By Chris Carmichael Many cyclists – particularly as we get older – gravitate toward one, steady speed and effort level. It’s not slow, necessarily, but the problem is that once you spend too much time training at your one sustainable speed, you lose the ability to accelerate. You lose that snap you need to …
By Corrine Malcolm, CTS Coach When it comes to cramping, especially exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMC) almost everyone has a story. A story about that one time, in that one race, where that one muscle seized. Exercise-associated muscle cramps are defined as painful spasms, and involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles that occur during or immediately post …
By Chris Carmichael CEO and Head Coach of CTS Recently, while riding a lightweight Pinarello F10 on the 10-mile commute between my home and office, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls blew by me like I was standing still, and it brought a big smile to my face. Like many of you, I’m …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS I felt a twinge in my right leg this week when I read 4-time Tour de France Champion Chris Froome crashed and broke his femur. I broke my femur in the winter of 1986, and although every fracture, surgery, and recovery is unique, there’s no getting around the …
By Chris Carmichael CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer Gravel racing is a great combination of personal challenge, tough competition, inclusive community, and long-range fun. Long endurance events require some specific mental and physical preparations. If you have a gravel race in your future, here are eight pieces of advice you should take to …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS Economy is the most important lesson young pro cyclists learn in their first year – if they’re going to have a second year. It’s not enough to be powerful; you also have to be as frugal as possible with your energy. This was the message I drove home …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS As I prepared to suit up for the 166-kilometer Liege-Bastogne-Liege sportive on a cold and wet Belgian morning, I remembered British hiking guidebook author Alfred Wainright’s quote: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing.” Thankfully, I had come prepared, but over the course of the …
By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor The pre-tour pundits took note of Simon Yates at this year’s first Giro d’Italia press conference, after the Michelton-Scott rider gave a one-syllable answer when asked who was the number-one favorite at this year’s race: “Me.” Fans immediately lined up, as fans will do, to categorize Yates’ analysis …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS As we announce the opening of registration for the third annual CTS Figueroa Mountain Gran Fondo on November 9 of this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes for great gran fondo experience. I have been to a ton of amateur cycling events around the world, …
By Mara Abbott, Olympian and CTS Contributing Editor The weather is warming up, and there are already more bikes and more cars on the road. It’s not just a seasonal phenomenon either: According to an analysis by the League of American Bicyclists using the latest U.S. census data, in some cities the number of …