A powerful sprint is an important weapon in any cyclist’s arsenal. For competitors, strong accelerations can be the key to winning a race, establishing the breakaway, or closing a gap. Non-competitive cyclists frequently undervalue sprinting, which is a mistake. Sprint workouts increase explosive power, muscle fiber recruitment, and anaerobic capacity. Short sprints can also stimulate …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“, 10x finisher of the Leadville 100 MTB, and 2-time finisher of Unbound Gravel. The right equipment and gear choices can be the difference between a great gravel race, a miserable death march, or a dreaded DNF. Personal preference plays …
Challenging multi-day cycling events are one of the fast-growing categories of cycling for amateurs. Some are competitive; others are not, but most feature big mileage, lots of climbing, and incredible camaraderie. If you’re planning on riding one of these challenging multi-day events, here’s an essential guide to training, managing your efforts during the event, and …
Chris Carmichael CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer There’s something special about a well-organized high-speed paceline. By sharing the work of pushing through the wind miles fly by at speeds no one in the group could achieve solo. A good paceline epitomizes teamwork and the notion of a group being better than the sum …
Throughout a lifetime as an athlete, I’ve had my share of injuries, surgeries, and comebacks. On December 27, 2021 I had my left hip replaced and started a 3-month return-to-training process that culminated in coaching on the bike at a week-long cycling camp in March 2022. As I’ve shared my journey, many athletes have inquired …
By Alison Tetrick, Pro Cyclist, Entrepreneur, and CTS Contributing Editor And there I was. Right back where it all started. It was like I never left. A trip down memory lane. I was home, where I grew up in cycling. Where I achieved some of my proudest moments that I still remember fondly. Even though …
Win True follows Scott Mercier’s trajectory from a kid in Telluride, Colorado, to the 1992 US Olympic Team, through his years as a professional cyclist for Saturn and US Postal Service, and his decision to leave the sport rather than participate in doping. Win True is his story of moral courage in the face of …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” Exercise intensity is one of the most important variables that determines the effectiveness of a workout. As a result, most workouts express the target intensity by power output, heart rate, pace, and RPE. What does RPE mean? Rating of …
Nothing ruins a great ride faster than discomfort caused by friction or pressure between you and your saddle. There’s a lot going on in your shorts: pressure from supporting a substantial portion of your bodyweight, heat and moisture from exertion and sweat, and friction from spinning your legs and scooting fore and aft on the …
Cycling does a lot of great things for your body, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes a pain in the neck… or shoulders… or back. Back pain is one of the most common complaints we hear from cyclists, whether new or experienced, young or old. Strength training and stretching can significantly reduce lower back …