Question: I’m a 44-year-old recreational rider whose goals are to improve speed and endurance. I have a great hill near my office, 2 miles at a 4-5% grade. I ride for an hour 3 or 4 times each week at lunchtime, pushing hard on the climb. On the weekend I do a 3-hour ride. I’ve…
Question: I’m 6-3 and 245, down from 280. I played football in college 15 years ago and took up cycling because I wanted a lifelong sport to replace the thrill of the gridiron wars. Because of my size, I do okay on the flats but get dropped immediately on climbs. I know I’ll never be…
Question: I read your eBooks. All winter I’ve been doing the high-resistance/low-cadence “grinders” you recommend. They’ve helped my climbing and my knees haven’t hurt. My question: Should I continue them during the spring and summer? Do the pros keep doing this type of training while they’re racing? — Bob R. Coach Fred Matheny Replies: I’m glad…
Question: I’m a 44-year-old recreational rider who also does a couple of citizens races each year. I can keep up on the flats and even long climbs, but I get dropped on short, steep hills. To me, this says that I need to work on my power at lactate threshold so I can hang on…
Question: I’m 5-foot-4, 128 pounds and 55 years old. When climbing in the hills around Palo Alto, California, I keep up with younger, stronger riders until the grade gets above about 8%. Then I go backwards. This seems to be a strength issue and I’ve been doing low-cadence, big-gear intervals. Should I add weight training? —…
