Cycling

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name: Cycling description: Cycling training, bike fit, power zones, nutrition, safety, and maintenance essentials. metadata: category: fitness skills: ["cycling", "biking", "endurance", "training", "triathlon"]

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Bike Fit Fundamentals

Saddle height: slight bend in knee at bottom of pedal stroke — too low wastes power, too high causes injury

Saddle fore/aft: knee over pedal spindle when crank is horizontal — affects power transfer

Handlebar reach: slight bend in elbows, relaxed shoulders — locked elbows transmit road shock to neck

Cleat position: ball of foot over pedal axle — too far forward stresses Achilles

Professional fit worth the cost — prevents chronic injury, improves efficiency

Power Training Zones

| Zone | % FTP | Feel | Purpose | |------|-------|------|---------| | 1 | <55% | Very easy | Recovery | | 2 | 56-75% | Easy, all day | Endurance base | | 3 | 76-90% | Moderate, focused | Tempo | | 4 | 91-105% | Hard, sustainable 20-60min | Threshold | | 5 | 106-120% | Very hard, 3-8min | VO2max | | 6 | >120% | Maximum, <3min | Anaerobic |

FTP (Functional Threshold Power): highest power sustainable for 1 hour

Test FTP: 20-minute max effort × 0.95 — retest every 6-8 weeks

Cadence

Optimal range: 80-100 RPM — lower grinds joints, higher wastes cardiovascular capacity

Climbing: 70-85 RPM acceptable — lower cadence when gravity resists

Sprinting: 100-120 RPM — higher cadence for explosive power

Train both: low cadence strength, high cadence efficiency — versatility wins

Endurance Training

80% of rides should be Zone 2 — builds aerobic engine without accumulating fatigue

Long rides: 2-4 hours, steady effort — weekly anchor of training

Weekly volume matters more than single ride — consistency compounds

Rest weeks every 3-4 weeks: reduce volume 40% — adaptation happens during recovery

Base phase: 8-12 weeks of volume before intensity — patience builds foundation

Interval Sessions

Sweet spot: 88-93% FTP, 10-20 min intervals — sustainable training stress

VO2max: 3-5 min at 106-120% FTP, equal rest — painful but effective

Over-unders: alternate 2 min above/below threshold — teaches body to clear lactate

Sprints: 15-30 seconds max effort, full recovery — neuromuscular power

One hard day, one easy day minimum — back-to-back intensity causes overtraining

Climbing

Pace by power or heart rate, not speed — gradient affects speed, not effort

Seated climbing uses different muscles than standing — alternate to delay fatigue

Gear selection: spin up, don't grind — save matches for surges

Weight matters: 1 kg = ~3 watts saved on 7% grade — rider weight, not just bike

Descending: look where you want to go, weight outside pedal in turns

Nutrition On Bike

<60 min: water only — no fuel needed

60-90 min: 30g carbs/hour — one gel or banana

>90 min: 60-90g carbs/hour — practiced gut training required

Hydration: 500-750ml/hour depending on heat — thirst lags dehydration

Caffeine: 3-6mg/kg 30-60 min before hard efforts — proven performance boost

Safety Essentials

Helmet always, no exceptions — non-negotiable

Assume drivers don't see you — ride defensively

Hand signals before turns — communicate intentions

Lights in low visibility: front white, rear red — even daytime

ID and emergency contact on person — worst case preparation

Descending: hands in drops, cover brakes — reaction time matters

Maintenance Schedule

Every ride:

Tire pressure check — correct pressure prevents flats, improves efficiency

Quick brake and shifting test

Weekly:

Chain lube — after cleaning, wipe excess

Tire inspection for embedded debris

Monthly:

Chain wear check — stretched chain destroys cassette

Brake pad inspection — replace before metal on metal

Bolt torque check — especially stem, seatpost, handlebars

Common Mistakes

All intensity, no easy rides — Zone 2 feels too slow but builds fitness

Ignoring bike fit — chronic knee/back pain from poor position

Skipping rest weeks — overtraining syndrome takes months to recover

Fueling too late — bonking means you didn't eat enough 30 min ago

New equipment on race day — test everything in training first

Grinding big gears — high cadence protects knees, improves efficiency

Indoor Training

Smart trainer: power accurate, resistance controlled — better than dumb trainer

Fan essential — overheating tanks performance indoors

Shorter but harder: 60-90 min indoors = 2-3 hours outdoors — no coasting

Entertainment helps: Zwift, videos, music — mental challenge of trainer

Structured workouts shine indoors — no interruptions, exact targets hit

Racing and Events

Pre-ride the course if possible — know the climbs, corners, hazards

Warm-up: 15-20 min with high-intensity openers — body ready for start effort

Draft in group rides: 30% energy savings — stay safe, hold wheel

Positioning: front third before climbs and turns — avoid accordion effect

Negative split long events — start conservative, finish strong