Racing Helps

 Track Gearing

Race Checklist

2010 Race Calendar

Tactical Bike Games

Velodrome Games

Goal Planning

Improvement Ideas

Question of the Month

Sample Training Sessions

Smart Cycling, Inc.

Books and Educational Materials

Since the riders' actions will often be dictated by the course, take the time to study the course carefully. It is not only a good idea to ride a course before a race, but also to watch a race on that course. Regardless of the category of the field, certain things will happen in every race. The riders will usually choose the same route through certain areas or going through difficult turns. Make mental notes of everything that happens. Discuss what you see with your teammates, if you have any. Use this knowledge to help with your race strategy and keep your eyes open during other people’s races.

 One thing that can be of very real help is using what might be called camouflage. In the military, they use camouflage to hide people or things from the enemy. At the very beginning of the book we talked about having the enemy die for his country. We don’t actually expect them to die, but we want our rivals on the course to work harder than we do.

The objects on a course can sometimes be used to temporarily hide a rider’s location. In the these pictures an athlete is far ahead of the viewer. Because of the objects, shadows or visual shapes around them, the rider in each picture is hard to spot right away. The first picture shows a rider who has taken advantage of the colorful banners along the rode to make him hard to spot. If another rider is chasing after him, it will take that rider at least several seconds to spot where this rider is. Only his movement along the barricades will give him away.

 In the second picture, there are several riders up the road, but again they are hard to spot because of the shapes of the trees and the shadows on the road. Moving in and out of sunlight can make it hard to see riders ahead or judge the distance to them. Even with a good pair of sunglasses, your eyes need a moment to adjust to light conditions. If you are moving in and out of very bright sunlight, it may be very difficult to see who is ahead of you and how far away they are.

 Going back to the first picture, there is another benefit in riding close to the barricades. Almost every time you ride, you experience a head wind or some type of air turbulence. Part of the struggle in riding a bicycle is overcoming the resistance of the air. The wide open area of the middle of the street is also where the greatest amount of turbulence is. The closer you are to the barricades, the less turbulence there is. This calmer air is easier to go through, so you save energy riding there. Take advantage of these types of course benefits whenever you race.

There are other types of course benefits that can help when attempting to get away from the rest of the peloton. Earlier we talked about the U.S. PRO Criterium Championship which is held every year in Downers Grove, Illinois. It is run right in the center of town, so there are many buildings to block the rider’s view of the rest of the course. The course consists of a squared off figure 8 on wide, smoothly paved streets with eight turns, two downhill sections and two uphill stretches.  The finishing stretch is uphill coming out of a flat left turn.

On the Southwest end of the course is a small hill. The pro riders climb this hill 100 times. As the race progresses that hill begins to bog riders down and helps separate the field a bit. The hill is followed by the next half of the course being almost completely downhill. Riders who were caught in the field on the short climb often make a dash on the following shallow downhill section. The street changes from a narrow side street to a main street 70 feet wide. Speeds get very high and riders sometimes lose control during the mad dash down the first part of the descent. The changes in speed alone can wear out the riders. In a shorter race the effect is perhaps not as significant, but still plays a big part in the outcome. Once the peloton gets split apart, it becomes very difficult for the riders to keep track of where everyone is on the course. Even with race directors using radios, riders can slip out of sight. That means if you are chasing, you might not know how long you have to chase. It also means if you are in a break away, you may not know how big your lead still is.

New Do-It-Yourself Periodization Training Plan Kit

Everything you need to help you develop your own seasonal training plan in one simple package!

Contains the following features:

All the instructions for the standard physical and tactical skills you need for a periodized training program. It also contains perpetual Periodization Training Logs for Triathlon, Road Racing, Track Racing and Mountain Bike Racing.

Power and heart rate based Sessions - Bike handling skills sessions -Tactical track bike sessions -Tactical mountain bike sessions

Power based Workload/Recovery calculator

Spreadsheet that helps you track exactly how much work you are doing or plan on attempting in a week’s worth of training. Don’t just guess how much recovery you need, get accurate figures for your training plan.

