through the saddle is consistent throughout and there are limited opportunities to ride out of the saddle comfortably. For a four hour session, combined with more heat and sweat, this can be bad for saddle health and saddle sores.

With all those factors considered, what should riders actually do?

I tend to have two recommendations, pending the character of the athlete.

If they are happy still getting some good volume in, I suggest reducing the volume by around a quarter; a four-hour ride becomes three. Alternatively, they can split the ride into two, two-hour sessions, this can be more mentally managable.

For the riders whose indoor limit is two hours total, I would suggest they ride one hour in zone 2, before including three 15-minute tempo efforts, with 5-minute recoveries; this will generate more stress but limit the time spent significantly above the first lactate threshold.

Long ride replacement options

• Reduce volume by 25%: swap 4-hours to 3-hours; swap 3-hours for 2hrs15mins; swap 2-hours for 90minutes
• Split the ride up: ride 2x2hour rides to replace a 4-hour ride; 2x1.5 hours to replace a 3-hour ride; ride 2x1hour to replace a 2-hour ride
• Up the intensity: Ride 1hour @ Z1, followed by 3x15minute tempo, 5minute easy

Shorter duration, high intensity sessions

What about shorter outdoor rides, brought indoors?

These are easier to suggest alternatives to, for the most part, any effort sessions I prescribe to riders are often easily able to be condensed down into a 1-hour session. Even if the efforts are spread over a 2-hour ride, normally, this is out of necessity to find appropriate stretches of road to conduct efforts and get a proper warm up and cool down in.

Indoors, you can very efficiently fit the warm up and cool down into a session without disruption from traffic lights, gradient changes, or anything else. The efforts can then also be conducted safely with suitable recoveries in between.

The training stress by bringing the ride indoors, and slightly reducing the volume, may be slightly lower, but you’ll have completed the relevant efforts, and that’s what matters.

Where things become a little different is when we start incorporating efforts after a certain amount of fatigue has built up, a key indicator of performance in elite racing. In these scenarios, I sometimes suggest splitting the rides, or we look to generate more workload by adding tempo or sweetspot intervals earlier into the session before the key efforts to 'soften the legs'.

Looking around at the dozen or so fellow riders at a recent cafe stop, I was struck by how similar everyone’s order looked. Almost every cyclist was clutching a bottle of Coke and a pastry or slice of cake, with pockets being restocked with gels before heading back out on the road. On one level, it made perfect sense: quick sugar, easy calories. But it also made me pause. How much fibre were any of us actually getting?

It’s easy to spend several hours on the bike consuming little more than refined carbohydrates. Add in a recovery drink, a quick lunch and whatever’s easiest after a long day of training, and fibre can easily slip down the priority list. And yet fibre plays a vital role in gut health – something cyclists tend to think about only when something in our digestive system goes wrong. For many riders, it’s bloating, cramping, or an unsettled stomach mid-ride that first brings fibre into the conversation.

Are cyclists getting enough?

Even away from the bike, most of us aren’t eating enough fibre. On average, adults in the UK consume around 17g per day, only just above half the recommended 30g. Almost all of us – some 96% – fall short. Add in long rides fuelled largely by low-fibre options – Coke, pastries, gels and bars – and cyclists are particularly susceptible to falling even further behind. Those foods are convenient, easy to digest and deliver quick energy, but they also push fibre out of our diets on training and racing days – it’s unintentional but easily done.

Why are we neglecting fibre while another macronutrient, protein, seems to be the talk of the peloton? It’s a curious contrast. In cycling, protein has become something of an obsession. Riders carefully track intake and add shakes or bars after every ride, even though the data shows that most people already get enough. Fibre, meanwhile, receives far less attention, despite the fact that almost all of us are falling short. Which raises an interesting question: is it time for fibre to become fashionable?

Vital dietary component

Dietary fibre refers to the indigestible parts of plant foods – vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds – that pass through the digestive system largely intact. While it doesn’t provide energy like carbohydrates or fat, it plays a vital role in gut health. According to gut health researcher Dr Emily Leeming, author of Fibre Power, fibre is central to maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. “Fibre is your gut microbiome’s preferred fuel source,” she explains. “It feeds gut microbes so they produce short-chain fatty acids. These help support the integrity of the gut lining and can dampen excess inflammation, which may help the gut cope better with the repeated stress that comes with endurance exercise.”

Beyond the gut, fibre supports broader health. Adequate intake is linked to lower cholesterol, improved blood sugar control and greater satiety. Over time, fibre-rich diets are associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. The gut-barrier aspect is particularly relevant for cyclists. Long rides, especially in hot conditions, place significant strain on the digestive system owing to dehydration and high sugar intake. Over time, this can contribute to increased gut permeability, often referred to as ‘leaky gut’. A diverse gut microbiome helps reinforce that barrier. When fibre intake is low, that protection can weaken. “If fibre stays low, your gut microbiome can become less resilient,” says Leeming. “Microbial diversity may fall, and fewer short-chain fatty acids are produced. In animal studies, we see microbes start feeding on the mucus layer that protects the gut lining.”

Low fibre intake is often a by-product of fuelling well for performance. High-carbohydrate, easily digestible foods like white bread, pasta, rice, gels and bars dominate training and racing nutrition for good reason: they’re effective, predictable and easily digestible when intensity is high. Over time, though, those race-ready habits can become everyday ones. What works brilliantly on the bike doesn’t necessarily support gut health long term. Just look around the next time a group ride stops at a cafe.

Build fibre gradually

Improving fibre intake doesn’t require dramatic changes, but it does benefit from a bit of planning. For many riders, that simply means gradually adding more fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds into everyday meals. Recently, the idea of ‘fibre-maxxing’ has begun circulating online, encouraging people to push fibre intake as high as possible. While most people need more fibre, for cyclists the goal is balance rather than extremes. Loading fibre aggressively, particularly close to training or racing, can backfire. A better approach is to build fibre gradually into everyday meals, away from key sessions, while scaling it back temporarily when performance and gut comfort take priority.

Riders often avoid fibre-rich foods before long rides to reduce the chance of digestive discomfort. Eaten close to exercise, such foods can sit in the gut and ferment, increasing the chances of bloating or gas. Exercise itself can make this worse. During hard efforts, blood flow is redirected away from the digestive system and towards working muscles. While this slows nutrient absorption, the mechanical stress of exercise and the irritation of undigested bulk can accelerate transit time, turning simple bloating into an urgent, mid-ride dash for the nearest toilet. Anyone who has set off for a long ride after a bean-heavy meal will probably recognise the feeling.

In multi-day stage races, fibre intake is adjusted rather than removed altogether. Vicky Walshaw, nutrition lead at 29 Inch Academy, Dubai, says tolerance varies widely between riders. “Fibre intake tolerance is often very individual. I often suggest reducing intake 24 to 48 hours before key stages or across a race block to lower gut load while maintaining overall nutrition quality,” she explains. “The aim isn’t to eliminate fibre but to shift toward easier-to-digest carbohydrates so riders can fuel properly without unnecessary gut symptoms.”

In practice, that often means swapping wholegrains for white rice or pasta and moderating vegetable portions. Pre-race dinners are typically simple: white rice or pasta with lean protein, and a small serving of vegetables. Instead of large portions of wholegrain toast for breakfast, Walshaw might suggest white toast with jam, or Rice Krispies. And rather than protein bars, which are often packed with high-FODMAP sweeteners (fermentable carbohydrates that can trigger bloating), riders prone to gut issues may tolerate higher-carb, lower-FODMAP snacks such as oat bars more comfortably.

If you’re not racing back-to-back days, you don’t need so tightly managed an approach, but the same principles apply. Most amateur racers and sportive riders find that easing back on fibre in the 24 hours before an event is enough. That might mean choosing white rice instead of brown, reducing the portion size of vegetables at dinner, or avoiding particularly fibrous foods such as beans the night before. From a gut-health perspective, Leeming offers reassurance. “Lowering fibre for a short while isn’t a problem and can often be helpful before a race. Your gut microbiome and gut lining respond to fibre across days and weeks rather than a single day.”

The goal is to feel comfortable before you ride. Reducing the risk of mid-ride discomfort can remove one source of anxiety before a big event. Walshaw stresses that fibre alone is rarely the sole culprit. “Gut issues are rarely caused by too little or too much fibre alone,” she says. “Factors like travel stress, hydration, fuelling strategy, caffeine use and ultra-processed food intake often play just as big a role.” Her advice is to practise race-week nutrition in training so any fibre adjustments are deliberate rather than reactive.

For some riders, the type of carbohydrate matters as much as fibre itself. “For riders with sensitive guts, temporarily lowering high-FODMAP foods before a race can help reduce bloating and urgency,” Walshaw explains. “The challenge is doing this without compromising carbohydrate intake.” Part of the issue is that FODMAPs can draw water into the intestines and ferment rapidly in the gut, producing gas. During exercise, when digestion is already under strain, that can increase the likelihood of bloating, cramping and gastrointestinal distress. Foods like pasta, pizza, dried fruit, honey snacks or milk-heavy breakfasts can be relatively high in FODMAPs. Lower-fermentable carbohydrate sources, such as white rice, potatoes, oats, sourdough bread, bananas and fruit juices, can help meet carb-loading needs with fewer symptoms. As with fibre, individual tolerance varies and is best tested in training.

Health comes first

The bigger issue lies between the race weeks. “Far more riders under-consume fibre year-round due to poor overall diet quality, not because they’re strategically periodising it,” Walshaw says. “I focus on rebuilding intake gradually through whole foods and meal structure during lower-intensity periods, while keeping race-week adjustments short term.” That broader approach to gut health can pay off on the bike. Looking after gut health across the season can improve how well you tolerate food during rides, as well as recovery and training consistency.

In a sport that talks so much about protein, fibre seems to be the nutrient that too often slips under the radar. Yet a fibre-rich diet away from racing supports gut health, protects the gut lining and may make your digestive system more robust overall. Strategic reductions before races or events, particularly in the final 24 hours, or a few days out if you’re sensitive, can improve comfort without undermining those long-term benefits. Ultimately, it’s about eating well most of the time, and making small adjustments when your cycling demands it.

The insights I’ve gained while writing this feature have reminded me of the importance of fibre, while also putting my mind at rest. Next time I’m making a cafe stop, watching bottles of Coke being cracked open and pastries disappearing in a few quick bites, I’ll probably still join in. After all, those choices have their place, and they help get us through the ride ahead. But it will probably make me think a bit more about getting enough fibre the rest of the week.

This article was first published in the 23 April 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

Cyclists will happily spend thousands on carbon upgrades, skip dessert, and dodge the weights room – all in pursuit of the lowest possible weight. On paper, it makes sense: gravity is the enemy, and every extra kilogram is a penalty. But what if this obsession is actually making you slower, weaker and more fragile? A growing body of sports science suggests it is time to flip the script. Instead of asking, “How much muscle can I afford to carry?” the real question should be: “How much muscle can you afford to lose?”

Muscle should not be thought of as ballast holding you back on climbs but rather the engine behind power, resilience and healthy ageing. A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in June was the latest to highlight how regular resistance training can reduce the risk of early death, proving that building strength is not just about riding faster, but staying stronger and healthier for longer.

Chris Gibson and Ellie Black spend much of their working lives trying to change cyclists’ perceptions of strength training. As coaches with Barbells & Bikes, they are acutely aware that many riders still see the gym as the enemy, fearing that lifting weights will make them heavier and slower. “It’s probably the biggest misconception we come across,” says Black. “People think they’ll walk into the gym and come out looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

The duo have a radical view about lifting weights: namely, that it could save your life. Gibson had only been cycling for a few years when he was involved in a catastrophic hit-and-run while descending the Col de l’Iseran in the French Alps. He was left for dead, and spent five-and-a-half months in hospital. “My orthopaedic surgeon told me that without the muscle mass around my neck and shoulders, I would probably have died,” he says.

Not long afterwards, Black suffered a devastating crash in Tenerife, breaking four ribs and sustaining a rare internal ‘degloving’ injury, where her glute muscle tore away from the underlying fascia. “Every orthopaedic surgeon asked the same question: ‘How have you not broken your hip?’” she says. “I genuinely believe it’s because I strength train. I had the muscle mass and bone density to absorb that impact.”

This is not, of course, to suggest that lifting weights makes cyclists crash-proof. But Gibson and Black argue that stronger muscles, denser bones and more resilient connective tissue provide valuable protection when things go wrong, while also speeding up recovery. “Having that structural integrity allows you to recover from inevitable falls much more quickly,” says Gibson. “Ultimately, it gets you back to doing what you love.”

The benefits of weight training extend beyond crash resilience. Cycling is superb for cardiovascular fitness, but because it is non-weight-bearing it does little to maintain bone mineral density. Resistance training helps counter age-related losses in both bone and muscle, reducing the risk of muscle loss (sarcopenia) and improving long-term health.

The fear of becoming “too bulky” remains a major barrier, despite the reality. “Any bodybuilder will tell you how incredibly difficult it is to build significant muscle,” says Gibson. “It requires calorie surpluses and huge volumes of lifting in reps of eight to 12 per set.” For cyclists, the aim is not to add unnecessary mass but to make existing muscle work more effectively: fewer reps at heavier weight.

“The goal is rarely to increase muscle size,” says Black. “It’s to improve the function and capacity of the muscle riders already have.” Much of the early improvement comes from the nervous system ‘learning’ to recruit muscle fibres more efficiently, meaning riders become stronger without dramatically increasing their size. Strength training develops qualities that cycling alone cannot.

Black and Gibson encourage riders to focus on fundamental movements such as squats, hip hinges, pushes, pulls and stability work, using the minimum effective dose to stimulate adaptation without compromising riding. “Cyclists often think a successful gym session is one they crawl out of,” says Gibson, “but strength training isn’t about creating more fatigue. It’s about intent, quality and becoming a more resilient athlete.”

Never mind the performance benefits, there is a health dividend too. “From a health perspective, muscle is not just extra mass,” explains Professor Edward Giovannucci, a specialist in nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, USA. “It is important for strength, stability, glucose metabolism, physical function and healthy ageing.”

Along with Dr Yiwen Zhang, Giovannucci led the study featured in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that people who performed moderate amounts of resistance training over many years had a 13% lower risk of premature death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Crucially, these benefits were independent of aerobic exercise, meaning that even committed endurance athletes stand to gain by adding strength training to their weekly routine. “We found that adding resistance training may provide additional benefit across most levels of aerobic activity,” Zhang explains. “For endurance athletes, the goal is not necessarily to build large amounts of muscle, but to preserve enough strength and lean mass to support long-term health.”

That message is reflected in current physical activity guidelines, which recommend combining aerobic exercise with muscle-strengthening activity rather than relying on endurance exercise alone. Scientists are also changing the way they think about muscle itself: not only as the functional tissue driving movement, but as an organ in its own right. “Calling muscle an organ means that it does more than produce movement,” adds Giovannucci. “Skeletal muscle can release signalling molecules called myokines, which may communicate with other tissues, including fat, liver, pancreas, bone, brain, blood vessels and the immune system.”

For cyclists, this means muscle is not only a tool for generating power. It is also part of a broader metabolic and signalling system that influences long-term health. “It doesn’t just help you climb faster – it helps regulate processes throughout the body,” says Giovannucci.

Muscle also plays a vital role in metabolic health. It is one of the body’s largest storage sites for glucose, taking sugar out of the bloodstream, ready for use during exercise. Maintaining muscle mass therefore creates a larger reservoir for glucose, while improving insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to regulate blood sugar more efficiently.

Fitness trainer Theo Calvert, a lead tutor with Virgin Active UK, helps cyclists to develop strength – and encourages them to broaden their view on muscle. “Muscle regulates energy, glucose and fat metabolism, accounting for 75 to 80% of the body’s post-meal glucose uptake,” he explains. Beyond producing power on the bike, functional muscle improves metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and immune function. “The goal shouldn’t be maximal size, but sufficient, functional muscle alongside endurance capacity,” says Calvert.

Those qualities become increasingly important as we age. “From our 30s onwards, muscle mass and strength naturally decline, and cycling does little to protect bone health,” adds Calvert. “Resistance training increases the resilience of muscles and tendons that endure thousands of pedal revolutions every week.”

Strength-and-conditioning coach Emma O’Toole of Built to Endure concurs, adding that the biggest misconception among recreational cyclists is that effective gym work requires hours each week. In reality, she says, consistency matters far more than volume.

“Cycling is fantastic for cardiovascular health, but it provides relatively little stimulus to maintain maximal strength, bone mineral density or the load tolerance of muscles, tendons and connective tissue,” says O’Toole. “For the vast majority of recreational cyclists, around 60-90 minutes of well-planned strength training each week is enough.”

O’Toole prescribes sessions built around fundamental movement patterns: squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, presses and core stability. Split squats, Romanian deadlifts, press-ups, rows and shoulder presses all feature regularly, with bodyweight exercises providing an ideal starting point before progressing to dumbbells or barbells.

All the trainers consulted for this feature agree that 90 minutes to two hours per week is an appropriate amount of time for cyclists to dedicate to strength workouts. “This is sufficient for muscle hypertrophy [growth], increased power output, and improved overall efficiency which will directly result in increased performance,” says Black.

“Typically, this is divided into two sessions per week, allowing for sufficient recovery between workouts, and ensuring no impact on cycling performance from excessive fatigue.”

Black suggests allocating 20-30% of total training time to strength work. “During competitive seasons, cyclists may prioritise cardiovascular training to sustain endurance, whereas the off-season provides an opportune time to increase the volume of strength training.” O’Toole echoes this approach.

“I’d much rather see someone complete two 30-45 minute sessions every week throughout the year than spend hours in the gym during winter before abandoning it once the riding season starts.”

Strength training should not be regarded as a rest day activity. “To achieve the desired stimulus, you need to lift with intent and positively stress the body,” insists Black. This means finding a suitable place in your schedule. “If you are combining cycling and lifting on the same day, do so on days with a shorter or easier ride. Ideally leave around three hours between to allow for adequate refuelling.”

Cycling always rewards efficiency, but as you grow older the future of riding longer, stronger and healthier may not come from losing weight – it may come from building more strength. Building and maintaining muscle mass, as the coaches and the research show, is not the enemy of endurance, nor is it a threat to cycling performance. On the contrary, it is precisely what allows cyclists to produce power, absorb impacts, recover from setbacks and continue riding for many years to come.

In recent years, professional race bike setup has shifted, especially in terms of geometry. Previously, saddles were slammed far back, and bars were relatively long and low. Nowadays, riders position their saddles further forward, over the bottom bracket, to open the hip angle for more power and a more aerodynamically efficient position, paired with a fairly long front end.

But as consumers and amateurs, should we emulate the positions professionals are adopting and, as a result, buy into the race machines they use? Or would we be better served by looking for a solution better suited to our needs and requirements?

The problem with copying the pros

A key difference between professional bike riders and us is how much time we can commit to training. Typically, we can't do as much mobility work as professional riders do to maintain those positions. In addition, many of us work behind desks or sit, which likely tightens posterior-chain muscles like the hamstrings. This in itself is a key limiting factor in being able to mirror the aggressive riding position of the pros.

The other consideration is that professionals adopt these positions largely to improve aerodynamics. Several stages of the men’s Tour de France this year exceeded an average speed of 45km/h, with stage 11 from Vinchy to Nevers the fastest in history, completed at an average speed of 50.91km/h. At that speed, about 80 to 90% of the forces the rider must overcome come from aerodynamic drag. This is why riders can adopt such an aggressive, aerodynamic position on the bike and, thanks to mobility and stretching work, do so without compromising their power.

Another byproduct of this position is that pressure concentrates in different areas. With the rider shifted forward from the bottom bracket and still with a generally long, low front end by most comparisons, this can put a lot of pressure on the wrists and forearms.

What should we do instead?

When choosing a bike position, we should base it on our individual physiology, biomechanics, and the type of events we are targeting. For example, my gravel bike setup has a significantly shorter, slightly higher stem, so I can sit more upright and feel less wrist pressure after hours on rough off-road surfaces. My road bike, however, has a saddle positioned far forward with both a long stem and long reach bars. My longest rides on it are about 2.5 hours at around 45km/h. However, since I went from racing at an elite, UCI level to working full-time, I need to do a lot of stretching and mobility work to maintain that position for longer. Which is exactly why I tend to ride the gravel bike for most of the year with road wheels and tyres fitted. It is a far more sustainable position for me.

This is why most consumers who ride for pleasure, do sportive events, or target rides between 25 and 35km/h should look at an endurance bike rather than a race bike. A good example is the Cannondale Synapse versus the SuperSix. The Synapse is very lightweight, has similar aero frame tube profiling to the SuperSix, but has a shorter reach and higher stack. This gives a slightly more upright position, which takes pressure off the wrists and neck. In terms of 'like for like' performance, there is very little difference between the bikes. The main difference is that one is raced on the WorldTour and the other is not.

The added comfort of the endurance bike will likely mean that, over longer rides and events, it will be the fastest setup because the rider experiences less fatigue. Interestingly, more professional riders are adopting higher stack heights with more spacers under their bars, evidence that comfort really is a performance gain.

My biggest recommendation, however, for anyone looking to increase their cycling performance or volume is to get a specific bike fit. There are a lot of options out there, but ideally you want a fitter who will do a full range-of-motion assessment and ask about your targets and goals.

If you are racing, they will likely set the bike up closer to the limits of what you can maintain flexibility-wise. If it is more endurance-focused, they will likely set you up in a position that allows sustained power output and comfort. In much the same way that we shouldn’t necessarily emulate the pros in how they train or fuel, when it comes to fit on the bike, we also need to individualise that to our specific needs and requirements.

A curious case for copying the pros

If you do higher-speed events, such as amateur road races that often exceed 40km/h or fast-paced group rides, aerodynamics still matters. That is why bikes like the Factor One aero bike perform so well at high speeds. The geometry supports high power output and a lower drag coefficient.

A saddle positioned further forward generally supports higher power output. Combined with shorter cranks, it opens the hip angle and generally lets riders produce more power; a saddle set far back can limit hip-angle openness and put undue pressure on the posterior chain. It is, of course, subjective, as with most bike fit and position-related things.

But for those looking to go fast and who might achieve similar speeds, emulating the pros isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, if you are serious about performance and comfort on the bike, the first thing you should do is get a bike fit.

Athlete question: I’m feeling ill, too tired, or just didn’t sleep well last night – how should I modify my training?

We’ve all been there: there’s a session in the training plan, but you’re feeling a bit under the weather, your legs are aching, or, you just don’t feel in the mood to put yourself through it.

Working out when this lack of desire to do the session is something you should listen to, or something to push through, can be difficult. Doing a ride when unwell could result in more time off the bike in the short term, but if the hesitation is merely a lack of motivation, you might just need a little boost to get out the door.

How do coaches work out the best course of action?

It starts with a tickly throat…

The most common reason for riders wanting to know if they should train or not is because they feel the onset of illness. There are several considerations at this point.

Firstly, if it is viral, then the recommendation is not to ride at all.

Training through a virus can have longer-term health implications, and there will be very little gained from riding when fighting off a virus. Additionally, any form of training stress makes it more difficult for your body to fight off illness, so you will recover faster if you rest up properly. It’s frustrating, but time off in the short term reduces time off in the long run.

If the illness is mild (symptoms above the chest, no aches and chills, doesn’t come with excessive fatigue, and no raised temperature), then it can be alright to do shorter, steadier sessions. I generally recommend riding indoors in this scenario as it means session intensity can be more controlled and exposure to cold air is reduced. It also means if you feel ‘off’ as the ride progresses, you can call an end to it instantly rather than needing to get home.

So, you crashed your bike...

Injuries are another consideration.

If you’ve had a crash, then the best case scenario is that there’s a bit of bruising and road rash. Ignoring the impact this can have on sleep, tissue repair increases your daily metabolic cost significantly. This means you’ll use more energy at rest, so you’ll need to consider how your overall energy levels may be down generally.

If you’ve got away with just road rash or bruising, the golden rule is not to do anything that causes significant pain. Secondly, ideally keep the intensity below the second lactate threshold, or Critical Power, while the bruising is more visible or the road rash has yet to start scabbing over. If you’re training using more of a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, stick to sub 7/10. After that has started to happen, you can introduce more intensity based on how you feel.

For broken bones, my recommendation is to rest for the first week or two as the daily metabolic cost can increase by large amounts. Your body is working hard to mend itself, adding training could overload it and impair recovery.

After the first two weeks, setting the bike up to accommodate riding in the case of a broken collarbone is key, while anything on the legs, hips, or back and neck needs to be based on medical advice. From experience coaching riders through these sorts of injuries, it can be around six weeks before they start to feel normal on the bike at intensities below the first lactate threshold.

Overall fatigue

Another key reason for riders not wanting to ride is general fatigue, and this comes in many different forms.

I generally set training in blocks – there will be a gradual build, followed by an easier ‘deload’ week.

As a training block progresses, as a coach, I am looking to create a level of fatigue for riders, the goal being functional overreaching. A certain level of stress is needed to create the appropriate stimulus to generate training adaptations, but equally, I don't want too much.

If there are no external additions to the fatigue, and we are in the last week of a build, this is where the rider normally needs a little bit of a push to get through the sessions with the promise of a deload period after this week. Breaking efforts and sessions down into manageable segments tends to help.

Real world examples

Framing efforts in the most suitable way for different mindsets often helps. One rider I work with needed a bit of a boost for some longer threshold efforts. Three 12-minute blocks of just under Critical Power is a tough session, and the final effort always got them psychologically. We started framing the session as everything after six minutes into the second effort meant there was less to go than had been completed. This really helped the rider complete these sessions thereafter.

As an opposing story, another rider always found the first ones harder than the last, so a bit more of a push was needed for the first effort, and doing a short mini-threshold effort really helped their legs feel more ready for the session.

Other types of fatigue experienced may be external factors. This could be work or life stress, lack of sleep, or underfuelling.

Work and life stress adds to the sum of all stresses, and impacts the balance of allostasis, or, overall load. Meanwhile lack of sleep does the same by removing recovery. In this scenario, I generally suggest that we reduce the intensity, the number of efforts, or the volume of the sessions depending on the rider. This is normally a very case by case basis, and for some actually starting the session gets them into the swing of it quite quickly, while others may be better off resting.

Fuelling wise, this is why I would prefer to see riders overfuel than underfuel, and making sure they have enough before, during, and after rides is key.

You can use apps like Hexis to cover the full day of nutrition. I’m also working on an app – StemNotes, which is currently in beta testing – which provides guidance during the session. If a rider is facing any issues that mean they are in an energy deficit or low energy availability, then a key thing we will do is drop the volume and intensity until they are able to balance it out. Not doing this not only impairs performance, but also recovery and overall training adaptations.

Real world examples

I had one rider this year have a very busy work week before a key event, so we did a single one hour ride in the seven days leading up to it, and they had the best power and result at this event they have ever had. Meanwhile another rider had the opportunity to do a fast paced 4 hour group ride the day before a key hill climb they wanted to perform in, and went into it too tired after too much fatigue from the group ride the day before.

If an event or race is coming up in the week, I generally suggest to riders that if they feel over tired or under rested, then it is better to rest. It is far too easy to do too much in the week leading up to an event than to do too little.

Just not feeling it...

Another factor is motivation, and this is again a very case-by-case basis.

As the weather turns from summer to winter, a lot of riders may be feeling miffed about switching from an aero race bike and carbon wheels with race tyres, to mudguards and training gear which is slower. In this situation, I do try and find specific motivators for those riders to get them out on the bike, it is worth pushing through a bit here.

If it’s very wet and they have limited time to clean bikes, then we may see where we can switch that volume elsewhere in the week, or do a reduced volume indoor ride. Again, this is very case by case.

There can also be a bit of fatigue for those racing; starting in March and racing until September is a long season. Often riders start to get demotivated and tired of the process of race weeks and preparation. Sometimes this means we call an end to the season early and ensure they have their off-season break before the winter training season. It is also why I am a fan of a 'mini-off-season' break, in the middle of the suummer, for riders with long calendars. This might be a summer holiday, or a break from racing and structured racing to ensure the love and joy for just riding a bike remains.

The bottom line

It’s difficult to give specific rules of when to ride and when not, and as a coach I approach it on a case-by-case basis.

If motivation to ride is waning and there isn’t any joy to be found from riding or completing a session, I think it is important to rest, for a day or several until the desire to ride returns. For the final efforts of a training block, if there are no additional external stressors, then it is a good idea to push through.

For injuries, anything broken, or concussion-based needs to be guided by medical professionals. For anything less serious, giving your body time to initially heal by avoiding high intensity is a good idea, and then introducing efforts based on personal comfort.

For illness, if it’s viral, then rest. If it’s below the throat and perhaps a blocked nose or stuffiness, then riding steady should be fine, but perhaps avoid intensity until it’s just a bit of a blocked nose.

For tiredness, anything that will impact alertness on the road, stay indoors or rest. If it’s a bit of additional fatigue from external sources, then reducing intensity and then volume if needed is a good way to go.

All of us want to spend more time on our bikes, but for many that's not possible as work commitments and family life take priority. Long rides in the sunshine might be the dream, but if it's a case of staying in good shape so you can enjoy those long rides when the opportunity arises, then you can get by on a lot less.

Pros train for multiple hours a week as they have to perform over 260 kilometres, or day in, day out for three weeks. Amateurs don't. You can make big performance gains, or maintain a very high level of fitness, with just a few hours of training a week.

We spoke to endurance coach Professor Sebastian Sitko for his advice...

Expert Q&A

1. Why shouldn't time-crunched cyclists try to train like the pros?
Pro riders train 25–35 hours a week, with around 80% spent at easy intensity to build an aerobic base. That approach doesn't translate if you only have five or six hours available. Copy their easy rides and you may not create enough stimulus to improve; copy their hardest sessions and you risk fatigue without the same recovery. Pros train as their full-time job, while amateurs have to juggle work and family. Instead of copying elite programmes, apply the principles: train consistently, progress gradually and make every session count.

2. What is the biggest mistake time-poor riders make when trying to improve?
The biggest mistake is riding at the same "moderately hard" pace all the time. Exercise scientists often call this the 'grey zone' because it's too hard to promote recovery and aerobic development, but not hard enough to maximise fitness gains. It feels productive because you're tired afterwards, yet it often produces mediocre results. The second major mistake is underestimating recovery.

Many amateur cyclists squeeze training around busy jobs, poor sleep and family commitments, then wonder why performance plateaus. Fatigue isn't always a sign of progress. Every ride should have a clear purpose, whether that's building endurance, improving high-intensity fitness or recovering from previous sessions. Purposeful training almost always beats simply accumulating miles.

3. For a rider with only five hours a week available, how should they train?
I'd prioritise two quality interval sessions and spend the rest riding easily. This could mean two 60–75-minute workouts with intervals such as four times eight minutes or repeated 30/15 efforts, plus an easy ride and, ideally, a longer weekend ride of several hours. That endurance session builds aerobic durability and helps sustain efforts. The formula is simple: make hard rides hard, easy rides easy, and focus on consistency. Progress week after week matters more than chasing the perfect session.

4. Is more intensity the secret weapon for cyclists short on time?
To some extent, yes. The 80/20 model was developed from studies of endurance athletes training 15–20 hours a week. If you only have five hours, spending 80% of it riding easy may not provide enough stimulus to improve.

Research suggests time-crunched cyclists can handle a greater proportion of high-intensity work, with a 60/40 or even 50/50 split is often effective. However, easy riding remains vital for recovery and aerobic fitness. The key is adapting your training balance to your available time rather than following ratios designed for professionals.

5. How little training can you get away with and still get faster?
You probably need less training than you think to keep improving. Numerous studies have shown meaningful increases in VO2max, threshold power and overall fitness from just two or three structured sessions each week. Some of those workouts last only 30 to 40 minutes. Even two focused interval sessions can maintain – and gradually improve – fitness when performed consistently over months.

That's the crucial point: fitness can't be banked by cramming huge training weeks together whenever you find spare time. A steady routine of three quality hours every week is almost always more effective than alternating between 10-hour weeks and complete inactivity. The minimum effective dose is surprisingly low, provided you stick to it.

6. Why is recovery the missing piece in most amateur training plans?
Recovery is where adaptation happens. Professional riders may sleep nine hours, nap and organise life around training, while amateurs juggle work, family and daily stress. Your body doesn't separate physical and psychological stress, so poor sleep, long hours and other pressures can reduce recovery capacity. That's why nutrition, sleep and rest days matter as much as intervals. Getting faster isn't just about doing more training; it's about recovering well enough to benefit from the training you've already completed.

7. Are power meters and apps making cyclists faster, or just more distracted?
Technology is incredibly useful when it supports training, but it becomes a problem when riders start training for the numbers instead of the physiological adaptations behind them. Power meters, heart-rate monitors and FTP testing all have genuine value. They help pace intervals, monitor progress and guide training intensity. The danger comes when riders obsess over daily fluctuations, repeat FTP tests too frequently or allow readiness scores to override common sense.

