By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“ Amateur and masters cyclists will swear up and down that “I’m not a sprinter” because they don’t have a finishing kick like Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert, or Mark Cavendish. But sharp, hard accelerations (aka: sprinting!) are a …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“ The 2023 Tour de France was one of the most riveting editions in recent memory. Amateur and Time-Crunched Cyclists rightly marvel at the power, resilience, and speed of top pros, but typically find their training and racing exploits …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Chief Endurance Officer The 2023 Tour de France has been one of the most thrilling editions in my memory. The performances, rivalry, and respect between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar were great to watch. Jasper Phillipsen’s power in the sprint stages has been remarkable. And it’s been exciting to …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Cycling is one of the most adaptable and accessible forms of exercise on the planet. Pedaling is a low-impact, joint-friendly activity. Expansive gear ranges and electric assist bicycles make steep hills and longer distances accessible for more …
Group rides are growing! Cyclists around the country are meeting outside bike shops and coffee houses for their Saturday morning club rides. Sometimes it’s a road ride, other times it’s on gravel or mixed surface ride. There might be some new riders at the group ride or on your cycling team. If you’re new …
Riding a bicycle is a great way to experience the world, but traveling internationally with your bike can be a challenge. CTS has been helping athletes travel to cycling tours and bike races around the world for more than 20 years, including our recent trip to FNLD GRVL. Here’s a guide to what we’ve …
Training can be a lot like drinking: to have a great time you need to know when to stop. In the taper week leading up to a race or event, athletes can do more to undermine their training than they can to enhance it. Yet, just like that “one more” drink, it’s the prospect …
By Reid Beloni, CTS Senior Coach There are a lot of Murphy’s Law moments in gravel racing, so we need to talk about crisis management, or what to do when things go wrong. Anticipating and planning solutions for what could go wrong creates the greatest chance of success. Particularly in long races, athletes who can …
Amateur criterium racing is not dead, it’s just moved from weekends to weeknights. Based on the activities and feedback we’re seeing from CTS Athletes, the after-work criterium scene may be stronger than it’s been in a decade or more! And it’s no wonder. There are three new elite-level criterium series – the American Criterium …
Back-to-back long rides can be massively beneficial for all cyclists, and especially Time-Crunched Cyclists. However, they must be executed correctly. Too many riders ruin their back-to-back rides by going too hard, under-fueling, and making other silly mistakes. Everything you do before, during, and after a long ride today affects performance tomorrow. And these mistakes amplify …