Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Ride: Get Fit, Get Fast, and Start Winning with the World's Top Cycling Coach

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would assume that most people who buy this book do so because they're looking to self-train themselves and need some guidance on how to do so. That, at least, is the reason I looked into it. Unfortunately, the Ultimate Ride is inadequate for such a purpose.
Carmichael emphasizes that periodization is the best way to organize your training year. However, he gives you no advice on how to actually do this. He tells you its important, but doesn't get into the hows and whys of it. He gives examples of training months (4 total), but offers no insights on planning subsequent months, or on linking months together coherently. He tells you that you should gradually increase "workout stimulus" in a stairstep fashion, but doesn't describe how to actually do it.
This is the biggest problem with Carmichael's book- he tends to tell you that things are important, but doesn't bother describing how to put them into practice. As a cyclist you already KNOW that these things- training principles, cycling techniques, skills, etc.- are important- that's why you bought the book to begin with! What you need to know is HOW to improve them. This is where Carmichael fails.
I suspect this failure is intentional. The reviewer below who likened the book to an infomercial was spot-on. Carmichael is trying to sell his training program, CTS. The reason this book is so spotty is that he wants you to go out and join his program to get the answers and the training that this book leaves you hungry for. This is pretty shoddy business, if you ask me.
I give it two stars because there is a smattering of helpful information, such as nutritional concerns and some good workouts. But much of the book consists of stuff you already know, or is filled with "Ra-ra-you-can-do-it-you're-the-champion-110-percent!!!" pop sports psychology that you could get from any junior high gym class. Extremely disappointing, can't even recommend it for absolute novices.

In a review of Chris Carmichael's previous book, "Lance Armstrong Performance Program: Seven Weeks to the Perfect Ride", I (as JDWEB) said that it was excellent, but didn't go far enough for serious athletes. I think that problem has been largely corrected in this book, and I am happy with this purchase. What I really like in this new book is that he presents some novel ideas on the subject of training, and explains them in sufficent detail. He also goes into more detail on key subjects such as nutrition (talking about about amounts of protein per kg of body weight, for example, not just in terms of dietary percentages).

I have studied LOTS of books on training, and I do quite well as an athlete given my age (39) and limited number of hours of training available. I've been periodizing my workouts with macrocycles and microcycles right back to the Lemond days, for example. This new book is the first one I've seen in awhile with FRESH ideas on what intensity to train at, and how to find that level for yourself. CC (aka "The Kid") tells us how he had to train LA in a less stressful way, and why it works. For example, you improve your power fastest if you train just under your Anaerobic Threshold, rather than at it or just over. That was a surprise to me. CC also bases his training intensities not on Max Heart Rate, which everyone else has written about ad naseum, but instead on your heart rate during a 3 mile time trial. This is especially relevant to me, as my muscular development for running is ahead of my development for cycling, so my intensity for cycling is lower than for running (the muscles are a bottle neck). This is cool stuff that makes sense, and very relevant to triathletes, too, as you can see.

The book was mostly disappointing in that it didn't have an index, so you couldn't look for "rest" and find all the references in the text, for example. That's a hinderance. The book also needs explanatory pictures of some bike handling techniques, as I said in my review of his other book. But overall, this book is very valuable in demonstrating a new approach to training, and worth every penny.

Don't get me wrong--this book has some very useful information, including descriptions of useful workouts, dietary recommendations, and general training/riding tips. The problem is that it is too general to be of any real help to competitive cyclists. Much of what Carmichael says can be summed up as follows: "Here is some general information about training, but if you really want to get strong, hire me as your coach." For example, Carmichael discusses the general concepts of periodization for training but offers little in the way of how to construct your own schedule. Another thing that turns me off is the flagrant plugging for his sponsors, such as Powerbar, that appear throughout the book.

If you are looking for a good book to help you become a stronger cyclist, don't waste your money on this book. Instead, buy Joe Friel's book "The Cyclists Training Bible," which offers much more information on how to self coach and create your own tailored training schedule.

About 40% of this book presents the best written summary that I have seen on bicycling-related nutrition, physiology, tactics, and training. The other 60% is an infomercial for the Carmichael Training System (CTS). The book presents its information in a very redundant fashion, frequently repeating the same points over and over. For season veterans of bicycling who read a lot, you won't find too many new revelations to justify purchasing the book, however, the few that you do find may make it worth it. For those who are newer to the sport and who want to improve, I'd recommend this book. The best parts of this book are easy to read and have invaluable information. Skim the other 60% unless you want to pay for CTS coaching and need to understand more about it.