Data should answer questions rather than create anxiety. For most busy cyclists, a straightforward plan executed consistently will deliver better results than endlessly analysing metrics. Use technology to make sure your easy rides stay easy and your hard rides are hard enough, then focus on riding.

8. What are the 'junk miles' of modern cycling training?
Junk miles are rides that lack purpose; for example, rides spent in the 'grey zone'. Time-crunched riders should also be cautious about grinding away in sweet spot training if it leaves them too fatigued to complete genuinely high-quality interval sessions. Every ride should have a clear objective. If you can't explain why today's ride fits into your overall training, there's a good chance you're wasting valuable time.

9. How should riders structure their week, given competing priorities?
Decide which two sessions matter most – usually your interval workouts – and protect those wherever possible. Everything else can remain flexible. If an unexpected free hour appears, complete one of your key sessions. If you're short on time or feeling run down, choose an easy recovery ride instead. If you're exhausted, don't be afraid to take the day off. Success comes from completing two or three high-quality sessions every week, not from rigidly following a strict Monday to Sunday training calendar.

10. If you could give one evidence-based piece of advice to a time-crunched cyclist who wants to get faster, what would it be?
Consistency beats complexity every time, and the cyclists who improve most aren't necessarily the ones following the cleverest training plans; they're the ones who keep showing up, complete two or three purposeful sessions every week, recover properly and allow those small improvements to accumulate over months. Keep your hard rides hard, your easy rides easy and protect your routine above everything else. A good training plan that you can sustain all year will always outperform the perfect plan that leaves you burned out after three weeks.

Ideal training week

If you only have five hours a week to train, here is a minimalist plan to get you started:

Two quality sessions + easy volume = maximum gains

Session 1: Intervals (60–75min)
Build fitness with structured efforts such as 4 x 8min intervals or 30/15s. Make these sessions count.

Session 2: Hard effort (60–75min)
A second high-intensity workout helps improve VO2max and threshold power.

Session 3: Easy endurance ride (60–90min)
Keep the pace comfortable to support recovery and build aerobic fitness.

Session 4: Longer weekend ride (>3hr)
If time allows, this is your biggest opportunity to improve endurance. Make hard days hard, easy days easy, and repeat consistently.

This article was first published in the 27 August 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

For more than four decades, Joe Friel has been one of the most influential voices in endurance sport. Long before training metrics, training with power, and performance dashboards became part of every cyclist's vocabulary, Friel was helping athletes understand how to train smarter, recover better, and reach their potential.

His landmark book The Cyclist's Training Bible, first published in 1996, has become one of the most successful and enduring coaching guides ever written, shaping the training of everyone from weekend riders to elite racers. Its principles remain as relevant today as they were three decades ago, with the book now in its fifth edition. Friel's impact extends far beyond the printed page.

In 1999, alongside his son Dirk and colleague Gear Fisher, he co-founded TrainingPeaks, the coaching and analysis platform that transformed how athletes and coaches track performance. TrainingPeaks remains one of the most widely used training tools in pro and amateur cycling.

Now, with the release of an updated version of his acclaimed training guide, Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life, Friel is once again challenging conventional wisdom. Drawing on a coaching career that stretches back to 1980, a Master's degree in exercise science, and experience working with everyone from first-time competitors to national champions and Olympians, he argues that many riders are making training more complicated than it needs to be, explains how sleep underpins performance, and why motivation matters more than talent.

Q: How did you first get into running and cycling?
A: I've always been fascinated by training. I started when I was about 12 years old and, looking back, it's just something that's always been part of who I am. Sport was the thing I enjoyed most, so throughout high school and college I looked for every opportunity to be involved, especially in track and field. Unlike my peers, I didn't stop when the season ended. I'd go out running, lift weights, and train simply because I loved it. Most people thought I was a bit strange, but I never lost that enthusiasm.

Even when I was serving with the US Air Force in Vietnam, I found ways to keep training; exercise remained a constant wherever life took me. That passion eventually became my career. I earned a Master's degree in exercise science and began as a marathon runner and running coach in the 1970s, before moving into triathlon coaching in 1983. Today, I live in the mountains of northern Arizona and I'm still doing what I've always loved - training, coaching and writing.

Q: When you started coaching endurance athletes in 1980, what were the biggest misconceptions about training?
A: First, that easy workouts were just for recovery. They're not - they're the foundation of endurance fitness and often deliver the greatest long-term gains. Second, that training should stay the same year-round. No. Fitness develops through changing phases that build, sharpen and refresh performance. And third, that coaching was only for elites. Untrue. Any rider can benefit from expert guidance, structure and accountability, especially when training time is limited.

Q: Which innovation has transformed performance, and which has been overhyped?
A: The biggest game-changer in the history of endurance sport was the power meter in the late 1980s. Cycling especially went from the least precise and technical endurance sport to the most because of it. Now there are several sports that have power meters, and our knowledge of how to train with power continues to grow, as seen in the many concepts TrainingPeaks has developed. So far, wearables have not lived up to their hype. Many are simply inaccurate. I think that status will change positively when the continuous lactate monitor eventually hits the market. That will also bring about more revolutionary training changes.

Q: Many riders know concepts such as periodisation, training zones and structured planning because of your work. Which coaching principle do you feel has had the greatest impact?
A: The most beneficial of those three was periodisation. Although it had been in use by a few Western elite athletes starting in the 1970s - mostly in running - up until I wrote about it in my first book, The Cyclist's Training Bible, it was mostly misunderstood and unused by age-group athletes.

Q: Looking back at the athletes you've coached, what separates those who fulfil their potential from those who don't?
A: Motivation, not talent, is the biggest determiner of success in sport. But it's got to come from within. A coach can do little to inspire the athlete's success. I once coached a pro rider who was world-class but would not ride if it looked like it might rain. And his reluctance went well beyond this. He was still a top-10 finisher at major events. With even moderate internal drive, he'd have had the potential to be a world champion. I've also coached amateur athletes who had tremendous motivation but little talent. I would much rather coach the latter.

Q: How do you balance trusting research against trusting your own observations?
A: Generally, I like to understand what science suggests when it comes to deciding how to prepare an athlete for competition. Then again, athletes are unique in so many ways that it is sometimes a challenge to apply what you find in the research. There are studies that need to be read with a bit of scepticism when it comes to application, such as those with a very small or a narrow subject range, or which exclude women or novices. Unfortunately, such limitations are quite common in sport science.

Q: If an ambitious club cyclist came to you today with 10 hours a week to train, what would be the first thing you'd look at before prescribing a programme?
A: How high are they aiming? If the aim is so high that it may be pushing their training time limits, then the next matter is sleep. If it is inadequate, then the chances of success are slim. The athlete who gets even slightly inadequate sleep probably has too much 'stuff' in their life - responsibilities, stress, activities. It's during sleep that fitness is built. It must be protected. For the time-crunched, wannabe high-achiever, there can be only three things in life: family, career, and training. Everything else must be sacrificed to be truly committed to a high goal.

Q: You have often spoken about the importance of an aerobic foundation. In an era obsessed with intervals and intensity, why is endurance still the cornerstone of cycling performance?
A: There are several physiological benefits of low-intensity, aerobic training in Zones 1 and 2 that cannot be achieved with high-intensity riding in the higher zones. Here are some: superior muscle capillarisation, increased mitochondrial density, raising the effort for burning fat for fuel, increased left ventricle size of the heart, which is the greatest determiner of VO2max, and stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which aids recovery from stress.

Q: What training mistake do you see experienced cyclists making repeatedly, regardless of age or ability?
A: The biggest, by far, is doing too much moderate-intensity training. They may have the best of intentions at the start of a ride to stay in Zones 1 and 2, but they soon let it rise into Zone 3. If intensity becomes even slightly too high - above the first lactate threshold, at the top end of Zone 2 - it will take some time for the body to regain the benefits of low intensity, as described above. The most common reasons for this are loss of concentration, the course being too hilly, and 'half-wheeling' a training partner.

Q: You've coached through several generations of athletes. Are today's cyclists fundamentally different from the athletes you worked with in the 1980s and 1990s?
A: Yes, today's athletes are much better informed when it comes to training. Amateur cyclists are now more knowledgeable than coaches were 20 years ago. This is due to increased internet information, magazine coverage of training, study of training devices such as power meters, and understanding the many workout details provided on platforms like TrainingPeaks.

Q: For riders over 50, what is the single most important lesson you've learned about maintaining performance as we age?
A: Beyond a certain age, fitness, especially aerobic capacity, declines at a rapid rate if training is inconsistent. Consistent training is more important once the rider is in their 50s than it was when in their 30s and 40s. The loss is inevitable but can be slowed to less than 1% per year with timely and effective training.

Q: If you could go back and give your younger coaching self one piece of advice in 1980, what would it be?
A: The most important aspect of effective coaching is your personal relationship with the athlete, rather than the science of training or your knowledge of equipment. The coach-athlete relationship is the key to coaching success. That relationship starts with the simple concept that the athlete is your employer and the boss. You are doing this for them - not yourself.

Q: When future historians look back at the evolution of endurance coaching, what development do you think will be seen as the defining change of your era?
A: Mass participation in endurance sport has been a defining characteristic of the era from the 1970s to the present time. This is why there are so many coaches. Previous generations saw sport as something they neither could nor should do with their time. Bear in mind, they were the indirect heirs of the Great Depression of the 1930s. That group saw the world entirely differently to later generations, and with good reason.

Q: After more than 40 years of coaching, writing and helping shape the way cyclists train, what still excites you about the sport today?
A: I still love learning about the latest ideas in sport science and how those concepts can be used not only to improve performance, but also simplified so that the age-group athlete can understand them and apply them to their own training and racing.

The second edition of Joe Friel's Fast After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life is out now (Velo Press, £20.99)

Joe Friel's CV

• Age: 82
• Hometown: Sedona, Arizona, USA
• Notable athletes coached: Ryan Bolton, Olympian and Ironman champion; Gordo Byrn, Ultraman world champion; Simon Thompson, Australian Olympic triathlete; Carol Montgomery, Olympian and Pan American Games gold medallist.
• Best achievements as athlete: 1st - Colorado State Masters Triathlon Championship (1985); multi USA Triathlon All-American Duathlete.
  Best achievements as coach: Multi National Championships (pro and amateur); 2002 Ironman Triathlon winner Ryan Bolton; 2002 Ultraman World Championships winner Gordo Byrn.
• Favourite motto: "Doing the wrong workouts consistently is better than doing the right workouts inconsistently."

I find one of the more hilarious things about getting older is the expectation that our bodies will function as if we’re still in our thirties. Every ride introduces a full suite of shocking surprises – recovery takes longer, strength needs more attention, eyesight changes and joints become less mobile. Yet, many of us are oddly unwilling to move on from what worked in our heyday: narrow tyres inflated harder than granite, long cranks, slammed stems, tight cycling shoes, and a crude no pain, no gain training philosophy.

Perhaps through fear of capitulation – the spectre of having to accept the changes that time has wrought – many of us want our bodies to behave as though nothing has changed, while wanting our bikes to remain exactly as they were when we were younger. Neither position is rational or tenable.

The solution, as with all evolutionary threats, is adaptation. Embracing change won’t allow us to outperform a twentysomething pro, but it will substantially narrow the gap. It also makes cycling more joyful again, which is the whole point.

To help broaden my own list of must-dos as the years tick by, I’ve enlisted the help of two experts. Sports scientist and CycleCoach founder Ric Stern has coached cyclists professionally since 1997, from recreational riders to World, Commonwealth and Paralympic champions. He holds a First-Class BSc (Hons) in Sports Science, has published peer-reviewed research and has spent decades expanding our understanding of cycling power and physiology. Ric continues to race himself, now into his 43rd consecutive season.

Retired physiotherapist Linda Dewhurst provides an equally compelling perspective. She only took up cycling in her 50s after a competitive running career, yet within a few years was racing at world-championship level. In 2023 she won the 65–69 road race at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Glasgow and took silver in the time trial. A year later, in Aalborg, she successfully defended her road title and added time trial gold; then in 2025 she successfully defended her time trial world title in Australia and took silver in the road race.

Despite being in her late 60s, her FTP (Functional Threshold Power), which exceeds four watts per kilo, enables her to run rings around much younger riders of either gender, as my esteemed colleague Steve Shrubsall discovered to his cost. And Steve’s no slouch.

1. Embrace wider tyres

An obvious one to start with, but it’s worth repeating ad nauseam because swapping out tyres is a comparatively inexpensive tech upgrade, and the gains can be considerable.

For road use, the sweet spot for me is 30 to 32mm. I rode on 25mm tyres for years, but a chance encounter with a hire bike clad in 30/32c Specialized Roubaix Pro tyres (RIP but replaced by the equally stellar Mondo) was a gamechanger. More comfort, more grip, more versatility, more comfort, the same performance if not better... Did I mention comfort? I’ve never looked back.

Stern requires little persuasion here. “I can’t tell you how much of an impact this made on me – feeling less like I was being shaken to death,” he says. “I think back to my younger days riding 18mm tyres at 120psi. Now I’m on 28s and 30s at around 60psi most of the time.”

Dewhurst has travelled much the same path. “When I started, I was on 23s. I’m now on 28s on my race bike and something like 40s on my gravel bike,” she says. “You don’t lose speed by riding a 28 or a 30, but you’re gaining comfort.”

Same speed, less battering. What’s not to like? Probably the best sub-£100/$130 (if you shop around) upgrade you’ll ever make.

2. Revisit your bike fit

I’m as guilty as many cyclists here; my last bike fit was a good four or five years ago, and they do carry an expiry date.

“Perhaps your flexibility has started to decline, so you can’t slam your stem anymore,” says Stern. “Not that it necessarily matters – you could potentially be more aerodynamic with the handlebars raised a fraction. A bike fit or refit can help sort out niggles.”

Dewhurst is as emphatic. “Definitely get a bike fit. They’re worth their weight in gold,” she says. “You shouldn’t be uncomfortable on a bike. I love getting on mine – it’s really comfortable.”

Her physiotherapy background gives her another reason to revisit the process later in life. “We tend to get a bit less flexible as we age, especially those with sedentary jobs who often develop stiffness in the back and hips.”

A fitter cannot cure every underlying physical problem, but your position needn’t remain frozen simply because it worked perfectly 15 years ago.

3. Put shorter cranks on your shortlist

Shorter cranks have rapidly become one of cycling’s fashionable talking points – to the extent that I wonder if I’m smelling a fad – but there is a practical reason why older riders might take particular interest. Reducing crank length opens the hip angle and reduces knee and hip flexion at the top of the pedal stroke.

Dewhurst moved to 165mm cranks on one of her bikes after discussing the subject with her bike fitter while preparing for the 2023 Worlds.

“I think shorter cranks are a good idea,” she says. “They do help with comfort, especially with that hip issue. That said, my other bikes all have a variety of longer cranks, which I don’t think is a bad idea either. Overusing exactly the same mechanical movement is inviting issues, whereas varying muscle usage, even slightly, makes us less prone to injury.”

You heard it first here; retired physio and world-class athlete Linda Dewhurst endorses n+1! On a more serious note, there is no suggestion that everyone turning 50 needs to immediately swap out their 172.5mm cranks for a considerably shorter set. However, if reduced mobility makes an aggressive position uncomfortable, crank length is now another tool available to your bike fitter. Just remember, it’s not a case of one-size-fits-all.

4. Make the controls easier on your hands

Contact points are so important, yet if you’re like I used to be, you probably obsess more about shoes, pedals and saddles than your cockpit. All that changed when, in my late forties, osteoarthritis skulked uninvited into my life, followed a decade later by the equally unwelcome Dupuytren’s contracture (when 1 or more fingers bend in towards your palm).

Electronic shifting is easy to dismiss as an expensive luxury until hand strength, dexterity or cold weather make mechanical controls difficult. “In the winter I suffer badly with arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon,” says Stern. “I need Di2 to help me shift. And in summer races it’s just flawless.”

Dewhurst owns both mechanical and electronic bikes and is happy with either, but her experience illustrates the wider issue. “I’m going to have surgery on my hand because I’ve developed Dupuytren’s contracture. One thing I noticed was braking on my gravel bike in winter – I thought, ‘God, I can’t really feel this so well.’ Your contact points mustn’t be overlooked.”

The answer might be electronic gears, adjusted lever reach, better-positioned hoods, thicker, cushioned tape or simply a different handlebar.

As Stern says, riders once had remarkably little choice. Today, there is an enormous range of components. If something hurts or is difficult to operate, there is little virtue in persevering with it, so act.

5. Give your feet some room

Cycling shoes have traditionally been sold on the assumption that race fit and tight fit are much the same thing. They aren’t. In fact, modern thinking is that unimpeded metatarsal spread – that’s the fan of small bones in your forefoot – results in optimal power generation. Which seems like basic physics, doesn’t it?

For older riders, newer, wider shoes have additional benefits. Foot shape changes as we age; generally speaking, our feet become broader. So, simply buying the same brand and size indefinitely isn’t necessarily sensible. The growth in wide-fit options makes experimenting easier, while cleat position is another variable worth revisiting during a bike fit.

Dewhurst uses orthotics in her cycling shoes because of her high arches. “I used to get pressure on the ball of my foot – that hot-foot feeling – so an arch support helps support the foot better,” she says.

She has another common reason for preferring more generous footwear. “I’ve got a bunion on one foot, so I need wider shoes. A lot of cycling shoes are so narrow to start with, but wider ones are much easier to find now.”

The correct cycling shoe is the one your feet want to keep wearing after five hours in the heat of a mid-summer epic, not the one that looks fastest sitting outside the café.

6. Make the numbers big enough to read

Presbyopia – age-related decline in near vision – is something that I really suffer with. There is little point in keeping your tiny, antique GPS bike computer if your principal interaction with it is squinting harder than Clint Eastwood in the blazing Almerian sun. Dedicated reading glasses aren’t really a thing in cycling.

“Fortunately, modern head units let you programme what data you want to see, so the fewer data fields on screen, the larger the digits tend to be,” says Stern. “And the units themselves are generally bigger than days gone by. How small was an Avocet?”

Dewhurst is beginning to encounter the same problem. “Especially when I’m racing or time trialling, I struggle to read the digits,” she admits. She is now considering the small reader inserts that can be fitted to cycling glasses after noticing another rider use them.

I’ve used inexpensive Optx inserts in the past, with some success, but more sophisticated bifocal options exist, provided you’re willing to pay large sums. However, I find bifocal lenses rarely inspire confidence on gnarly gravel trails littered with hazards that require the odd glance down. Everything’s a blur…

7. Stop making every ride ‘quite hard’

One of the simplest ways of improving training is also one of the hardest for enthusiastic cyclists to follow – easy days need to be easy. Unfortunately, many of us succumb to recovery day restlessness.

Dewhurst admits she still gets it wrong. “I’ll go out, and I’m meant to be doing an easy ride, but I’ll do it slightly too hard,” she says. “Then when I come to a really hard ride, I’ve run out of energy.”

Stern believes the distinction becomes increasingly important with age. “Recovery is slower than it once was, and hard sessions need to be protected.”

That does not mean gradually removing intensity from your riding. Older riders who want to preserve performance still need hard work; the point is to arrive at those sessions sufficiently recovered to actually do them properly.

8. Lift weights – even if you’d rather be riding

“Strength work is crucial,” says Stern. “As we age, we start to lose muscle mass – sarcopenia – which has a negative effect on general health and wellbeing as well as your cycling. Heavy strength training will help you build and maintain muscle, build and maintain your bones, increase your short and long-term cycling power and make you less likely to age badly.”

His prescription is reassuringly practical. “Start light, get the movement patterns down, then build to heavy with minimal reps once you have the basics.”

Stern came relatively late to strength work. For years he avoided it before taking it up seriously, leading to measurable improvements in sprint power.

Dewhurst is less evangelical, a stance I can relate to. “For years I’ve been saying I’m going to do some strength training and never got there,” she acknowledges. “I think it’s important, but it’s got to be interesting and easy to fit in, with enough variety to ensure that I’m not just working the same small number of muscles all the time. I do intend to start doing some weight training this winter,” she laughs.

Remember: the perfect programme you never do is considerably less useful than a modest one you can sustain.

9. Do something other than cycling

Sometimes, the best way to train for cycling involves stepping away from the bike. Stern recommends mobility work to help with posture, joints and spinal health, and sees a place for yoga for its mental as well as physical benefits.

Dewhurst takes a refreshingly non-dogmatic approach. “If you enjoy it, do it,” she says. “I think doing a variety of different exercise is good. I do quite a bit of walking and that’s a good antidote to sore legs when you’ve been cycling.”

She is also living proof that you don’t need to embrace every fashionable form of cross-training. “I’m too stiff to do yoga,” she grins, “and find Pilates too boring.”

As an advanced yoga teacher, I believe anyone who believes they are too stiff to do yoga is a prime candidate for yoga, but agree with Dewhurst that there’s no benefit in taking up a pastime or regime that you don’t enjoy. You simply won’t last the course.

Cycling is superb aerobic exercise, but it offers little skeletal loading and keeps the body moving through a comparatively narrow range. Walking, running, resistance work, swimming, yoga or another activity you actually enjoy can complement it, particularly if retirement or reduced working hours leave more time to play with.

10. Pay more attention to what you eat

There was a time when many amateur cyclists regarded nutrition as whatever could be consumed at the café mid-ride and found in the fridge post-ride.

“You can still ride hard when you’re older,” says Stern, “but nutrition and recovery are super important for the gains. Increase your protein intake, make your carbohydrates decent and match them to your workload. Eat plenty of plants.”

Protein becomes especially relevant for maintaining muscle mass, while cutting carbohydrates indiscriminately can make hard training extremely challenging. Stern puts it more colourfully: “Gone are the days when you could neck a few beers and go training the next day. You can still do that, if that’s your thing, but recovery matters.”

An older rider investing hours in structured training while habitually under-fuelling is making life unnecessarily difficult.

11. Give yourself something to aim at

Goals dictate your training structure and provide mental focus and discipline – all of which sound like lofty ideals for a non-competitive cyclist like me. However, I do appreciate that goals also provide impetus – a welcome motivational shove in the back.

“My goal might be that I’m off to the European Championships and I’d like to get a podium,” says Dewhurst. “But it doesn’t have to be that extreme. It can just be, ‘I’d like to get a little bit fitter so I can get up that hill more comfortably’, or ride at a faster pace.”

Stern agrees. “Maybe it’s not getting dropped on the big hill near you or beating everyone in the sprint for the café. Having goals enables you to focus and train with purpose.”

That purpose can become especially useful once work and family routines change as we hit retirement. Suddenly having more time to ride doesn’t automatically mean using that time productively.

Nor does a goal have to be performance-based. A first century, a multi-day tour or riding every road in your county can work just as well. The important thing is that it makes you look forward to getting on the bike.

12. Get a coach – but get the right one

I’ve never had a coach, but I envy cyclists who do. Once you’ve recognised something you would genuinely like to achieve, a coach can help turn vague ambition into a plan.

“If somebody wants to perform at a better level, getting a coach gives you that structure,” says Dewhurst. “Even if you’re not competitive, if you want to improve a little, coaching can point you in the right direction. It’s too easy to fall into doing the same old thing all the time.”

She should know. Despite being a physiotherapist and having spent a lifetime in sport, Dewhurst admits: “I know what I should do, but I need somebody to tell me, ‘Do that’, and I’ll do it.”

But age makes choosing the right coach particularly important. “Training most certainly should change with age,” says Stern. “Recovery is slower than it once was and hard sessions need to be protected. A coach who understands ageing – and the additional stress you may have from work or family – is crucial.”

Dewhurst changed coaches after feeling she was training too hard and no longer enjoying it. That is arguably as important as having a coach in the first place: if the relationship or programme isn’t working, change it.

13. Try racing – it really isn’t too late

“Never raced before? So what – just do it,” says Stern. “It doesn’t matter if you’re first or last. You’re not turning pro!”

Dewhurst only came to cycling in her 50s. “When I started, I was doing it just for fun to get fit again. I didn’t have any ambitions to be competitive,” she says. “But then I got involved in Masters racing and it went from there!”

For newcomers, she suggests circuit racing as one of the least intimidating places to begin. “If you get dropped, it doesn’t matter because you’ll get picked up again on the next lap. Whereas if you’re in a 40-mile road race and get dropped after three or four miles, it’s a long, lonely thing.”

Stern suggests sampling different disciplines rather than deciding racing isn’t for you after one experience: “Crits, road racing, ultras, gravel, TTs – it’s all good. Try a few and see which you prefer.”

However, Dewhurst believes masters racing still has work to do when it comes to encouraging women. “I think a lot of women feel a little intimidated and feel they shouldn’t be there,” she says. “I’ve always trained and raced with men, so it doesn’t faze me. The men in masters racing are very generous – although they don’t give you any free rides, that’s for sure. If more women did it, it would be easier.”

Dewhurst believes more grassroots-level circuit racing would provide a particularly useful route in. “It can be such a fun, social thing to do. And it gives you a bit more sense of achievement, perhaps, than just going out for a ride.”

14. Join a club – but find your club

“You can cycle on your own and that can be lovely,” says Dewhurst. “But what really got me into club cycling was the fact that you stop and have cake and coffee. I thought this sounds like a great idea – cycle 20 miles, stop for coffee and cake, then cycle 20 miles back. It’s not the sort of thing runners do, that’s for sure.”

But not every club suits every rider. Some are race-focused; others revolve around touring, social riding or gravel. Dewhurst’s advice is refreshingly uncomplicated: “Try one, but if that club’s not for you, join another.”

Stern points out that a group can also make training easier – or simply help you through a long ride. “Look for one that has some riders about your age. Just going out with a group of riding buddies can be a great way to train or endure an epic ride when your legs are starting to drop off!”

As working life winds down, cycling can provide something beyond fitness: regular social contact, routine and friendships built around doing something enjoyable together. And, crucially, cake.

15. Take a cycling holiday

I’m not really into club rides, preferring to ride solo most of the time, but I do love a good cycling holiday. I think it’s the relaxed, no-pressure vibe I enjoy, as well as meeting new people and riding unfamiliar routes. I’ve holidayed with a few companies but found Via Roma provides a great balance of challenge and chill.

“A good cycling holiday should still feel like an adventure and a challenge, but it should take away the hassle,” says Grant Bayton of Via Roma. “The bike is at the heart of it, but so are the scenery, the food, the company and the fun. You can test yourself on the bike yet still come away feeling as though you’ve had a proper holiday.”

Bayton has also seen a marked increase in female participation. “Often around a third of the group are women, and in Tuscany sometimes half. A lot of that comes through word of mouth, particularly when women know the atmosphere will be relaxed, inclusive and supportive.”

Dewhurst needed little encouragement here. “Oh, definitely. Great fun,” she says. One of her first cycling holidays was in the Alps, not long after taking up the sport. She has since done several and was preparing for a ride from Seville to Valencia when we spoke.

16. Don’t surrender half the year

I used to stick my bike way at the end of October to focus on swimming during the winter months. Unsurprisingly, this did little for my cycling fitness, so every April was a sufferfest. Now, as platforms such as Zwift and Rouvy have matured to the point where they are a joy to use (sometimes!), I train indoors a few times a week. More significantly, my gravel bike, better lights, modern bike bags and much improved cycling attire enable me to cycle a hilly 20km to the pool in all but the very worst weather.

“There is no off-season anymore,” says Stern. “People are periodising their training and focusing on year-round riding so they’re stronger next year. Winter clothing is generally excellent now, and indoor riding is much more interesting.”

Dewhurst has discovered one remarkably simple piece of kit. “My favourite thing is arm warmers,” she says. “I started wearing them under my winter jacket and the difference was huge. Such a simple thing, but it makes winter riding more comfortable. However, I refuse to go out if it’s chucking it down.”

17. Let technology watch your back

Radar is not just a gimmick; it has transformed my rides, allowing me to be much more confident and assertive on the road. Garmin, which makes excellent radar units, once pretty much enjoyed a monopoly on this product category, but other brands such as Wahoo, Lezyne, Magene and iGPSport have now joined the fray with competitively priced products.

“I’ve just invested in one of those Garmin radar lights,” says Dewhurst. “I do quite a bit on my own and I have to negotiate a major A-road to return home. I struggle to turn, look over my shoulder and stay straight on the bike, so it’s been fantastic. I can’t always hear cars behind me either, so it gives me much more peace of mind knowing it’ll show me if something is coming up – especially with electric cars.”

Stern also recommends location sharing and cameras: “Roads are busier. Radar, LiveTrack and cameras can help with your safety or let loved ones know you’re OK.”

None of this tech replaces observation or road sense. But if retirement means more weekday solo riding, any product that improves our situational awareness has to be worth bolting to our bikes.

18. Try something different

Much of my riding time is spent exploring the lanes that criss-cross the UK's Cotswolds, but I also adore off-road excursions on my gravel and XC bikes. Trying something different brings new energy, not to mention skills, to my riding.

Dewhurst’s introduction gravel racing began optimistically. “I thought gravel might be fun,” she recalls. Her first qualifier in Wales proved rather less benign than expected. “I thought it would be nice parkland gravel. It was awful! Much more technical than I was expecting.”

She qualified anyway and subsequently rode the Gravel World Championships. Despite that baptism of fire, she is planning more gravel riding. “Change is as good as a rest sometimes,” she says. “It’s a different way of riding. With gravel it doesn’t matter whether you’re doing 10mph or 5mph – the terrain dictates what you can do, so sometimes it takes that pressure off.”

Planning new adventures on Strava, OS Maps, Komoot and so on, can help lift you out of a rut. As can bikepacking, mountain biking, audax or simply putting the bike in the car and starting somewhere unfamiliar.

19. Don’t let your date of birth dictate your ride

“I don’t think it’s defeatist to have an electric bike,” says Dewhurst. “I know a few older guys I used to cycle with who have them now, and it’s given them a totally new lease of life.” If assistance allows somebody to stay with friends, continue riding hills, return after illness or simply have more fun, calling them out for using an e-bike is a nonsense.

“If you’ve got to the point where you’re thinking of stopping cycling because you can’t manage any more, it’s an ideal thing to have,” Dewhurst adds.

Stern’s attitude is characteristically straightforward: “Age is just a number on your licence – it’s not a limit on what you can do, so have fun. I thoroughly recommend British Masters Racing, where you race in 5-year age bands – it is great to see the older riders still racing. I hope to be competing when I'm 90 plus!”

Dewhurst occasionally has to remind herself that the person she is comparing herself with may be 25 years younger. “Most of the time, though, I don’t even consider my age.”

Perhaps that is the most useful advice of all. Don’t allow being over 50 to become a reason, in itself, to expect less from cycling.

I realised, toggling the ‘training bias’ on my last indoor training session down to a 92% effort because ‘100% felt a bit hard’, that I’ve not tested my functional threshold power (FTP) for around six years.

Back in 2020, it was Covid lockdowns that put paid to my season’s goals. Whilst the lay-off was longer than expected for most of us, the race calendar did eventually power back up. I, however, did not. Or at least, I powered in a very different direction: new house, baby one, baby two, you get the idea. And here we are, six years later, with an unknown entity hovering around in the space of a number that used to mean a lot to me.

FTP, the power a rider can hold for sixty minutes, is a benchmark in cycling performance. Whilst there are variations (Wahoo’s 4DP, Critical Power), nearly all training plans and software use a percentage of a known, and ideally regularly tested, power figure to set rider efforts during training. When your head is locked into racing, it can be easy to assume that ‘everyone’ is completing structured sessions using pre-set power zones.

The reality is that taking a more relaxed “what does my body need to do today?” approach is actually more common than the training literature might suggest. Adjusting volumes and intensity based on feel, fatigue and external factors is not without its benefits, with a few caveats in place.

‘Most riders with no recognised FTP test still use workouts’

A Cycling Weekly audience survey revealed that 73% of respondents considered themselves ‘fitness riders’, using the bike to stay ‘fit and healthy’. Just 16% put themselves in the ‘competitive cyclist’ bracket. Wanting to get away from screen time and ‘feeling sluggish’ were primary triggers for getting on the bike, so it seems reasonable to assume that townsign sprints with friends and lunchbreak power hours are more common than structured VO2 max efforts.

Numbers at Zwift concur. Asked for stats on the number of riders actively testing FTP – the metric used to set zones for Zwift’s ‘workout’ library – a representative said “over the last year, around three in four active Zwifters recorded a workout [which would feature structured intervals], while fewer than one in four recorded a recognised FTP-test ride.”

Zwift’s rep added: “Even among riders without a recognised test ride, about two in three used workouts. Most riders combined workouts with other kinds of riding.” The brand added, “Most riders with no recognised FTP test still use workouts (67.7%).”

It is worth noting that Zwift will calculate a 'zFTP' based on activities completed in the last 90 days, and an FTP number could be given after completing a 20-minute effort, such as riding the platform's climb 'The Grade'; 97.5% of Zwifters without a recognised FTP test do have a calculated zFTP/zMAP record. But, this is much more ad hoc than a rider actively seeking out a benchmark and repeating the test monthly.

Perhaps interestingly, competitor MyWhoosh's September update saw the brand release a new 'Smart Workout Selector', which it says “helps riders narrow down the MyWhoosh workout library based on what they want from their session and how they are feeling on the day.” Sessions are suggested after riders report on factors such as recovery, sleep, muscle soreness and available time.

