CYCLING QUESTIONS, ANSWERED.

FTP benchmarks for amateur cyclists by category and age. The honest numbers — what's average, what's strong, and what's actually rare.

Realistic FTP improvement timelines for amateur cyclists. What 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and a full year of structured training can actually move.

FTP stuck for months? The five reasons amateur FTP plateaus — too much grey-zone, under-fuelling, no periodisation — and what actually breaks through.

Power vs heart rate for cycling training. When each tells the truth, when each lies, and how the best amateur cyclists use both.

FTP testing frequency — every 4 weeks, every 8 weeks, or never? When testing helps, when it gets in the way, and how often coached athletes actually retest.

How much FTP you actually need for a 100km, 160km, or hilly sportive — and why durability and pacing matter more than raw threshold power.

How masters cyclists over 40 should actually train — recovery, intensity distribution, and the strength work that separates riders who keep gaining from riders who decline.

Recovery for masters cyclists over 50 — sleep, fuelling, deload structure, and the protocol that lets older riders keep training hard without breaking down.

The case for heavy strength training for cyclists over 40 — what the latest research shows, what protocol actually works, and why riding more isn't enough.

How many hard sessions a week masters cyclists should actually do — and why three is the ceiling, two is the sweet spot, and four is a guarantee of overtraining.

Carbs-per-hour targets for cycling — for endurance rides, sportives, and hard race efforts — plus how to gut-train your way up from 30g to 120g.

Pre-ride nutrition for long cycling rides. Timing, carb amounts, fat and protein, and why what you eat the night before matters as much as breakfast.

Sportive fuelling protocol — pre-ride, in-ride, and post-ride. The exact carb, fluid, and sodium targets that finish strong rather than bonking on the back third.

Protein for cyclists — daily targets, per-meal distribution, masters-specific needs, and why most amateurs underestimate by 30-40%.

When a cycling coach is worth it, when it isn't, and how to tell which side of the line you're on. Honest answer from a coach who interviews other coaches.

Online cycling coaching costs in 2026 — entry-level, mid-tier, and premium. What you actually get at each price point and why the cheapest option usually isn't.

What an online cycling coach actually does week-to-week — plan design, ride-file analysis, periodisation, nutrition, accountability — and what they don't do.

When hiring a cycling coach actually pays off — plateau, target event, life transition, or returning from injury. The four signals to act on, plus when to hold off.