Coach John Hughes

By Coach John Hughes Last weekend John Marsh and a buddy were slated to ride back-to-back centuries in a charity event. The course had about 4,500 feet of climbing each way over long, rolling hills. John and his buddy are both very fit and experienced century riders. John has ridden back-to-back days on multiple tours and events; his buddy has only ridden back-to-back days … [Read more...] about Mental Preparation for an Important Bike Ride or Race: Tips to Help Any Cyclist

By Coach John Hughes Spring is beautiful in Colorado! The hills are green from the early spring snowfalls and the lakes are full from runoff from the mountain snowpack. Last week I rode up to Carter Lake and back, a 3:30 jaunt that included exploring a dirt road variation. I seek out dirt roads because they are safer with much less traffic and more scenic, although the riding … [Read more...] about Eating While Riding: Is Sugar a Bad Thing?

Question: I have been reading your Newsletter for a while. I am a novice at biking and want to get better but am having a hard time. My problem is that I learned to ride a bike as an adult and somehow I struggle getting comfortable on the bike. I forced myself to ride on roads (prefer trails), I have done a couple of short triathlons and I have taken a couple of biking trips in … [Read more...] about How Can I Overcome My Fears of Riding?

  By Coach John Hughes   Are you an endurance rider who wants to become a better endurance rider? Endurance riders aren’t just century riders! There is no defining distance for what is an endurance ride? An endurance ride is any ride over about an hour at a conversational pace. In these columns I’m describing how Six Success Factors apply to three … [Read more...] about How to Become a Better Cyclist, Part 3: Endurance Riders

  By Coach John Hughes   You want to become a better cyclist. But what does “a better cyclist” mean for you? Better often means wanting to ride faster, or harder, or stronger. These are hallmarks of a roadie who might consider himself or herself a "performance rider." Here are some examples of how performance riders might want to improve: You do 30- to … [Read more...] about How to Become a Better Cyclist, Part 2: Performance Riders