Executive Summary
The graph above demonstrates the effectiveness of training both indoors and out. A full 75% of my training for the Dirty Dozen was done inside – focusing on both Heart Zones@ training above threshold, as well as power exercises on the Keiser m3. Once per week, rides were done locally to continue with the same approach outdoors, and every 2 weeks a portion of the actual DD hills were ridden to test and validate our methods. The efficiency gains garnered through training this Cycling Fusion™ way …

So it has been a month since the Dirty Dozen, and I’m still feeling the high of completing something I thought not possible a year ago. My Garmin reported 7,000 ft of climbing in just 54 miles, that’s about 130 feet per mile with temperatures in the 30s. Despite actually trying to train in the colder weather, we had such record high temps this fall, it never really happened… until the day of the race. Having done enough riding in cold weather, I was well prepared, but …

Yes the “Plus Two” does mean 2 more insanely steep and leg punishing climbs than just twelve. The official Dirty Dozen has always had 13 climbs, but there is one climb that is both long and gets above 16% that “isn’t counted”. I had the pleasure of doing my final training ride last week with the founder of this punishfest, Mr. Million Mile Man himself, Danny Chew (center of the pic, without the Global Ride kit). When I asked him why it wasn’t included, he said it …

As shown in the last post, I’ve been able to manage a slower speed, thus reducing the required Watts/Lb for the Dirty Dozen. However, I still need to be able to train at significantly high power levels for the number of minutes each hill will require at those lower speeds. Having excellent recon on these climbs from our filming last year with Global Ride, as well as some training rides, I now have reliable % grades and distances to simulate the training indoors. But… will the Keiser …

As is customary, I’ve opened my big mouth and am faced with the proverbial “put up or shut up”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to trash talk and overstate my abilities. However, I am one that is always challenging others to accomplish things they think are bigger than themselves; to push past their own perceived limits and discover things about themselves they never knew. Sounds all good so far, but I have a basic life philosophy that tends to get me in trouble. To …

Ever since I heard about FLYWHEEL, a new Indoor Cycling system in New York City I’ve been trying to learn about how their new technology called the TorqBoard worked. They apparently developed “add on” technology to an existing Red Knob bike. “Red Knob bikes” are what I call ALL the pre-power bikes of the current era – the standard type that have no gears or indicator values for resistance. This add-on was supposed to measure Power as well as RPM. Being the power partisan that I …

If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that I have a passion to see Indoor Cycling become all it can be. The desire to share the joys of riding outside with those whose only experience is in the gym has translated to many new riders hitting the trails, roads and single track outside in PA. At the same time, I’ve finally convinced enough of our “elite” racers to give the Indoor Cycling program a good try to see the results for themsleves. …

Sixteen weeks, countless hours on the bike, more Yoga & Pilates than I thought I’d ever see, and all the 40+ VO2 tests later, the results are finally in. The Winter Training program based on Cycling Fusion Training principles, at Global Ride has produced results that have exceeded even the most ambitious expectations set. These results were not relegated to just the first season participants either. From our newbies to our experienced racers, the numbers prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that This Stuff Really Works!

Being a Power Training fanatic that I am, I also regularly monitor the forums and various blogs about power on the internet. I came across a fantastic thread of conversations on the Google Wattage forum (a place where serious cyclists, with serious money, talk about serious power). If you don’t ride outside, you might not be aware that there is a general disdain from cyclists about indoor cycling, and especially Spinning®. They lump all indoor riding into the same bucket and consider it a last resort for …

Tomorrow we officially hit the half way point of our 16 week Winter Training program at the Global Ride Training Center. We’ve employed the Keiser M3 power indoor bikes and Cycling Fusion principals to maximize our use of the indoor environment. We are preparing for personal bests and new levels in the great outdoors on two wheels.