Looking at the wider picture, Strava’s Year in Sport of 2025 showed that over half (54%) of users take part in two or more sport types, with 34% recording over three sport types.

There are generational changes too, Strava reported that Gen Z athletes (born between 1997 and 2012) were twice as likely as older generations to pick strength training as their main sport. Despite being an aged millennial (1981 and 1996) this certainly chimes with my own habits; and I’d suggest hitting the weights or training in other sports on non-riding days can shift the bike focus from chasing numbers to a more holistic muscle soreness and recovery function.

The final piece in the puzzle is that we know participation numbers across competitive bike racing, certainly in the UK, are dwindling, with more and more exercisers citing ‘mental health’ as a reason for getting active. If you’re pushing the pedals to feel happier rather than to turn the screw in the latter half of a road race, it’s hardly surprising that number crunching has taken a back seat.

All in, the wider picture suggests that cyclists are broadening their interests, and that training platforms may be adapting to the reality of recreational athletes' lifestyles, where hitting a goal on the bike that day may just not be the priority.

‘A lot of cyclists don’t do well riding off feel’

Obviously, the training a rider completes day-to-day will be heavily influenced by their goals and training history. If it’s not, well, something is wrong.

Set power zones come in handy for riders with ambitious goals, where they need to avoid under- or overtraining.

“Riding off feel is something a lot of riders don't do well,” Sport and Exercise scientist and coach at ATP Performance, Andy Turner, outlined. Though if we’re being picky, Turner did note he prefers to use Critical Power over FTP.

Lamenting the disorganisation that can occur when targets go out the window, he noted: “Zone 2 [easy] rides end up tempo. Effort rides end up too easy, or too hard, and people do maximal efforts at every opportunity.

“I've seen chronic cases where there is exercise addiction and a sort of cortisol addiction too. Training less gives withdrawal symptoms. So using thresholds to keep training at the appropriate level ensures [the rider] is not overdoing it,” says Turner.

However, there are instances where he’ll have cyclists ride ‘blind’, without the numbers, “both to push the maximal [effort], but also to test how well they can hit a power zone without actually looking at numbers. It's also useful to know the RPE compared to power for determining when fatigue might be becoming too much and rest is needed.”

Returning and beginner riders are another caveat, he adds: “I have a rider starting up again after three years off the bike, and we won't be testing for a few months. We'll go off Rate of Perceived Exertion and Heart Rate initially, as those are good metrics to become attuned with before using watts and taking those as gospel,” Turner said.

‘If you’re a type A personality, numbers can be unhelpful’

It's fairly unanimously accepted that training with set zones has its place. However, when focus shifts from performance goals to enjoyment, things change. Particularly if external events and responsibilities (allostatic load) dictate energy levels and performance.

“If you're a highly intelligent perfectionist, that ‘type A’ personality, [these people] love numbers, but they can actually be really unhelpful because the numbers just create threat," outlines Sports Psychologist at Performance in Mind, Josie Perry. “When their brain sees threat, i.e. I might fail, they have biological responses in the body. They're unable to get the best out of themselves, so they're much better at focusing on inputs to their performance, [such as] how many sessions [they’ve completed a week], or how hard they work in sessions, or specific ways of doing sessions,” Perry outlines.

Some other personality types might get on better with set targets. “If you're a more pragmatic rider, we tend to be lazier. Then numbers can be helpful because they give us something to focus on when actually what our brain is saying is ‘take it easy’.”

In short, she says: “If you have a brain that is constantly trying to push you to do more and more and more”, I’ll put my hand up and admit that’s me, by the way, “numbers don't help. If you have a brain that tends to default to let's do as little as possible, numbers can be helpful because they give you something to drive you towards and will make you work a bit harder.”

So, what’s the prescription for those ‘Type A’ riders, for whom set power zones don’t sit well with leisure and fitness riding goals?

“My advice would be to pick three or four data points that help [you monitor well-being and fitness] and probably ignore everything else,” Perry says, stating that she keeps an eye on resting heart rate as a guage of wellness.

If you need a little more, she takes it back to RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion. That’s completing efforts using a subjective measure of how hard your body is working. A 20-minute push would probably be ridden at around 7/10, 3-5 intervals likely at around 8 or 9, and your all-out sprint is a 10.

“If your session is a six out of 10, moving it up to an eight for 20 minutes in the middle, and back down to six, you can always achieve that, even if it means on that day your numbers were down. You’re still going to achieve what’s set,” Perry says.

'Just twist the dial to make it harder'

When I set out upon this article, which began life as a light-hearted opinion piece and somehow morphed into a mini-feature along the way, it occurred to me that the logical conclusion was likely going to result in me clipping in for 20-minutes of brutal testing.

Refreshingly, I was wrong.

Power testing absolutely has a valuable place. If I wanted to race again, I'd want to set myself a benchmark to work against.

For now? I'll be taking Perry's advice. “When I ride intervals, I use a Wattbike, and I just twist the dial to make it harder,” the psychologist – who is still winning races “for fun” – told me. My version would be just toggling the effort down to 92% because I fed a baby back to sleep eight times last night, and, well, haven’t tested my FTP for six years, anyway.

It is no easy feat to make a name for yourself in cycling if you hail from the Isle of Man. The tiny island boasts a staggeringly rich racing legacy, having produced Mark Cavendish and other top-tier pros including Peter Kennaugh, Mark Christian, Lizzie Holden and Becky Storrie. Yet, Peter's younger brother Tim Kennaugh has forged his own distinct path off the bike, earning a reputation as one of professional cycling's most respected coaches. His elite clientele has included three-time Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy, Tour stage-winner Heinrich Haussler and Cavendish himself.

Kennaugh initially shared his brother's pro aspirations. Representing Great Britain, he won a silver medal at the U19 European Championships. However, a diagnosis of Hashimoto's autoimmune disease during his U23 years prematurely ended his racing career. Pivoting to support roles, Tim joined domestic squad Rapha Condor-JLT as a soigneur in 2013, stepping up to coach a year later. He soon launched his own business, with early clients including his double-national-champion brother. Before long he had moved up to the World Tour, serving as a performance director for EF Education First in 2018, followed by a seven-year stint at Bahrain, including working for a season with Cavendish.

Now 34, armed with a master's degree in high-performance sports science from the European University of Madrid, Kennaugh has relaunched his solo business. Alongside amateur and Continental clients, he currently oversees the coaching programme of the EF Education-Aevolo development team. We spoke to Kennaugh to find out more about how he gets the very best from every type of rider, from rising stars to ambitious veterans.

What was it like to coach Mark Cavendish?

I'd known Cav for quite a long time, what with us both being from the Isle of Man. He really supported me in my youth by giving me his old cycling kit and then paying for my rent when I was racing in Italy. We then didn't speak for a number of years, but when he joined Bahrain-McLaren [in 2020] I began coaching him. I was a little nervous, as he's a big personality, and when you're dealing with an athlete as famous as that, you're also dealing with their travel programme, their agent and other commitments that you just don't have with most other cyclists. From a coaching perspective, I couldn't have asked for any more. He did everything I asked of him, committed to every training session and gave good feedback.

Why did you leave Bahrain Victorious?

I had burnout after so many years working in the World Tour. I loved it but it was time for a reset. I'm happy to be back working in cycling again with the EF devo team – and I wouldn't turn down future opportunities to work in the World Tour.

What was the personal appeal of coaching?

I've always been a people person, and coaching allows me to use those skills. When coaching young kids, I want them to develop as much off the bike as they do on it. Over time you go through a lot with each individual rider, especially if you've coached them for six years as I did with some at Bahrain. It's great being part of everyone's journey and supporting them as much as possible.

What are the first steps when you begin coaching a rider?

Rather than focusing on the one big goal, it's about breaking it down and working back from that goal and its demands to establish the best processes that will lead to the desired outcome. You have to work out the KPIs [key performance indicators] and what numbers to hit, as well as devise a monitoring programme, such as a regular test to repeat to see if the athlete is on track or not. Then you bring in other members of the performance team – nutritionists, physios, strength coaches – to make sure everyone's pointing in the same direction.

How do you make sure you get the best out of an athlete?

By making sure the training plan fits the athlete's lifestyle and this is especially true of amateur cyclists. I can write the most scientifically optimal programme in the world, but if it doesn't work around the athlete's commitments, or where they are in their development, then it's not optimal for them. Take Fred Wright, for example: when he was doing the Classics for the first time, he needed a certain watts-per-kilo figure to get over the bergs, but that wasn't his limiting factor – what was holding him back originally was that he was so fatigued when he got to the key bergs that he couldn't produce the power. So what we needed to prioritise first was getting him to the finish, and then once he could stay at the front of the peloton it was time to work on his power on those short, steep climbs.

How do you ensure that riders spend the right amount of time at altitude?

First of all, you've got to do blood tests to make sure they're fit and healthy before they go, because if they've got any cardiorespiratory illnesses, they should be kept at home. In their first week there, you've got to keep intensity relatively low. Using wearables that test heart rate variability, or devices that measure blood oxygen levels is essential to continue managing load. Altitude works, but it does cause physical and mental stress.

How do you improve a rider's durability?

The rider obviously needs a strong aerobic capacity first. High training volume helps, for sure, and then it's a case of developing their threshold. From a race-specific perspective, you've got to know the duration and difficulty of the effort that'll be required repeatedly in the race, and then you plan training sessions around that. I often test it by comparing someone's fresh power with the same effort at the end of the ride and seeing how much the drop-off in power is.

What message do you find yourself repeating?

Reminding riders, pros especially, to trust the process. People always want confirmation of how they're going, but it's not about chasing a specific number or peak power – it's instead about being consistent. Holding pros back is the biggest challenge as a coach. Rather than adding to a training plan, it's often about stopping them from doing something, or taking something away. It's the reduction that creates the biggest improvement in performance. Adding altitude, heat training or increasing gym work might mean that all of a sudden the athlete isn't recovering properly and isn't adapting as well as they should be.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a coach?

When I first started, I was really quite young and I had imposter syndrome, as I was working with guys older and more experienced than me. Also, I didn't go to university, so I was constantly watching lectures and learning more about physiology, coaching and managing people. Once I got into the World Tour, it became even more demanding. There are so many external experts that sometimes it felt like I was trying my best but just treading water. You get back from races and training camps and you're so busy that you don't have time to keep up with things. Now that I've stepped away, I've had more bandwidth to look into topics that I find interesting.

What's one data point you think is underused?

RPE – rate of perceived exertion. We have so many measurements – power, heart rate, lactate, so much data and everyone's always looking at the 1% to improve, but still people don't leave an RPE comment on their training files. There could be a million different reasons for a higher or lower heart or lactate measurement, and RPE is really useful to try to explain that.

What's your view on the role of AI in coaching?

I think it's great for the general population. If I go to the doctor's or see a specialist, thanks to AI I'm now so much more informed. It's the same when I talk to cyclists I coach – they're able to get so much info now that they can ask better questions. I also think a 12-week training plan produced by AI for a beginner is generally not bad. What you'll find with AI, though, is that the more you know, the more mistakes you spot in its recommendations. I see it going the other way: rather than growing dependent on AI, people will crave human connection and want someone on the phone to offer an understanding ear, to hear their tone of voice or disappointment after a race.

What's the future of coaching?

Because there's now so much data, I think we're going to see more coaches on teams, as it's going to become very difficult for one coach to train eight riders properly. We'll likely go down to three riders per coach, and the coaches will end up being like a GP, referring the athlete to individual specialists who will work alongside them.

Coach's CV: Tim Kennaugh

Age: 34

Hometown: Douglas, Isle of Man

Notable riders coached: Mark Cavendish, Fred Wright, Peter Kennaugh

Best achievements as coach: Developing Phil Bauhaus as a sprinter

Best achievements as rider: 2nd – Points race, U19 European Championships (2009)

Favourite motto: Don't run before you can walk

Train like Cav – with caveats

Don't prioritise heat training: "An amateur athlete can't do everything, and if there were 100 things I could prescribe to an athlete to improve performance, heat training wouldn't be at the top of the list. It definitely works, but if you keep adding additional stresses on top of work and family life, then it will lead to taking extra days off. Keep your cool!"

Focus on regularity, not load: "If you've got a slightly easier training plan but it's consistent, then over 12 months you'll see bigger benefits."

Don't stagnate: "I see a lot of damage done by riders repeating the same training cycle and structure: a big ride on Saturday and Sunday; easy days on Tuesday and Thursday and rest the other days. That works for a while until you get bored and go backwards as you're not giving your body a different stimulus. Mix things up."

Don't forget intensity: "Every four weeks, you want to be including a macro cycle in which you train with greater intensity, before you go into an easier block. If you usually do six hours of training a week, in the fourth week, do eight or 10. Or instead of four sessions a week, do three but make one of them longer."

Replicate climbs: "Even if you live in a flat area, you can do torque efforts, sweetspot and FTP intervals at a lower cadence of 50rpm. Alternatively, find routes and training sessions on an indoor trainer that simulate climbing. Use technology to your advantage."

This article was first published as part of the 'Masterminds of Performance' series in the 16 July 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

We’ve most likely all been there: you’re following a strict diet in the pursuit of an improved power-to-weight ratio, but the evening after a ride, you find yourself raiding the cupboards or – worse – waking up hungry and basking in the glow of a nighttime fridge excursion.

As common as this experience is, it’s likely a symptom of poor nutritional timing, and it can have a bigger impact on performance, recovery, and body composition than many people realise.

Post-ride overeating typically happens because you didn't fuel adequately before or during the ride, or because you didn't fuel well right after the session. To understand why, we need to look at a few fundamentals.

When we cycle, we use energy. Power through the pedals is the work we produce, but heart rate tells us how hard we had to work internally to produce this. Most training devices and software will tell us the power and kilojoules, or calories, used during a session; heart rate helps give us an indication of what sources of fuel we are using to produce that energy. At lower intensities, we use a higher proportion of fats, and the higher the intensity gets, the more carbohydrates we use.

Even after an effort, we use more energy than normal as we recover, including after we’ve stopped riding altogether. Elements such as high heat, altitude increases, and fatigue can all increase the ratio of carbohydrates we use at a given relative intensity.

Many riders make mistakes because they are not aware of the volume of carbohydrates they should be consuming. They may also struggle to get the appropriate volume in, resulting in a debt that needs to be paid later on.

An ideal volume would be anywhere from 60 to 120 grams per hour depending upon intensity and nutritional conditioning; pro riders will train themselves to be able to intake on the higher end. That’s between 2 to 4 typical energy gels, or 3 to 6 small bananas. If it sounds like a lot, you’re probably underfueling your rides.

If you’ve been underfueling during rides for years, this might sound like a lot of food. If you’re heading out for a club ride with friends, you may wonder how you could get through this much food whilst still maintaining a sociable conversation. The answer is practice and planning: it’ll take time to train your gut to tolerate adequate volume during a ride, but you also need to find foods that work for you.

Recommended carb intake during the ride

Volumes are not based upon body weight intentionally, gut length does not change with height, a smaller rider putting out more watts will actually require more input.

The upper end of the high intensity bracket would require gut training.

Post-ride, a common guideline is 20-30g of protein, followed by 80-120g of carbs for longer or harder sessions, a 1:4 ratio of protein to carbs. That’s a five-egg omelette and 100-150g of dried white rice; a personal favourite for me was always three eggs, a tin of beans and three slabs of toast.

Whilst replacing the carbs hours later, over a pub lunch or large evening meal, may be more inviting, it won’t work. For those without insulin irregularities, sugars and simple carbohydrates consumed during exercise and directly after it are processed very differently compared to food consumed hours later.

If you consume 100g of sugar at rest, a good amount of this will be deposited as fat stores. If you consume this during exercise, it is prioritised as a fuel source for the work. If it is consumed afterwards, it is generally directed towards replenishing muscle glycogen stores.

Consuming the carbohydrates required during and after exercise ensures you have greater performance during the session, replenishes stores ahead of the next session, and avoids the calories input being directed towards fat stores.

A bonus is that if you fuel correctly, you should have far fewer cravings later on, which means you avoid large intakes of sugar or rich and processed foods, which have a reduced positive impact on training, and contribute to gains in body fat.

So even though refined and processed sugars get a bad rap in the media, when consumed at the correct time, for active athletes these simple sugars are required and highly beneficial. Eating an entire bag of sweets on the sofa at 10pm won’t be good, but during a hard session it will likely have a positive impact on performance and recovery, while reducing cravings later.

It’s about eating the right stuff, at the right time, for the right level of activity. I find many riders I work with are underfuelling until we address the problem, changing these habits tends to have a notable and positive impact on recovery, performance, post-session tiredness and mood in general.

In recent years, shorter crank lengths have been in the spotlight. Back in 2024, Tadej Pogačar switched to 165mm cranks, a change that coincided with a run of victories that has yet to cease. Perhaps in response, Jonas Vingegaard was spotted using 150mm cranks at various races in 2025, although not at every event. Now 170mm, and shorter, are commonplace, if not quite the rule.

So, is shorter better?

Well, as with most factors relating to individuals, it really depends. There is no single correct crank length for every rider, and here I’m going to look into why that is. I'll also delve into the purported benefits and potential drawbacks. But first off, let’s get a bit of the background science out of the way.

Power (watts) is made up of two components. There's angular velocity, measured in cadence, and force, which is the torque we produce. An example equation would be 300W at 80RPM requires 35.81Nm of force (Power/Cadence) x 9.5492968).

But an interesting factor regarding crank length is that, although it doesn’t change the cadence at which you pedal, it does change the speed at which your legs move. This is due to the circumference of the pedal revolution changing as you alter crank length. Shorter cranks actually slow the foot, as it travels a shorter distance to complete each pedal revolution.

This has an interesting side effect: more pedal force is required with shorter cranks to achieve the same torque at the spindle, due to the reduced lever length. This has been suggested as a reason for higher self-selected cadences with shorter cranks, so as to reduce the pedal force required, increase the angular velocity of the foot, and still achieve the same power.

So why would a WorldTour rider use cranks that mean more force is required at the pedals? There are several reasons why, some of which we will discuss later. But first, smaller cranks change how the foot and leg move, which can affect efficiency and psychology. Since the foot is moving more slowly, there is an argument that higher cadences become more efficient because the legs do not need to move as fast or as much. This drop in angular velocities at the joints can help make repeated accelerations at higher cadences more sustainable, as at higher power outputs, higher cadences can also be more efficient.

Indeed, part of the supposed reason for Tadej Pogačar switching to shorter cranks has been to allow for the rapid accelerations he produces to effectively fly away from the bunch en route to one of his signature solo victories. It becomes somewhat easier to ‘spin up’ the gear with a shorter crank, even if torque can be reduced. It used to be assumed that longer cranks meant a longer lever, which resulted in more watts, but with higher cadence at higher power outputs being more efficient and excessive torque application being a limiting factor for fatigue accumulation, shorter cranks make sense for elite riders.

With bikes such as the Factor One and its innovative take on bike geometry, there has been a clear shift in the WorldTour toward riders being positioned further forward over the bottom bracket, akin to a time-trial ‘lite’ fit. Shorter cranks can assist here as the hip angle does not get as closed off at the top of the pedal stroke, and can make pedalling and power production more efficient. This, in turn, can allow for a lower front-end position without impeding the pedal stroke, possibly creating a more aerodynamic position. So far, it's looking like the benefits of shorter cranks are endless.

But they are not without their flaws.

Firstly, from a performance perspective, they do have some downsides. Shorter cranks mean your legs do not extend as much at the end of the pedal stroke if saddle height remains the same. To counter this, you need to raise your saddle or get a lower-stack-height cleat and shoe options, which is not cheap. This, in turn, results in a larger frontal area, and I’ve seen wind-tunnel testing showing that shorter cranks and adjusting your position to accommodate the change in fit often add a small amount to the coefficient of drag. Raising the saddle also has a small impact on the centre of mass, raising it, which can marginally reduce stability when cornering. Visma - Lease A Bike addresses this by using Nimbl Shoes with four-bolt cleat mounting for Speedplay pedals, which results in a stack height of about 8.5mm vs 14.6mm for Shimano Dura-Ace pedals.

Shortening the cranks also reduces the total torque production possible. It's not a problem for the most part, but for sprinters, it has been found that shorter cranks can reduce peak power production.

We also have to consider that the majority of us are not professional road riders, spinning up climbs at 90-100RPM at 400+ watts. In addition to that, what is going to be most efficient for one rider is not necessarily going to be the most efficient for every rider.

An expert's view on crankarm length

To get more insight into this, I spoke with Phil Burt, an expert bike fitter who has worked with Team Sky/Ineos and British Cycling over the years.

His view on shorter crank arms is that there is very little downside, as long as riders adjust their bike fit to account for the changes shorter cranks make to hip and knee angles, as well as saddle height and setback.

“People who bought 165mm crank arms are not taking advantage of that, likely keeping their saddle height the same level and therefore compromising position and power. The benefit of short cranks is moving up and forwards, getting over the BB more without compromising knee angle. It loosens up the psoas muscle, and you don’t really pull up on the pedal angle anyway, which is what this muscle can help with, but you can limit stiffness with a wider hip angle.

The problem with really small cranks, such as 150mm, is that the bike ends up in quite a high position. Potentially 25mm higher than what many bikes are designed around.”

This is a very interesting point, as frames are designed around certain crank ideals, so the BB drop is designed to accommodate crank lengths of 170-175mm. Short cranks and the higher saddle will impact the centre of mass and handling.

“The big benefit with these shorter cranks is more inclusivity for fit for women and shorter-stature people. They are also better for people with biomechanical issues or injuries; especially as you age, it is more important to optimise fit as the optimal fit window shifts and gets smaller. Short cranks reduce impact on the hip and knee joints which just makes sense as you get older. It also reduces asymmetry, as you don’t have the extreme angles where imbalances are more prevalent. A good crank length rule of thumb is that 5mm shorter opens up the hip angle by 2-3%.

Negatives? It’s trendy, but it’s only a problem if you don’t address the changes needed when you switch to shorter cranks. You also need to ensure it will fit within your optimal fit window. The only real performance downsides are at 0-30RPM, then short cranks are not as good, so team sprint off the line, maybe super steep MTB, but not much, if any, impact on road performance.”

As a fun analogy for how shorter cranks have had positive performance gains right away, Phil shared this story about Bradley Wiggins before his Hour Record attempt.

“Back in 2015, we were looking to optimise the team pursuit squad. They were low and super aero with their thighs in their chest. We dropped them down to 165mm cranks across the board for aero and power, and it helped instantly. Bradley Wiggins was training for his Hour Record attempt, three weeks out, and came to talk with us. He changed from 177.5m down to 170mm, and was able to get a 30mm drop in front height and over 3% drop in CdA. The rest is history.”

Beyond performance

As Phil mentioned, one very important aspect of shorter cranks being more readily available is greater fit accommodations for a wider range of people. Cycling has traditionally been very male-focused, with all bikes coming with 172.5 or 175mm cranks. Fine for the average global male height 171cm. But the average global female height is 160cm, and you wouldn’t set up a bike fit for a 171cm person the same as for a 160cm person.

With the release of cranksets down to 150mm, SRAM has taken a great step towards greater fit inclusivity, be that for female riders, younger riders, or riders with conditions such as dwarfism. It may be coming off the back of a 175cm rider dabbling in short cranks for professional bike racing, but the wider implications of this release are highly positive. Perhaps just don’t switch to 150mm cranks on a whim, hoping it will make you climb as fast as Jonas Vingegaard. Instead, get a bike fit and select the correct crank length for your individual biomechanics and specific cycling goals.

This morning, I ascended a two-mile climb on my favourite 20-mile route. My heart rate peaked at 159bpm – just over three times its resting rate.

I was riding an electric bike, using a moderate power setting; not long ago, I’d have completed the route in full-power mode with a similar heart rate. Later, I nipped to Asda for some groceries, adding to my riding today.

Though I have been riding some sort of bike or e-bike for almost all my adult life, this year something bit me. I’ve upped my mileage from around 150 miles a year to 800 in the last six months; a third of this has been popping to the shops. Over that period, my Garmin smartwatch has recorded my resting heart rate falling from 61 to 51bpm. I have also lost 5kg, and my shrinking waistline means I increasingly need a new wardrobe.

Many inspirational writers say that they get up at 5:30 to work out as part of their journey to corporate success. For my part, a week after moving in with my wife in Weymouth (Dorset, UK) in November 2024, I found that I needed exercise to be easier to get along with. Initially I started going for a walk at 6am to prolong the marriage – a far more valuable result than any corporate success. However, more recently, the bike has taken over.

Nipping to the shop

1,100 miles of morning walks later, in late April this year, I found a way to secure my bike so it is as easy to use as getting in my car. This seems to have unleashed my riding in a big way. The supermarket Asda is 1.5 miles from me – a 10-minute ride down a shared-use cycling and walking path (the Rodwell Trail), that is just as quick as getting in the car and sitting in a traffic jam.

Ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, my local Weymouth and Portland council created a fantastic cycling network around the town. As a result, around a third of my riding hasn’t been about marital harmony but instead getting a couple of days’ worth of groceries or nipping to town. At around 12p per mile in petrol, those avoided journeys would have cost approximately £32 in fuel. Charging the bike costs roughly 12p for every 60 miles, bringing the net saving to about £31.50 (just over $42 for our US readers).

A capable tank of a bike

Living in rural Dorset (Southwest England), with plentiful off-road opportunities including the beautiful Wessex Ridgeway Trail, I particularly liked the idea of a trekking e-bike.

I went for a Giant Talon E+ EX 29er that has a 250W Yamaha crank motor with 50Nm of torque, full mudguards and a rear pannier rack for around £2,500 (around $3,400). Honestly, though I sometimes used to brag I had it imported from Germany, it’s more like saying the same about a VW Golf rather than a Bugatti Veyron.

Over time, I replaced the saddle with a very comfortable one and swapped the coil-sprung fork for an air fork. Together, they have made off-road riding considerably more comfortable. I also use Maxxis Minion tyres for those moments when I need additional grip in thick mud.

Fitness measures

Though not clinical-grade measuring tools, the best smartwatches can give a rough indication of exercise intensity. My Garmin awards one intensity minute when my heart rate exceeds roughly 100bpm and two for each minute above 125bpm. These thresholds are personal to my device and settings. I aim for 70 intensity minutes a day, giving me a simple way to measure how hard I’m working rather than merely how far I’m riding.

Where I live now, I have miles of relatively safe and flat riding routes, and my morning blast is typically 7 miles with a modest climb midway. This is one of the keys to effective training – you push yourself a little harder after a period of comfort. When I’m feeling particularly hateful of my legs, I’ll do a nasty steep climb as part of the morning blast. That has brought me to a level of fitness where a 30-40-mile Saturday morning ride is now within reach.

From marital harmony to prosaic shopping trips, the bike has more than justified itself in my life. Though I still need the car, it has significantly reduced how much I use it, and in turn that has given me a new lease of life in terms of health, weight loss and general fitness.

Can you really get fit on an e-bike?

Electric assistance generally reduces the effort required compared with riding an unassisted bike, but that doesn’t mean e-cycling provides little exercise.

A 2022 meta-analysis of 14 studies found that e-cycling typically produced physiological responses equivalent to moderate-intensity physical activity. Although the responses were lower than during conventional cycling, they were generally higher than when walking.

Moderate exercise is not an upper limit. The intensity depends on the terrain, assistance setting and how hard the rider pedals. I use my e-bike as a tool for having more fun while exercising hard: on my latest Ridgeway climb, using assistance level 2/5, my heart rate peaked at 159bpm.

What Makes An E-Bike Road Legal?

In the EU and UK, an electrically assisted pedal cycle must have pedals capable of propelling it and a motor with a maximum continuous rated power of 250W. Electrical assistance must cut out at 15.5mph, although the rider can continue faster under leg power. Walk-assist throttles are permitted up to 6km/h.

Confusion persists even among police. West Midlands Police recently admitted that flawed testing led officers to seize and destroy a road-legal £6,500 cargo bike. The force dropped the case, apologised and agreed to pay compensation.

US regulations vary by state. Most use a three-class system: Classes 1 and 2 provide assistance up to 20mph, while Class 3 pedal-assist e-bikes can assist up to 28mph. Access to roads, cycle lanes and trails differs between states.

I'm time-crunched, how much training is enough when I'm fitting it around work and family?

Coaching amateur athletes as well as pros, it’s a question I hear often. Hobby riders see their friends and riding buddies racking up more hours than they have available, and end up asking: just how much should I be riding to get fitter?

Getting fitter is about generating stress and resting appropriately.

Stress comes through increasing volume or intensity; it can be tracked through measures such as Training Stress Score (TSS), which uses data from each ride to determine how much load the session has put on the body. If you use Strava, you’ll see this represented as ‘Relative Effort’. As we build up the stress, we provide the training stimulus for our bodies to become fitter.

However, without adequate rest, our body does not enter a state in which it starts to adapt to the training stress and generate improvements in fitness over time. Balance is essential; without it, we leave ourselves open to issues such as dysfunctional overreaching and overtraining syndrome, the latter of which can take months to recover from.

Amateur athletes also need to consider the sum of all stresses. Higher training load adds to stress, as does looking after a young child, having a stressful job, suffering from poor sleep, or inadequate fueling for sessions and recovery.

When speaking with riders I coach, the first thing I ask them when we start working together is how much time they realistically have to dedicate to training, while leaving enough time for work, family, life, and rest. It’s vital we correctly gauge the sum of all stresses and availability to both train and rest, for the work put in to be effective.

This then leads us on to the next component of training, which is the intensity distribution. You may have heard of polarized training and the 80/20 concept. This relates to the theory that 80% of time should be spent training at low intensities, and 20% at higher intensities. Professionals – who have more time to train – might work with a ratio closer to 90/10, fluctuating depending on the time of the season and goals. For those with less time, however, it can be better to spend more time at higher intensities, as you can generate a greater training stress across a shorter amount of time.

Real life examples

Andy took a look at the training volume carried out by some of his coached athletes, the volume and intensity split looks very different...

ATHLETE 1 – UCI Continental rider

• Hours trained: 18-24
• Sessions completed: 10 (x6 bike, x2 S&C, x2 heat session)
• Intensity split: 81/19 in favour of below Lactate Threshold 1/lower intensity

ATHLETE 2 – Medical shift worker, expecting a baby

• Hours trained: 6-8
• Sessions completed: 6 (x5 bike x1 S&C)
• Intensity split: 66/34 in favour of below Lactate Threshold 1/lower intensity

A good rule of thumb that I apply with my coached riders is to do between two to three sessions that include higher-intensity efforts (above 8/10 on the RPE scale or 80% of threshold) a week, making sure that none of them fall on consecutive days. For the rest of the time, it is ideal to include longer-duration endurance rides. By this, I mean sessions that are around 6 or 7/10 in effort, or 60-70% of threshold power, and ideally at least 2 hours long.

The duration of those longer rides is important as it’s at this point that muscle glycogen stores become depleted and we generate more of our fat-burning capacity, even with consumption of appropriate carbohydrates during the session. This in turn helps drive certain aerobic fitness elements which help us produce more power over longer durations of time or find longer rides easier.

In terms of the number of hours you should be aiming to target, this unfortunately depends on your specific circumstances. Plus, the more experienced you are or the more you train, the greater the training stress is required to see greater training gains.

If you can manage two to three 45-60 minute intense sessions a week, that is a good starting point. If you add to that, recovery rides or endurance rides are optimal, with the latter being at least two hours. If you have the choice between two 90min endurance rides at the weekend, and one three hour session, opt for the three hour session to generate the most aerobic training gains. But if 90 minutes is your maximum, it is better than nothing.

Ultimately, the optimum volume for you is individual, and quality beats quantity; three to seven hours of structured training will see you make greater gains than seven to ten hours of random efforts. Just remember, you do need rest; your work, family life, sleep and nutrition all play a role in your ability to recover.

This year's Tour de France was the hottest on record, with temperatures close to 40ºC for many hours of several stages. At the roadside, fans placed newspapers on their heads as ad hoc shelter, while cold drink were more elusive, and more craved, than a Tadej Pogačar autograph. Even so, the 184 riders who started the race in temperatures of 34°C in Barcelona seemed largely unaffected. And that’s not just thanks to the ice socks and slush puppies that they were fed on a daily basis – it was thanks to their preparation.

Heat training has become an indispensable part of a rider’s schedule, particularly in the last five years. Now, alongside 25-hour training weeks and leg-sapping efforts to get into Tour de France shape, riders complete hour-long indoor training sessions dressed in winter gear, with the aim of getting as hot and bothered as possible. Meanwhile, trips to the gym now include an obligatory 30-minute stay in the sauna.

These sessions are designed to help riders adapt to racing in the heat, particularly sweltering Grand Tours – yet not just to survive but to actually perform better. Studies over the past 15 years have consistently shown that both active and passive heat training have a positive effect on a rider’s performance.

