When it comes to following a structured training plan, many cyclists may believe this is best left to professionals alone. The truth is, structured training plans are meant for anyone working towards a goal – a race, person best on a local route, or looking to complete a century. No matter how large or...
Ian Boswell’s Cape Epic Ride By The Numbers
Based on the stories, sounds like Absa Cape Epic absolutely lived up to its name once again- eight days with over 600 kilometers of riding and over 15,000 meters of climbing! It is the most televised mountain bike race in the world, labeled as the off-road Tour de France and classed as hors categorie...
The Performance Myths Between Men and Women
It is obvious that there are physical differences between men and women. Men are typically taller, more muscular, and therefore usually outperform women when it comes to upper body performances (like lifting), strength, and power events. This is also true when it comes to shorter-distance events; historically, men outperform women. That being said, this...
Using Sleep Tracking To Make Performance Gains
Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our body, and yet still 1 in 3 adults do not get enough of it. Many of us are endurance athletes, and it usually goes without saying that we care about our bodies, we care about our performance, and we want to...
Bring Your Indoor Workouts Outside
The SYSTM Training App will now be able to support both indoor and outdoor workouts. What does this mean as a user? You can now select a training plan or workout from the app, add it to your calendar, and sync it with your bike computer for both indoor and outdoor training sessions. The...
Indoor Cycling Tips For Training in ERG Mode
There was a point when riding the trainer was viewed for times only when the weather was too treacherous to ride outside, or for rehabilitation from an injury. Wintertime was the only season when cyclists could muster up the mental strength to subject themselves to riding in a fixed position for a few hours...
A Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Bike Trainers
Bike trainers have evolved over the years… Ask any long-time rider to recall their first indoor training experience and it probably sounds like a B-grade horror movie; you’d hop on your stationary torture machine and grind away in agony in an aptly-named “pain room.” On your indoor trainer, no one can hear you scream… But thanks...
Benefits of High Cadence Training
High cadence can be a very subjective matter. While one may say that pedaling at 80 rpm is an extremely high cadence, a track sprinter may say that 240 rpm is a high cadence. Whatever your view of “high cadence” may be; the importance of incorporating high cadence drills into your training repertoire does...
Ask the Experts: What Is & How Do I Use The Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale?
At one point in our lives we have all heard the expression, “how hard does this feel?” Even at the doctor’s office, we are asked to rate our level of pain on a scale of 0-10. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE), has been a term used since the very beginnings of endurance exercise. Way...
How Does Your Personality Type Impact Goal Setting?
We are all different, and these differences are reflected in not only the way we train, but in the way we set our goals. Whether on the roads or in the office, how we approach planning is very dependent upon the way we best operate mentally. Are we organized to a T? Or do...
By The Numbers: Return to Unbound 2022
The 2022 Unbound 200 was another incredible episode of America’s premier long-distance gravel event that came down to a 4-up sprint finish in the men’s race, while the women’s winner soloed most of the final 100 miles to earn victory. The 2021 event was held on the North course with strong winds and high...
How To Use Positive Self-Talk To Boost Performance
We have all been there before, one minute you feel invincible, and the next you’re ready to throw in the towel. When things are going well, it is easy to do the “right” things. What about when the going gets tough? Are you able to separate how you “feel” from how you talk to...