Whether you are a triathlete, runner, skier, cyclist, or rower, endurance athletes need accurate physiological data to guide and monitor training. Lactate threshold is one of the most commonly, and effectively, used performance markers used by many athletes and coaches. The point of lactate threshold testing is to learn the highest intensity you can sustain …
After a fantastic series of road cycling events at the Rio Olympics, it is time for track cycling! The 4km Team Pursuit is the track event that captures my attention more than others, mostly because CTS Coaches have worked with two of the four teams in medal contention. A lot of cycling fans are only …
By CTS Pro Coach Jim Rutberg With the velodrome events about to begin at the Rio Olympics, at least two teams (Team USA and Team Canada) have benefitted from an effective but little-known training technique called hyperoxic training. Athletes who have traveled between sea level and moderate altitude (5,000-10,000 feet above sea level) know the …
Descents are free speed. You spend almost every second of a bike ride pedaling and working to move forward, but the descents are your reward and your opportunity to make up time. Professional cyclists execute risky descending techniques far above the skill level of most amateurs. However, all cyclists can gain valuable insights on how …
Combining quality professional coaching and a cycling power meter is the best way to improve cycling performance. Static training plans and self-coaching can be good introductions to training, but athletes quickly reach the limitations of both. Merely purchasing a cycling power meter is a step in the right direction. However, it’s important to take these …
Last weekend 21-year-old CTS Athlete Greg Daniel won the USPRO Road Race National Championship with a perfectly timed acceleration less than two kilometers from the finish line. Since then nearly every news story about the race has called it a surprise victory and noted there were stronger favorites in the final group of 10 riders. …
Shifting gears is an under-rated skill in cycling. On the wall in our Colorado Springs Training Center, there’s a Murray-branded steel Serotta hanging on the wall. It’s the bike I rode in the 1985 Giro d’Italia, complete with a 53/42 crankset, 12-23 freewheel, and friction downtube shifters. Back then shifting gears was a major component …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach and co-author “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” For a long time, petrol heads derided American muscle cars for being great in a straight line and utterly useless when they encountered a corner. European performance cars, they argued, were designed for drivers. They had power for speed but also advanced suspension, steering, …
At the start of training ride or an event, all things are possible. You could have a ride that puts a smile on your face or a performance that exceeds your expectations. But you can also screw it up, and a lot of cyclists do that on a regular basis. Here are four ways I …
Launching out of the saddle to attack the group you’re riding with can be very effective, but it’s also very obvious! No matter if you come from the back or accelerate from the front of the group, your plan is immediately apparent. You’re telegraphing your punch! A strong seated acceleration can be a huge …