“When you do heat training, you increase blood plasma volume – essentially, you dilute the blood,” explains Tim Podlogar, a lecturer in exercise physiology at the University of Exeter and a staff member of the Tudor Pro Cycling team. “This reduces the haematocrit – the percentage of blood volume made up of red blood cells – which serves as a trigger for the body to produce more of them. Research has shown that over a few weeks it can increase red blood cells in the same way as EPO or spending time at altitude.”

Crucially, these physiological effects are not reserved exclusively for WorldTour professionals. Amateur riders looking to conquer a summer sportive or improve their local time trial times can reap the exact same blood-boosting benefits from a few targeted, sweaty turbo sessions. If that feels like a step too far, then pity the pros. Training indoors in a boiler suit without a fan might seem like a grim prospect, but it’s a sacrifice that riders have to make nowadays if they want to be competitive in the world’s biggest race.

“Like with any training, you’re getting better no matter what, but if you don’t do heat training then you do definitely notice it,” says Australian climber Chris Harper, who is riding at the Tour for Pinarello Q36.5. “If you haven’t spent the time doing it then when you get into a race you feel underprepared. The benefits are the same as going to altitude but you can do it from home.”

The history of heat training

Climate change might be giving us more extreme temperatures – and the hot weather affecting Europe this summer has already broken several records – but training and racing in hot weather isn’t new. France in July is hot – and that’s when the race has been held since its first edition in 1903. What is relatively new is the Tour’s participants realising that they stand to gain from specifically training in the heat. Maybe they’ve been a little slow on the uptake, as Podlogar explains that the science isn’t novel: “The history of heat acclimatisation improving exercising performance in the heat dates back to the early 19th century, when people were sent to work in hot climates. After a few days of exposure to hot environments they became better accustomed to work in the heat.” This was especially true in the American Civil War of the 1860s, where heat casualties were mostly limited to new recruits, with veterans faring much better under the summer strain.

Yet for cyclists, training for warmer climes didn’t become popular until the mid-2010s, and it took a few more years for it to become ubiquitous. “A study in 2010 showed that heat acclimatisation improved exercise performance in both cool and hot conditions, and teams began using it,” Podlogar says. That study, by Santiago Lorenzo of the University of Oregon, USA, showed a performance improvement of 5% in cooler environments after just 10 days of heat acclimatisation.

Ahead of the Tour de France, and before other races in warmer climes, coaches now incorporate heat training into a rider’s schedule at least twice a week. “Scientific evidence is clear that to include heat acclimatisation, an athlete needs a minimum of five to nine sessions to get the benefits,” Podlogar says. “Men need at least five days of exposure, and women nine days.” Heat training also forms part of a rider’s schedule in the latter part of an altitude camp.

“I normally do it in December before going to the Tour Down Under, as you have the double benefit of coming from a cold European winter into a warmer climate, and I find that it’s a really great tool to get in shape in the winter,” says Jayco-AlUla’s Swiss rider Mauro Schmid. “I also try to do it a little bit in the summer as I can really achieve some great results with heat training.”

How to heat train safely

The methods of heat training are not complicated. The most common involves dressing up in winter gear or a one-piece impermeable suit such as painters overalls and pedalling on the turbo or rollers for around an hour at Zone 2. The key is not to stress the body further with high-intensity effort. The principal aim is to gradually raise the core body temperature to between 38.5°C and 39.5°C. Any hotter and the effects are counterproductive.

“You don’t just want to make the surroundings hot, but also humid, so that you can’t easily lose the heat,” says Puck Alkemade, the lead physiology researcher of Core, whose real-time core body temperature sensor is used by the majority of Tour de France teams. “If you’re exercising in a full-body suit, you are creating a micro-climate around you, from which the heat and sweat you produce cannot escape. This warms you up quicker, makes your body work even harder to keep sweating, and this causes the adaptation.”

Schmid admits that “it can be quite hard mentally on the rollers when it’s nice outside” but he trains regularly indoors all in the name of heat adaptation. Over the years, the 26-year-old has learned the best methods. “I think a lot of people go a bit too hard – it shouldn’t be super uncomfortable and you need to be careful that your heart rate doesn’t go too high,” he says. “I’m a believer in not overdoing it and I’d rather do a few more sessions without really pushing myself to the absolute limit, rather than doing fewer sessions but destroying myself.”

If you don’t fancy getting exceptionally sweaty on the turbo, an alternative is the passive approach: sitting in a hot bath or a sauna for 30-40 minutes. Again, the goal is targeting an elevated core temperature, being careful not to exceed 40°C.

In the bath, you won’t notice it, but you’ll be sweating buckets. Up to two litres of sweat loss over an hour is not uncommon. “As you become heat-adapted, you start to sweat earlier and produce more sweat, meaning your core temperature doesn’t rise as quickly during exercise than it otherwise would,” Podlogar explains.

Most riders opt for a hybrid approach, getting hot on the turbo, then having a hot bath. But which works best? “The science is not completely sure on this yet,” Podlogar says. “What seems fundamental is that you need to have a high core body temperature coupled with a high skin temperature, which together increase the sweat rate and acclimatise you to the heat.” Is simply riding outside in warm weather not good enough? “No – because no matter how hot it is, there’s still so much airflow around you, cooling you down,” Podlogar says. “Indoors, you can really control the environment.”

The role of the Core sensor

Core claims that two-thirds of the Tour peloton are wearing their Core sensor, either through official team partnerships or private agreements. Before the sensor, the only other way to measure the body’s core temperature was via a rectal thermometer – and that’s not viable while riding a bike.

Core’s non-invasive sensor sits on a chest band that pairs with a heart rate sensor. It estimates the body’s real-time core temperature from a calculation that takes into account skin temperature and heart rate. The company claims “medical-grade accuracy”, whereas a comprehensive scientific review of the sensor in 2021 reported that, compared to a rectal thermometer, the Core sensor is “acceptably reliable” albeit often underestimating core temperature by up to 0.3°C. More recent studies have supported these findings.

The Core sensor remains the thermometer of choice for the pro peloton – and there’s one key reason. “Sometimes how you feel doesn’t match with how hot you actually are,” says Alkemade. “The Core sensor is objective, and it tells you whether you’re overheating or not. This gives you a better understanding of how to hydrate and fuel, which is especially important for pro riders.” In other words, the sensor helps them to optimise their adaptations from heat training.

“You cannot always trust technology to the maximum, but the Core sensor is a good tool and I use it to watch my core temperature and to figure out where my limit is,” Schmid says. “When my temperature gets really high I stop earlier. It’s especially useful in racing as if you see you have a super-high temperature you need to be careful about pulling and not overdoing it. With a high core temperature it’s not a good idea to attack with 40km to go, for example, so it’s a good reminder to save the legs a little bit because sometimes you cannot feel that you’re overheating.”

Making heat training individualised

As Podlogar highlights, science’s understanding of how to maximise the benefits of heat training is incomplete. A decade from now, Tour riders will no doubt be using more advanced, precise methods. Heat training, though near-universally adopted, is still in its relative infancy. “In literature we say that we should aim for a core temperature of 38.5°C during heat training, but we don’t actually know if this is the optimal temperature for everyone,” Alkemade admits.

The future points towards a more individualised approach. “A rider might respond in a totally different way from one heat training session to another due to fatigue, a lack of sleep or for many other reasons,” Alkemade says. “It’s therefore hard to predict their response, and that’s where individual monitoring becomes more important.”

Podlogar, who co-authored that 2021 review into the Core sensor’s accuracy, is more interested in “really understanding what’s driving these adaptations – is it the skin or the core temperature? And how can we optimise the load of heat adaptation?” He’s also curious to find out which method, passive or active, is more beneficial, and how best to heat-train while at altitude. “There’s still lots we’re unsure of but it’s very clear that heat training does help,” he says. “What we do know is that you can’t win races in the summer without first doing some proper heat training.”

HEAT TRAINING IN NUMBERS

38.5-39.5°C The optimal core body temperature riders aim to reach while heat training.

5% The potential boost in cycling performance after just 10 days of heat acclimatisation.

5-9 The minimum number of heat exposure sessions required to trigger meaningful adaptations.

2L The amount of sweat a rider can lose during a single, hour-long heat training session.

>40ºC The danger zone that core temperature must not stray into.

TRY AT HOME WITH CAUTION

Be warned, heat training places extreme stress on the body and carries a risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Pro riders perform these sessions under expert supervision using real-time core temperature monitors. Attempting this at home without accurate temperature tracking or medical clearance can be dangerous. Approach heat training with caution: ensure you are pre-hydrated with electrolytes, and stop immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous, or faint. Never attempt to push through the warning signs of overheating.

This feature was originally published in the 9 July 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only). Digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazines Direct.

This is a story that officially started while I was flying through the air. I’d just clipped the back-end of a medium-sized deer that had bounded into the path of my bicycle, and now I was airborne, en route to a violent meeting with the floor.

How long does it take to fall off a bike? One second? Two maybe? Three at push? However fleeting the flight, I had somehow found the time to engage myself in a lively discussion about the potential ramifications of a bad landing.

This was either going to end in a) scuffs, b) stitches or c) broken bones

I couldn’t help but dwell on the latter. Concerningly, not because of the pain element, but because broken bones require rest. And how exactly is life supposed to continue if I’m unable to ride my bike? I don’t do rest; I can’t do rest.

Strava recently sent me a notification, congratulating me on '400 uninterrupted weeks of training'. Instead of making me feel proud and accomplished, I felt a little uncomfortable – even before the crash, I’d wondered if I might have become somewhat of a slave to the sport. An exercise addict, even.

Touchdown was anything but smooth. A whirlwind of blood, dust and bad language tumbled down the trail. I’ve never witnessed such a comprehensive shredding of finery. My best shorts and jersey were ripped to pieces and my helmet – although having done a fine job of keeping me conscious – now sported a large crater. But all I could think about was whether or not the injuries I’d sustained would lead to the unthinkable – time off the bike.

Hobbling into A&E, I was subsequently told by a nurse that I’d either fractured or badly bruised my pelvis. Either way, depending on severity, the protocol is to spend three to 12 weeks resting. No exercise, no nothing.

He might as well have taken a knife to my heart, pulled down my carefully organised tapestry to day-to-day life.

“Three weeks?! And just what the hell do you expect me to do during these ‘three weeks’?”

A&E nurses rarely have the skill or capacity to offer advice to unhinged cycling addicts, so I decided to pose the question to Dr Josephine Perry, a sports psychologist who is well-read on this surprisingly common affliction. And it is an affliction.

“A lot of the time, we kind of joke about exercise addiction. I’ve even done a race where they had ‘running addict’ all over the medals, and it made me cringe inside because you’re making a badge of honour out of something that’s actually really harmful for many people,” Dr Perry stressed.

“We find exercise addiction worse in endurance sports. And the longer that you are going in your sport, the more likely you are to have that level of addiction,” she continued.

This rang alarm bells. I present an ultra-endurance podcast called 'Going Long'. I’m all about, well, going long.

“I did some research about 10 years ago now, and found that about 30 to 40% of ultra-endurance athletes showed levels of exercise addiction.”

So here I was: a statistic. But exercise addiction isn’t a one-size-fits-all ailment. For some it manifests as a part of an underlying eating disorder while others are so highly focused on their training that it becomes life-defining.

“I’ve known people that will run on stress fractures because they have to do a certain amount of mileage every week, even though it’s actually going to mean they’re not able to perform at a level that they want.” Dr Perry told me. “There will also be lots of people with things like RED-S, where exercise is a way of purging calories. And so actually, what’s often under there is an eating disorder.”

For me though, exercise is rewarded not by ticking off training sessions. Nor is it about purging calories, although the thought of jettisoning the day’s indulgences will always hold some appeal.

I ride, run and row because the day feels incomplete without having partaken of some form of exercise. It’s headspace, a habit, an addictive hit of dopamine. Take that away and, well, I’ll ask the question again: “what the hell am I supposed to do for three weeks?”

“I would find something else you can do to move safely. Some people will almost use it as a challenge of, well, actually, I’ll look at my gym and see what else is on offer, Dr Perry suggests.

“If you’re completely out of action, however, a lot of athletes I’ll get studying, so they have something else. I know quite a few actually who do things like cookery courses when they have their months off recovery after world championships and stuff. The main thing is to do things intentionally to fill that space.”

While I’m certainly not recovering from any world championships, I do have a month living and working in Tenerife planned for next January. So what will I be doing for the next three (to 12!) weeks?

Learning Spanish, apparently. And possibly, maybe, definitely planning an Everesting attempt on Mount Teide. I suppose some addictions are easier to manage than others.

How to combat exercise addiction

Steve's outlook on exercise addiction might be lighthearted, but it is an issue that can seriously impact lives. Cycling Weekly published an in-depth look at exercise addiction, how to spot it and tips for addressing it here. Below, Dr Josephine Perry offers some advice on those dealing with exercise addiction.

Develop other identities Don’t let being a cyclist, runner or athlete become your entire identity. Perry recommends developing other interests and roles so you have something to fall back on when sport is taken away.

Learn to be flexible Perfectionism and rigid thinking can make it difficult to adapt when injury or circumstances prevent training. The aim is to become more mentally flexible and adaptable.

Find another way to move If you’re injured, look for forms of exercise or movement that are safe for your injury. I have dusted off my jigsaw with a view to rekindling my love of woodwork. One door closes…

Find another goal Invariably we’re training towards a goal – having no target at all can leave a big void. Replace the physical goal with something else to work towards – studying, learning a skill, or another challenge.

Fill the space deliberately If training normally occupies several hours of your week, don't simply leave a hole where it used to be. Use that time intentionally.

Remember what exercise gives you For many athletes, exercise isn't just about performance. It regulates stress and emotions. When injury takes it away, you need to find alternative ways to manage that stress – whether that's movement, reading, baking or seeing friends.

Mixing an electrolyte drink had become a firm part of my morning routine. The moment I was downstairs, I’d be reaching for a snazzily branded sachet. It didn’t matter what workout I had planned – I’d always find an excuse to accessorise my water. I must have tried every brand and flavour on the market, easily attracted by slick packaging and a novel taste, rarely glancing at the actual ingredients. But then I began to ponder the extra sodium I was consuming, which ranged from 300mg per sachet to a massive 1,000mg hit.

That 1,000mg is a whole gram of pure sodium – which is where the maths gets alarming. Because salt is only about 40% sodium, you have to multiply any sodium figure by 2.5 to find the true salt equivalent. Suddenly, that 1g of sodium becomes 2.5g of salt. Drinking just two of those heavy duty sachets meant I was downing 5g of salt – dangerously close to the NHS daily maximum of 6g, before I’d even eaten a meal. While sodium is the main electrolyte lost in sweat, these numbers made me question my habit. Was this actually supporting my training and health, or was I just heavily salting my water to make it more interesting?

That question led me to look at salt intake more broadly. A recent study by the British Heart Foundation found that the average Brit consumes the equivalent salt found in 155 packets of crisps each week – around 8.4g per day, roughly 40% more than the advised limit. Consuming too much salt carries risks – but more on that later. First, where do electrolytes fit into that picture? Do we really need them day to day, or are they better reserved for very long rides in hot weather?

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes – sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium – are essential minerals the body needs to function properly. They play vital roles in maintaining fluid balance, transmitting nerve signals, enabling muscle contractions, and balancing blood pH. When we exercise, the body cools itself by sweating, and because sweat is derived from your blood plasma and extracellular fluid, it contains dissolved minerals – predominantly sodium. But to what extent do we need to replace the electrolytes we sweat out?

As a sports nutritionist for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Will Girling works with riders tackling the world’s biggest races, including the Tour de France, where carefully managing fluid and sodium losses over long, hot stages is critical. Failing to replace such losses could cause serious problems. “At its most extreme,” said Girling, “that could include hyponatraemia [low blood sodium levels, below the normal range of around 135-145 mmol/L]. More commonly, you might experience dehydration, headaches, nausea and a reduced ability to exercise.” But what about for recreational cyclists – do we need to take similar precautions?

Electrolytes don’t directly hydrate you, but they help your body retain and use the fluid you drink more effectively. This distinction is widely misunderstood, reckons Dr Lewis James from Loughborough University. “People mistakenly think that by having an electrolyte product, they’re getting better hydration, so they don’t focus on the thing that matters most – fluid intake,” he said. “The electrolyte content won’t magically make them more hydrated, not unless they are also drinking the correct amount of water they need.”

According to the experts, electrolyte use is considered most useful during sustained exercise lasting longer than 60 minutes, in hot environments, or for individuals who consistently lose relatively high amounts of sodium in their sweat, often indicated by signs such as white salt marks on clothing or sweat that stings the eyes.

Electrolytes drive hydration through a process called osmosis. In simple terms, water naturally moves toward areas with a higher concentration of sodium to balance things out. Because water always follows sodium, higher sodium levels essentially prompt the body to ‘hold on’ to more fluid. “Electrolytes assist water absorption and retention, so anything you drink can contribute more readily to the body water pool if electrolytes are present,” explained Professor Stuart Galloway from the University of Stirling.

Much of the time, we replenish electrolytes naturally through the foods we eat day to day: sodium from salt, potassium from bananas and potatoes, and magnesium from nuts, seeds, and leafy greens. During prolonged or very intense exercise, however, particularly in hot conditions, supplementation can offer a convenient way to replace what’s lost through sweat.

What’s inside the sachets?

Brands selling electrolytes are becoming increasingly visible, with the global electrolyte powder market alone expected to exceed $700m (£530m) within the next four years. Ingredient lists vary significantly between brands, but sodium is usually the primary ingredient, alongside potassium, magnesium and calcium. Many products also go beyond basic electrolytes. Some include carbohydrates to provide a quick energy source, while others also contain caffeine, amino acids, or “performance blends” designed to boost alertness or gut health. Flavourings, sweeteners such as stevia or sucralose, and anti-caking agents are also commonly used to improve taste and shelf stability.

The language used to market these products makes big, often vague promises. Some brands position electrolytes as an everyday essential, even those with up to 1,000mg of sodium, claiming benefits such as improved energy, enhanced performance, sharper focus and reduced fatigue. As a result, the lines between evidence-based sports nutrition and more questionable “wellness” fads have become increasingly blurred.

DIY it at home

Want to ditch the expensive sports drinks? Dr Carrie Ruxton’s DIY alternative takes seconds to mix and costs mere pennies.

To make 500ml, mix the following ingredients:

• 150–200ml 100% orange juice
• 300–350ml water
• 1 sachet of oral rehydration salts (like Dioralyte or a generic supermarket brand) for hot weather or sweat- heavy sessions.
• Want an even cheaper fix? Swapping the sachet for a single gram of standard table salt provides about 400mg of sodium for next to nothing.

Do we need them, and if so, when?

With electrolyte powders and tablets now regular fixtures in the supermarket, it would be easy to assume they’re an essential part of every rider’s training routine. But for most cyclists, the reality is more nuanced. “There’s salt everywhere in all of our diets,” James said. “Most of us get a lot more than we need on a daily basis, so I would question whether it’s needed for someone who is recreationally active and mainly exercising for health purposes or enjoyment.”

Girling echoed this view, adding that for exercise lasting less than two hours, hydrating beforehand and drinking to thirst during is generally sufficient, unless conditions are very hot or sweat sodium losses are unusually high. In these situations, consuming an electrolyte drink before exercise may help support fluid balance from the outset. “If exercise is prolonged – over two hours – you probably want to be considering it [electrolytes],” Girling added, recommending cyclists also check the sodium content of their gels and carbohydrate drinks.

However, many factors influence electrolyte requirements. Galloway points out that there’s no one-size fits-all approach. “It depends on how long the ride is going to be, what the conditions are like, what else the rider might be eating or drinking during that ride, and individual differences,” he said. The demands of a steady cafe ride in spring are very different from those of a four-hour ride or race at the height of summer. For James, the conversation changes when riders are training at a high level, completing multiple sessions a day, or preparing for events in hot environments. In these situations, sodium losses through sweat may exceed dietary intake, potentially affecting both performance and recovery.

For recreational cyclists, electrolyte supplementation becomes useful during back-to-back training days in hot weather or on longer, more demanding sessions where sweat losses are higher. The estimated average sweat sodium loss is between 800 and 950mg per litre of sweat, although this varies considerably between individuals owing to genetics and heat adaptation, with reported values ranging from around 200mg to 2,000mg per litre. While sweat sodium tests are available at a cost, most sports nutritionists consider them an unnecessary expense for everyday riders. Instead, simple observation is usually enough: riders who notice white marks on their kit after a ride correctly infer that they have lost significant amounts of sodium.

Sodium is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, so that should be the main focus. James explained that, while other electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are essential for normal bodily function, there is limited evidence that supplementing them during exercise provides additional benefits. The consensus among the experts we consulted was that hydration strategies can be simple and cheap. The body doesn’t distinguish the sodium in table salt from the sodium in a supplement. “One gram of salt contains around 400mg of sodium,” Girling pointed out, suggesting that you don’t necessarily need to spend money on sachets and tablets.

Across the board, the experts suggested that performance generally begins to decline once dehydration exceeds 2% of body weight, meaning mild dehydration during shorter or lower-intensity rides is usually well tolerated by the body. “As you go beyond 2% dehydration, you may begin to experience brain fog, lose concentration, feel greater fatigue and you’ll start to heat up, as you’ve less fluid to keep your temperature down,” said Dr Carrie Ruxton, dietitian and co founder of Salt St Andrews gym.

To estimate your own fluid losses, weigh yourself before and after a ride. As a guide, a 70kg rider who loses 2% of their body weight, or 1.4kg, during a ride will have lost around 1.4 litres of fluid. How quickly you reach this level of dehydration depends on your sweat rate, which varies depending on temperature, intensity, and individual physiology.

Can you have too many electrolytes?

Supplementing with electrolytes may be useful for riders covering long distances in very warm weather, but if you’re regularly emptying sachets into your water, can you have too much of a good thing? “It will all come down to salt balance over the day,” James said. “If they’re consuming too much salt, then there could be negative effects.” One of the biggest concerns around electrolyte products is excessive sodium intake. Too much salt over time has been linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. For those who already have high blood pressure, Ruxton stressed the importance of monitoring the combined sodium intake from food or supplements.

The experts consulted all agreed that healthy, active individuals are unlikely to run into problems from occasional electrolyte use around training. “Generally, if you’re young and active anyway, with a healthy balanced diet, your body is good at sorting out how much salt and how much other electrolytes it needs,” said Galloway. “We excrete the excess and retain what we need.” More immediate issues tend to come from overuse during exercise. According to Girling, excessively concentrated drinks can contribute to gastrointestinal distress and may even slow carbohydrate absorption, potentially impacting performance. Higher sodium intake can also lead to short-term fluid retention, showing up as slight weight fluctuations or a bloated feeling after use. “That’s only important if you’re doing an activity or racing where it’s important not to gain weight the next day,” Girling said. Ultimately, electrolytes are best viewed as a tool rather than a daily necessity – useful in the right conditions, but otherwise pointless. As Ruxton pointed out, electrolytes should be treated similarly to energy gels – used strategically. “It’s about using these things in a planned way and doing the planning when you’re training,” she said.

Instead of reaching for an electrolyte sachet first thing in the morning, I’ll be taking a more mindful approach. For most of us, especially those training in cooler climates like the UK, electrolyte supplements aren’t a daily necessity. They have their place – particularly during longer rides, in the heat, or when sweat losses are high – but otherwise, most of us are likely to maintain electrolyte balance through our normal diet. Since writing this article, I’ve already kicked my electrolyte habit, and instead I’m paying closer attention to the amount of salt in my diet, which thankfully appears to be relatively low. For now, the sachets will stay in the cupboard – until I really need them.

How much should we aim to consume?

Lisa Charlebois spoke to a range of experts in search of a baseline intake suggestion.

Dr. Cristhian Montenegro – PhD in human bioenergetics, with a focus on cardiovascular and muscle physiology – argues the baseline sodium question is more nuanced than nutrition labels suggest.

"Sodium for cyclists during exercise is tied to the amount of water they are looking to retain or replace," he says. “Sodium and carbohydrates like glucose and sucrose all help with the retention of water, so the amount of sodium supplementation will not only depend on water intake but also the total other water-retaining sugars in drink mix or gels. In short, up to 500mg is a good baseline range if you’re drinking one 500ml bottle per hour.

"Generally, 500 to 1,000mg of sodium per hour is justified for performance-oriented hard efforts, as long as it is ingested correctly and for the right reasons, essentially with water, for water replenishment," he says. "If it is hot and an athlete is working hard and generating metabolic heat, total sodium consumption may be even higher."

However, he draws a sharp line between the elite athletes and the everyday rider. "As with most things marketed using professional athletes, us ‘mere mortals’ will get by with much less, especially on moderate intensity rides."

Andrea Rumschlag, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, cites the general guideline of 300 to 600mg per hour. "I always like to remind athletes (or any consumer for that matter) to consider who is selling you something," she says. "Higher levels of sodium are typically needed for moderately intense activity exceeding two to eight or more hours. Otherwise, the average sweater doing one to two hours may be just fine with a sports drink, water, and a salty snack post-ride."

Frank Overton, founder of FasCat Coaching, with a Masters in Physiology and a USA Cycling Level 1 accreditation, puts it plainly: "Sodium loss varies wildly between people, roughly anywhere from 100 to 2,000mg per hour. That's why a one-size-fits-all 1,000mg product is ideal for some riders and overkill for others. The answer is genuinely individual."

The general consensus was that, for rides under two hours in cool conditions, water and food will work well. Rides from two to four hours, electrolytes in the 300 to 500mg range are reasonable. For rides over four hours, in heat, or for known heavy sweaters, higher sodium supplementation may be genuinely beneficial.

Sweat tests are available for those who really want to know if they’re losing more or less sodium than the average rider through sweat. Lindsey Hunt, MSc, PhD and Senior Sports Scientist at Precision Hydration, which offers the testing and tailored electrolyte drinks, told us: “Sweat rate you can train and measure. But how much sodium you lose in that sweat is largely down to your genes, and it barely shifts with fitness or acclimatisation. We see people losing anywhere from around 200mg of sodium per litre of sweat to over 2,000mg — that's a tenfold difference between two riders who look identical on paper. So if you're a salty sweater doing long, hot rides, generic advice can leave you a long way short without you ever knowing why.”

"But, how would you clip in?" - I can hear the comments already.

But, bear with me.

As a cyclist who has adopted 'barefoot' style shoes, which most notably feature wide and 'foot-shaped' toe boxes, applying this newfound appreciation for the space between my toes has been a difficult discovery to square with my previously comfortable cycling shoes.

Cycling shoes are notoriously narrow, often more so as the performance increases, a topic I explored back in 2021 - before I had two children, picking up one foot injury per child.

In fact, since I've been working on my 'toe splay', which is effectively restoring my feet to their natural pre-fashion-orientated-shoe state, I've found most of my old cycling shoes just don't fit.

Not only can having stronger, more comfortable feet benefit overall health, but as founder at the eponymous Phil Burt Innovation and former Head of Physiotherapy Burt explains, getting the most out of your feet can drastically improve power output, a discovery he made ahead of the Rio Olympics.

Having created custom, moulded shoes for track riders, he discovered "quite amazing uplifts in power," something he put down to the fact that "the foot, all of a sudden, wasn't wiggling around in the shoe".

If you need further convincing, International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI) president and owner at boutique fitting provider VeloAtelier, Lee Prescott, also outlines how and why improper cycling shoe fit and set up can result in a plethora of common cycling injuries; "more often than not, we see [poor shoe fit] in knee irritations", he notes.

But, if all this toe and foot talk is new to you, listen first to the explainer from The Foot Collective guide and Bowen Therapist, Nic Pike, as she outlines what all this foot chat is all about.

"If you consider the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it hasn't got a great foundation. Look what happened," she begins...

In this episode of the Off the Back podcast, we mention a few resources and products.

For advice on restoring foot health, we'd recommend starting with The Foot Collective. Cycling Weekly readers and listeners will receive a discount on the foot restoration programme with the code CLEVEDONBMC.

If you're struggling to find cycling shoes that cater to a more 'barefoot' style, check out Strong Feet Athletics, though Cycling Weekly has not yet been able to obtain a pair to put them to the test.

Lake are a 'go-to'; Prescott noting "most bike fitters will pretty much instantly point to Lake". The brand offers the CX242 - which can be adjusted separately to provide a more tailored fit, and the CX201, which boasts a 'foot-shaped' toe box, but is also wider at the rear so may not suit those with narrower ankles.

Finally, if you're seeking the ultimate in custom fit, check out Lore which creates shoes based upon a personalised foot scan, these will however set you back, with prices starting at $1649.

The Off the Back Podcast is out every Thursday on YouTube, Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever your listen. All our episodes can be found below. If you enjoy listening, be sure to subscribe, and if you have any questions, or topics you'd like us to cover, send them to cycling@futurenet.com with 'Off the Back question' in the header.

Our Tour de France Grand Départ tech gallery revealed more spacers, shorter cranks and more forward saddles than ever before in the pro peloton. These are things bike fitters have been advocating for years, but professional cycling can be resistant to change, particularly with regards to bike set-up.

Tradition and aesthetics long dictated that slammed stems were faster and de rigueur. As our tech editor predicted before the race, Tour de France cyclists have raised their stems for better comfort and potentially aerodynamics. Following the lead of Tadej Pogačar, sub-170mm cranks are more widespread while the relaxation of the UCI's saddle setback rule has brought seats over the bottom bracket.

To explain why more professional cyclists have seen the light, we've spoken to professional bike fitters Bianca Broadbent and Dan Smith, and Sven Reutter, Canyon's road product manager.

You can lead a horse to water

"The biggest trend for me is that a lot of ideas that were once considered unconventional have now become completely normal and acceptable," says Smith, of UK Bike Fit, who has also worked with WorldTour cyclists such as Ben Swift.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink," says Broadbent from Fit Your Bike, who has fitted numerous international and professional cyclists. "There's an emotional side and the scientific side to bike fit. A lot of the time with professional cyclists, emotion will rule.

"How do you feel on the bike? I feel that when my stem is slammed, I feel that my bike is faster, therefore I will be faster.'

"If their emotional state changes, they're more likely to want to change their fit."

"In the pro ranks, generally speaking, riders have changed their position in the last couple of years," says Reutter. "Saddles have moved forwards, cranks have shortened, and cockpit heights have got both higher, and widths are narrower."

While the Canyon product manager is right to say handlebar width has decreased, the UCI, cycling's governing body, has halted ever-narrowing shifter hood positions. In addition to a minimum width of 400mm across the handlebars, there must be 280mm between the inside of the shifters. This ruling is arguably more unfair to women than men, since women typically have narrower shoulders, but Broadbent says the majority of male WorldTour riders she fits are on the limit.

"There are a lot of guys who want their shifters closer together but unfortunately can't," she adds. "It's a case of nothing can be done."

There are, of course, exceptions, says Reutter, adding: "There are different preferences for every rider, with some more on the traditional side of things, some more open to change and more progressive setups."

The rise of stem spacers

"I’ve noticed the return of spacers," says Smith. "For years there was almost a stigma attached to running spacers under the stem because slammed equalled fast. Now we're seeing riders and teams becoming much more accepting that a slightly higher front end can actually produce a faster rider over the duration of a race.

"It's been clear for a while that the fastest position for a lot of riders isn't necessarily the lowest position. If increasing stack height allows the rider to relax their shoulders, maintain a better head position and sustain their aerodynamic posture for five hours instead of twenty minutes, that's a win."

Reutter also teams are less focused on the smallest possible frontal area and pay more attention to "sustainable aerodynamics".

"A higher cockpit position might be slightly less aerodynamic, but when you add in the rider and how long they can hold this position, the net result can help the rider in total drag resistance," he says.

Fatigue management has also influenced cockpit height, according to Broadbent.

"The lower the cockpit, the more pressure on the saddle. So that's the longevity issue, in terms of sustainability," she says. "If you're racing long-distance stuff like stage races, the Tour de France, after a few days in the saddle you're going to feel knackered."

Nonetheless, we still see riders in aggressive aero positions, such as Baptiste Veistroffer, potentially because they've calculated it's worth adopting.

"It depends on what you've measured in the wind tunnel," she adds. "If you can see like a delta of 10 watts with a higher and a lower cockpit, you're going to go with whatever's fastest, even for short durations, because you might accelerate away, get in a breakaway and work in a group where you don't need to hold that aggressive position all the time."

The fact that wind tunnel testing won't necessarily reveal lower is faster is another reason cockpits have come up.

"We've had athletes in wind tunnels who have had a really unsustainable position and a very low cockpit," says Broadbent. "We brought them up, raised the torso angle and thought: 'Crap, this is going to be slow'. And it's actually faster.

"Conventionally, what happens is if the cockpit's too low, people push themselves out of position."

Forwards saddles and shorter cranks

Moving saddles further forward and shortening cranks are trends that have caught on simultaneously because they have similar objectives.

"Both open up the hip angle for better blood flow and enable a more aerodynamic position," says Reutter. "Additionally these adjustments reduce stress points and knee compensation movement."

