Posts filled under:Performance Testing

10 Signs Of Over-Training (& What To Do About It)

How can you tell the difference between ‘over-reaching’ (usually good) and an unhelpful state of over-training? Learn the signs of overtraining and how you can plan and monitor your training to avoid it. A warm-weather training camp is a great opportunity to […]

How Understanding Energy Systems Can Make You A Faster Cyclist

What kind of effort does it take to win Flèche Wallonne? What makes some riders ‘climbers’ and others ‘sprinters’? As the field of Sports Science has progressed and leaked into the mainstream media, it’s become more common for terms such […]

7 Ways To Use Critical Power For Road Cycling Training

Many coaches and cyclists are talking about ‘Critical Power’, but what is it and why is it useful? The Critical Power concept is not new. In fact, it’s been around for nearly 50 years. It was first published by two […]

Smart Cycling Strategies: Lose Weight Or Increase Power? P.2

In Part 1 of this ‘Sportive Preparation’ blog, I reviewed the results from a recent performance test. In Part 2 we’re going to explore two scenarios that may improve my climbing performance. Scenario 1 predicts performance based on reducing my weight by […]

Smart Cycling Strategies: Lose Weight Or Increase Power? P.1

hat will make me faster: losing 5% of my body mass, or gaining 5% in sustainable power? On the 25th June last year my colleague, Morgan Lloyd, and I carried out a 20 minute power test at Performancepro. The plan […]

Training Tips For Time Poor Cyclists: Part 1

Trying to squeeze cycling into a packed schedule leaves many of us feeling ‘time-poor’. It’s a great source of frustration for many road cyclists as we attempt to make time for the long, relatively low-intensity rides that we believe are […]

Behind The Scenes Of An Alpine Performance Testing Camp

I recently spent a couple of days in the Alps for a weekend of structured riding. Working with High Performance coach Garth Fox, we carried out a series of field-based performance tests to generate data, which we subsequently used in a […]

Complete Guide To Calculating Your Cycling Power Zones

Before using the CyclingPowerLab supplied power zone calculator, you’ll first need to determine your FTP (Functional Threshold Power). There are multiple methods to determine FTP, both direct and derived. For the direct method, ideally, the rider would complete a maximal […]

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Power Meter

Lining up to one of the first races of the season I was fresh, enthusiastic and ready to put my winter training to the test. Just before we entered a technical section through a small town, about 30km into the […]

DIY: Cycling Performance Testing

Power measurement systems and testing have become more easily accessible to enthusiast cyclists and triathletes. Through the lens of a recent lab-based FTP test and my first time-trial event in 9 years, I’m going to explore some of the pros […]