Blog: The Coaching Chronicles

Relative Efforts of the Breakaway vs. Sitting In the Peloton

Drafting is the fundamental building block upon which all road racing strategies and tactics are based.  That’s often an overlooked and underappreciated aspect of any race at every level of the sport.  Conversely, there is a definitive strategic advantage to having rider(s) up the road both tactically (they are in a position to win) and…

Functional Threshold Power (FTP): What Can it Tell Us?

As a bike racer, or even a recreational rider, lactate threshold, commonly called functional threshold power, or FTP, is something you have almost surely heard about. A rider’s FTP is the maximum number of watts he or she can hold steadily for roughly an hour. While not precisely the same in terms of physiological definition,…

Why midseason is the perfect time to hire a cycling coach

Mid-season. At this point, often the initial excitement of racing has worn off and you start to feel increasingly tired with each race. With several great events left you this season, you want to eek out everything you can without hating your bike by the end. Contrary to popular belief, mid-season is a perfect time…

Athlete Highlight: Joseph Schmalz of Elevate Pro Cycling

Recently, we sat down and chatted with long-time Source Endurance athlete Joe Schmalz of Elevate Pro Cycling Team. Joe has a long background in cycling and has found great successes this season at the Pro Road Tour. He is also a great athlete to work with and an all around great guy. Tell us about…

Tire pressure for criteriums and road races

What is the “best” tire pressure is a question that I get from about half my clients and the other half should be asking about tire pressure as they are likely just pumping up their tires to triple digits without thinking about other options. One answer to all of these questions is “it depends.” This…

5 Nutrition Myths for Long Gravel Grinders

As we quickly approach the weekend of Unbound Gravel, along with many other long distance gravel events, it’s important to think about nutrition in addition to the riding component of your preparation to avoid the undesirable “bonk” and miserable crawl home. Cycling traditions include big pasta dinners the night before and eating when you are…

What Science Says about Nutrition for Long Distance Gravel Events

As we rapidly approach the big weekend of the Unbound Gravel, amidst an array of other long distance gravel events, there are a few important components to putting together a successful ride. Arguably the two most important factors that a person has the ability to change and control is the training component and then a…

Rider Highlight: Brian Darby wins team time trial championships

Name: Brian Darby Event & Category: Victorian Club Teams Team Time Trial  Championship (Australia). Masters. Brief event/course description: A rolling 37.6 km course with 232m of climbing. How’d the race/event go down for you? It was a very windy day (30 km/hr with 45km/hr gusts) and it would be a crosswind for much of the race. Our team was a…

Intervals for Criterium Racing

With the season ramping up in SoCal and beyond, it’s time that many bike racers want to improve their crit racing fitness and make the most of workouts in the coming heat. The best way to improve your criterium skills is to mimic the demands of the racing itself. Crits are fun, FAST, and short.…

Rider Highlight: Jed Schneider's Top 20 at the Belgian Waffle Ride

Jed recently had a great result at the Belgian Waffle Ride and a big personal accomplishment of finish the Tour of the Gila in the Men’s 1,2 field in Silver City, New Mexico. He’s kindly offered up some advice on time-management with a career and training as well as how to choose a bike for…