Ask the Coach: What’s Next When Bike Racing Season is Finished?

By Rick Schultz

It’s early July and the 2018 bicycle racing season is almost over. Only one last big criterium scheduled in Southern California and this one will determine state champions in six different categories.

If you’re a racing road cyclist facing the end of the season with no more races to train for, now what?

Turns out there are a lot of options to stay fit, keep fresh and have fun for the rest of the year.

Here are some of the ones that I recommend to my clients.

1. It’s gran fondo season. Look for a fondo or endurance event in your area. Sign up for one or more and just have fun! There are on-road fondos as well as off-road fondos. Try one of each!
2. If you just have to race, try a Triathlon. If you are in Southern California, here’s a website that lists Triathlons all the way into March 2019 – https://www.raceplace.com/city/southern-california/triathlon.
   Here are also two more sites.
   a. https://www.trifind.com/ – USA Triathlon Calendar
   b. https://californiatriathlon.org/ – California Triathlon

Commit to Try Something Different Next Year on Your Bike

1. If you are a mountain biker, sign up for a triathlon
2. If you are a roadie, try cross country MTB
3. If you are a triathlete, try cross country MTB or group/club road rides to help improve your bike handling skills.

Cross Train to Improve Your Overall Fitness and Health

1. Cross Country skiing
2. Jogging or running
3. Start a masters swim program
4. Start a weight training program

Start Training With a Power Meter

And, why not buy your bicycle a present? For those who read my articles last year, I had several discussions regarding power meters, where I proposed that everyone should have one for training as well as racing.

I recommended to start small, purchase a single-sided power meter (i.e., left crank arm power meter) such as a Pioneer, Stages or 4iiii. This year, you can take your training to the next level by picking up the other half (i.e., Crank side) converting your single-side to dual-sided. Again, Pioneer, Stages and 4iiii have this upward growth path. There is also Rotor 2inPower (pronounced Twin-Power) as well as Verve Cycling. There are also pedal-based power meters in which you can do the same thing – start out with single-sided and grow to dual-sided.

Regardless, getting a power meter is the best single thing you can do for improving your overall cycling effectiveness.

As you see, there are plenty of things to do that are not only fun but will make you even stronger for next year.

Still need help or more information? You can always contact me at bikefitnesscoaching.com where I will work with you to help you achieve your goals. I am a certified personal trainer as well as certified USAC coach and bike fitter.

Rick Schultz

Coach Rick Schultz is an avid cyclist who trains, races and coaches in Southern California. Rick is an engineer by trade, and in addition to being a coach, he's a bike fitter and prolific product reviewer. He's the author of Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist and Bike Fit 101: Your Toolset for a Great Bike Fit in the RBR eBookstore. Check his product reviews website, www.biketestreviews.com, and his coaching site, www.bikefitnesscoaching.com. Click to read Rick's full bio.