Triathlon / Road / Track / Mountain training log

Perpetual training log spreadsheets that accurately track and graph your training plan. Automatic Periodization format is built in with a weekly stress check to make sure you are not progressing faster than planned.

Available to you as a CD-ROM or as a Computer Download for $30.00

Basic Athlete Training Sessions

A comprehensive collection of indoor and outdoor physical and tactical training sessions for road, track and mountain bike racers.  The training sessions are divided into two categories: Power Meter based training sessions and Heart Rate Monitor based sessions. Each physical training session also includes specific instructions for performing the workout on a CompuTrainer. A selection of matching CompuTrainer courses is included.

Available to you as a CD-ROM or as a Computer Download for $10.00

Basic Athlete Fitness Testing

An collection of physical and mental athlete test protocols, from the most basic skills to peak performance testing for power output, maximum heart rate, speed and cadence, and determining optimum gearing for track events. Includes diagrams and complete instructions for each test, blank athlete interview forms, blank test forms, sample tests, gearing charts and blank test forms and graphing result software.

The Basic Athlete Fitness Testing Manual – Complete instructions for testing Initial Fitness, Lactate Tolerance, VO2 Max, and more.

Test Performance Reporting Spreadsheets – Allow graphing and analysis of rider performances in all test disciplines.

Pre-Fitness Test Goal Worksheet – Identifies the athlete’s expectations for the results of the tests.

Pre-Test Athlete Checklist – Identifies the status of the athlete on the day of the test.

Race Demands Summary – Identifies the specific physical and mental skills required of the athlete.

Pre-Test Warm Up – Tracks the exact conditions of the athlete’s pre-test warm up.

Rate of Perceived Effort Chart – A gauge for determining the effort at which the athlete is applying themselves.

Daily Goals to improve your cycling ability – Tips on improving the athlete’s overall abilities on a daily basis.

Available to you as a CD-ROM or as a Computer Download for $40.00

Books and Computer based course materials

Basic Bike Racing Tactics Manual

 An illustrated racing textbook with complete step-by-step explanations of attacking, blocking and strategy development. Easy to follow tactical descriptions, tactical diagrams and illustrations, plus real race examples for all the basic aspects of racing tactics. Includes a sample race strategy. This book is used by 3 collegiate teams, 6 sponsored club teams, development teams in Ireland, England, South Africa and the Middle East.

156 pages - $20.00

Basic Bike Racing Tactics Course

The coaching/instruction version of the Basic Bike Racing Tactics Manual. Includes a CD-ROM with class registration forms, lesson plan, 4 different PowerPoint teaching presentations and a basic tactical knowledge test. These materials have been taught at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and training camps throughout the Midwest.

156 pages + CD-ROM - $150.00

Basic Bike Racing Tactics Course Workbook

The student workbook for the Basic Bike Racing Tactics Course. Includes summary of Basic Bike Racing Tactics Manual and class activities.   

46 pages - $10.00

Basic Tactical Bike Racing Games

An illustrated collection of bike handling and tactical games and skill drills for road, track and mountain bike racers. Includes guidelines for holding tactical training classes. This book is used by 3 collegiate teams, 6 sponsored club teams, development teams in Ireland, England, South Africa and the Middle East.

75 pages - $20.00

Basic Bike Racing Preparation Guide

A two year performance log for tracking the physical, mental and tactical factors of the season's important competitions. Improve your race results by determining the specific requirements needed for repeatable success.

40 pages - $15.00

What It Takes! A Performance Guide for Bike Racers

An introductory handbook that explains in detail what an athlete needs to do in order to compete in the world of competitive cycling. Includes an introduction to racing, the basic physical and mental skills required, the basics of training plan design, a step-by-step explanation on how to analyze a bike race, guidelines for a race resume and a complete breakdown of the basic bike fit.

102 pages - $20.00