By Coach John Hughes I was lying on the lawn at the finish of the 1979 Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). Other riders asked my wife in French. “Why isn’t he having a free beer?” “He’s exhausted and his butt is very sore.” She responded in French. “He should have put le bifteck in his shorts.” i.e., stuck a raw piece of beef on the chamois in my shorts. No thank … [Read more...] about My 1979 Paris-Brest-Paris: 1200 km in 73hr 25min.
Coach John Hughes
Don’t Make These 15 Common Bicycling Mistakes
By Coach John Hughes Recently I was in Boulder, Colo. for several days and rode each day. The Boulder area is home to literally thousands of riders ranging from pro road, mountain and triathlon racers to pleasure riders out for 15 or 25 miles. Except for the pros, many of the riders exhibited one or more mistakes: 1. Chin strap too loose was the most common. This … [Read more...] about Don’t Make These 15 Common Bicycling Mistakes
How to be “On Form” for a Big Event
Question: I would like to do a century ride in about two weeks and have done some moderate base training but not as much as I'd like. I did a 77-mile ride three weeks ago and felt pretty good (average speed 14.5 mph). Did just a few rides in the meantime and rode 70 miles two days ago and did not feel very good (sore butt, wrists, tired quads). My average speed was 14 mph, with … [Read more...] about How to be “On Form” for a Big Event
Anti-Aging: Nine Old Friends from Paris-Brest-Paris
By Coach John Hughes My club had a party for anciens et anciennes (veterans) of Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) as well as rookies. I talked with nine old friends, some dating back to the 1990s, now all in their 60s and 70s. I had moved from Boulder to the mountains and hadn’t seen some of my cycling buddies for years. I was interested to learn after their PBPs what kind of … [Read more...] about Anti-Aging: Nine Old Friends from Paris-Brest-Paris
Is It Necessary to Build an Aerobic Base?
Question: When I started cycling in the late '70s, coaches were of the view that building an aerobic base was very important – and specific. Training outside of the aerobic zone interfered with aerobic development and should be avoided at all costs. Does this compartmentalized view still hold up, given the increased knowledge we have of sports science? It seems to … [Read more...] about Is It Necessary to Build an Aerobic Base?