I get asked this question more than almost any other. Not "should I get a coach?" — most serious cyclists already know the answer to that. The question is "what does it actually cost, and what am I getting for the money?"
The honest answer is that cycling coaching in 2026 sits on a spectrum from free to genuinely expensive, and the price doesn't always correlate with the quality. I've seen £400/month coaches who send templated plans and never check in, and £100/month group programmes that genuinely change how people ride.
Let me break this down tier by tier so you can see exactly what you're paying for at each level — and more importantly, what you're not getting.
The five pricing tiers of cycling coaching
Tier 1 — AI training apps: £12–25/month
What you get: Algorithm-generated training plans that adjust based on your workout completions, power data, and in some cases recovery metrics.
The main players:
| Platform | Monthly cost | Annual cost | What it does | |----------|-------------|-------------|--------------| | TrainerRoad | £16/month | £150/year | Adaptive structured training, workout library, plan builder | | Zwift | £18/month | — | Virtual riding, structured workouts, racing | | Wahoo SYSTM | £12–15/month | £120–150/year | 4DP testing, video-guided workouts, structured plans | | JOIN Cycling | £15/month | £140/year | AI-powered plan adjustment, calendar integration | | Xert | £15/month | £150/year | Real-time fitness signatures, dynamic training |
The good news: These are genuinely impressive products. TrainerRoad's adaptive training, in particular, has become remarkably good at adjusting plans based on your response to training. For riders who are self-motivated, consistent, and comfortable interpreting their own data, an AI app can take you a long way for the price of two coffees a week.
What you're not getting: Context. An AI doesn't know that you slept badly because your kid was sick, or that your knee feels strange on the left side, or that your boss just doubled your workload and your stress is through the roof. It adjusts to the numbers you feed it, not the life you're living.
Read: TrainerRoad vs online cycling coach — which is right for you?
Tier 2 — Pre-built training plans: £20–80 (one-off)
What you get: A structured plan for a specific goal — 12-week FTP builder, gran fondo preparation, base training block — that you follow as written.
The main players: FasCat, the TrainingPeaks marketplace, CTS plans, Sufferfest/SYSTM plans.
The reality: These work well if your life fits neatly around a fixed training schedule. The problem is that life rarely does. A pre-built plan doesn't adapt when you miss two sessions because of work travel, or when you pick up a cold in week six, or when the weather washes out your long weekend ride. You end up either skipping ahead, repeating weeks, or abandoning the plan entirely.
Best for: Riders with predictable schedules and specific short-term goals. A reasonable option if you want structure but aren't ready for ongoing coaching.
Tier 3 — Group coaching programmes: £40–150/month
What you get: A structured programme delivered to a group, usually with some combination of training plans, group calls, community support, and limited individual check-ins.
How it works: You get a periodised plan that the coach adjusts at a group level. Most group programmes include weekly or fortnightly calls where you can ask questions, and a community platform (usually Skool, Discord, or Facebook) where members hold each other accountable.
What makes the difference at this tier: The quality of the community and the coach's accessibility. A good group programme with an engaged community and a coach who actually shows up on the calls can deliver 80% of the value of 1:1 coaching at a third of the price.
This is where our Not Done Yet coaching community sits. Membership gives you periodised training plans through Vekta, weekly live calls with me, the full masterclass library, the S&C roadmap, and a community of serious riders who push each other. A VIP tier adds more direct access and personalised plan adjustment.
Best for: Serious amateurs who want coaching structure and community accountability without the cost of fully personalised 1:1 coaching.
Tier 4 — 1:1 online coaching: £120–350/month
What you get: A dedicated coach who builds your training plan from scratch, adjusts it weekly based on your feedback and data, and is available for ongoing communication.
What a good 1:1 coach actually does. A good coach doesn't just write sessions. They interpret your data in the context of your life. They notice when your heart rate variability is trending down before you feel tired. They adjust your plan when your work schedule changes. They tell you to take a rest day when you want to train and push you harder when you're sandbagging.
The weekly check-in — whether it's a call, a voice note, or a structured written review — is where the real value lives. It's the difference between following a plan and being coached.
What to look for:
| Feature | Expect it | Red flag if missing | |---------|-----------|---------------------| | Personalised plan built for your goals, schedule, and equipment | ✅ | ❌ Templated plans with your name swapped in | | Weekly plan adjustments based on your completed training | ✅ | ❌ Set-and-forget plans with no adaptation | | Regular communication (weekly call, voice notes, or messaging) | ✅ | ❌ No contact between monthly check-ins | | Race/event-specific preparation and tapering | ✅ | ❌ Generic taper "just reduce volume by 30%" | | Integration of strength, nutrition, and recovery advice | Depends | Some coaches focus purely on bike training | | TrainingPeaks / intervals.icu / platform of your choice | ✅ | ❌ Coach insists on a platform you don't use |
The price range explained. £120–180/month usually means a coach with fewer than five years' experience or a larger athlete roster (30+ athletes). £200–350/month typically means a more experienced coach with a smaller roster and more availability. The sweet spot for most serious amateurs is £150–250/month.
Best for: Riders training for specific events (A-races, gran fondos, stage races) who want fully personalised support.
Tier 5 — Elite / pro-level coaching: £350–600+/month
What you get: A coach with World Tour, national team, or elite-level experience working with a very small roster of athletes (usually fewer than 15).
The reality: At this level, you're paying for access to a coach whose methods were developed working with professional cyclists. Daily communication, deep performance analysis, lab-testing integration, race strategy support, and often coordination with other practitioners (nutritionists, physios, bike fitters).
Who this is for: National-level and elite amateur racers, or affluent age-groupers preparing for major events who want the absolute best and can afford it. If you're training 15+ hours a week and racing at a high level, this tier makes sense. If you're doing 8–10 hours a week and racing club events, it's probably overkill.
Named examples: Coaches with CTS (Carmichael Training Systems) pro-tier packages, certain FasCat coaches, and independent coaches with pro-team backgrounds operate in this range.
Is an online cycling coach worth the money?
Here's my honest take.
If you've been training for more than a year, you're riding 6–12 hours a week, and your FTP has flatlined — a coach is almost certainly worth it. Not because you're doing everything wrong, but because small adjustments to training structure, recovery timing, and intensity distribution compound into significant gains over 12–16 weeks. A good coach identifies and fixes problems you don't even know you have.
The question isn't whether coaching works. It's which tier gives you the best return for your situation.
For most of our audience — serious amateurs with professional careers, families, and 8–12 hours a week to train — group coaching or mid-range 1:1 coaching delivers the best value. You get human context, plan adjustment, and accountability without paying for access you don't need.
And here's what I'd say to anyone sitting on the fence: try a group programme first. If you outgrow it and want more personalised support, you'll know. But most riders don't need a £400/month elite coach. They need a system, accountability, and someone who understands that training has to fit around life, not the other way around.
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