"We're also continuing to see riders moving further over the bottom bracket, particularly as shorter cranks allow greater pelvic rotation without excessive hip closure," says Smith. "This allows riders to produce power from a more stable pelvic position whilst also supporting those higher, longer front ends. Again, it's part of the same overall philosophy rather than an isolated change."

Tadej Pogačar is one of the most famous exponents of shorter cranks, and while some cycling fans are sceptical of the benefit it has brought him, and others, bike fitters like Smith can see the positive effect of finding the optimal crank length for a particular rider.

"Watching Pogačar's stage win on 14 July, what really stood out to me was just how open his hip angle remained at the top of the pedal stroke when climbing the last rise to the line," adds Smith. "Historically, if a rider had been producing that much power in such an aggressive position, you'd expect to see the hip much more compressed. Instead, it looked incredibly open and unrestricted."

Broadbent also says the 'Pogačar effect' has convinced more pros to go shorter than the traditional 175mm and 172.5mm cranks.

"We've been trying to get people on shorter cranks for years, but the main problem was belief," she says. "So when Tadej put shorter cranks on, people said to me: 'I really want to do this', although they said no when we discussed it the year before."

However, short cranks haven't been adopted across the board because they won't necessarily work for taller riders, as Wout van Aert's experimentation suggested, and have knock-on effects.

"There is a risk involved because you can't put on different cranks without the data to back it up," says Broadbent. "Although you can compensate for shorter crank length to a degree, it will have an impact on certain scenarios where you do need leverage."

Is the answer progressive geometry?

So-called 'progressive geometry' is becoming a bike-fit buzz word. This geometry, famous in mountain biking and seen on the likes of Factor's One, lengthens the reach and pushes the rider over the bottom bracket, eliminating the need for long stems of the past. Its proponents argue it can rectify the compromised handling caused by more forward positions.

"If 'progressive geometry' means steeper seat tube angles, taller stacks and longer reaches that naturally position riders further over the bottom bracket, then I wouldn't be surprised to see manufacturers head further in that direction for race bikes," says Smith.

"Historically we've seen many pro riders using 130-160mm stems, sometimes even having custom stems made to achieve the position they wanted. If the frame itself provides more reach and a steeper seat angle, those extreme stem lengths become less necessary. For professional riders, progressive geometry makes a lot of sense."

But he is more concerned about how consumers will deal with such geometry.

"Professional riders are an incredibly specific population. They're exceptionally flexible, produce huge amounts of power and spend enormous amounts of time adapting to aggressive positions. Recreational riders generally don't," he adds.

"If everyday riders are placed significantly further over the bottom bracket simply because that's how the bike is designed, we could start to see more issues relating to weight distribution, upper-body loading and overall comfort. A position that's ideal for Tadej Pogačar isn't automatically ideal for someone riding three hours at the weekend to the cafe and back.

"I suspect manufacturers will continue building bikes around the demands of the WorldTour because that's what sells bikes, but I think fitters may end up having to work even harder to adapt those bikes to normal riders."

Broadbent is more skeptical that pros need progressive geometry, such as longer frame reach, to get their fit.

"When manufacturers provide stems up to 140mm in length, that is probably okay, as long as the frame geometry is reasonably long," she says. "It's not like on the track where stems sometimes need to be 180mm."

She also believes it would be rash for bike designers to make taller head tubes.

"I think that might be what you want aesthetically and aerodynamically, but you also need adjustability. And if you start coming up too much, then you lose the ability to reverse adjust that.

"I think you want consistent data to see what that's like over the course of multiple seasons before you start making that permanent change. After that, if you want to get lower you have to size down the frame and then you have the issue with the length. For example, not everyone sticks to shorter cranks; some people change back to longer ones."

Customised touchpoints

There seems to be more attention on personalising bike fits, whether that's through overall measurements or components.

"There might be more scope to go down the custom saddles route," says Broadbent. "Your limitations mainly are manufacturers and their ability to lend resources to it while making a cost-effective product. But the advent of more mass-scale 3D-printing makes it easier to offer personalised solutions, so long as that 3D infrastructure is appropriate for that person."

"In general it's important to understand that a good bike fit is pretty specific for every rider," says Reutter.

"At Canyon we try to create a bike where every rider can achieve their personal best position, this is the reason why we offer different setbacks for our seatposts, lengths from 70mm to 140mm in the cockpit and a whole range of dropbar options, customisable drops, plus a one-piece cockpit. We are increasingly supporting these options with drag testing on the track and in the wind tunnel to find the most efficient position."

The universal pro bike fit is on the way out, according to Smith.

"I've noticed that the positions across the peloton are becoming less extreme and more individual," he says. "Ten years ago there was almost an expectation that every GC rider should be as low and stretched as possible. Now there seems to be greater acceptance that riders can arrive at different solutions based on their morphology, physiology and riding style."

He has also seen bike fits become more rounded, considering aerodynamics, biomechanics and performance all together.

"WorldTour bike fit is not just about comfort or injury prevention or CdA," he adds. "It's becoming an all-round position where the goal is to find the fastest position a rider can actually sustain over the duration of a three-week race."

Variable bike fits

Reutter says certain riders on Canyon-sponsored teams (Alpecin-Premier Tech and Movistar in the men's peloton; Movistar, Fenix-Premier Tech, Canyon-SRAM in the women's peloton) slightly change their position during a stage race.

"Especially at Grand Tours, some riders have kind of off days," he says. "The goal is purely to recover as much as possible. Some riders prefer a more relaxed position on such days and go, for example, for our Compact Drops [which have a shorter drop and reach].

"This approach is rather new to the pro scene and we’re constantly exploring possibilities in this direction."

Notwithstanding the potential benefits, professional cyclists probably won't be able to significantly change their position.

"I think in an ideal world you would potentially have a slightly different position for one-day races and Grand Tours," says Broadbent.

"Having said that, these guys are very well trained. They're exceptional athletes and it depends a little bit who they are.

"If you're a sprinter, it might be more crucial to think about having a more relaxed position on non-sprint days. But the reality is, from a logistical point of view, it's just very, very difficult for teams to do that."

Spacers can't easily be added and removed from integrated cockpits once the steerer has been cut, and it would place high demands on mechanics to swap steerer lengths. But given how much pro bike fits have changed lately and how much teams' budgets have grown, maybe stage-specific bike fits will become the next frontier.

Ask Jonas Vingegaard the secret to his success, and he'll point to his eight years with Dutch coach Tim Heemskerk. “He's one of the best coaches out there,” the two-time Tour de France champion said in March, shortly after Heemskerk departed Visma-Lease a Bike. “He was more than just my coach – he is a good friend… I had complete trust in him. Tim is hard to replace.”

In early May, Heemskerk was announced as the latest person to join the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe staff as the German team continue their bid to challenge UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike at the Tour.

To launch Cycling Weekly's new Masterminds of Performance series exploring the philosophies of the world's best coaches, Heemskerk shares the wisdom gleaned from three decades in the sport. “I wouldn't say coaching is an experiment,” he says. “It's applied science and art, which you implement using your intuition.”

A former Dutch national mountain biker, Heemskerk's coaching journey began at just 20 while studying human movement sciences at Maastricht University. After stints running his own coaching business in Canada, managing the Dutch national MTB squad through the 2016 Rio Olympics, and working with USA Cycling. He joined Jumbo-Visma in late 2018.

He arrived at the exact same time as a young, unpolished diamond named Jonas Vingegaard. Though Heemskerk would also go on to coach Giro d'Italia winner Simon Yates and American Matteo Jorgenson, it is his history-making partnership with the Dane that ultimately cemented his reputation.

Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

A: My coaching belief is that yearly progression and variation are key. When I started to work with Jonas, some coaches laughed at [the volume I had set] and said they were training more than Jonas, but that's part of yearly progression.

You have to see where someone is coming from, and year by year you increase the load. Someone said to me when I started coaching that the magic starts after three years.

I was working with Jonas for three years before he got a big result. We had been preparing his body for riding GC – whether a week, 10 days or a Grand Tour – to make him strong enough to be able to recover properly and handle those loads.

That takes years, and you have to be patient to learn what does and doesn't work. Progress is not so loud, and it doesn't announce itself – it quietly stacks up day by day and then you see the results.

Q: What was Jonas Vingegaard like to coach?

A: It was very nice to work with him. If we decided to go for something together – and we always decided together – he completely went for it. He was always giving feedback, such as saying he felt good and could cope with more – and then we discussed with the team what it meant.

After working with someone for eight years, you become friends and get to know each other very well, and you both pick up the phone to each other. I am not a waiter with a golden plate who will give you what you want; I will give you what you need. We will discuss it, we will agree or disagree, and then we'll find the right approach together. Jonas always understood that.

Q: Why did you decide to step away from Visma?

A: I don't need to discuss anymore why I made the decision I did. I said when I left that recently I had been struggling to apply my creativity and passion. People in the media and on podcasts said that I had an ego, and that hurt me because I'm a coach – I'm in the background. It's never been about me, but what we did as a team. I continued working with Jonas until right before Paris-Nice, and of course, I've stayed in touch with him. I'm so proud of what we did together as a team for eight years.

Q: As a coach, how do you prepare a rider for an exceptionally demanding race?

A: If a race is raced very aggressively, you need to prepare for that, but there is no guarantee it will suit the rider's physiology. For example, when working with climber-type GC riders who are very aerobically trained with a very high threshold power, getting into a very aggressive way of training and racing changes the rider's physiology within weeks. So you've really got to work together, discover what works physiologically for the riders, and then discuss what races suit them and how to adapt.

Q: How do you design the perfect training schedule?

A: I strive for maximum adaptation, which sounds easy but is actually complex. When I finish a weekly schedule, it's like a painting; it's personal. Maybe 80% is the same as another similar rider's schedule, but there are little adjustments here or there, small finesses, and that personalisation that makes it a painting.

Then the daily monitoring starts and you need flexibility to adjust it on a daily basis. Every rider has a unique physiology and you can't exactly predict the outcome of a training session. After training, the work starts to really monitor and reflect and talk to the athlete to see if what happened is what you expected. So you have the planning part, and then the monitoring and reflecting part which are just as important.

Q: How much do you involve your riders in the coaching plan?

A: You have to work together. You learn about each other over the years and learn how to get the best out of the athlete. To use Jonas as an example, after eight years working with me he can make his own training schedules, as he knows so much.

That's a different way of working together – he can tell me what he needs. Obviously, the coach makes the schedule, but what the athlete actually does is decided by talking and together deciding what is needed at that moment.

Q: How often are you in contact with your riders?

A: Every day, because proper daily monitoring is essential. You can use all the metrics in the world, but the challenge and difficulty is to make it simple for yourself. That's something that only comes with experience.

A young coach will look at everything – mountains of data, spreadsheets and research papers – and over the years you, with intuition, learn how to judge everything properly, filter out the less important information, and discuss it with your colleagues. It's a matter of asking yourself: what did we learn today that will help us tomorrow?

Q: What's a good recovery day?

A: This is something I've been thinking about more and more recently, as it's very common now for heat training and strength training to be added to a rider's schedule on their recovery day.

You need to ask yourself: is the rest day a proper recovery day? Or is this now a day that has increased in load over the years? I'm a strong believer that if you've done the work, you have to respect your recovery days and reduce the physical and cognitive load on a rider.

That also means not doing as many interviews on a rest day or reducing screentime, as that all increases the cognitive load. Athletes and coaches always want to become faster and want to do more and more, but it's better to plan to do heat training or the gym session on training days.

Some riders like to ride their bike on a rest day, and you can allow them to do so for a little while, but really you shouldn't be focusing on cycling when you're meant to be recovering.

Q: How do you improve your coaching skills?

A: My background is in research and I'm curious all of the time, so I'm always reading research papers on sports science. And not just about cycling; some new developments in football, for example, can be applied to cycling.

You want to be asking questions and you want to be critical and disruptive because only then do you and others start thinking. If people call me a pain in the arse, I say to them: thank you, because that's how you make progress. If I created a team, I wouldn't want people to say yes to me. I need people to throw ideas in, to question what we're doing.

Q: How do you envisage training evolving in the coming years?

A: I think we'll see a reduction in hours, and instead more quality training. Maybe we'll laugh about seven-hour sessions. I know there are races like the Monuments that are that long, but maybe better adaptations will come from having multiple sessions [per day]. Two three-hour sessions in one day could be better than one seven-hour ride without a break.

Athletes can now take on board more carbohydrates, so with this added jet fuel it could be possible to add in more quality work. I think we'll also have better tools to monitor riders, such as wearables that allow you to see a rider's lactate or oxygen saturation values. We could learn a lot from that, but nothing will replace speaking with a rider, asking them at breakfast how they feel.

Q: How do you think artificial intelligence (AI) will change coaching?

A: It will never replace daily monitoring and the feeling of what's happening – the coach and athlete will always decide together what they're going to do. But it can be useful. You can ask AI to process data faster and the results can promote and accelerate thinking, as well as highlighting trends which you otherwise might not have seen. It might even come up with out-of-the-box ideas.

Yet we have to remember that AI always uses data from the past to make a prediction and it never has the full context. It might review a test from January and say it was a bad result, but AI doesn't know that the rider had a travel day or that when they woke up they were tired – other reasons why the test's outcome was affected. I think it will – and it is – helping us make sense of data, but I also think human excellence will only become more valued.

I’ve run many marathons. I’ve completed even more 100-mile, or century, rides. Some marathons have felt easy, others have felt like I’m treading shark-infested waters with an open wound.

Century rides are a bit different. They invariably take longer than running 26.2 miles, bringing with them greater challenges around fueling, nutrition and mechanical mishaps, but, riding 100 miles consistently inflicts far less impact on the joints and tendons.

Both are rites of passage within each discipline, but which is harder? Can they actually be compared? Given the impact involved in running, most would probably immediately come down on the side of the marathon; however, it's worth considering the fuelling and pure admin involved in spending around seven hours in the saddle.

To help me answer the question, I spoke with strength and endurance coach Ed Norman of Calibre Athlete. For this feature, we focused on the most common forms of each endurance feat: a standard road marathon and a standard undulating road century, both completed at pace which keeps the heart rate around an endurance-focused zone two, with no drafting.

DURATION

Looking back in the mists of time, my first century took 7.5 hours. I remember how completely broken I felt: how unresponsive my legs were in the final 20 miles, how my back howled, how my backside grimaced and how my feet begged for mercy.

“Seven hours is a solid time for a fit cyclist to complete 100 miles, but others could be going considerably longer, which creates a unique endurance challenge,” Norman says.

Data backs up his sentiment; having crunched the numbers across Strava and Garmin Connect, we know the average cyclist is travelling just under 30 miles (46km) at a time, at an average speed just under 15mph (24k/mh). If that cyclist takes on a century challenge, it’s fair to expect their pace to slow.

“The biggest factor with cycling is the sheer time spent on the bike. You're asking the body to maintain an efficient position for hours on end,” Norman says.

While a marathon may take considerably less time than a century ride – the average duration across both genders being 4hrs 30mins – Norman argues that the nature of the effort is very different.

“If you hit a downhill on a bike, you can let the bike do the work, whereas on a run you are absorbing even more impact, even if it's a gradual descent. The energy return you get from concrete or asphalt when you’re running is very little.”

Hardest for duration: 100 miles

When it comes to duration, the century ride is the bigger challenge. Even relatively strong cyclists can expect to spend seven or more hours in the saddle, while most marathon runners will finish within three to five hours. The sheer length of time spent riding places unique demands on comfort, endurance and pacing. As Norman puts it, “you're asking the body to maintain an efficient position for hours on end.”

TRAINING

Preparing for a century ride is largely about accumulating saddle time and adapting the body to spending long periods on the bike. “You need to get very specific; specific time in the saddle — building up to around two-thirds of your target distance — and specific positional durability on the bike,” suggests Norman.

Indeed, it’s the position you hold on the bike while generating a smooth cadence that will increase speed and efficiency while mitigating the chances of picking up an injury. Time in the saddle is key. As Norman concludes: “You can't really cheat your way to that sort of distance.” The build-up to a century varies according to your current ability, but for someone who regularly rides 20-30 miles, a lead-in of around six weeks should be enough to elicit the necessary muscular and cardiovascular adaptations.

Running, however, places greater demands on the musculoskeletal system and requires a more gradual build-up. Norman recommends patience. “You need to be incredibly specific around your training,” Norman warns. “You need to have a progressive plan, similar to biking, but the lead-in to a marathon needs to be longer, in my opinion. You need to have at least four to six months of a base to build into marathon training.”

HARDEST FOR TRAINING: MARATHON

While a century ride demands more hours of training on the bike, marathon preparation is arguably more complex. The impact forces associated with running require adaptations in the muscles, tendons and bones that simply cannot be rushed.

Norman's view is clear: although the marathon is shorter in duration, “the exertion rates are much more demanding on the body from a musculoskeletal and bone-adaptation perspective,” meaning the training build-up needs to be considerably longer and more carefully managed.

NUTRITION

If you’re an experienced cyclist, you’ve likely suffered the afflictions of the dreaded bonk. The ‘bonk’ is a term used when glycogen stored in your muscles is running dry and you hit a wall.

A century ride is fertile ground to experience this if you get your nutrition wrong, and there’s plenty of scope for error over seven or more hours in the saddle. Norman highlights the importance of taking on carbohydrates over such a protracted period of riding. "A century ride is long enough that your nutrition strategy becomes a major part of the challenge. You need to think about fuelling across a much longer duration and that needs to be practised.”

In theory, consuming 90g of carbohydrate per hour (the recommended quantity for those riding or running for more than 90 minutes) appears a relatively easy proposition, but as the hours accumulate so too does the risk of gastrointestinal distress and the body being unable to process the fuel you’re taking on. This is where many ultra-distance riders come undone; under-eating or taking on calories that your body rejects is one of the most common ways to DNF. Indeed, a 75kg rider looking to ride a moderately brisk undulating century, as many as 6,000 calories could be burned.

Marathons, by contrast, although still demanding a good deal of fuelling, are completed over a shorter period of time, usually before flavour fatigue sets in. Flavour fatigue is a very real issue among endurance athletes which occurs when the thought of yet more sweet and sugary carb-loaded fuel makes going hungry more appealing than eating. For marathon runners, where the rule of thumb is 1 kcal per kg per km, this is unlikely to be a problem. The shorter duration will also reduce the chances of GI distress.

Hardest for nutrition: 100 miles

A century outing, while not quite in the realms of an ultra ride, should still be undertaken with fuel and hydration very much in mind. Unlike a marathon, nutrition for a 100-mile ride should be part of the training plan to make the ride as smooth as possible.

Kit and equipment

First and foremost you'll need a bicycle. Then come the cycling shoes, bib shorts, helmet, glasses, lights, pump, inner tubes, tools and navigation. The kit list for a century ride is surprisingly extensive, and will also leave a sizeable dent in your bank account. An entry-level set-up could easily reach and breach £2,000.

It's unlikely that your chain breaker or third spare tube will ever leave your saddle bag, but a belt-and-braces approach is sensible when you're potentially several hours from home. The bike itself also requires preparation – batteries charged, brakes checked, tyres inspected and bolts torqued.

Then there's navigation. Unless you're following a well-signposted event, a century ride often requires a GPS head unit and route planning. Just don't forget to charge it.

First and foremost you will need a pair of trainers… and, well, not a lot else really. Although depending on how deep your pockets are, a good pair of running shoes can be bought for as much as £150, with entry-level models sitting somewhere around the £50 mark. Obviously a sweat wicking running shirt and comfortable pair of shorts are non-negitiable. Some marathon runners go that extra mile and splash out on a pair of compression socks. And then of course there’s the all-important watch – because if it’s not on Strava, as the saying goes, it did not happen.

Hardest for kit and equipment: 100 miles

Century rides require forethought, lots of planning and pockets bulging with spares and tools. There’s also the added complication of having to transport your bike to the start of the ride or race and then clean any crud picked up over the course of the outing.

Running? Just put on your shirt, shoes and shorts and step into the fray. Simples.

The final scores on the doors...

From a logistical standpoint, there is only one winner. The century ride is rife with "what ifs" – mechanicals, navigation errors, fuelling issues and weather changes. The marathon is, at least on paper, beautifully simple. Just run.

It is when we introduce impact and training load that the waters become murkier.

Training for a marathon is anything but straightforward. Without a structured build-up, there is a genuine risk of injury. I've made the mistake before, rushing into longer runs and limping away with shin splints or hip problems. As Norman points out, marathon preparation needs patience, progression and months of conditioning before race day arrives.

Cycling presents its own unique challenges. The glutes, quads and core must be conditioned, and perhaps more importantly, riders must learn to remain comfortable and efficient on the bike for seven or more hours. That asks questions of the entire body, not just the legs.

So, is a marathon the running equivalent of a century ride? In some respects, yes. Both demand commitment and consistency. But they are challenging in different ways.

Objectively, the marathon probably edges it. The training build-up is longer and under-preparation can come with severe consequences. Norman's verdict is clear: despite being shorter in duration, the marathon places greater demands on the musculoskeletal system and requires more careful preparation.

Subjectively? I'm still not convinced. As I crunch my way up another 12 percent climb on a ride that was meant to be an easy lunchtime spin, I'm reminded that seven hours on a bike can feel like a very long time indeed. For me, that's enough to give the nod to the century ride.

CW: How did you get into cycling?
OP: I started off running, doing local cross-country races. My uncle [Andy Peace] won the 3 Peaks Cyclo-cross race four times, so I got into cycling through cyclo-cross. I joined my local club [Bronte Tykes], raced on the local circuits, and gradually as I went through the age groups things got more serious. I raced internationally as a junior and was picked up by the Picnic development team.

CW: How were your two seasons as an U23?
OP: All of Picnic's development riders live on site in Sittard, in the Netherlands, where there are 12 houses with two riders in each. I shared a house with Jacob Bush, who is a really good mate. I really enjoyed my two years living there, and this team is great for developing riders, not just physically but mentally in lots of different situations.

CW: What sort of rider are you?
OP: I'm still exploring, but for sure I am more of a climber. I prefer the shorter stuff like in the Ardennes, but I've also really enjoyed the longer mountain stages that I've done so far.

CW: How are you adapting to life in the World Tour?
OP: It's clearly a big step up physically, and being in the bunch is obviously faster, as when the racing is on it's really on, but it also feels more comfortable. Because everyone's at such a high level and knows how to ride a bike, racing is more predictable. In the U23 scene, everyone's scrapping around, willing to risk it all to get to the bottom of the climb first. There's more trust in a World Tour bunch.

CW: How has your training evolved?
OP: I've changed coaches, and the main change has been the amount of intensity I've been doing, especially more VO2max stuff from December onwards. It works for me and has helped me to improve a lot.

Oliver Peace's training diary

Monday: VO2max intervals This was the last day of a three-day block and there were four sets of intervals. I started with four times 90 seconds at Zone 5, so around 490 watts, with 45-second rest periods. Then it was five reps of 60 seconds at the same intensity, with 30 seconds off. The third block was six lots of 40 seconds with 20 seconds' rest. In the last hour I did 10 reps of 30 seconds at the same power, with 30 seconds' rest.
Total riding: 4hr 55m

Tuesday: Rest day Usually I like to ride to the cafe for an hour on a rest day and meet guys who are returning from their own training, but this time I took the day off.
Total riding: 0hr

Wednesday: Sprint intervals This was mostly a Zone 2 endurance ride but after 30 minutes I did three lots of one-minute max efforts with 10-15 minutes' recovery in between. I also did two five-second sprints, and two 10-seconds sprints. My maximum power was 1,190 watts.
Total riding: 4hr 10min

Thursday: Threshold session After a 45-minute warm-up, I did two intervals of 20 minutes in Zone 4, which is 365 watts, just below 5W/kg. I then did four two-minute Zone 5 efforts with three minutes recovery in between, followed by four lots of five minutes at 400 watts, with just four minutes between each effort. I used the same climb for all the efforts.
Total riding: 4hr 15min

Friday: Recovery ride This was a day off, and even though it was raining I still went out for an hour to spin the legs. Depending on my racing schedule, I usually go to the gym a couple of times a week, and at specific points of the year - such as before the Tour Down Under - I'll go to the sauna and have hot baths.
Total riding: 1hr 5min

Saturday: EMOM spikes I fluctuated between Zone 1 and low Zone 3 for most of this ride, and in the third hour I did two 10-minute efforts at 300 watts with EMOM [every minute on the minute] spikes for 10 seconds at 420 watts. In the final hour, I had two eight-minute Zone 5 efforts, so around 425 watts. It's nice just to go out and just ride, but I prefer doing efforts and having a structured ride, so I enjoy days like this more.
Total riding: 4hr

Sunday: VO2max intervals This was the exact same session as Monday: five hours with four sets of VO2max blocks of between 30 and 90 seconds. I felt a lot better than I had on Monday, and was able to push a little bit more, especially in the last hour. My Training Stress Score for this day was 266-quite high. I didn't feel magic after coming back from the Tour Down Under, so this was a productive training week and it was nice to do some grippy efforts ahead of my next goals.
Total riding: 5hr 5min

Total riding: 23 hours, 30 mins

Whereas homeostasis is the body's attempt to keep vital signs within a very tight, static range, allostasis is the active process of adaptation. Allostatic load is the body's running total of stress. Every challenge - a hard training ride, poor sleep, work pressure, illness, travel, even emotional strain - triggers stress systems whose purpose is to adapt and reach a 'new normal'. Provided the stress doses are manageable, this is a healthy process.

It's how you adapt and get fitter. "While allostasis is the healthy process of the body changing its internal state to match external demands- such as your heart rate rising during a steep climb - allostatic load is the physiological price the body pays for that adaptation over time," says Professor Sebastian Sitko.

When stress is frequent, intense or long-lasting, and recovery is incomplete, the strain starts to build up. Over time, this cumulative "wear and tear" can affect mood, immunity, energy levels and long-term health.

What is allostatic load?

Allostatic load is the cumulative strain that builds when those demands keep stacking up without enough recovery. "Allostasis is how the body adapts to challenges," says Professor Mike Gleeson. "But every adaptation has an energy cost." In simple terms, your body doesn't try to stay at one fixed point - it constantly adjusts to meet demand. Training, racing, work stress, travel and lack of sleep all require adjustment.

"For a cyclist, this load is not just the sum of kilometres ridden or total kilojoules burned," says Sitko. "It is the integration of training stress, environmental factors like heat or altitude, and psychosocial stressors such as career pressures or lack of sleep." The body does not distinguish between the stress of a VO2max interval and the stress of a high-pressure deadline at work; they both draw on the same recovery resources.

How does allostatic load affect cyclists?

Allostatic load doesn't mean training hard is harmful. "Stress is necessary for adaptation," explains Gleeson. "The problem is sustained overload without adequate restoration. An athlete doesn't experience stress in compartments." When the total load rises too high, early warning signs can include stalled progress, unusually high perceived effort, irritability, low motivation and more frequent colds.

"In my experience, one of the most telling signs is a 'muffled' heart rate response," says Sitko. "If during a high-intensity effort your power is failing, yet your heart rate refuses to rise to its typical training zones, this can indicate autonomic nervous system fatigue, where the body effectively applies a 'governor' to prevent further damage."

Other manifestations include a loss of explosive 'snap' in the legs, disrupted sleep patterns despite deep physical exhaustion, and an increase in perceived exertion during routine efforts. "The athlete is capable of riding, but the physiological ceiling has been significantly lowered," adds Sitko.

To mitigate the risk of progressing into overtraining or relative energy deficiency (REDs), cyclists must move beyond simply tracking external metrics such as power or training stress score (TSS), and begin monitoring internal response markers. "One of the most effective protocols is the use of heart rate variability (HRV) as a morning readiness check," suggests Sitko.

A consistent downward trend in HRV is a clear signal to prioritise recovery over intensity. "Addressing the energy availability component is also critical," he adds. "Many cyclists trigger REDs by trying to stay lean while increasing training volume. Ensuring that carbohydrate intake scales with training intensity is a non-negotiable requirement for hormonal health and bone density."

OVERLOAD ALERT: IDENTIFY, ADAPT, RECOVER

How to identify
- Hard sessions feel unusually difficult: Power drops while perceived effort rises.
- Muted heart-rate response: "Your heart rate may refuse to rise to typical zones," says Sitko.
- Loss of 'snap' in the legs: Explosive efforts feel flat or sluggish.
- Sleep disruption: Fatigue is high but sleep becomes restless.
- Mood changes: Irritability, low motivation or mental fog.
- More frequent illness: Repeated colds or lingering infections.

How to respond
- Prioritise sleep and recovery days.
- Match carbohydrate intake to training load.
- Track HRV or readiness markers.
- Adjust training when life stress is high.
- Maintain consistent fuelling to avoid cumulative strain.

Are you the kind of cyclist who heads to the gym to lift weights, or do you see every minute off the bike as time wasted? The role of strength training in cycling has long been debated, especially when training time is limited.

Research shows that resistance exercises such as squats and deadlifts can boost cycling power, strength and endurance, and gym work is now routine among professional riders. Yet many amateurs still avoid it, wary of bulky legs, fatigue or injury, and short on time.

An alternative is on-bike "torque training": grinding a big gear at low cadence to build strength while you ride. It's not a new idea, but until recently the evidence has been mixed, leaving cyclists unsure whether it can really match the benefits of the gym.

New research may help settle the debate. A 2025 study published in Biology of Sport by Pallares and colleagues directly compared 10 weeks of heavy squats with on-bike maximal pedal strokes, matching intensity, volume and recovery between groups.

Thirty-seven trained male cyclists maintained their usual riding programme. Twelve added high-intensity, full-range squats on a Smith machine at around 70% of their one-rep max (roughly a 15-rep load, but completing seven per set), while another 12 performed short sets of low-cadence, all-out pedal strokes in a hard gear on a 6% gradient - seven maximal pedal revolutions per set on their own bikes. A control group of 13 riders continued their normal training without additional resistance work.

The researchers measured leg muscle size, tendon thickness, strength on and off the bike, and markers of aerobic performance such as maximal sustainable power. Both resistance-training groups improved quadriceps size and muscle strength, while the on-bike group also showed similar gains in tendon thickness without increased discomfort.

The researchers concluded that, in this context, on-bike strength training could produce comparable performance improvements to traditional gym-based sessions.

For amateur cyclists short on time, the takeaway is appealing: high-intensity, low-cadence pedalling may deliver many of the benefits of weighted squats without a trip to the gym. Improvements in cycling efficiency were modest, but gains in maximum sustainable power and time to exhaustion suggest real-world performance benefits.

The study also highlights the risks of skipping resistance training altogether. When riders stopped strength work after the intervention, researchers observed measurable declines in both muscle mass and strength, underlining the need for ongoing resistance training, whether in the gym or on the bike.

Gym work versus cycling strength

Sebastian Sitko, the author of Cycling 2.0: Evidence-based training for peak performance on the bike, is a long-time coach and researcher specialising in strength training for cyclists. "In cycling, strength is rarely defined by raw force alone," he explains. "It's best understood as the ability to produce and sustain torque across a specific range of cadences.

While a gym athlete might measure strength by a one-rep max, a cyclist views it through the power equation: Power = Torque x Cadence. How that power is produced depends on the challenge - sprinting for the finish line versus grinding up a 20% gradient."

Sitko breaks cycling strength into two complementary types. Neuromuscular power, or maximal torque, is the ability to recruit the greatest number of muscle fibres instantly-crucial in the opening seconds of a sprint or standing start. In the study, this was measured as maximal dynamic force during both squats and on-bike efforts.

Functional torque, sometimes called "on-bike strength", is the ability to push a heavy gear at low cadence (around 50-70rpm) without the heart rate spiking, the sort of effort needed to grind up steep climbs or into headwinds when momentum drops. It's exactly the type of strength riders trained in the study through short, low-cadence, all-out pedal sets on a steep gradient.

Crossover benefits

Sitko continues: "Muscular endurance is perhaps the most critical. It's the ability to produce a high percentage of your maximal force repeatedly for hours. It's the difference between climbing a 10% gradient for one minute versus 20." For endurance cyclists targeting sportives, road races or gravel events, this is often decisive.

"In general, by increasing a cyclist's force ceiling through off-bike strength training, each pedal stroke becomes a smaller fraction of their maximum capacity," he adds. "This improves metabolic efficiency, letting the rider sustain higher power outputs for longer periods while delaying fatigue."

So some form of strength training clearly benefits cyclists, whether you're a track sprinter, road racer or weekend rider looking to ride faster for longer. The bigger question is how best to do it: on the bike or in the gym? "When discussing the balance between gym and on-bike work, I like to think of it as the difference between building a larger engine and tuning that engine for the road," Sitko explains.

"The gym is the only environment where we can truly maximise a cyclist's force ceiling. The bike is a low-impact, high-repetition environment, so it's physiologically difficult to recruit enough muscle fibres for true strength gains while pedalling. Heavy compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats - allow us to overload the musculoskeletal system, strengthen connective tissues, and build structural integrity in ways that aren't possible on two wheels."

Gym work also offers benefits beyond performance. "This off-the-bike work isn't just about raw power; it's about creating a robust chassis that can handle thousands of pedal strokes over a competitive season without breaking down. It's also better for injury prevention, especially by strengthening antagonist muscles, and for improving bone mass, which can be a serious concern for cyclists."

