By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS In my view, reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges of the previous 12 months is one of the best things you can do as the year draws to a close. It’s not just a matter of scrolling through your own personal highlight reel; it is …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Whether you are getting ready for your first season as a cyclist or your 40th, here’s your 10-point action plan to make it a success. Make sure it’s fun Sounds obvious, but I’ve seen lots of athletes who start out having fun and end up obsessing …
By Mara Abbott Olympian and CTS Contributing Editor Each year since 2008, when I began working with my CTS Coach Dean Golich, I consider myself fortunate to be a part of this community. As we head through the holiday season and into 2020, these are my wishes for the rest of my CTS family in …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder/Head Coach of CTS Cyclists are a notoriously hard group for relatives and friends to shop for, because many people in our lives don’t know much about the sport, other than we love it and have a lot of gear. If you’re stumped as to what to get for a cyclist, …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS It was with great pleasure that I read this recent article from Alex Hutchinson, this one by Amby Burfoot, as well as the research they’re based on. Every few years during the past decade or so, we’ve seen headlines claiming high volumes of exercise cause damage …
Will an indoor cycling class at my local gym or cycling studio help me in the winter? Every fitness club has some form of indoor cycling class, and during the winter it’s very tempting for outdoor cyclists to jump in rather than slave away on an indoor trainer all by themselves. And there’s nothing inherently …
Last week we all heard the news about the cancellation of the 2020 Amgen Tour of California. The event is an important component of the international racing calendar, and we are sad it will not happen in 2020. We also thank Kristin Klein, Ryan Ung, and everyone at AEG for their hard work, and hope …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Sometimes life conspires to steal your training time, but it’s important to take some of it back and get in a short and effective cycling workout indoors. When I’m out of time and can’t ride outdoors, I hop on the indoor trainer for my Quick Fix …
By Chris Carmichael Founder and Head Coach of CTS Races and group rides on Zwift continue to grow in popularity, and while many riders visit Watopia year-round, this is the time of year when even more cyclists jump on the platform as it gets colder outside. I absolutely recommend participating in group rides and races …
By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor Lighthearted joy is not my strong suit. In fact, I am the one who, several years after retiring from professional racing, replied to my loving dad’s comment, “I just want you to be able to have fun,” with “I don’t WANT to have fun, Daddy, I want to …