Customer Reviews

Off-Season Training for Cyclists (Ultimate Training Series from Velopress)

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The book is supposed to give insights into off-season for cyclists, and according to its description one is led to believe that it caters to seasoned cyclists as well as recreational athletes. I felt that the whole book is a synopsis of articles appearing in cycling fitness magazines, and that it is not a useful book at all. To be more precise, I expected some sample programs of what one could do in various winter situations. (Off-season in Germany is very much different to off-season in Arizona) What kind of different sports? at what intensities and with what combination? What do high caliber athletes do? Track riders? Criterium specialists? Time trialists? How about individually (according to bicycling discipline that is) categorized schedules? How about the major question of how to combine weight training (especially squats)and aerobic sports without injuring your knees as I did this past winter! I didn't find any of these questions addressed anywhere in this book. Instead, one finds general information on weight exercises,some information on indoor training, stretching, and so on. Personally, after having read "smart cycling..." by Arnie Baker, I feel that all the information that the "Off-Season" book contains is included in Baker's book along with a whole bunch of other useful training advice. In fact, if one subscribes to any bicycling magazine would know of all the topics the book addressed. Therefore, why buy an individual book on off-season training? I expected more from Ed Burke whose articles I read often. I was dissapointed and I would not recommend this purchase.

The only good advice this book gives you is how you should combine weightlifting and cycling throughout the year. It does so by illustrating different exercises, but no schedules or programs are provided. Interesting, but the rest of the off-season advices are more how you do it than why you should do it. How will a certain exercise make me a better cyclist? That is what I want to know. It seems like a lot of good advices have been bundled together and thus lacking an overall plan. Sorry, but I expected more from Ed Burke.

The book is supposed to give insights into off-season for cyclists, and according to its description one is led to believe that it caters to seasoned cyclists as well as recreational athletes. I felt that the whole book is a synopsis of articles appearing in cycling fitness magazines, and that it is not a useful book at all. To be more precise, I expected some sample programs of what one could do in various winter situations. (Off-season in Germany is very much different to off-season in Arizona) What kind of different sports? at what intensities and with what combination? What do high caliber athletes do? Track riders? Criterium specialists? Time trialists? How about individually (according to bicycling discipline that is) categorized schedules? How about the major question of how to combine weight training (especially squats)and aerobic sports without injuring your knees as I did this past winter! I didn't find any of these questions addressed anywhere in this book. Instead, one finds general information on weight exercises,some information on indoor training, stretching, and so on. Personally, after having read "smart cycling..." by Arnie Baker, I feel that all the information that the "Off-Season" book contains is included in Baker's book along with a whole bunch of other useful training advice. In fact, if one subscribes to any bicycling magazine would know of all the topics the book addressed. Therefore, why buy an individual book on off-season training? I expected more from Ed Burke whose articles I read often. I was dissapointed and I would not recommend this purchase.