On-bike strength work, by contrast, is more cycling-specific and directly transferable to riding, and for time-crunched riders it's easier to integrate into regular training. "While the gym builds potential force, on-bike sessions help ensure that force is applied efficiently and specifically to the mechanics of cycling," Sitko says. Still, he cautions that the science is evolving.

"On the bike, we're trying to teach muscles to apply that new strength through a full 360-degree pedal stroke. I emphasise 'trying' because the evidence is mixed. The on-bike protocols with the most scientific backing typically involve a few hard, low-cadence pedal strokes in a heavy gear, where momentum is minimal and torque is high."

As Sitko suggests, the science is still far from settled. A study published earlier this month in British Medical Bulletin found that cyclists who combined endurance training with heavy gym-based strength work improved several key performance markers, including anaerobic power and aerobic capacity.

By contrast, riders performing "specific" on-bike strength sessions-low-cadence, high-resistance drills - saw no comparable gains. That finding contradicts the earlier study and suggests traditional gym work may offer benefits that on-bike strength training cannot. Although the research by Vicari and colleagues focused on off-road cyclists, who typically face higher torque and lower cadence demands, the results are likely relevant across other cycling disciplines.

Going to the gym has benefits broader than just cycling performance, particularly for older cyclists and masters athletes. A large Norwegian study published in 2024 surveyed 555 male masters cyclists aged 35 and over, and found that, while many reduced or stopped strength work during the race season, their primary motivations, particularly among those over 50, were health-driven: protecting bone health, reducing injury risk, maintaining muscle mass and supporting functional capacity.

That rationale is well supported by wider research. Resistance training is one of the most effective non-pharmacological strategies for increasing or preserving bone mineral density, counteracting age-related sarcopenia (muscle-fibre loss) improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, and maintaining neuromuscular function and balance - all critical factors in healthy ageing. For masters athletes, strength training is as much about long-term health as it is about immediate performance.

Complementary approaches

So, can cyclists ditch the gym for good? "Ultimately, the choice of environment depends on the specific adaptation we are chasing," explains Sitko. "Muscular endurance and torque efficiency may be better suited for the bike.

You simply cannot replicate the metabolic demands or the specific joint angles of a steep climb in a weights room." Yet that doesn't mean on-bike work replaces the gym. "On the other hand," adds Sitko, "maximal force and explosive power are always better suited for the gym because you need the stability of the floor and the ability to lift near-maximal loads to trigger significant neuromuscular changes."

In reality, the most effective approach is to combine both gym and on-bike strength work. "A sophisticated training programme treats these two environments as complementary: the gym builds the capacity, and the bike refines the application, ensuring that the athlete is not just strong in a general sense, but powerful and efficient in the saddle."

For many amateur cyclists, however, time is the deciding factor. "If I had to choose between one of them for a time-crunched cyclist, I would go for gym training and would ditch on-bike strength," concludes Sitko. In other words, don't rush to cancel that gym membership just yet: lifting weights remains one of the most reliable ways to build strength, resilience and long-term performance on the bike.

ON-BIKE STRENGTH: SAMPLE SESSIONS

Here are two, evidence-based sessions to try in your own training. If you're not lifting in the gym, include one maximal torque session and one sustained low-cadence session per week, keeping overall volume manageable. If you are strength training off the bike, replace the maximal torque work with heavy compound lifts and retain the longer, low-cadence efforts as cycling-specific transfer. Perform sessions when fresh, stay seated and prioritise recovery to maximise gains.

1. Max-torque micro-bursts (neuromuscular focus)

Purpose To improve maximal dynamic force and neuromuscular recruitment - your ability to generate high torque quickly at low cadence. This is the on-bike equivalent of lifting heavy weight for low reps.

Terrain Gradient: 4-8% steady climb (or trainer in resistance mode) Surface: Smooth, seated climbing preferred

Gear and cadence Gear: Big gear, typically 50/11-15 outdoors or equivalent resistance indoors. Cadence: 40-60 rpm The gear should feel "borderline grindy" from the first pedal stroke.

Main set From near standstill or very low rolling speed 6-8 sets Each set = 6-8 maximal pedal strokes per leg (roughly 10-12 total revolutions) Every pedal stroke is all-out, maximal intent Stay seated, focus on driving through the full 360° stroke Full recovery: 2.5-3 minutes easy spin between sets

What it's doing Increasing peak torque production Improving rate of force development Enhancing recruitment of high-threshold motor units Potentially increasing cycling-specific maximal strength

Frequency: 1-2 times per week Ideally separated by at least 48 hours Best placed early in a ride when fresh

2. Sustained low-cadence (functional torque focus)

Purpose To improve functional torque and muscular endurance - the ability to push a heavy gear at low cadence without cardiovascular drift. This bridges maximal strength and sustained climbing power.

Terrain Gradient: 3-6% steady climb or trainer Long uninterrupted effort preferred

Gear and cadence Gear: Big gear (e.g., 50/13-17 depending on slope) Cadence: 50-65 rpm Effort should feel muscular, not aerobic-limited

Main set 4-6 repetitions 4-6 minutes per interval Ride at 88-95% of FTP Cadence strictly 50-65 rpm Stay seated 3 minutes easy spin recovery

What it's doing Improving torque sustainability Raising sub-threshold force tolerance Reinforcing motor patterning under load Potentially improving time-to-exhaustion at high steady efforts.

Frequency: Once a week Best used in base or early build phase

You started the season with a stage win in Australia. Was it a good winter's training?

Really good. I shut down last season in early October, as I knew I was doing the Tour Down Under. In November, those of us going to Australia had a two-week training camp, riding 30-hour weeks. I came off that big endurance block well, and then did some track races at Grenchen [in Switzerland] in December. The plan was to copy a similar build-up to what I did with Quick-Step a few years ago: a big overload training camp into an intense track block. It worked well again.

How is this team different from Quick-Step?

I was the third sprinter in my two years at Quick-Step and it was the perfect stepping stone to where I'm at now. At this team, I have been given the opportunity to become a leader and have a more tailored race programme.

The best thing about NSN is that some of my best mates are here and the culture is really similar to what it's like on the track squad.

What are your aims for this season?

On my day, I can comfortably beat second-tier sprinters, but I want to be beating the very best. Finishing second twice in Vuelta a España stages last year really fired me up, and my goal before I retire is to win a stage in all three Grand Tours, alongside an Olympic gold medal. I'll ride the Giro d'Italia and maybe the Vuelta this year.

How will you fit track into your calendar in the coming years?

Claiming team pursuit silver in Paris and being so close to gold gave me a taste of what it could be like, so I want to be at Los Angeles 2028. But I won't ride too much track until 2028, as my focus is on the road and winning Grand Tour stages. That said, if it fits, I may ride track at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

ETHAN VERNON'S TRAINING DIARY

The week: 5-11 January
Training for: Tour Down Under
Location: Andorra

Monday
AM: Endurance ride; PM: Sauna

Today was a basic five-hour endurance ride on the flat roads in Spain, where it was 10 degrees warmer than in Andorra. In the afternoon, I spent 25 minutes in the gym's sauna to acclimatise for Australia.
Total riding time: 5hr

Tuesday
Rest day

I tend to alternate what I do on rest days: completely off the bike for one - like this one - then a small ride on the other. To prepare for the time difference in Australia, as a team we were using an app called Timeshifter, which calculates when you should start adapting to the time zone. It meant going to sleep and waking up 30 minutes earlier every day during this week. Did it work? A bit.
Total riding time: Ohr

Wednesday
AM: Tabata Intervals; PM: Sauna

My coach Liam Holohan calls this the Tabata Mix. It consists of three 10-minute blocks behind an e-bike to replicate race pace. In the first one, it's 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off; the second is 30-30s, and the third block is 20-40s. Later in the day, I went in the sauna again for 25 minutes.
Total riding time: 3hr 30 mins

Total riding time: 3hr 30min

Thursday
AM: Sprint session; PM: Heat training

Most weeks, I do a 10-minute ramp effort to threshold - my FTP is around 400 watts - up a climb, then watch my heart rate drift for 90 seconds. It's to check how I'm progressing. After doing that, I had a Zone 2 tempo session that included seven finishing sprints of 10 to 20 seconds, with a team-mate leading me out at peak speed for 20 seconds. Half of our team is based in Andorra, which allows us to practise our leadouts. In the afternoon, I rode really easy, sitting at 140 watts for 45 minutes on the turbo in the paint suit.
Total riding time: 3hr 30min

Friday
AM: Endurance ride; PM: Sauna

I did a basic ride sitting between Zones 1 and 2, with an average of 230 watts, followed by 25 minutes in the sauna. I'd like to do more heat training, but I do suffer quite a bit, so we have to manage how much. It clearly works, as I went on to win in Australia on the hottest day of the year.
Total riding time: 4hr

Saturday
Cafe ride

This was just a very easy spin to the cafe with some mates. In the winter, there's too much snow to do much else in Andorra, but on rest days in the summer I'll often go into the woods and tracks around La Massana and ride my e-mountain bike. I'll put it into turbo mode and barely turn the pedals - it's a lot of fun and doesn't tire me out. Total riding time: 1hr

Sunday
AM: Recovery ride and heat training; PM: Gym

I rode outside for an hour really easy, and then did 45 minutes in the paint suit. In the afternoon, I went to the gym for an hour and 15 minutes, doing all the usual stuff: squats, leg press, calf raises.
Total riding: 1hr 45min

TOTAL RIDING: 18HR 45MIN

WEEK'S WISDOM

Heat adaptation doesn't require high-tech methods. Look at how Vernon prepared for Australia: simply by adding short sauna sessions and easy turbo rides in a paint suit. The principle is straightforward: expose your body to heat regularly so it learns to cope. It won't be long before the UK weather starts to warm up - why not get ready for it? Who knows, it might give you the edge on those first sunny club rides!

When Brandon McNulty crossed the line alongside Tadej Pogačar at last year's Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, in Canada, it was another reminder of his place among cycling's very best riders. The American has long been one of Pogačar's most trusted lieutenants at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, helping shred the peloton on climbs such as the Col de Val Louron at the 2022 Tour de France.

Yet, McNulty stands apart from many of his peers in one surprising way: he trains far less than most pros, typically riding just 15 to 16 hours a week around his home in Arizona. The 27-year-old is part of a growing group of elite and professional cyclists who follow a low-volume training plan. "Low volume" is, in this context, a relative term: we're talking about less than 20 hours per week for professionals, and less than 10 hours per week for amateurs.

Since the pioneering work of athletics coach Arthur Lydiard in the 1950s, "more is better" has been the accepted wisdom in endurance sports. Olympic swimmers would rack up 35 hours per week, elite runners upwards of 100 miles a week, and professional triathletes trained hours equivalent to those of a full-time job.

"If you ask most people, 'How many hours do professionals do?', they'll give you a number like 30 hours a week," says McNulty's teammate Jay Vine. "But that's not even close. There are a lot more efforts involved, but a lot fewer hours at sub-endurance." The Australian explains that he is training considerably less now than he did as a neo-pro on Alpecin-Fenix.

High-volume endurance training works, up to a certain point. For many athletes, that point is injury or burnout. For others, it's mental limitations that set in before physical ones. Boredom, anxiety, or disordered eating have ruined athletes who push themselves too far.

Ryan O'Boyle, an elite cyclist from the US, switched to low-volume for greater life balance. "I used to train 20 to 24 hours a week, but being married and working a full-time career takes its toll physically and mentally."

O'Boyle notes that training less was traditionally seen as lazy or weak, but has in recent years become acceptable. The shift came as the old-school 'hardmen' of cycling, those putting in 30-40 hour weeks, saw others getting faster on much lower volumes. The 'long, slow distance' model of endurance training wasn't necessarily the best approach.

Those riding less were winning more. They were fresher, faster and punchier. They seemed to have more energy, a spring in their step.

As cycling becomes faster and faster, races get shorter and shorter in duration. That makes mega-aerobic fitness less valuable than before. When the longest Grand Tour stages lasted seven or eight hours, it made sense to build your engine as big as possible. But now, the longest stages are four to five hours, with some stages lasting only two to three hours, at an average of 50kph (31mph).

In 2026, more races will be decided by speed and explosiveness than by ultra endurance. The slogging is over. Professional cycling is no longer about aerobic endurance; it's about race-winning speed.

Some professional cyclists train as little as 10-15 hours per week, even during the base season. They focus on structure, precision, intensity distribution, and recovery (see boxout sample week). Low-volume cyclists focus on quality over quantity. They have identified a tipping point of sorts, the point beyond which increased training volume leads to inferior performance.

For some, the limits are set by life circumstances: work, family, travel, and other adult responsibilities. For others, the limits are self-imposed, learned through experience and failure.

For many riders, a lingering doubt remains: isn't reducing volume taking a risk? Won't it mean that, in the long term, endurance will decline?

Jeroen Swart, head of performance at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, is a strong proponent of low-volume training. "Many professional athletes make the mistake of doing too much training or too little recovery," he says. "One of the biggest things that I introduced to UAE Team Emirates when I joined in late 2018 was increasing the load monitoring and backing off [the hours] of those riders who were doing far too much. And by doing less, performance increased."

The key to maximising performance is consistent, high-quality training. It doesn't matter if you are training five hours a week or 25, if your training quality is low, you will leave watts on the table. We've all heard of "junk miles", a term that applies to unfocused, purposeless pedalling. These rides can be a waste of time, especially for riders on a low-volume training plan. If you're only going to ride for an hour, you want to get the most out of it.

A high-quality session stimulates physiological adaptations similar to those gained from low-intensity, high-volume training - but in less time. Low-volume training doesn't necessarily mean doing a greater number of high-intensity sessions. Most pros still do just two to three high-intensity sessions per week, similar to amateurs; the difference is simply that they add many more endurance hours around them.

Few riders understand this better than Neal Fryett, the 46-year-old elite eSports racer. In between dad duties, the American knocks out savagely hard interval sessions in the lead-up to a goal race. "After 90 minutes of endurance riding, I'll do three sets of 12 times 30/15s with five minutes' rest between sets," he says. "I'll average 500 to 550 watts for the 30-second intervals while sprinting for the first five seconds of each."

Perhaps not surprisingly, Fryett keeps his easy days easy. "I'll target two hard sessions [per week] with the rest of the week being a mix of easy to moderate endurance riding. One day completely off the bike every week, sometimes two if needed. Being an older athlete, I likely need two more recovery days per week than an athlete half my age."

Switching to lower-volume training isn't risk-free. Suddenly doing VO2max intervals every day, with no easy riding, would quickly lead to burnout. Dropping volume too drastically would also backfire. The key is balancing training stimulus with recovery. Most coaches and physiologists agree that two to three high-intensity sessions per week (efforts at Zone 3 or above) is the sweet spot for long-term progress. Beginners should aim for one or two such sessions.

Here is the smart science part, the secret sauce. Interval training has increasingly focused on riding at the highest repeatable intensity within a given zone. In simple terms, that means structuring sessions so you spend more time at the top end of the target effort. Instead of a steady four-hour endurance ride at around 65% of FTP, many pros now break the work into intervals at 70-75%. For example, a session might consist of three 20-minute efforts at 75% FTP. Add in the warm-up, recovery and cool-down, and the ride lasts about two hours instead of four.

Is this time-saving training really superior to the old-school 'long, slow distance' model? It's difficult to say for sure. But we do know that both types of endurance training are effective, and if you only have two hours to train, you need to make that time count.

One of the biggest advantages of low-volume training is reducing fatigue, allowing you to start each session in a fresher state. When you're only training eight hours per week, it is fairly easy to build ample recovery hours between your two to three high-intensity sessions of the week.

Then again, training on tired legs is a key component in building fatigue resistance. Professional cyclists rarely arrive at an interval session completely fresh. Instead, they begin their VO2max intervals with significant fatigue in their legs. Hitting PB powers is rarely the aim; more important is adapting to the load to tolerate fatigue.

Of course, not every rider requires a high degree of fatigue resistance. For example, the amateur crit racer who rarely races for longer than 90 minutes at a time, relying on his sprint above his endurance, may get away with as little as five hours of training per week. For these riders, it's more important to focus on repeatable explosive power.

The key point is this: the right volume for you depends on what type of races or events you are targeting. If fatigue resistance is going to be a major factor, you may need to keep your training volume as high as possible.

That said, there are some sneaky ways to improve fatigue resistance by other means. "Durability - that ability to maintain power later in a race- is very much affected by your functional strength on the bike," says Swart. "As you get tired, if you retain the ability to produce torque, you can continue to produce power."

The performance chief explains that in the winter, UAE riders hit the gym three times a week and do "very specific exercises focusing on functional strength". Torque training has been shown to improve fatigue resistance - without spending upwards of five hours on the bike. An hour per week of torque work can make a real difference.

If you're weighing up how much volume you should be doing, first take a long hard look at your current training and lifestyle. Are you optimising everything for performance? Take a close look at your fuelling strategy, recovery protocol, pre-workout routine, and stress levels. Only once you can honestly say that nothing else can be improved should you consider an increase in volume.

Strength work, running, torque training and heat training are great ways to improve performance without needing to find extra hours in your busy schedule.

And remember that recovery should be made time-efficient too. Eat well, relax with your feet up, switch off, have a massage, and ensure you're sleeping well. You won't maximise your performance gains unless the quality of your recovery matches the quality of your sessions.

And the next time you think about increasing your training volume, first ask yourself: Is there some other way I could spend that extra hour that would be even more effective?

FIVE TIPS FOR TIME-CRUNCHED AMATEURS

• Focus on quality in every session
• Stop chasing junk miles; when riding endurance, target 60-75% FTP
• Maintain life balance; don't let cycling take away from family, friends, work, and 'me time'
• Consistency beats hero weeks
• Design your training around your goals

Veins are a vital part of the circulatory system, returning deoxygenated blood to the heart. Cyclists often have prominent leg veins due to low body fat, intense blood flow, greater blood volume – as much as three litres more than a sedentary person – and repetitive muscular contraction. While they can look dramatic, visible veins are usually a sign of efficient circulation rather than disease. “The prominent veins we see in athletes, particularly cyclists, are usually healthy,” explains Dr Peter Finigan. “They reflect vascular adaptation, low body fat and well-developed leg musculature rather than disease.”

Varicose veins – enlarged, swollen and sometimes painful veins – develop when valves inside the vein weaken and allow blood to pool. Understanding the difference, recognising symptoms and knowing when to seek advice can help cyclists protect both performance and long-term vascular health.

What are veins?

Veins carry blood back to the heart, and feature one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards, especially in the legs. When those valves weaken, blood can pool, stretching the vein walls. Varicose veins may appear twisted or rope like and can cause aching, heaviness, swelling or skin changes. While varicose veins themselves rarely cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT), prolonged immobility, dehydration or long-haul travel increase clot risk.

Why does it matter to cyclists?

Cycling is generally beneficial for vein health. “The repeated contraction of the calf and thigh muscles acts as a ‘muscular pump’, helping push blood back toward the heart and reducing stagnation,” says Professor Neil Smart. That’s one reason endurance riders often display prominent veins – blood flow is strong and the surrounding muscles are well developed.

“Cyclists often develop ropey or bulging veins on their thighs or calves due to enhanced circulation and muscle training,” says Finigan. “These are healthy veins, not varicose veins, and usually regress if training intensity drops.” However, high training loads and sustained climbing can temporarily increase venous pressure in the legs, making veins appear more pronounced.

What does the research say?

Research consistently shows that regular aerobic exercise improves venous return by enhancing the muscular pump mechanism. A 2019 study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that eight weeks of structured cycling significantly improved venous return, even in older adults. Smart explains: “When leg muscles contract rhythmically, as they do in cycling, they actively assist venous return. Over time this improves vascular efficiency and supports overall circulatory health.” That said, genetics still play a major role. Some individuals are predisposed to valve weakness, and studies suggest elite endurance athletes may show a slightly higher incidence of varicose veins than the general population.

What can go wrong?

While prominent veins are typically harmless, cyclists should watch for warning signs: persistent swelling, throbbing pain, heaviness that doesn’t resolve with rest, skin discolouration or itching around the ankle. Tender, reddened veins may indicate superficial thrombophlebitis – usually self-limiting but worth medical review.

Varicose veins often remain visible even when legs are elevated and may worsen over time. Dehydration, prolonged travel to events and extended periods of sitting can also impair circulation. Anyone experiencing sudden calf pain, warmth or swelling should seek urgent assessment to rule out deep vein thrombosis.

Treatment and prevention

Prevention centres on maintaining healthy circulation. Regular riding, walking and strength work that targets the calf muscles all support venous return. Staying hydrated and avoiding prolonged immobility – especially during travel – are simple but effective measures. If symptoms develop, Doppler duplex ultrasound is the gold standard diagnostic tool.

Modern treatments are minimally invasive and highly effective. Options include endovenous laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation and foam sclerotherapy, all performed under local anaesthetic. “Patients treated with contemporary techniques often resume light training within a week,” says Finigan. Early assessment ensures minor problems don’t progress into more significant vascular disease.

Vein friendly habits for cyclists

• Warm-up and stretch pre-ride: calf raises, ankle circles, seated leg extensions.
• On-bike adjustments: saddle height, handlebar reach, cleat position not only aid comfort but can support circulation.
• Daily movement: elevate legs, don’t stay seated for too long, walk a few minutes every hour.
• Compression garments: medical-grade compression can reduce swelling and discomfort, particularly during long travel, though performance benefits remain debated.
• Take action: if you have veins that are persistently painful, with swelling, or skin changes, seek medical attention.

The bottom line...

For most cyclists, visible veins are a badge of training, not trouble. Regular riding supports vascular health, but genetics and age still matter. Recognising persistent symptoms and seeking timely advice ensures problems are treated early. With modern therapies available, treating troublesome veins is straightforward and rarely performance-limiting. Staying well hydrated, avoiding long periods without movement, and giving your legs adequate recovery can also support healthy blood flow and reduce unnecessary strain on the veins.

For generations of cyclists, the bathroom scales have held an outsized authority. Weight has been framed as destiny: lighter equals faster, and ‘race weight’ is the holy grail. Professional cycling has given us a steady stream of featherweight heroes to look up to. But strip away the mythology and a more nuanced truth emerges, especially for amateurs, masters riders, and anyone who isn’t chasing GC success in a Grand Tour.

Striking the balance between low weight and an optimal amount of muscle isn’t easy, but it is essential, as muscle provides power and durability in the saddle, aids recovery, and supports long-term health off the bike. In a sporting culture obsessed with rapid weight loss – from fasting protocols to appetite-suppressing drugs – cyclists need to be aware that if they want to lose weight, they need to do so cautiously so as to protect muscle.

Race-weight myths

The concept of ‘race weight’ works for elite climbers racing hour-long ascents at the limits of human physiology. But most cyclists, riding sportives, time trials, Audaxes, ultra-distance challenges or club runs, require sustained power and fatigue resistance. “On the flat, reducing body weight has very little, if any, impact on performance,” says Alan McCubbin, a senior lecturer in the department of nutrition and dietetics at Monash University, Australia. “And if that weight loss includes some loss of muscle, which it usually does, then power can be reduced, impairing performance.”

This goes against a deep cultural pull in cycling, McCubbin concedes. Many riders desire to “look like a cyclist”, idolising skinny climbers and GC winners, even if that means fighting their body’s natural shape and size. “Some people will always have a naturally lighter build and lower body fat, just as some people have green eyes, others brown eyes,” he says. “Genetics matter.”

Crucially, lighter does not always mean faster – even for the pros. “Muscle mass matters for power, and power really matters for shorter, punchy climbs,” adds McCubbin. “Look at the Classics like the Tour of Flanders or Amstel Gold. These races are often won by bigger riders with more muscle who are never in contention for stage wins on long mountain climbs.” Only on long climbs does power-to-weight hold the trump card, which is why the skinniest riders often have the highest profile. The rise of fasting, meal skipping and appetite-suppressing drugs has made rapid weight loss much more common.

McCubbin suggests this has made losing weight an even greater risk to performance: “The rate of weight loss is important in relation to the degree of calorie deficit required. The larger the calorie deficit, the less likely training is fuelled optimally, and the less likely you are to get through sessions as planned.” The more rapidly you lose weight, the more likely you are to lose muscle. Under-fuelled training also makes it harder to recover properly, McCubbin explains. Muscle adaptations are held back and injury risk is increased. Even if the power-to-weight ratio improves slightly, absolute power – critical for sprints, attacks, and long, sustained efforts – is likely to decline.

Lose weight, not muscle: the key numbers

• 500 kcal/day recommended maximum calorie deficit to promote fat loss while minimising muscle loss and performance decline
• 1.6-2.2 g/kg/day optimal daily protein intake for cyclists aiming to preserve muscle during weight loss
• 2 strength sessions/week level of resistance training to maintain lean mass and neuromuscular performance during calorie restriction
• 20-40 grams amount of protein that should be consumed shortly after training to stimulate muscle repair and retention
• 60-90 grams intake of carbs per hour during intense or long sessions to maintain training quality and protect muscle
• 30% proportion of weight lost as lean mass during aggressive dieting without strength training or adequate protein

Lose fat, not muscle

In cyclists, muscle is too often regarded as unhelpful bulk, but it underpins power, resilience, and recovery. When you go on a weight loss diet, you lose both fat mass and fat-free mass – a proportion of which is muscle. “In a calorie deficit, the body is trying to cover training and basic physiology with less incoming energy,” explains Professor Stuart Phillips, research chair of skeletal muscle health in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University, Canada.

“Some of the mass lost is fat – that’s the goal – but without a strong ‘keep muscle’ stimulus the body can also draw on lean tissue, and early losses can include glycogen and associated water.” The risk rises as the deficit becomes more aggressive and key sessions are not properly fuelled with carbohydrate, or when training becomes mostly endurance volume without high-force work. When a rider restricts calories to below their daily expenditure, biology takes over and muscle is broken down.

Maintaining muscle mass does not guarantee maintaining performance, cautions Phillips. “FTP is mainly protected by keeping training quality high and recovery adequate,” he says. “If riders diet through threshold or VO2 work and chronically under-fuel for intense sessions, performance can drift down even if lean mass is reasonably preserved.” A better approach, he explains, is to periodise intake: fuel the hard sessions, taking on carbohydrate before and during them, and then create the weekly deficit by trimming discretionary calories on easier and rest days.

Those losing weight should not avoid strength work, as the body is able to increase strength without adding significantly more muscle mass. “Resistance training matters here,” says Phillips. “Two short strength sessions per week are often enough to provide a strong anabolic/neuromuscular signal to retain muscle and strength while dieting, without needing to add a lot of gym volume.”

He warns that, while the basic principles are the same for both men and women, female riders should be especially cautious about prolonged low energy availability. “If fatigue, sleep, mood, recurrent niggles or menstrual disruption show up, the plan needs adjusting quickly.”

Keep lifting

Ronny Jansson is one such rider who appreciates the importance of strength training. Now 48 and living in Alunda, Sweden, Jansson started cycling 10 years ago. At the time, he weighed 121kg. “My first ride was only 7km,” he recalls, “but it wasn’t long before the rides became 40 or 50km.” Cycling transformed his life. Within a year, simply by cycling several times a week and eating a little better, he had lost 31kg.

Jansson was born with clubfoot – feet curved into an unusual position – and has undergone 24 surgeries. Walking, standing and running had always been painful. Weight gain, he says, was hard to avoid. Since losing weight, keeping it off has been a challenge during the Swedish winter. “There’s snow, extreme cold, and much less time on the roads,” he says.

Whenever his riding volume dropped, the weight crept back on. Eventually, he found a solution – lifting weights. “At first I did three sessions [of strength training] a week,” Jansson says. “Mostly free weights, some machines. I can’t do everything because of my feet – deadlifts, for example [are impossible] – so I adapt.” This winter he upped the ante to four or five sessions a week, complementing seven to 10 hours of riding during peak season. In 2024, he rode 6,666km – almost 300 hours.

The difference wasn’t just visible. It was functional. “I feel so much better in my body,” he says. “I don’t get nearly as tired as before.” That became obvious during his solo endurance challenges. Jansson regularly rides 24-hour events to raise money for charity. Last summer, he rode 480km in 27 hours. “Compared to previous years, I noticed the difference straight away,” he says.

“No problems with my back or shoulders. I felt much stronger.” Today, Jansson weighs around 96kg – much lighter than before, but more importantly, he is stronger and the strength work hasn’t led to weight gain. His focus is no longer chasing a number. “It’s about building a body that can handle riding,” he says.

Time-limited approach

Across the Atlantic, USA Cycling certified coach Will Kirousis (tri-hard. com) has witnessed many amateur riders pay the price of weight fixation. “People hear ‘race weight’ and think there’s a magic number. Often, they just keep eating less, and performance and health both suffer. You’re better off slightly heavier and consistent than a little too light and unable to train,” he says. The practice, he adds, has now taken on a pharmaceutical dimension. “I’ve had a handful of athletes using GLP-1s [weight loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro] while training for cycling and triathlon,” he says.

Kirousis stresses that the cultural narrative is often exaggerated. While marketing around weight loss drugs promises dramatic transformations, most committed athletes aren’t chasing overnight results. “The ones focused on health and performance over the long haul are usually fine with slower change.” Where problems arise is when large training loads meet suppressed appetite. “The biggest challenge is fuelling,” Kirousis says. “Trying to do high training volume when you don’t feel like eating is really hard. If you can’t fuel or recover, you can’t progress.”

His solution mirrors the growing consensus: treat weight loss as a time-limited phase, not a constant background process. Athletes starting medication are encouraged to begin in the off-season, learn how their body responds, and adjust expectations before chasing performance goals. “Work, it needs fuel,” Kirousis says. “If you try to do lots of work with less energy coming in, the body will fuel that with your own tissue.”

Keep it gradual

If you want to lose weight without sacrificing performance, there are some “non-negotiables” in Phillips’s view. “Keep the calorie deficit modest – around 500kcal per day on average – and think in weekly terms,” he says. “Aim for slow, steady loss rather than rapid drops. The more aggressive the deficit, the greater the risk to training quality, recovery and lean mass.”

Protein intake is equally critical. “Consume at least 1.6g/kg/day, and often 1.8-2.2g/kg/day during a fat-loss phase,” Phillips advises. “Spread it across the day, ensure each meal contains a meaningful amount, and include 30–40g after training.” Just as important is fuelling key sessions. “Don’t try to diet through your hardest workouts,” he says. “Take on carbohydrates before and during intense sessions, and prioritise a proper post-training meal to support recovery.”

In terms of maintaining strength, riders should “train muscles with two brief resistance sessions per week,” Phillips continues. “Keep them consistent, heavy enough to matter, and not so high-volume that they get in the way of riding.” He suggests riders monitor performance and recovery, not just weight. “If power at a given effort is slipping, perceived exertion is climbing, or sleep and mood are worsening, adjust quickly. Fat loss can only be deemed successful if you can keep training productively.”

Problems arise when weight loss becomes the primary goal, rather than performance and well-being. Obsessing over the scales brings pressure, under-fuelling, and loss of enjoyment. McCubbin advises a broader view: “Focus on building a body that works well on and off the bike. Performance comes from consistency, not chasing numbers.” Perhaps the case of Ronny Jansson sums it all up best: some strength training, coupled with careful, focused and longer-haul weight management, is the key to balance. “My body feels better than ever,” says Jansson. “That’s what matters.” How good you feel is the real metric of success – it’s not about how little you weigh, but how well your body works.

Ordinarily, I pride myself on being impervious to the Daily Mail’s sensationalist flourishes, but a story it ran last summer – “Zapping the brain with a tiny device on the ear could boost fitness without people having to lift a finger” – ensnared me good and proper.

The Daily Mail is rarely my first port of call for fitness advice, but the subject of this piece, a robust study that determined that non-invasive (transcutaneous) vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) can increase exercise capacity, struck me like a lightning bolt.

Its conclusions were tantalising. Not only was exercise capacity, represented by VO2max, increased by almost 4%, but inflammation was markedly reduced, making the treatment attractive for both performance and recovery. It caught my attention because I was already using tVNS, doing my own kind of experiment. For the past seven months, I’d been relaxing for an hour every morning with an electrical current gently pulsing through my ear. If the study was right, could this be a no-brainer performance gain for pros and amateurs alike?

The tVNS trial was published in the European Heart Journal in February 2025 but wasn’t picked up by the mainstream media until the summer, at which point it gained considerable interest, including my own. The study, led by Professor Gareth Ackland of the William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, recruited 28 healthy adults (14 men and 14 women) to receive tVNS for 30 minutes daily for two week-long periods.

Small study size

The vagus nerve is a major communication pathway between the brain and the body, involved in regulating heart rate, breathing, inflammation and stress. Stimulating it via non-invasive tVNS means using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine, with electrodes clipped to the tragus of both ears. The ear contains specific zones where one branch of the vagus nerve projects; these areas, the tragus and cymba concha, provide an accessible conduit to the brain. Most scientific studies use one ear, but Ackland chose bilateral stimulation because contemporary research suggested this protocol is more effective in inducing brain plasticity and repair.

