KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is an "upgrade" culture in cycling but its not helping get faster or serving you pocket.
Join the club https://www.roadmancycling.com/roadmancc52487793
For coaching inquiries email admin@roadmancycling.com
Support the podcast by buying me a beer https://www.patreon.com/anthony_walsh
“Eddie Merck's famously said, we really upgrade. We don't buy upgrades. But I feel like that's been lost, especially with this new generation coming into cycling.”
“When your flex isn't owning the best boy or the best phone or the best car, but your flex is being the best version of yourself, being in the best condition, being having the best mental headspace, when that's your flex, you've moved to a completely new level of flex.”
“Apple has brought out a new version of the iPhone every year since 2007. So if you had that iPhone 9, did you really need the iPhone 10? Maybe it did, sometimes an upgrade is essential. But upgrading the phone from 9 to 10, is that really essential? Or is it because they slightly tweaked the design and they put two cameras on the back?”
READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT
Searchable, deep-linkable, every word.
Weekly insights from the podcast. The stuff that actually makes you faster.
The written companion to this episode.
Dragon Ride Training Plan: 14 Weeks for the Welsh Mountains
311km across the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. 4,700m of climbing. The UK's hardest sportive — and the Welsh weather decides as much o…
Ride London Training Plan: How to Train for the 100-Mile Closed-Road Sportive
Ride London is flatter than most sportives and that is exactly what catches people out. This plan builds the aerobic depth, group-riding eco…
Which Bike Upgrades Are Actually Worth the Money?
The cycling industry wants you to believe everything is worth upgrading. Most of it isn't. Here's an honest ranking of what actually makes y…
USE THESE TOOLS
More episodes you might enjoy
Two riders do the same five-hour ride at the same average power. One finishes, eats dinner, and rides again the next morning. The other can barely climb the stairs. The difference shows up in one overlooked number inside TrainingPeaks — aerobic decoupling — that most amateurs are never taught to read. This solo episode breaks down what it reveals about your durability and the three-part fix to improve it.
Do you know how many hours you need to ride this winter if you're a Cat 4, Cat 3, Cat 2 or even a Cat 1? That's what we discuss today.
Dan Lorang is the Head of Performance for World Tour team Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe and the long-time coach behind Olympic triathlon champion Jan Frodeno and 2019 Ironman World Champion Anne Haug. After more than a decade coaching at the top of endurance sport, he breaks down what amateur cyclists consistently get wrong.
with Dan Lorang
Two riders do the same five-hour ride at the same average power. One finishes fresh. One is wrecked. The difference is durability, it shows up in a number most riders never read, and it is more fixable than you think.
311km across the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. 4,700m of climbing. The UK's hardest sportive — and the Welsh weather decides as much of the day as the gradients do. Here is how to train for it.
Ride London is flatter than most sportives and that is exactly what catches people out. This plan builds the aerobic depth, group-riding economy and pacing to finish strong, not just survive.
WHERE TO NEXT
WHEN YOU'RE READY
Find out what's actually holding you back.
The Masters Plateau Diagnostic — six questions, a personalised breakdown of where your training is leaking watts. Free, two minutes.
Take the Diagnostic →