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 …

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 I begin writing I’m looking at the title and I’m compelled to mention the obvious. What ever happened to riding for the fun of it? Does that go without saying? Perhaps, but it should never go without. The day riding stops being fun, when all the smiles turn to grimaces, and the thought of a hundred different ways to spend time on 2 wheels doesn’t put a spring in my step will be the day to move on to the next obsession.

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 …

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 …

Whether it is mountain biking, road cycling, or even touring, power can be the gateway to a new experience on two wheels. You’ll be able to “hang with the faster group”, climb the hills you used to walk, or climb with speed where you used to get dropped, or just feel fresh throughout a touring ride while your companions are “suffering”.

To all my Spinning® buddies and fanatics out there, don’t get too excited. I have nothing but kudos and good things to say about Spinning®, and have huge love for what Johnny G did to bring indoor cycling “to the masses”. Frankly, if it wasn’t for his work in the 80s, we would probably still be fighting to build the “perfect trainer” while a stationary bike is simply the perfect solution for both the class environment and introducing folks to cycling for the first time. If we …

Training with power is the ultimate way to insure your forward progress in cycling. While I am a huge supporter of heart monitor training, and I believe there is no more important training tool than a cadence monitor for both indoor and outdoor cycling, the power meter brings the best of all worlds together. With power we are measuring the “real work” we are doing, the actual energy produced by our efforts. After all, it isn’t how much our body is suffering (reflected by the heart rate …