Customer Reviews

Cyclist's Training Bible (Cycling)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having studied most of the works of Armstrong, Lemond, Hinault, Burke, Carmichael, etc. and having used personal trainers including Kirk Willett, the current Prime Alliance GM, I can say that this is the one book you simply cannot do without if you want to race a bicycle. Whether you want to train 100 hours a year as a first year racer, or are looking to rack up a thousand hours and get your first real pro contract, you will benefit from this text.

I work about a 50-60 hour week and raise a family. There is no way I could have achieved the level of cycling proficiency I have without this text. It makes the amount of time I decide to spend training pay dividends on race day.

This book has two potential drawbacks. First, it is possible to get too wrapped up in the minutae of planning each and every workout for the next six months. Friel offers literally hundreds of possible workouts to choose from, and a system for selecting workouts that will help you approach each ride with a specific purpose. So long as you have some ability to read and apply both principals and a suitable level of detail, this book can not be beat.

My second issue is that I have worn out the binding from so much use and now need to buy a new copy.

If your idea of a good season is to just ride, or be pack fill until the hills then don't waste your money. On the otherhand, if you can set goals, want results and need to raise your performance year over year then get this book. You have to read, understand and follow the content of this book closely. If you can, then you will be able to set up a year 'round training program which will provide the results you have been looking for. This book is technical. You will have to focus as with any effective performance program. No, you really don't need the expensive testing stuff. You can get the same test information with a cheap wind trainer or the recommended time trial tests. A bike, a good heart rate monitor, this book and a true desire to get faster (in this order)is all you need.

It is a little unclear for whom this book has been written. Professional, world class cyclists have their own training systems and don't need this book. It's difficult to see how 9-to-5ers who race on weekends have the time to follow a training program as complicated as this one.

The author starts by describing the basic cycling abilities of speed, endurance, and strength and goes on to describe the advanced abilities of muscular endurance, speed-endurance, and power. His training program consists of "periods" that emphasize the specific training of those abilities in varying proportions.

Those periods are Base I,II,III, Build I,II, Peak, and Compete. Throw in the factors of frequency, duration, intensity for all of the training periods, as well as lactate and cardiovascular monitoring and you have got yourself one complicated program. There is a lot of overlap in the training: to say that this manner of riding is this kind of training can seem somewhat arbitrary.

As a long-time runner and cyclist, I can attest to the fact that numerous training books exist for runners that are far easier to follow than is this one. There are a few basic workouts that can make one a successful runner. It is the opinion of this reviewer that the author would better serve those likely to buy this book or a next one if he would make the effort to simplify and reduce his descriptions of basic physiological systems and the corresponding training needed. And the author does readily admit that some cyclists are successful without going through such a complicated schedule. There must be some middle ground here.

This is a bold book in my opinion, and the author doesn't cut corners. Friel states up front that cycling requires tremendous dedication and makes no apology for this nature of the sport. Other books are soft in comparison. Sometimes I re-read this book simply for inspiration to train well because the author is so passionate about optimizing one's ability.

The only downside may be that his training advice is very hard to follow for most people. The natural inclination is to do fairly idle rides without purpose, but the book emphasizes always riding with a purpose and gameplan. The very act of organizing a yearly calendar and planning for peaks can be daunting. In fairness, he does provide some good advice for riders who have limited time to commit to the sport, but one can gather from the tone of his writing that the book is really meant for the individual with at least 15 hours a week at his or her disposal for training. Afterall, this is the cyclists training *bible*.

I have found personally that the book was helpful for me to become versed in the language of cycling training. I use a coach on my team for my training regimen, but this book has educated me so that I understand that purpose for what I do. This alone has improved my dedication and enjoyment in following a regimen.

This book is for someone who wants to race a bike and doesn't want to look foolish doing it. The book has everything you need to organize and create a training regimen that will lift your racing fitness to an entirely new level. Based on the concept of periodization, i.e.-training broken into four week blocks with scheduled increases in intensity and active recovery, the ideas presented by Friel will allow the reader to schedule and implement a year-long training plan.

The main drawback of the book is its complexity. The book never claims to be a one-size fits all sort of plan so there is a lot of information that will allow the reader to customize his or her own training. This can be overwhelming at first. The best approach to the book is to read it through a couple of times to get a feel for what is being said. Once this is done, the material will feel a lot less overwhelming. In any case, there is some effort to be put into understanding the book just like there is effort that must be put into training to achieve the result of better performance.

Short of going out and hiring a coach to do your thinking for you, this book is the best way to start training for competition.

A practical approach to managing training time for the cyclist who "has been training and racing for some time". A good implementation of periodization (including annual plan) emphasizing importance of recovery. Cyclists wishing to optimize workouts and improve performace will benefit from this book, however this highly structured optimization will cut back on the fun group rides and spinning sessions; Friel's Training Commandment 5 is "Train with Groups Infrequently". For more technical background see "The Bicycle Racing Guide" by Van der Plas and for the less experienced cyclist see "Richard's Cycling for Fitness" by Schubert.

Hands down, Friel's book is the best on how to become a strong cyclist. I disagree with some of the previous reviews' comments that this book is too complicated; I found it relatively simple to follow. This book is way better than the Carmichael books in that it gives you specific information on how to design a training program to fit your specific needs. It has really great information on different workouts to make you stronger, proper nutrition, recovery, weight lifting, and stretching. If you buy this book and follow it, you will, without a doubt, reap incredible benefits in your cycling.

I had read all the Chris Carmichael traning books, and found them lacking. There isn't enough detail about what lies behind his programs to allow one to adapt them very well.

What I like about Friel's book is that it lays out all of the principles behind the programs. Knowing the principles allows you to make reasonable adaptations to the programs. For me it's helped make good decisions concerning what to cut when I find myself short of time in some given week. Do I cut the long ride? Do I cut the power work? Would it help to add a couple of miles to my commute to make up for it? After reading Carmichael's books I was still mostly clueless when it came to making those calls. After reading Friel's I feel pretty confident that my decisions are at least not egregiously stupid.

The book might be too detailed if all you are looking for is a few simple programs you can copy, or some ideas for different sorts of training to add to your routine. The book would be overkill for that.

This is really a book for serious self-coached cyclists who want to plan a training season and who want to be able to make good trainnig judgements as they proceed through the season. It would also be useful for the coached cyclist who might be more strongly motivated if they understood more of the why and wherefore of their routine.

This book should be called the "The Racing Cyclist's Training Bible". My interest was riding for fitness and general health and prepping for centuries and other special events. I don't feel that this book addresses those goals well. If you're interested in racing, this may be a much better book for you. I'm not really able to evaluate the book for that use.

This is the disadvantage of ordering a book online. Had I been able to read the book at a store first, I would not have bought it.

What a great book. Friel's approach to training is excellent, and easy reading for someone who WANTS to race faster. Friel himself is a very accomplished bike racer, and his son Dirk is on fire this year (just raced against him in Arizona.) Now, if this New England snow would just melt... NOTE: Ths book is for experienced, motivated cyclists, probably too much too soon for beginner cyclists or those w/ little patience.