Its small sample size of 28 healthy adults, with an average age of 34, was a significant limitation of the study. That said, it was diligently executed. Professor Ackland and his team ensured that there was a blind randomised allocation of sham and active tVNS, with all participants receiving both over two seven-day periods, separated by a two-week washout interval. On average, work rate increased by six watts, respiratory rate by four breaths a minute at peak exercise, and VO2max by 1.04ml/kg/min, versus no increase in VO2max with the sham treatment. Markers of inflammation were also significantly reduced.

Pre-clinical research

Tempering my enthusiasm for using tVNS to boost my VO2max from the comfort of my sofa was the nagging acceptance that this study was not intended for cyclists, amateur or pro. “It’s a proof-of-concept trial, funded by the British Heart Foundation,” says Ackland, “examining how tVNS might bring the health benefits of exercise to those who struggle to keep active.” As most cyclists know, greater exercise capacity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of a range of serious conditions, from cardiovascular issues to neurodegenerative diseases. Even so, not everyone is willing or able to exercise regularly.

“If you’ve just had chemotherapy before a major operation,” says Ackland, “the last thing you want to do is visit the gym. Similarly, neural control is a fundamental part of exercise, which probably explains why some people find it harder than others. Seeing whether we could hijack the autonomic nervous system to gain the benefits of exercise seemed worth pursuing.” Over the past few decades, doubt has been cast on the assumption that lower heart rates (higher vagal tone) associated with fitter people are entirely a product of exercise. Contemporary data suggest the brain plays a role too. “We were able to test that idea directly,” says Ackland, “and found three plausible physiological effects – changes in exercise capacity, changes in peripheral blood signatures to inflammation, and changes in resting heart rate. Our research demonstrates that vagal activity determines an individual’s ability to exercise.”

A 3.8% increase in VO2max may sound modest, but it compares very favourably with a 2007 study that found that high-intensity aerobic interval training performed three times per week for eight weeks increased VO2max by 5.5-7.2%, while long, slow distance running and lactate threshold training yielded no effect at all. “I would not want your readers to over-interpret this proof-of-concept study data,” cautions Ackland, quick to rein in my enthusiasm. “Much more research is needed; it’s not even close to adoption in either clinical work or by athletes. We are currently exploring the link between the neural influence on exercise and the eff ect that exercise has on that neural control, but that’s still work in progress.”

I ask Ackland whether there’s any potential gain for pro cyclists, who already have finely tuned vagal tone. “Well-trained athletes have optimal autonomic function,” he says, “but there’s a strong influence of neuroplasticity in the autonomic nervous system that underpins this. So, it’s very likely that athletes could further benefit… Our work has put enhanced athletic performance on the menu of possibilities.”

DIY protocol

I started using tVNS a month before the Daily Mail piece, having heard about research suggesting that vagus nerve stimulation, administered for an hour a day, could reduce atrial fibrillation (AF) burden by 85%. I’d recently undergone an ablation for AF, and my hope was that tVNS would reduce post-operative ectopic beats.

Vagal nerve stimulation has been used to treat epilepsy for decades (using implanted devices), so there’s a good body of evidence to suggest it’s safe. However, if, like me, you choose the DIY route, there is no guarantee, no safety net. To Professor Ackland’s point, there isn’t currently enough research to demonstrate that tVNS is effective or entirely safe for use by the wider public.

That said, my experience has been positive. Using a sub-£50 TENS device from my local pharmacy, dialled in with settings scraped from the internet (low-frequency pulse rate 20-30Hz, to match natural electrical impulses) my daily, hour-long, tVNS ritual has been without incident, bar the mild, tingling sensation of an electrical current passing through my ear. My AF symptoms disappeared within two days and haven’t reappeared, which is great, but beyond that, I haven’t noticed any changes. Is my improvement in health just a coincidence? Possibly. Has my VO2max increased by so subtle a degree that it hasn’t been noticeable while cycling? Maybe.

My dedicated but utterly unscientific use of tVNS demonstrates why more robust studies are needed. There are just too many variables to account for. The settings I’m using are generic, rather than individualised, and whereas Ackland’s team used bilateral tVNS, I’m hooking up just my left ear, which is less likely to introduce cardiac side effects, but is possibly less potent too. Unlike Ackland’s strict protocols, I only have my Garmin watch to estimate my exercise capacity.

For now, then, the lab research is still chasing the clinical potential, but if this technology fulfi ls its promise, it could be transformative – off ering a vital lifeline for those physically unable to train, and a supercharged marginal gain for the pros. I, for one, will be keeping tabs on the research with interest.

Vagus nerve stimulation explained

To understand the significance of the vagus nerve, we need to explore the role of the body’s autonomic nervous system (ANS). This is the ‘autopilot’ that constantly runs vital functions, such as heartbeat, breathing and temperature regulation – the physiological processes we don’t consciously control.

The brain maintains a delicate balance between our sympathetic system – fight-or-flight mode – which mobilises energy for high-intensity efforts, and our parasympathetic system – rest-and-digest mode – which handles digestion and tissue repair.

“Both systems have a major role in cardiovascular function,” explains Dr Mark Burnley, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, “as well as influence over the respiratory system and digestion. The sympathetic nervous system innervates the heart by acting on its sinoatrial (SA) node – the heart’s natural pacemaker – releasing noradrenaline, which speeds up the heart’s rate.”

The parasympathetic nervous system also acts on the SA node, slowing it down. It does this by releasing acetylcholine, which opens specific channels that allow potassium to leak out of the cells, making them less excitable. “The vagus nerve is the main conduit of the parasympathetic nervous system,” continues Dr Burnley, “a vast network of nerves that branches from the brainstem to the lowest part of the intestines. It sends eff erent [outward] information from the brain down to peripheral organs, but about 80% of its traffi c is aff erent [inward], sending signals back to the brain.”

Fundamentally, the vagus nerve continuously monitors the body and reports back to the brain when it’s time to calm down. “A fitter, stronger heart has to beat less often at a given cardiac output due to increased stroke volume,” says Burnley, “but other processes are at play. When you train consistently, a part of the brain called the medulla oblongata becomes more active at rest, sending a stronger, more continuous electrical signal via the vagus nerve to the heart. More acetylcholine is released onto the SA node, which causes the potassium channels to be held open for longer, creating a lower resting heart rate.”

In a nutshell, for the well-trained, the brain compensates for increased sympathetic outflow during efforts by boosting parasympathetic outflow during recovery. Fitter individuals have higher vagal tone, resulting in a slower resting heart rate. “Additionally,” continues Burnley, “long-term endurance training like cycling can remodel the SA node, leading to a decrease in certain ion channels, specifically HCN4. This slows the intrinsic rhythm of the heart regardless of autonomic input.”

Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) doesn’t directly affect the SA node. Instead, by stimulating the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in the ear, electrical signals travel to the brainstem. Interpreted as a call for ‘rest and digest,’ this prompts the medulla oblongata to send calming signals back down the main vagal trunk to the heart’s SA node.

Other ways to increase vagal tone

There are other ways to increase vagal tone that carry no safety caveats. “The idea of peripheral neuromodulation, of stimulating nerves to alter autonomic function, is not new,” says Professor Ackland. “It’s essentially the basis behind acupuncture and other traditional methods of stimulating areas of the body for autonomic effect. They are, however, less precise than tVNS and possibly more prone to the placebo effect.”

Breathing exercises with long exhales work on the principle of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Essentially, the parasympathetic nervous system shuts off during inhalation and activates during exhalation. By breathing slowly – five to six breaths per minute – and lengthening your exhale, you will slow your heart rate and increase the time you spend in a parasympathetic-dominant state. Auricular acupuncture/ acupressure provides a mechanical stimulus to the vagal nerve endings in the ear. This lowers resting heart rate and systemic inflammation.

Cold water immersion (CWI) is all the rage right now. When cold water hits the skin, especially around the eyes and nose, the vagus nerve immediately signals the heart to slow. Regularly shocking the system this way increases your baseline vagal tone.

Calming, low-frequency ambient music can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Be forewarned that high-pitched, dissonant sounds tend to trigger the sympathetic, and musical tastes are highly individual.

Dr Burnley and Professor Ackland agree that exercise is still the best way to tone the vagal system. Interval training is particularly effective because the rapid toggling between high and low activity improves heart rate recovery (HRR), a primary marker of vagal resilience.

Outside, it’s dark and freezing cold. Inside, Ruben Dhondt is sweating profusely, pushing 400 watts for 20 minutes on an indoor trainer. You may never have heard of him, but Dhondt is one of the best Esports cyclists in the world. The 25-year-old financial consultant is part of a growing group of indoor specialists capable of producing WorldTour-level power numbers.

What makes these riders remarkable is not just their performances in the virtual world, but their lives in the real world. Almost all of them work full-time jobs and squeeze elite-level training into half the volume ridden by pro road racers. These are the stories of people finding elite performance in the margins of everyday life.

Medicine by day, Medals by night

• Name: Francesca Tommasi
• Age: 27
• Lives: Verona, Italy
• Years Eracing: 3
• Occupation: Medical doctor
• Biggest result: 3rd – UCI Esports World Championships (2025)

With 1km to go in the 2025 UCI Esports World Championships, Francesca Tommasi was sitting fourth, seven points shy of the medals at her first ever Esports Worlds. But she wasn’t going to settle for fourth. Tommasi went all-in with a solo attack, risking everything, and she made it. The 27-year-old crossed the finish line and earned maximum points, moving her up into third and the final spot on the podium. It was the result of a lifetime for an Esports rider whose vocation is equally if not more demanding.

Occupation and sport have always gone hand-in-hand for Tommasi. She describes her time in medical school as “very challenging” in part because she was also competing as a professional runner. “I always thought it would be worth it," she says. “I believe that my sports side and my student side have never been in conflict, but rather they have strengthened each other: certain aspects of one helped me get through difficult times with the other, and vice versa.”

Tommasi was working towards her medical degree when she competed in the 2023 Giro d’Italia Donne. For a time, it was elite sport getting in the way of her profession, not the other way around. So she took a step back from road cycling, and in 2024 set her eyes on the UCI Esports World Championships. Training less than 15 hours per week, Tommasi is able to fit cycling around her professional schedule. “You can train at any time of day, and training sessions are more time-efficient and do not require the long hours typical of road cycling. For example, on very busy workdays I can fit my training into an hour or hour-and-a-half session, either before work or in the evening when I get home.”

Tommasi follows a simple training plan that allows time for work and recovery. Each week, “the sessions are varied and include high-intensity and low-intensity sessions, gym training and core stability work. Recovery weeks are built into the programme.”

As for nutrition, the Italian loves to cook. She describes a typical race morning: “I love eating toast with yogurt and marmalade and a piece of pie or plumcake that I usually make a day or two before.”

You might think that Tommasi would be kept busy by training, racing and being a medical doctor, but she also runs her own small business, baking cakes, breads, pizzas and pies. There is much more to her life than Eracing, and although she will target a repeat of her Worlds podium, the bigger picture includes a plan to open her own medical practice in the next year.

Tommasi follows a simple training plan that allows time for work and recovery. Each week, “the sessions are varied and include high-intensity and low-intensity sessions, gym training and core stability work. Recovery weeks are built into the programme.”

As for nutrition, the Italian loves to cook. She describes a typical race morning: “I love eating toast with yogurt and marmalade and a piece of pie or plumcake that I usually make a day or two before.”

You might think that Tommasi would be kept busy by training, racing and being a medical doctor, but she also runs her own small business, baking cakes, breads, pizzas and pies. There is much more to her life than Eracing, and although she will target a repeat of her Worlds podium, the bigger picture includes a plan to open her own medical practice in the next year

From Running Track to Zwift Podiums

• Name: Ruben Dhondt
• Age: 25
• Lives: Geraardsbergen, Belgium
• Years Eracing: 4
• Occupation: Financial consultant
• Biggest result: 2nd – Zwift Games Overall (2025)

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Ruben Dhondt’s rise to the top of indoor racing is that he has never raced outdoors. The former 800m runner took to Zwift in 2021 as “alternative training during the dark and cold winter days.” Dhondt had just been diagnosed with a hip impingement, putting an end to his track-and-field career.

Working remotely as a financial consultant, Dhondt lives with his parents and siblings at the base of the Muur van Geraardsbergen in Belgium. He works until 5:30pm, splits chores with his family, and trains in the evening. The 25-year-old is still able to train 15 hours per week.

Dhondt is self-coached, and uses these three pillars to achieve peak performance: “having fun, listening to my body, and consistency”. Dhondt does largely the same training week after week, rather than focusing on a training camp or goal race, which “means I need fewer rest periods so I can be more consistent over a long period.”

Though he keeps track of his training, he doesn’t complete structured workouts. Instead, he races himself fit. “I select a race I want to participate in and adjust my racing style to the training stimuli I need.”

Another contrast between Dhondt and professional road riders is his riding style. Like other runners-turned-cyclists, the Belgian prefers to ride out of the saddle at 65-75rpm. Rarely does he stay in the saddle for more than five seconds at a time, but the style works for him. When it comes to racing, Dhondt has one major quirk in this routine: he warms up next to his bike, not on it. Instead of a typical pre-race warm-up, “My warm-up is usually a 15-minute activation session that I do on a fitness mat – a habit from my track and-field career.”

Dhondt listens to upbeat techno music while racing, and always has the course profile in front of him. When it comes to specialised training methods, he has only one: heat training. “Heat training mirrors the effects of altitude training,” he explains, “and it is also less expensive than booking a trip to Calpe [in Spain].”

The rest of Dhondt’s training is basic but effective. “The difference between a good and great Esports racer can be found in marginal gains such as fuelling properly, taking supplements – caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, etc – effective recovery, getting enough sleep, focusing on protein intake and consistency.”

The Belgian had an exceptional 2025, earning top results in elite races throughout the year. He says that finishing second overall in the 2025 Zwift Games increased his “confidence and motivation that I could perform well in this sport.” That right there is a lesson in itself: confidence is critical. We have all been spat out the back of a Zwift peloton, wheezing and suffering, defeated and deflated. Don’t let it knock your confidence; it’s part of the learning process.

The racer who quit her job to discover her limits

• Name: Katerina Karamani
• Age: 28 Lives: London, UK Years Eracing: 2
• Occupation: On career break after 10 years in corporate finance
• Biggest result: 1st – MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club Endurance Climb

A decade ago, at 18 years old, Kat Karamani was “juggling a university degree, qualifying as a chartered accountant, working full-time in a demanding role at KPMG and training.” It may sound like a recipe for burnout, but she says it was “the most challenging period of my life and gave me a level of resilience that still underpins everything I do now.” A year ago, Karamani decided to take a career break from the corporate world and committed to Esports cycling. She is already competing at the highest level of verified racing.

Karamani trains more than any other Esports racer we’ve interviewed: 20 hours per week, plus daily yoga and stretching, and an hour of weekly core work. But the work doesn’t always come easy, as she has to balance training with work and family commitments. “I’m learning to be compassionate with myself and listen to my body,” she says. “I’ve learned to back off without spiralling into fear about losing fitness.”

"For me, the mental focus is what separates a good racer from a great one,” says Karamani. “The best riders are very good at staying present and not getting too caught up in the outcome. Instead, they focus on executing the next effort well.”

To find her best legs, Karamani’s routine includes course recon the day before a race, the same wake-up time and pre-race food. “I do a 15-minute warm-up, finishing about 10 minutes before the start,” she says. “I like to stretch and take a few minutes to get mentally in the zone, running through the course in my head. I don’t overthink weigh-ins, and I fuel and hydrate just as I would for a hard training session. Having these routines gives me a sense of calm and control.”

Karamani’s partner has four kids, “so family life is part of the picture.” When the going gets tough, she falls back on her routines, narrowing her focus, and minimising distractions. And Karamani is aiming big: the UCI Esports World Championships, to be exact. Having already worn the GB national team kit in the Worlds semi-final, the next step is earning a spot at the Worlds in Abu Dhabi.

Combining caring and competing

• Name: Elyse Gallegos
• Age: 39
• Lives: Huntsville, Alabama
• Years Eracing: 5
• Occupation: Registered nurse in neonatal ICU
• Biggest result: 11th – UCI Esports World Championships (2025)

Before flying halfway across the world to Abu Dhabi, UAE, Elyse Gallegos said goodbye to her two children, aged four and seven.

The registered nurse from Alabama, USA, trains 10-15 hours per week and competes alongside the best Esports cyclists in the world. While

her competitors have time to go to the gym, then have a massage or ice bath, Gallegos jumps straight from training to cooking for her children and helping them get ready for school.

Amid the chaos, Gallegos finds time to wake up at 1am to race the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club, where she is a regular top-10 finisher. Her

results were so good that she was invited to compete in the UCI Esports World Championships, where she finished 11th in Abu Dhabi. Routines and planning are everything for Gallegos. This is how she prepares for a race: “I have notes written out for the course, bottles made, pedals charged, kit laid out, scales and video ready to go, so it’s just automatic when the 1am alarm goes off to race at 2am every Sunday.”

Gallegos does a 10-minute yoga session before weighing in for verified races, and this is all taking place at one in the morning. Gallegos does more gym work than most cyclists, fitting in three sessions per week on top of two high-intensity interval days and base miles. When it comes to fuelling, she has her pre-race routine dialled, consuming bicarb, electrolytes, carb mix, honey, and a caffeine tab between the weigh-in and race start.

At 39, Gallegos is still aiming to improve in the upcoming seasons. Her big goals this year are to finish on the podium in the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club, and improve upon her 11th-place finish at the UCI Esports World Championships.

Indoor Incentives: Six-figure prize funds

Esports cycling has become a lucrative career for many athletes. Top earners can expect to win more than £100,000 per year in prize money, the majority of which comes from the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club which offers thousands of pounds in prize money every weekend.

Some countries put on prestigious national championship events complete with a live audience, in-person racing, big prize money, and a coveted jersey. Denmark and Sweden are leading the way for in-person Eracing, and rumours are circulating about the formation of an Eracing international race calendar and Olympics aspirations.

How does blood health influence performance, energy levels and recovery?

Overall blood health, especially iron status, plays a major role in endurance performance, energy levels and recovery, even in athletes who are training well and eating adequately. Endurance performance is not determined by training alone and depends on many factors, including blood health, which is frequently overlooked. Healthy blood ensures oxygen and nutrients are delivered efficiently to working muscles.

How common are blood issues in cyclists?

Research in sports medicine and international athlete guidelines shows that low iron is common [30-50%] in endurance athletes, even without full anaemia. It can reduce aerobic capacity, make exercise feel harder at lower intensities, and limit training adaptation, with persistent tiredness despite “doing everything right”. Athletes can experience fatigue, reduced performance and slower recovery despite being disciplined with their training programme.

Which common blood imbalances can limit performance in cyclists?

Iron depletion is the most common blood imbalance in endurance athletes, but there are others. Research from Loughborough University and the University of Western Australia highlights that low haemoglobin, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency can affect red blood cell production and recovery.

Electrolyte imbalance and low vitamin D are also associated with muscle fatigue, weakness and increased risk of injury. Athletes may notice declining power or pace, elevated heart rate at familiar intensities, slower recovery between sessions or increased susceptibility to illness. These symptoms are often misattributed to overtraining rather than an underlying blood health issue

How can iron depletion affect cycling performance – including VO2max, power output, recovery and perceived effort?

When iron stores fall, oxygen delivery and use are compromised. VO2max can decline, leading to a drop in performance and slower recovery. Athletes often report that familiar training intensities feel disproportionately hard, with higher perceived effort and rising heart rate. Research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, supported by laboratory studies from the University of Lausanne [in Switzerland] demonstrates that iron deficiency without anaemia significantly impairs endurance performance and training efficiency.

Why are female cyclists at greater risk of iron depletion?

Female athletes are particularly susceptible to iron depletion due to menstrual blood loss, higher iron demands from endurance training and, in some cases, lower dietary intake. Hormonal factors can also influence iron absorption and regulation. Large cohort studies cited in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, including work from Stanford University School of Medicine, consistently show higher rates of iron deficiency in female endurance athletes.

What signs should cyclists recognise as possible indicators of iron depletion?

Iron depletion can be difficult to spot early, as haemoglobin may remain normal while iron stores gradually decline. Cyclists may first notice subtle but persistent changes in performance and wellbeing. Some common signs include unexplained fatigue, reduced endurance, slower recovery, and rising perceived effort. Athletes may also experience declining power output, an unusually elevated heart rate at familiar intensities, breathlessness on minimal exertion, or increased susceptibility to illness.

These symptoms are often mistaken for overtraining or poor conditioning, but can reflect an underlying blood health issue. For this reason, early detection is important, as iron depletion can negatively affect training adaptation and performance long before anaemia develops.

Suspect Low Iron? Next steps for cyclists

• Get tested Arrange a blood test if you notice unusual fatigue, poorer recovery, falling performance or training feeling harder than normal.
• Start with nutrition Increase iron-rich foods, add vitamin C to aid absorption, and avoid tea/coffee close to meals.
• Use supplements carefully Oral iron may help but can cause stomach upset and be less effective during heavy training blocks.
• Seek medical follow-up Persistent symptoms or low results need further investigation.
• Consider clinical treatment In confirmed deficiency where tablets fail or aren’t tolerated, medically supervised iron infusion may be appropriate to restore levels and support consistent training and recovery.

Meet the Expert

Dr Susan Jain is the lead doctor at Revive and Reset (reviveandreset.com), a Harley Street clinic specialising in iron deficiency and anaemia. She is also a consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine, with more than 25 years of clinical experience.

Last year, a huge scientific study conducted in China and involving 480,000 people concluded that regularly engaging in aerobic exercise such as cycling can reduce your chances of developing dementia. Now a new piece of far more specific research appears to have found provable links between periods of pedalling and an improvement in people’s ability to efficiently process and retain information.

The research, recently published in Brain Communications, was conducted on a much smaller test group, but the people involved all had a specific disorder, drug-resistant epilepsy, that the scientists were examining when they made their discovery.

The study builds upon the already well-proven assertion that 'physical exercise improves memory and learning in rodents and humans'. During the research period, however, the scientists found that participating in a pedalling exercise for 20 minutes caused 'ripples' to occur in a part of the human brain called the hippocampus, which where memories are formed and learning happens. These ripples directly led to an improvement in the subject's performance in tests.

Using intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) technology, scientists tracked the brain activity of 14 participants, aged between 17 and 50, before and after they spent 20 minutes pedalling on stationary machines, similar to an indoor trainer.

“Overall, we show that a single session of light to moderate intensity physical exercise triggers changes in human ripple hippocampal-cortical dynamics," the scientists reported.

Scientists had previously identified 'ripples' in the brains of rats caused by physical exertion, which they believed led to an improvement in post-exercise memory, but we don't know how they got the rodents to keep riding. More importantly, this is the first time the effect has been documented in humans.

"Exercise increased ripple rate in the hippocampus," the scientists wrote. "Experimental evidence supports the idea that hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SWR) play a critical role in learning and memory," they concluded.

And not only are these ripples are created during physical exercise, such as cycling, but they increased in intensity as the pedalling patient’s heartrate rose.

The results support the findings of the aforementioned larger study, during which scientists at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, concluded that cycling can cause the hippocampus to grow.

This article was taken from the January 22 edition of Cycling Weekly. Chris Mashall-Bell sat down with Italian road and cyclo-cross rider, Mattia Agostinacchio (EF Education-EasyPost) ahead of the Namur World Cup. To subscribe to the magazine, click here.

What's your sporting background?

I did lots of sports as a kid: gymnastics until I was 11, ski racing until I was 13, and some tennis, football and swimming too. My first cycle sport was mountain biking, and then I took up cyclo-cross and road cycling.

Who coached you as a junior?

My whole family loves cycling, and my dad trained me until I was a junior, when my older brother Filippo took over. He's also a cyclist [with Continental team Biesse-Carrera Premac] and is studying sports science at university. With his help, at age 16, I started using a power meter and a heart rate monitor.

What kind of road rider are you?

I still don't know for sure, but I think I am best suited to the Classics. Mathieu van der Poel is my idol, and some people have compared me to him - but it will be impossible to be exactly like him!

How do you feel being the World Tour's baby?

I really don't know what to expect from myself this season, but I will need to get some key races in my legs to find the rhythm and flow. My first ambition as a pro cyclist is to win one race.

How do you rate your cyclo-cross season so far?

I'd give it a 7/10. The World Cup hasn't gone so well for me for various reasons, and I've had quite a lot of downs. But to win the U23 European Championships was amazing and I hope to get a podium at the U23 race at the World Championships [on 11 January; he finished fourth].

Do you do specific CX training?

During the cross season I use my cyclo-cross bike on the road. I normally go into the forest once or twice a week to practise my technique, and I run for 30 minutes once a week.

MATTIA'S TRAINING DIARY

The week: 8-14 December
Training for: Elite UCI World Cup, Namur, Belgium
Training in: Italy and Belgium

Monday: Recovery ride
This whole week was focused on preparing for Namur, which was to be my first World Cup race against the elites. I had an easier week's training after my last U23 race in Flamanville [in France, 30 November - he finished eighth] because I had a lot of races coming up in December. I started this week with a Zone 1 ride, sitting between 170 and 190 watts.
Total riding: 1hr 30min

Tuesday: Explosive efforts
Before this ride, I did a small core session with a few exercises. I've started doing these sessions twice a week. Afterwards I went out for three hours and did my favourite session: six reps of 30 seconds at Zone 5 and 50rpm, and then 15 seconds all-out. I feel like I'm working on and improving my explosiveness with this session.
Total riding: 3hr

Wednesday: AM: Endurance ride; PM: VO2max intervals
In the morning I did two hours steady at Zone 2, between 220 and 230 watts, and after lunch I did VO2max efforts: two times two minutes at just a bit harder than race pace, so between 450 and 500 watts, with one minute's recovery in between. These sessions help me in cyclo-cross races.
Total riding: 3hr 30min

Thursday: Endurance ride (abandoned)
The plan was to do three-and-a-half hours, but I didn't feel great when I woke up and as soon as I got out on the bike I realised I wouldn't be able to complete the session. In the end I only did half an hour. It's better to stop and recover rather than push on and make yourself worse.
Total riding: 30min

Friday: Recovery ride
I was feeling a bit better than the day before, so even though Friday was meant to be a rest day, I went out for a 90-minute Zone 1 recovery ride. In the evening, I travelled to Belgium for the race.
Total riding: 1hr 30min

Saturday: Race recon
Namur was a big race for me, so I prepared thoroughly, even though I'd ridden it before, as a junior. I completed a lot of laps, some a bit faster than others, always looking for the best lines.
Total riding: 1hr 30min

Sunday: Race: UCI CX World Cup, Namur
My race preparation includes one or two laps of the course, and a 20-minute warm-up, which begins with four minutes in Zone 2, two minutes in Zone 2b (almost Zone 3) two minutes at Zone 3, another two minutes at Zone 4, and then three minutes of recovery. After that, I do two lots of 30-second VO2max efforts, with 30 seconds easy. I started on the fifth row, so quite far back, but I found my rhythm and in the last few laps even went faster than some of the guys in the top-10. I was really happy with 13th.
Total riding: 1hr 40min

Week's Wisdom

Once you've processed the fact he was born in autumn 2007, make a note of this young man's restraint. Hard efforts are dosed with caution, balanced with recovery, and his body's early warning signs are heeded - cutting a ride short shows wisdom beyond his years. Trusting in consistency over heroics, he is rightly rewarded at his target race - and is a talent to watch over coming years.

At the 2025 Tour de France there was an open secret being whispered through the peloton: most stage winners were wearing a thumbnail-sized sensor clipped to their heart-rate strap.

The device, made by Swiss company Core, measures a rider's core body temperature in real time - a hidden layer of physiology that can tell whether a rider is thriving or overheating. According to Core, 17 of the 21 stages were won by riders using their sensor-prompting speculation that it offered a winning edge.

In the arms race for marginal gains, it's irresistible tech. Real-time data promises to let riders see inside themselves: how their lungs, hearts, muscles and even hydration levels are coping with the load. But are these new monitors genuine game-changers or merely expensive add-ons? Do they provide truly useful data or just distracting noise?

Temperature sensors

In the case of real-time core-temperature monitoring, it's something that has moved from Olympic labs to everyday cycling. The concept is simple: detect rising internal heat early enough to adjust pacing, cooling or hydration before performance drops. The aforementioned Core device combines skin temperature, heart rate and heat flux (the flow of heat from body to skin) to calculate core temperature and a heat-strain index.

Validation studies comparing Core with ingestible thermistors show a mean error of just 0.23°C- impressive for a non-invasive, 'stick-on' device. For an expert view on whether wearable thermometers can really make a winning difference, we turn to Professor Yannis Pitsiladis of Hong Kong Baptist University.

"Core temperature alone tells only part of the story," says Pitsiladis, explaining that the data has to be interpreted within a broader context. "Heat strain and performance decline stem from the interplay of temperature, cardiovascular load, and environmental stressors. Without that integration, the data can be misleading."

Pitsiladis is at pains to explain that real-time temperature monitoring is not, on its own, a game-changer. "Thermoregulation involves metabolic heat, cardiovascular redistribution and environmental exchange. Seeing that process unfold second-by-second can reveal how workload and environment interact."

Professor Mike Tipton, an expert in human thermoregulation at the University of Portsmouth, urges riders to start with a question: why measure temperature at all? "If you can't define what a meaningful change means for you, the number is just decoration," he cautions. "Most devices estimate core temperature from skin or heat-flux signals, which are distorted by wind, rain and sunlight. Even if the reading were perfect, you still need to know your personal critical limit before it becomes actionable."

Tipton warns that over-reliance on readouts can erode self-awareness. "Cyclists have evolved excellent internal sensors - perception of effort, breathing, sweat. Chasing digital precision can dull that intuition."

A 2023 Journal of Sports Sciences study backs his caution, reporting mean outdoor errors of 0.5-1.0°C in popular wearables - large enough to make "heat limit" thresholds unreliable. "Directional trends are useful," Tipton concedes, "but absolute numbers outside controlled conditions remain questionable."

Pitsiladis agrees that validation is the dividing line between science and sales. Ingestible thermistors-pill-sized sensors swallowed to measure core body temperature from within the gastrointestinal tract - remain the gold standard; most commercial devices still estimate rather than measure.

"The technology must evolve to meet biological complexity, not the other way round," says Pitsiladis. Until then, cyclists should treat temperature data as a compass, not a map: a helpful guide to how the body copes with heat, but far from an infallible performance predictor. In short, today's sensors can show when you're getting hot - but not always how or why it truly matters.

Oxygen and ventilation monitoring

Where Core focuses on thermal load, other systems aim or claim to capture real-time oxygen use and ventilation - essentially the holy grail of endurance physiology: how efficiently you use oxygen to generate power. Garmin smartwatches, for instance, offer wrist-based Pulse Ox tracking alongside cycling metrics including heart rate and respiration. Similarly, the Oura Ring tracks overnight oxygen, temperature and recovery for daily readiness, while the Wellue O2Ring provides continuous oxygen and heart-rate monitoring with alerts.

Professor John Dickinson from the University of Kent has spent two decades studying respiratory performance in elite athletes. He says the data can be insightful, but the current crop of wearables still fall short of lab precision.

"In the lab, we can directly measure oxygen consumption and ventilation - that's gold-standard," he explains. "But most wearables estimate it through proxies like heart rate, wrist blood flow, or chest strap strain. They're decent for trends, but not precise enough for elite decision-making."

Recent research backs that up: smartwatch VO2 max estimates can be off by 15%, often overestimating unfit users and underestimating trained ones. Breathing frequency straps were found to perform slightly better within 10% of actual rate - but lack the ability to measure tidal volume (the amount of air per breath).

"Without tidal volume, it's difficult to interpret," says Dickinson. "Heart rate still tracks oxygen use well, so right now, a good heart-rate monitor and a proper lab test may tell you as much as these new devices."

Staying on top of your hydration

Hydration sensors are the next frontier - patches and wearables that claim to monitor body water or electrolyte loss in real time. Some of the best smartwatches allow users to manually log fluid intake and estimate hydration status based on activity and conditions. The idea is seductive: never guess your salt balance again.

But Professor Glen Davison, also of The University of Kent, urges caution. "The concept is sound - in theory, these devices could track fluid balance in real time," says Davison, "but accuracy depends entirely on the technology. Some measure sweat composition, others infer total body water through electrical or optical signals - and those don't always reflect whole-body hydration."

Even if these devices could perfectly measure dehydration, it might not, in Davison's view, be meaningful data for most cyclists. "You can tolerate around 4% body-mass loss from sweat - nearly three litres for a 70kg rider - before seeing major performance effects," he adds. "That's a lot of sweat. For most, regular drinking strategies already cover that."

Where these sensors might prove useful is in sweat composition - knowing how much sodium you lose can guide electrolyte intake during multi-day races or heat camps. Still, this concentration may vary from one ride to the next, and Davison stresses that data from a single patch site can't represent the whole body. "If the only evidence comes from internal company data, we should be sceptical," he adds.