This work is excellent for anyone planning to engage in
amateur cycling. The book explains the dynamics of goal setting,
resistence training, skills honing, peaking and aerobic
energy to deliver maximum oxygenation throughout the body.
The author shows how to customize a training scheme for each
athlete. He explains how group rides quicken the general speed
of the workout. Later on, he explains how carbo-loading helps
to boost glycogen while increasing insulin concentration,
growth hormones and the absorption of testosterone. The work
opens up a whole new dimension to a working out regimen.
I would supplement this work with a professional trainer or
knowledgable workout partner.

I figure if Chris Carmichael is coaching Lance Armstrong, then he probably has some worthwhile things to share with the rest of us wanna-bes. If you have little or no understanding of cycling, training periodization, nutrition, tactics, or sports psychology, then you will definitely benefit from Carmichael's book. For those of us with a little background in these topics, you will probably enjoy reading the book, but its unlikely that you will garner any new insights to bicycle training or racing. I agree with my fellow raters - this book is an advertisement for Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). If you want (can afford) a coach, don't bother buying the book - pay a coach. I buy books so that I can learn enough to put together my own plan. If you want to do that, I recommend Joe Friel's outstanding The Cyclist's Training Bible (fantastic training plan advice, emphasis on goals, periodization, nutrition, etc.)or Smart Cycling by Arnie Baker (great indoor trainer workouts). Carmichael's book will make for good reading for any cycling buff, but you won't find out any "secrets" about Lance's program, and you will get more for your money with the other two books. Plus who wants to pay for CTS advertisement??

Some of the reviews really dissed this book. I thought it was pretty good. I have read several others and would suggest Friel's book is the best overall, but I thought Carmichael did a better job of discussing the importance of aerobic base, raising threshold power, and focusing each period on developing a specific capacity. Interestingly, his method for raising threshold power seems much different than Morris (but similar to Friel, I think). He also presents some topics such as riding in a pack that Friel doesn't really cover. I guess his past as a pro comes in handy for this.

The book sounds like it is going to be one long commercial at first, but don't worry too much, that does get better.

It could use some better illustrations, charts, etc, but overall I thought it worth reading if you are interested in structured training.

He has a couple interesting stories about training some of the pros, their experiences, and how they related to their subsequent seasons. He should write a book on this stuff someday. That would be an interesting read.

I wish that I had read D. Snell's review before buying. After reading The Ultimate Ride, I learned about the The Cyclist's Training Bible by Joe Friel from my local bike club. I agree wholeheartedly with D. Snell's comments. The Ultimate Ride is good, but it is Friel-Lite and lacks a lot of details found in Friel that are helpful in putting together your own periodization training plan.

Some people have said this book is too general but if you read it and re-read the relevant sections about your workout focus it's pretty clear what you need to do. Not only does he give a sample workout routine for all of the different training periods but he explains why they're designed the way they are, so you can make your workout YOURS.

Pros:
1) Very clear explanation of each workout and its benefits
2) Emphasis is put on the diet and a reasonably good explanation about eating toward a good recovery.
3) The sample plans are based on 5 or 6 day per week workout regiments so there's some flexibility when it comes to the real work cyclist trying to fit it in his/her weekly schedule.
3) Carmichael is good motivational writer

Cons:
1) Carmichael says "recent studies" a lot but never actually references them. It raises a question on how valid the studies really are.
2) Carmichael emphasizes power as a means of measuring effort. He gives heart rate criteria as well, but he flat out states that power is a better measure of performance. This means you either need an expensive power tap or a trainer with the power data at a given speed or range of speeds.

The Ultimate Ride picks up and refines where a previous collaboration between Lance and Chris titled "The Lance Armstrong Performance Program - 7 Weeks to the Perfect Ride" left off. The Ultimate Ride provides enough detail in the areas of goal setting, proper training routines, nutrition, and overall bike and body awareness that I constantly pick it up and refer to it as a reference tool before and after a ride. If you have constant pain after a ride there is a chart in there to break down the causes of such pains. If you want to know how to eat and drink in preparation of a race or long ride or what is best to eat and drink for recovery after the ride, it is in there. If you want to learn to climb better, it is in there. Riders of all levels will find nuggets of information that will make them a better cyclist.