cycling

name	Cycling
description	Cycling training, bike fit, power zones, nutrition, safety, and maintenance essentials.
metadata	{"category":"fitness","skills":["cycling","biking","endurance","training","triathlon"]}

Bike Fit Fundamentals

• Saddle height: slight bend in knee at bottom of pedal stroke — too low wastes power, too high causes injury
• Saddle fore/aft: knee over pedal spindle when crank is horizontal — affects power transfer
• Handlebar reach: slight bend in elbows, relaxed shoulders — locked elbows transmit road shock to neck
• Cleat position: ball of foot over pedal axle — too far forward stresses Achilles
• Professional fit worth the cost — prevents chronic injury, improves efficiency

Power Training Zones

Zone	% FTP	Feel	Purpose
1	<55%	Very easy	Recovery
2	56-75%	Easy, all day	Endurance base
3	76-90%	Moderate, focused	Tempo
4	91-105%	Hard, sustainable 20-60min	Threshold
5	106-120%	Very hard, 3-8min	VO2max
6	>120%	Maximum, <3min	Anaerobic

• FTP (Functional Threshold Power): highest power sustainable for 1 hour
• Test FTP: 20-minute max effort × 0.95 — retest every 6-8 weeks

Cadence

• Optimal range: 80-100 RPM — lower grinds joints, higher wastes cardiovascular capacity
• Climbing: 70-85 RPM acceptable — lower cadence when gravity resists
• Sprinting: 100-120 RPM — higher cadence for explosive power
• Train both: low cadence strength, high cadence efficiency — versatility wins

Endurance Training

• 80% of rides should be Zone 2 — builds aerobic engine without accumulating fatigue
• Long rides: 2-4 hours, steady effort — weekly anchor of training
• Weekly volume matters more than single ride — consistency compounds
• Rest weeks every 3-4 weeks: reduce volume 40% — adaptation happens during recovery
• Base phase: 8-12 weeks of volume before intensity — patience builds foundation

Interval Sessions

• Sweet spot: 88-93% FTP, 10-20 min intervals — sustainable training stress
• VO2max: 3-5 min at 106-120% FTP, equal rest — painful but effective
• Over-unders: alternate 2 min above/below threshold — teaches body to clear lactate
• Sprints: 15-30 seconds max effort, full recovery — neuromuscular power
• One hard day, one easy day minimum — back-to-back intensity causes overtraining

Climbing

• Pace by power or heart rate, not speed — gradient affects speed, not effort
• Seated climbing uses different muscles than standing — alternate to delay fatigue
• Gear selection: spin up, don't grind — save matches for surges
• Weight matters: 1 kg = ~3 watts saved on 7% grade — rider weight, not just bike
• Descending: look where you want to go, weight outside pedal in turns

Nutrition On Bike

• <60 min: water only — no fuel needed
• 60-90 min: 30g carbs/hour — one gel or banana

• 90 min: 60-90g carbs/hour — practiced gut training required

• Hydration: 500-750ml/hour depending on heat — thirst lags dehydration
• Caffeine: 3-6mg/kg 30-60 min before hard efforts — proven performance boost

Safety Essentials

• Helmet always, no exceptions — non-negotiable
• Assume drivers don't see you — ride defensively
• Hand signals before turns — communicate intentions
• Lights in low visibility: front white, rear red — even daytime
• ID and emergency contact on person — worst case preparation
• Descending: hands in drops, cover brakes — reaction time matters

Maintenance Schedule

Every ride:

• Tire pressure check — correct pressure prevents flats, improves efficiency
• Quick brake and shifting test

Weekly:

• Chain lube — after cleaning, wipe excess
• Tire inspection for embedded debris

Monthly:

• Chain wear check — stretched chain destroys cassette
• Brake pad inspection — replace before metal on metal
• Bolt torque check — especially stem, seatpost, handlebars

Common Mistakes

• All intensity, no easy rides — Zone 2 feels too slow but builds fitness
• Ignoring bike fit — chronic knee/back pain from poor position
• Skipping rest weeks — overtraining syndrome takes months to recover
• Fueling too late — bonking means you didn't eat enough 30 min ago
• New equipment on race day — test everything in training first
• Grinding big gears — high cadence protects knees, improves efficiency

Indoor Training

• Smart trainer: power accurate, resistance controlled — better than dumb trainer
• Fan essential — overheating tanks performance indoors
• Shorter but harder: 60-90 min indoors = 2-3 hours outdoors — no coasting
• Entertainment helps: Zwift, videos, music — mental challenge of trainer
• Structured workouts shine indoors — no interruptions, exact targets hit

Racing and Events

• Pre-ride the course if possible — know the climbs, corners, hazards
• Warm-up: 15-20 min with high-intensity openers — body ready for start effort
• Draft in group rides: 30% energy savings — stay safe, hold wheel
• Positioning: front third before climbs and turns — avoid accordion effect
• Negative split long events — start conservative, finish strong