The Cyclist's Training Bible: A Complete Training Guide for the Competitive Road Cyclist (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Periodization," nutrition, stretching, peaking--who knew that so much went into riding a bike? Joe Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible is jam-packed with information, easily the most authoritative book on cycling to date. Friel, a lauded coach and masters athlete from Colorado, adopts the principles of Dr. Tudor Bompa, whose periodization training methods were used first by the dominant Eastern European athletes of the 1960s before becoming popular in the United States.

Product Description

This second revised training guide gives racers and would-be racers a distinct competitive advantage by providing options for solving many of the questions asked. Topics covered include planning the training year, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, fitness testing, nutrition and many others.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress; 2nd edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884737218
• ISBN-13: 978-1884737213
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #589,076 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Training Book Available, September 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cyclist's Training Bible (Paperback)

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.

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is not for everyone...Thank God, April 6, 2003

By	John Hill "quimper1432" (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cyclist's Training Bible (Paperback)

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.

131 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overly complicated program, but useful for the dedicated, April 14, 2001

By	J. Grattan "book reviewer" (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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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.