Customer Reviews

Bicycling Magazine's Training Techniques for Cyclists: Greater Power, Faster Speed, Longer Endurance, Better Skills

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It's been a while since I last flicked through this book, which tells you something about it. It's a good book, no doubt about it, but I bought it at the same time as another book "The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling" (see my review on that one too!). That book overshadows this one, as it goes into more detail and THAT is the one I find myself re-reading. First and foremost as one of the authors is the same, a lot of the stuff is doubled up.

Note that this book is only 110 pages long and the pages are fairly small. Once again, every page or so, bits of the book are worthy of being highlighted.

If you read bicycling magazine often (which I don't) you probably already know a lot of the content. If you've been cycling for several years (10 for me), I think a lot of the tips can be described as common sense, such as keeping your cadence around 90rpm, consuming carbohydrates and staying hydrated...

But I get the feeling that it tries to cover too much ground. This is more of a book that uses point form. It does get to the crux of the matter quickly, but I prefer to understand /why/ a method works, not just be told that it works, so go do it. Be aware that not all of the techniques discussed here will suit your style of riding. I mean I'm never going to practise sprints. I'm wondering now if I did all they suggested on a ride, I wouldn't enjoy it anymore. Practise you're breathing, cycle for two minutes with alternate legs, concentrate on achieving a flat back posture, pull back then up on the pedals... too much to think about at any one time.

Don't expect to find many weekly training plans in here. For me that was good news, as I've never followed one. I think it all depends on how you're feeling (not to mention the weather and other things that crop up).

One annoying thing, the rest of the world uses metric units: some people, like me, have absolutely no idea how much a fluid ounce is. For the rest of the planet, 1oz = 28ml of water.

Bottom line: I'd say get this book if you've fairly new to cycling and keen to learn ways of improving - take what you want from it and don't worry about the rest.

A great book for cyclists who do not have access to million dollar training facilities. The author takes a no nonsense approach to training that anybody can follow providing they have a bike a stationary trainer and a desire. I found this book very useful. The best part was the author included a section on mountain biking. Thanks!

I really enjoyed this book and found it very helpful for improving my technique. It's a fast read and deserves to be read a couple of times. The author/editor points out that there are several conflicting opinions given, but like anything in life you need to find the one that works best for you. It's good to see that the editor didn't think he had to just give the most popular opinion. I highly recommend this book for riders looking to step up their training.

This book is a good starting point for training for cycling. It gives the reader an overview of training and the different approaches there are to training. It drives home the point that each individual is different and that you need to customize a training programt to fit your own needs and abilities. Again, though, I felt it was a good starting point. Giving you a taste of what's out there, introducing you to terms, and what you should be thinking about as you design your own training plan.

As you become more serious about training for cycling, I recommend picking up A Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel.

I've been a avid cyclist for nearly three decades and am always looking for some new insights in order to be a more efficient and stronger cyclist. This handbook comes from the publishers of Bicycling [1-year]which also has relevent information for cyclists. Recently I've included some new training methods and cross training into my normal cycling routine and I found this book beneficial. You can pick and choose your information as the concise format lends itself to browsing the book. It is a small book that you can take most anywhere and pull out to get some information. The tips are very often redundant and common sense ,especially if you have been cycling for a very long time. However there is always something new to learn or just something you may have overlooked even if you are veteran cyclist. An example is just your basic riding postion. The book suggests that on even on your easy ride days you can improve your riding technique by taking note of certain things. For example, I tend to ride with my elbows out(doesn't seem like a big deal but it is)so I now pay attention to this riding quirk and constantly correct my technique. Eventually a better riding technique will be second nature and I won't need to compensate. I picked up some good advice for the gym regarding working on certain cycling specific muscles, the role of the calves and the heart and soul of your stroke, the quads. The suggested excercises for the quads has helped especially since one(step up)some can be done at home from a bench or an elevated firm place.The power and force training sections were concise but filled with useful information. No matter what level of cyclist you are you will be able to benefit from this handbook for improving you riding skills. If you are new to cycling than I would highly recommend this book for a basic handbook for nearly all facets of cycling.