Real-time blood glucose

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) went through a brief boom-and-bust in elite cycling, which may serve as a warning to those of us lured by the promise of next-level tech-led physiology. Marketed as revolutionary tools for fuelling and recovery, they were banned by the UCI in 2023 after studies found minimal benefit and growing concerns over data misuse.

The CGM is a small, coin-sized wearable sensor that sits just under the skin, usually on the upper arm or abdomen, using a tiny filament inserted with a spring-loaded applicator. Once in place, it tracks glucose levels in the interstitial fluid continuously, typically for 10-14 days before needing replacement. Originally developed for diabetics, CGMs were increasingly adopted by elite riders as a performance and fuelling tool.

The sensor samples glucose levels every few minutes, building a 24/7 picture of glucose trends rather than single snapshots. Data is transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone app - and in some cases to a bike computer or training platform - where riders can see real-time graphs, alerts and trend arrows.

"It's important to be clear: even continuous glucose data isn't a measure of performance. It's a health metric," says Dr Henry Chung, lecturer in physiology and nutrition, University of Essex, "Cycling performance is driven by a mix of energy availability and physiological limits. Muscle glycogen is a major fuel source, alongside phosphocreatine, but performance is also shaped by factors including neuromuscular fatigue, time to exhaustion, cardiovascular strain, oxygen use and technical skill - none of which a CGM measures."

Chung points out another common misunderstanding. "People assume blood glucose reflects what's happening with muscle glycogen, but that isn't really the case. There's a time lag between glycogen being broken down, converted, and appearing as glucose in the blood. On top of that, muscle glycogen is regulated locally within the muscle."

So blood glucose and muscle fuel can behave quite independently. "In real-world conditions, it's extremely difficult to work out what's actually happening in the body from this single number alone. In people without diabetes, glucose readings mostly reflect what you've eaten, what your liver is releasing, and how your body is using sugar overall - not how much fuel your muscles actually have available or how well you can perform on the bike."

In other words, the relationship between real-time blood glucose and cycling performance is indirect, complicated and often not very useful in practice. For many riders, a CGM risks becoming a source of distraction and anxiety, providing a fluctuating number that is minimally useful in terms of guiding beneficial changes.

"Real-time monitoring is a fascinating science," concludes Professor Mike Tipton, "but for performance management in the field, it risks becoming data for data's sake." That's a recurring concern among physiologists: data without interpretation. Real-time readouts, delivered devoid of context, can easily overwhelm riders or coaches, and don't translate cleanly into actionable numbers.

Then there's the cost and complexity. A full suite of validated monitors - core temperature, respiratory strap, hydration patch, CGM-may exceed £1,000, with data streams requiring custom analysis software. For amateurs, that's a big outlay for insight that may still be at best 'directional' rather than precise.

That said, real-time gadgets are here to stay and, as Professor Pitsiladis points out, the technology is still in its early "brick-phone stage". "It works," he says, "but it's not yet miniaturised or fully integrated. The next step is ecosystem-level sensing - multiple validated inputs communicating in real time."

That vision - a fully synchronised network of sensors mapping metrics such as heat, oxygen, hydration and glucose simultaneously-sounds futuristic, but it's already being trialled, with AI advancements fuelling the surge. Real-time monitoring may be of limited value right now, but it's sure to get a whole lot better over coming years.

Would you like me to summarize the key expert opinions from Professor Pitsiladis and Professor Tipton regarding these sensors?

As my seven-year-old son turned his first ever laps at our nearby velodrome, it was immediately clear that he was a natural. It was even clear to some of the other coaches, timers and racers at the track, one of whom, a USA Cycling official, leaned in and said to me, "He really gets it, huh?"

My lizard brain took over: immediately, I saw my son as a young man winning in velodromes around the world. I saw myself cheering him from the stands as he stood atop the podium as an Olympic medal was placed around his neck. Gold, of course. I urgently needed to remind myself that whatever became of his cycling future would be his story, subject to his motivations, not mine.

On the long drive home, as my little boy dozed in his seat, I wondered, as I often do, whether or not I'm doing a good job as a father. Specifically, I thought about my influence on my son's cycling. My wife and I have had countless hours of conversations about his natural competitiveness and how best to harness it, not tamp it down in the name of good sportsmanship.

We've also discussed ad nauseam the other side of that coin: how do we foster an environment that allows our kids to stoke their competitive fire while also teaching them to be good, humane people. Let's face it, the likelihood that they'll actually become pro cyclists is very small. Competitiveness can be helpful in many facets of life, and so I wondered: where is the line?

How do I encourage my son to be unafraid to achieve greatness while also remembering that he is, after all, just seven? How do I maintain this love of bicycles without beginning to see them as a tool of work and career ambition?

Unfortunately, as in most aspects of parenting, there is no clear answer. But the first question I had to answer was, when? As in, when do I start pushing him and allowing him to push himself? When do I start concerning myself with his performance?

According to elite youth and junior coach Jez Cox, I don't need to start asking the big questions for another half-decade at least. "Around 12 years old," Cox tells me via video call. "Get someone to assess them at that point and, if they're in the top four of five nationally, you might want to get a coach involved. Until then, just remind your child that you're there for him, that this is his journey."

Pressure on a youngster, says Cox, does far more harm than good. He explained how, during his near-decade coaching as many as 10 juniors each year at the Oakland Wolves Sports Academy, in Hertfordshire, he has heard several riders admit that they were there because of their parents' cycling dream, not their own.

Some of his charges have explained to Cox, through tears, how they feel burdened by the pressure put on them. "They say, 'I don't even know why I'm here. I just feel so bad for my parents. They've invested so much in me and I don't want to let them down.'" Cox says.

Ever since my son started racing BMX when he was three, my wife and I have done our best to be vocal and open with our son about how none of this is required, and how he can stop the minute he's no longer having fun. Then again, it's not like he doesn't notice how much time, effort and money we have put into supporting his love for racing bikes.

Still, listening to Cox talk about the athletes under his purview, it's clear to me that, not only do I need to keep the love of riding bikes at the fore for the next several years, I also need to ensure that my little boy knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he's under no requirement to do any of this. One way to do that is by not putting all of our eggs in one basket.

"As a kid, I played all sports," Ben Wiggins tells me. "Rugby, basketball, boxing. But football was my first love." Despite having a Tour de France champion as a dad, Ben was encouraged by his parents to try as many different activities as he could. Though he started racing at six, Wiggins didn't take the bike seriously until he was 16.

It was only then, having realised that his footballing talent wasn't sufficient to turn pro, that Wiggins had to choose where to focus: rugby or the bike. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic, as he began training more concertedly on the bike to stay in shape for when rugby matches resumed, that Wiggins's ability attracted the attention of British Cycling.

Wiggins Snr was still a bit gun-shy about the idea. "Given everything that happened to my dad when he was starting out he was quite reluctant for me, to begin with," Ben says. "It unlocked a lot of memories for him." Still, Bradley offered unwavering support as a sounding board, while cautioning Ben about the hazards inside pro bike racing.

As such, he allowed his son to make his own decisions. According to Ben, Bradley did not seek to control his destiny in the sport, thanks to which their relationship continues to thrive today. Anxious of being too great an influence, Bradley has sought to keep a clear line of delineation between his and his son's careers, even deciding against coaching him at one point a few winters back. "He never wanted to be the person to tell me to get on my bike," Ben says. "I think he just wanted to play the role of dad."

Dad: it's a role laden with expectations, anticipation and, perhaps above all, emotions that are impossible to escape. For the average seven-year-old, a BMX race takes about 40 seconds. For the average BMX dad, those 40 seconds feel like an eternity. With every turn of my little boy's pedals, my body twists and contorts as mentally I try to pilot the bike for him. I can only imagine how much more acute these feelings will be if and when my son starts racing track bikes, where I have 10 times more experience than I do in BMX.

Former pro George Hincapie assures me that those feelings never go away. Despite having won Ghent-Wevelgem, a trio of American championships and a stage at the Tour de France, and finished on the podium at Paris-Roubaix, Hincapie [who later admitted to doping during his career] is still just a nervous dad when he watches his son battling for position in a peloton.

Seventeen-year-old Enzo Hincapie has spent the last few years with the EF-Onto development team and currently races for the German club team Grenke-Auto Eder. "I get nervous when he races," says George. "Similar nerves to when I was first racing."

Much like his friend and longtime peloton counterpart Bradley Wiggins, George Hincapie did not foist a bike on any of his three children. Naturally, they cycled frequently as a family for fun. "I just wanted my kids to get into some kind of sport, no matter what it was," he says, mentioning how his oldest child, daughter Julia Paris, took to tennis rather than the bike.

"I was never disappointed. As long as they were doing something [sporty]." And while Enzo matriculating onto the bike in a more serious way made his father happy, George has always regarded himself as a father first and foremost.

"I loved the fact that he started loving to ride more, started taking his nutrition a lot more seriously, wanting to race," George says. "For me, it was confirmation that I made the right decision to keep pushing him on the bike." While recognising the need not to meddle too much, George naturally imparts whatever useful knowledge he can to Enzo as the youngster tries to navigate the trials and tribulations of professional cycling. "[Enzo's] had coaches for a few years now, so I'm more of an adviser or a sounding board for things like lifestyle, nutrition, even tactics," George says.

The reality is that I do not have the cycling expertise to coach my son; I am no Bradley Wiggins or George Hincapie. But one thing the three of us share - along with millions of dads around the world - is that we all want what's best for our kids. And while our natural inclination might be to keep them as close to us as we possibly can, according to Jez Cox, letting them go is often the better choice.

"I didn't love those kids," Cox says of the youth cyclists he worked with at Oakland Wolves. "I invested fully in them and I wanted to work hard with them. I wanted what's best for them, but I didn't love them the way their parents do or the way I love my own kids."

A degree of emotional detachment can be invaluable, in Cox's view. "That separation is important. You have to get to that point where you've handed them over to someone who cares for them but who has that separation." Cox highlights as an example two of the biggest successes to come from his tutelage at the Oakland Wolves: NSN's Joe Blackmore and British national track champion Rhianna Parris-Smith, both of whose parents shared a common trait - they stepped back.

"Both of those sets of parents were people I hardly ever spoke to," Cox says. "They were incredibly polite; they dropped off their kids and they said, 'It's their dream, we're going to leave it to you'."

At seven, my son isn't worried about his long-term future or how far he'll progress as a cyclist. In light of the conversations above, I too have stopped worrying about his times on the track.

The message from coaches and former pros was remarkably consistent: what matters right now is fostering my son's love of bikes - and taking pleasure in developing our shared interest. Even so, as a dad in early middle-age, it's impossible for me not to think about the Big Tomorrow. Right now, bikes are a vehicle of bonding for my son and me, a shared love, passion and joy.

Maybe someday he'll decide to pursue cycling in a more serious way - or maybe he'll turn around tomorrow and say he never wants to race his bike again. In either case, all I can do is tell him that I love him, that I have his back, so that he knows I'll support whatever path he chooses to follow. And if ever he needs me, he'll know where to find me - alongside him on the bike.

This feature was originally published in the 22 January 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

Desk job syndrome describes the mix of aches, pains, stiffness and fatigue that come from long hours sitting with less-than-ideal posture. With around 80% of office workers sitting for between four and nine hours a day - spending 70-85% of their working time seated - it's the equivalent of about 70 fully sedentary whole days each year for anyone with a desk job.

This prolonged sitting can create a cluster of physical and mental symptoms, explains Professor Lee Smith, from back and neck pain to headaches, eye strain and numbness. Poor ergonomics only amplify muscle tightness, weakness and circulation issues. This in turn can have serious knock-on effects for your riding and in turn your fitness.

What is desk job syndrome?

Desk job syndrome is a collection of physical and mental symptoms caused by prolonged sitting and poor posture from desk work, says Smith. Symptoms include back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, eye strain, and numbness in hands or feet.

This means issues you experience when riding might not be down to bike fit, but prolonged sitting, with problems compounded by poor posture and improper ergonomic set-up, leading to physical pain, stiffness and weakness, as well as repetitive strain injuries, muscle cramps and swelling in the joints and limbs owing to poor circulation.

It's not just those in desk jobs who suffer with it, adds Smith. A sedentary lifestyle and prolonged sitting can increase one's risk of developing multiple long-term chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

Why does it matter to cyclists

Cyclists with desk-based jobs often present with range-of-movement issues, says physiotherapist Jake Mulley. Prolonged slumped sitting and sustained lumbar flexion can reduce load tolerance on the bike, contributing to lower-back and general musculoskeletal pain.

Riders should also watch for neck pain and cervical muscle strain from forward-head posture and poor screen set-up, plus upper-trapezius or deltoid discomfort caused by elevated shoulders or inadequate arm support.

Sitting shortens the iliopsoas [the major hip flexor], and combined with cycling's hip-flexed position, can tighten hip flexors, says Mulley. This can decrease pedalling efficiency and power output. Poor typing posture may trigger carpal-tunnel symptoms while prolonged perineal pressure at work and on the bike can cumulatively affect nerves and soft tissue, causing pelvic imbalance or dysfunction.

What does the research say

Research has found that, among full-time office employees, the average time spent at work is eight to nine hours a day, says Smith, with approximately 70% of this time spent sitting at a desk. This is bad news for our physical and mental health. Sitting for more than four hours daily is considered detrimental to health, with increased risks for conditions including diabetes and heart disease, especially after eight to 11 hours.

While there's no single 'bad' amount, excessive sitting is linked to a higher risk of chronic disease and even early mortality, says Smith. Literature suggests that breaking up sitting time every 20 minutes with two minutes of light-intensity activity such as walking can mitigate some of the health risks of prolonged sitting.

How can I reap the benefits?

Cyclists can reduce their risks by improving their workstation set-up and trying to incorporate more movement throughout the course of the day. Keep your screen at eye level, elbows at 90° and feet supported to maintain a neutral pelvis, says Mulley, who adds that adding forearm support and maintaining relaxed shoulders will help reduce upper-back and neck strain.

He recommends switching between sitting and standing and taking micro-breaks every 30-45 minutes. On the bike, the same principles matter. A clinical bike-fit is recommended for riders who sit all day, adds Mulley.

Adjusting saddle height, setback and handlebar reach can ease back, hip and neck tension, while cleat alignment, bar width and saddle choice can enhance comfort and reduce injury risk. Taken together, these small adjustments can help cyclists protect their performance and long-term wellbeing.

Prolonged sitting quietly reshapes your body in ways that can spill over into your cycling. Tight hip flexors, sleepy glutes and that slumped spinal position all crank up lower-back load on the bike, says Mulley. Circulation takes a hit too, with sluggish blood flow. And as Smith puts it, your body adapts to whatever you do most - so desk-bound riders often bring that stiffness onto the bike. Simple fixes like movement reminders, stretching breaks and a proper ergonomic set-up can make a big difference.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become the pantomime villain of modern nutrition. Headlines warn they’re driving obesity, heart disease and even early death; social-media feeds buzz with lists of foods to avoid. The debate reignited in October with Joe Wicks’s Channel 4 documentary, which saw him create the so-called Killer Protein Bar – a stunt designed to expose just how many dubious additives can be used in a product that is not only legal but marketed as “healthy”. Wicks’s bar contained 96 approved ingredients, from sweeteners such as aspartame, to sugar alcohols like xylitol and maltitol, emulsifiers including carboxymethylcellulose, and even carmine, a red dye made from cochineal insects. Each was used within permitted limits, yet together illustrated how highly engineered modern foods can be. The programme’s central message was that the UK now eats more UPFs than any nation except the US – many of them products craftily marketed as nutritious.

For cyclists, this debate hits close to home. Energy gels, carb drinks and recovery shakes – staples of endurance fuelling – fall under the UPF label. So, should we be cutting back, or is the current panic missing the point?

What counts as ultra-processed?

The term ultra-processed food comes from the NOVA classification system, which groups foods by the degree and purpose of industrial processing. “Sports products like gels, bars and recovery shakes often fall into the ultra-processed category under NOVA because they’re made largely from industrially extracted ingredients,” explains Dr Emily Jevons, nutritionist for Team Picnic-PostNL. “Those ingredients are designed to create specific textures, flavours, portability or shelf stability – though some brands use more natural components than others.” Jevons adds that NOVA measures technique, not intent: “A gel exists to deliver rapidly digestible carbohydrates in a compact, portable form during cycling, not to replace a balanced meal. In that sense, the ‘ultra-processed’ label doesn’t really capture its function in an athletic context. It’s a tool, not a dietary pattern.”

Not all processing is bad news. Cooking, fermenting and freezing all count as processing too – they make food safer or easier to digest. “Ultra-processed” simply goes further, adding ingredients to adjust taste, texture or shelf life. That distinction matters because the UPF category is very broad. Everything from cheap crisps to scientifically formulated recovery powders fits under the UPF umbrella, so sweeping claims that “all UPFs are harmful” don’t hold up to scrutiny.

Most cyclists probably eat what would generally be considered a healthy diet: porridge and coffee before a ride, a post-training omelette, plenty of fruit and veg, the odd pastry at the cafe stop. But if you count the bottles of carb drink, mid-ride bars and post-session shakes, it’s clear that ultra-processed products feature heavily. That’s not because cyclists are careless eaters – quite the opposite. It’s because performance nutrition relies on convenience and digestibility. During long or intense rides, fuel needs to be quickly absorbed, easy on your stomach, and pocket-friendly to carry. In that context, a gel or recovery powder isn’t junk food; it’s part of the equipment list.

But when you’re regularly taking in 300–400g of carbohydrate on the bike – 60–80g an hour, several times a week – there’s not much leeway left for the rest of the day. Keep adding processed carbs off the bike and you risk overshooting your energy needs, while crowding out the whole foods that supply fibre, vitamins and healthy fats. Still, the question remains: does this higher intake of processed products carry the same risks we hear about in the headlines?

Context is king

Most of the alarming headlines about ultra-processed foods come from large population studies linking high consumption to obesity, cardiovascular disease and early mortality. But it’s crucial to look at who those studies were conducted on. “Most of that data comes from general or sedentary populations,” says Jevons. “Those findings are largely driven by over-consumption and the displacement of nutrient-rich foods, not by the mere presence of processing itself.” Cyclists exist in a very different physiological context. “During and after long training sessions, high-glycaemic, rapidly absorbed carbohydrates are exactly what the body needs to maintain glycogen stores, prevent excessive stress responses and support recovery.”

In other words, the same traits that make UPFs problematic for desk workers (high energy density, quick absorption, low fibre) can actually be useful for cyclists. A 2023 paper by Australian researchers found no studies yet examining UPF intake specifically in athletes, and no evidence that sports-nutrition-type UPFs have the same negative effects in sedentary groups. That said, Jevons cautions that “if UPFs dominate the rest of a cyclist’s diet outside training and recovery windows, the same long-term risks could eventually apply. Pattern of intake matters.”

It’s also worth remembering that the public conversation about UPFs can take a psychological toll. The idea that “processed equals bad” doesn’t just oversimplify nutrition – it can fuel guilt, anxiety and disordered eating, and risks stigmatising foods that are affordable and widely eaten, particularly by people on lower incomes or with limited time to cook.

It’s easy to demonise everything that comes in a wrapper, but not all UPFs are created equal. Many are high in added sugar and low in fibre, but others, like recovery powders or high-protein bars, can be valuable tools when used appropriately. “The key is to separate performance nutrition from everyday eating,” says Jevons.

“During training and racing, gels, chews, isotonic drinks and recovery shakes are effective and safe tools for fuelling and hydration. Outside those contexts, relying on them for convenience meals can crowd out the diversity of micronutrients, fibre and phytonutrients found in whole foods.” Her rule of thumb: if most of your total energy intake comes from minimally processed foods, using engineered products strategically for training and recovery is fine. The problem starts when they replace meals rather than support them.

For endurance riders, convenience isn’t indulgence – it’s a necessity. On the bike, when your heart rate is high and your stomach’s under strain, fuel needs to be portable, palatable and easy to digest. That’s where processed products come into their own. Sports nutrition is, by nature, engineered. Energy gels are designed to provide rapidly absorbed carbohydrates for instant energy. Carb drinks help sustain blood glucose levels on long rides. Recovery shakes provide protein in a form the body can handle when appetite is low. After a big session, sitting down to a full meal isn’t always realistic. A shake or bar can bridge the gap until normal eating feels possible again. In this context, processing isn’t the enemy; it’s part of the performance toolkit. Used thoughtfully and at the right times, these products do what they’re meant to: help you train harder, recover faster and feel stronger on the bike.

Target your consumption

High training loads don’t give athletes a free pass. Intense exercise protects against some metabolic risks, but it doesn’t erase them entirely. Triathlete Lionel Sanders found this out when blood tests showed pre-diabetic readings after years of relying on sugary convenience foods – proof that performance fitness doesn’t always equal metabolic health. “Cyclists are generally healthier than average,” says Jevons, “but the same principles still apply: nutrient density, variety and balance matter over the long term.” Processed products have their place, but they shouldn’t replace real food. What fuels performance in the short term isn’t always what sustains health over years of riding.

There’s no need to avoid ultra-processed foods completely, but they’re best used with purpose. Gels, bars and shakes have a clear role in training, recovery and competition. They just shouldn’t make up the backbone of your everyday diet. Base regular meals on whole, minimally processed foods: fruit, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, lean proteins and healthy fats. They underpin everything performance relies on: energy availability, recovery, immune function and resilience.

Barcode-scanning apps now make it easy to check how “processed” a food is. Tools like Zoe, Yuka and FoodSwitch have made the idea of ultra-processing more visible, though they can also oversimplify a complex issue. “Apps like Zoe and Yuka have done a great job raising awareness of food processing,” says Jevons, “but for athletes they can be a bit reductive. Flagging a recovery shake as a ‘red’ food because it contains isolates or stabilisers misses the context of why it’s being used.” For cyclists, these apps are best treated as prompts, not verdicts – reminders to consider overall diet quality rather than moral judgments on individual products. Awareness helps; guilt doesn’t.

On easier rides or rest days, it’s easy to swap processed products for real food. Bananas, dates, or rice cakes with jam work well mid-ride, while smoothies made with yoghurt, fruit and oats make effective recovery options. Some cyclists are also experimenting with honey-based gels as a natural alternative. Early research suggests they provide similar carbohydrate delivery to standard gels, with possible antioxidant benefits – though they can be tricky to carry. The trick is knowing when real food fits and when it doesn’t. For long, low-intensity sessions, whole-food fuel is great. For races or intervals, engineered products still win in terms of speed, portability and stomach comfort.

Ultra-processed foods have become easy targets, but the reality is far more nuanced. For the general population, cutting back makes sense. For cyclists, the key is how and why these products are used. “Used appropriately, these products are part of the solution, not the problem,” says Jevons. “They’re performance tools. The issue comes when they start creeping into every snack and meal.” On the bike, gels, bars and shakes do exactly what they’re meant to: provide fast, accessible fuel when it’s needed most. Off the bike, whole foods should take the lead. The goal isn’t to fear your fuel, but to understand it – because balance matters far more than the label on the wrapper. Processing isn’t the enemy; it’s just another part of the performance equation.

DECODING THE ‘KILLER BAR’ INGREDIENTS

What Joe Wicks’s documentary got cyclists talking about – and what the evidence really says.

Joe Wicks’s Killer Protein Bar raised eyebrows by listing dozens of additives commonly found in processed foods. Many of the same ingredients appear, in much smaller amounts, in everyday sports nutrition. Here’s what the science says:

Aspartame (sweetener): Mainly in diet drinks or protein powders, rarely in gels. Classified by WHO as “possibly carcinogenic”, but safe well below the accepted daily limit. You’d need to consume very large quantities to exceed it.

Sugar alcohols (polyols such as maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol): Common in low-sugar protein bars, not in gels or drinks. Safe, though excess can cause bloating or diarrhoea.

Emulsifiers & stabilisers (lecithin, gums, CMC): Keep powders smooth and bars stable. Lecithin is safe; limited research suggests CMC may alter gut bacteria, but there’s no proven harm in healthy athletes.

Colourings (titanium dioxide, carmine): Mostly cosmetic and now largely phased out. Titanium dioxide is banned in the EU; carmine remains permitted but may trigger rare allergies.

Palm oil and processed fats: Used for texture in some chocolate-coated bars. Research findings are mixed, but there’s little evidence of harm from the small amounts most people eat.

This feature was originally published in the 8 January 2026 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine – available to buy on the newsstand every Thursday (UK only) while digital versions are available on Apple News and Readly. Subscriptions through Magazine's Direct.

Throughout 2025, UAE Team Emirates-XRG won almost 100 races including the Tour de France, Tour de Suisse, multiple classics and three Monuments. While Tadej Pogačar was the most prolific winner on the squad, his teammates still won more than 60 races between them, more than any other team in professional cycling.

It was an incredible feat, one they may be bound to repeat in 2026 given the age of many on their roster. Pogačar is only 27, Isaac Del Toro 22, Joao Almeida 27, and Jan Christen 21.

Just a few weeks into the 2026 season and UAE Team Emirates already have six wins, the most of any professional team. When we analyze their success the first thing that comes to mind is money.

With a bigger budget than most if not all their rivals, they can buy in the best riders and offer the biggest contracts. But talent and budget don't always translate to race wins, which is why good coaching is so important.

When Tim Wellens joined UAE Team Emirates in 2023, he was a solid WorldTour rider with multiple Grand Tour stage victories. Now, he is one of the best Classics riders and domestiques in the world; reliable on all sorts of terrain, and still improving at 34 years old.

Jhonatan Narvaez was an above average rider with INEOS Grenadiers, but after one year on UAE Team Emirates, he has become one of the best puncheurs in the world and a key support rider for Pogačar in the biggest races.

So how do they do it? How does UAE Team Emirates transform these riders from above average racers to some of the strongest cyclists in the world? That's what brought me to Calpe, Spain and an analysis of their training data. While they don't post all of their rides on Strava, they share more than a few secrets. Let's take a closer look.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s December Training Camp

Gone are the days of strict Zone 2 training all winter. Now, pros are performing intervals multiple times per week at winter training camps, including VO2 Max and sprint intervals. Here is what an example week looks like at the UAE Team Emirates- December training camp.

• Monday: 4hrs Zone 2
• Tuesday: Gym in the morning + 2hrs Zone 2 in the afternoon
• Wednesday: Aero testing at the velodrome + 4hrs Zone 2
• Thursday: 4.5hrs with 3x10min torque intervals
• Friday: 3hrs Zone 2
• Saturday: 3.5hrs with 3x8min 40/20s Over Unders
• Sunday: 1.5hrs Zone 1 coffee ride

There is a lot of information here, so let’s take it step-by-step. First, we can see that high-intensity intervals are done 2-3 times per week on top of lots of Zone two riding. The intervals are short and sharp, making up only 20-30 minutes out of a four-hour session. There is only one true rest day, with the other “recovery” days being three or four hour endurance rides. So why do they train this way?

While Zone two is a major part of the teams training schedule, it is not their only focus in winter. High intensity intervals help riders stay sharp for the long racing season ahed. Many of them race from February through to October, meaning they need to maintain race shape for almost nine months. Races are also faster, more aggressive, and more meaningful than ever. Riders cannot show up to races at 80% when they are expected to compete for the win in every race.

Year-round intensity can make you fitter and faster purely from a physiological perspective. Of course, you must tread carefully, because high-intensity training can quickly turn into too much of a good thing. It's a lot like the high-carb revolution. Fuel with 40 grams of carbs per hour, and you won't get very far in professional cycling. Start fueling with 120g per hour, and you will be faster and stronger for longer. That means more is better, right?

Try fueling with 400g of carbs per hour and you'll probably end up like Tom Dumoulin pulling down your bibs on the side of the road, or curled up in the fetal position with stomach cramps. That is too much of a good thing, just like high intensity training. If you did 40/20s every day, it would only be a matter of time before you crashed and burned. So what is the perfect balance between high and low intensity training?

Two days of high-intensity interval training per week seems to be the best approach for most cyclists. Highly-trained and experienced riders may be able to handle 3-4 days of intensity per week, depending on the type of intervals and overall training load. But on a regular basis, two days of high-intensity is best.

We must also point out that pros can handle more than amateurs, so we don't recommend copying UAE Team Emirates-XRG workout-for-workout. Their whole lives revolve around cycling – training, nutrition, recovery, massage, physio, sleep, etc. – so they can handle more than us amateurs with jobs and family responsibilities. There is a lot of value in what Pogačar and his teammates do, so let's take a look at their workouts first, and then we can see how we can try it ourselves.

UAE Team Emirates key Workouts

There are two workouts that nearly every UAE Team Emirages rider does on a regular basis: 40/20s and torque work. We’ll dive into the details of those sessions below, but we also have to mention a never-before-seen workout posted by none other than Tadej Pogačar. Here are the workouts:

1. Torque Bursts: 7x (4min @ 70% into 35sec at 130% and 50 rpm into 15sec high cadence sprint)

Pogačar posted this workout only a few weeks ago, and it is one of the toughest torque sessions we have seen. There are seven repeats of high-torque intervals at VO2 Max power immediately followed by a 15-second sprint. You can see Pogačar’s speed and cadence throughout each effort, fluctuating between 20-35 kph on a steep gradient. In between each interval, aim for high Zone 2 power rather than complete recovery.

2. 40/20s Over Unders: 3x8min 40/20s (40sec at 115% into 20sec at 85%) with 30-60min between sets

Every cyclist knows 40/20s, but few do them like UAE Team Emirates. Instead of explosive intervals, the UAE Team riders typically do 40/20s at a hard recovery pace. The 20-second intervals are quite hard, usually around Tempo or Sweetspot pace as opposed to complete recovery. You can see this in Pavel Sivakov’s workout, in the way that his speed doesn’t vary drastically during 8min of 40/20s.

If you want to try this workout at home, aim for high Zone 3 during the 20sec intervals, and VO2 Max power during the 40sec intervals. While the pros have time for 30-60min of Zone 2 between each set, you can just take 5-8min of recovery in between each set of 40/20s.

3. 3x10min Steady Torque: 3x10min Tempo at 50 rpm at 90-95% FTP with 5min recovery

UAE Team Emirates loves torque training, and you should too. In addition to Pogačar’s explosive torque session, the team also has their riders do blocks of steady torque intervals. That means 5-10min blocks at 50 rpm, at a power output just under FTP. Well-trained riders can perform these intervals at 95% FTP, while less experienced riders can aim for more of a Sweetspot pace around 90% FTP. This session includes shorter recoveries of just five minutes between each set.

The days are short, the temperatures low and the skies more often grey than blue - but winter riding doesn't have to be a grind. With the right approach, the coldest months can become some of the most rewarding, and the training you bank now will set up every mile of your spring and summer riding.

Cycling Weekly spoke to five current and former pros who have spent countless winters toughing it out on UK roads. Their tips, tricks and hard-earned habits will help you turn winter riding from something to suffer through into something you genuinely enjoy.

Pessimism pays off-layer up

We've all done it: stepped out on a chilly morning wearing less than we should because the forecast promised warmer hours ahead. More often than not, that warmth never comes, and you spend the entire ride, if not shivering, too cold for comfort. "Being too warm is better than being too cold," says Oliver Knight of Cofidis, who is based in the Bristol area.

You can always vent heat, he reminds us: "You might think leaving the house a bit overdressed isn't the best idea, but you can always unzip and tolerate a flappy jersey." And in winter, when no one's chasing speed records, a little extra drag is a price worth paying for comfort.

Keep your friends close, your rain jacket closer

Blue skies can be deceptive, and every pro agrees: the best waterproof cycling jacket you own should accompany you on every ride, no matter how promising the forecast. Whether it's on your back or tucked into a pocket, it's your insurance policy against a suddenly grim turn in the weather. "Even in summer in England I always carry a rain jacket with me - it's like an emergency go-to, as it's great for warming you up quickly," says Devon-based Harrison Wood, now of Portuguese team Feirense-Beeceler. "The forecast might say it won't rain, but then you get caught by a heavy shower." If you've ridden in Britain, you know exactly what he means.

Gilet or jacket? Go for both

The French might turn their noses up, but the best gilets that are usually reserved for spring and autumn have a hidden superpower in winter. Wood shares his go-to hack: "I put a gilet on underneath a good winter jacket, so it acts like a boil-in-the-bag. It keeps your core a lot warmer, and we know that if you can do that, the rest of your body stays warm." A simple extra layer, a big boost in comfort.

A quick heads-up...

Helmets offer some protection from the cold, and a bit from the rain, but when the mercury really drops, pros know to take extra measures. Former Ineos Grenadiers road captain Luke Rowe has a couple of tried-and-tested options. "You'll feel warmer overall if your head is warm," he says. "I'd always wear a skull cap in winter, or a cotton cap - though it's a dying art, as they're not aero - which also works."

Rowe still swears by a piece of kit from 2008, back when he was a junior on the Rapha Condor-Recycling.co.uk team. "We had this Rapha cap that covered your ears and had a peak - it was the best thing I ever had," he recalls. The modern version of Rapha's peaked merino hat, the one Rowe remembers so fondly, is still available today.

Five-layer the feet