Developing a good pedal stroke is something every cyclist should work on, whether you are a casual weekend rider, serious touring cyclist, or hard-core racer. Having a smooth and efficient pedal stroke can help you deliver more power to the drive train more efficiently. Not everyone is born with a good pedal stroke, and it takes time to develop one. Fortunately, there are ways that you can improve your pedaling performance.

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Most endurance athletes these days are familiar with the concept of periodized training. Periodized training posits that a yearly training plan has different periods that work different energy systems in varying proportions to optimize performance in important targeted events. Proper nutrition is critical to proper training and racing. Nutrition fuels your workouts and aides your recovery. Proper nutrition includes the right mix of quality carbohydrates, fats, protein, and hydration. There is now a growing body of research indicating that periodizing your nutrition to match your training periods and the energy demands they require can further optimize performance and recovery.

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Now that the road racing season is finished, it’s time to look back on the season just ended, and look forward to the season ahead. In order to plan for next year, you need to know how this year went. Two things you should be doing at this time of year are completing a year-end assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, and starting to put together your training plan for next season.

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The Wiley Ol’ Veteran is a curmudgeon of the highest order. He’s also no fan of group rides, which he ranted about at length in a previous installment of this feature. Among the reasons he eschews group rides, besides those previously posited, is the lack of etiquette on the part of many riders, both novice and veteran. Before he left for the Monster Chainring Deathmarch stage race, the WOV dropped off a list of “New Old Rules” of etiquette for riding in a group. These are in the spirit of Bill Maher’s “New Rules”, and he asked me to include them in my next column, so here they are...

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For those of us who live in northern climates where cold and snow make riding outdoors difficult for months at a time, indoor riding is an important component to a well-rounded yearly training program. As unpleasant as indoor training can seem, with proper planning one can make the best of a less than ideal situation. Rather than dreading indoor riding, one can turn it into an opportunity.

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