Frequently asked questions

general

  • Whether you're interested in fitness coaching, skills coaching, and/or physiological testing to get started, simply reach out through the contact page or email. We'll discuss your goals, needs, and preferences to create a plan that will best help you progress.

  • Yes! We work with athletes that are located all over. Remote coaching options are great for those on fitness plans. We now offer physiological field tests remotely, bringing lab-quality results to you as well.

  • Quick answer: We work with riders from all disciplines including the road, mountain bike, gravel and many “crossover” athletes.

    Longer Answer: Whilethe majority of our athlets are focused on dirt based disciplines we happily work with all types of riders. At the core, we believe we are all athletes and cyclists first and the different disciplines are unique expressions of those foundational principles.

    Each discipline has unique skills associated with it, but each of those unique skills most likely is beneficial in some way to the other disciplines. Many cyclists will choose to train, or even compete in varying disciplines. This helps keep things fresh preventing burnout, and provides opportunities to develop even more skills.

  • There are many great coaches out there! But, that doesn't mean they are the right coach for you, just like we might not be. Assuming a coach has the expertise needed, it comes down to finding one that you connect with and has a philosophy/style that speaks to you. You can learn more about our core values and coaching philosophy in the about section of the site. Additionally, we welcome calls and conversations to see if we could be good fit.

  • Absolutely! In fact, combining these aspects can lead to a comprehensive understanding of you as an athlete, and allow us to come up with a detailed holistic plan to increase performance. Fitness without skill is wasted potential. Skill without fitness is untapped potential.

fitness coaching

  • Not at all! Training plans are built to bridge the gap between your current fitness level and where you would like to be, always focused on sustainable progression and performance. Whether you're a recreational rider wanting to hang with your friends, or aiming for a national title we will work together to create a plan for you. on text goes here

  • This is a loaded one that can depend on where you are currently at, your training history, the demands of the event itself, and your desired outcomes. Eight (8) weeks is the minimum recommendation to start preparing for your event, this is typically just enough time to get into shape to complete the event. Ideally, we would start working much farther out, especially as aspirations grow. For athletes looking at full seasons of racing it becomes even more important to formulate a plan coming off of the current season into the off-season.

  • All plans are built around your schedule, goals, and specific physiological needs. With limited time, I find it is even more important to have a plan(and accountability!) to ensure that that precious time is not wasted, but rather maximized to help you reach the goals you have. Typically, the minimum amount of time to make a meaningful impact and keep up with your potential is ~8 hours/week. I believe almost anyone can find that time throughout the week, especially as we focus on consistency over heroic efforts. For amateurs and recreational athletes with lives and responsibilities outside of cycling, I typically see the maximum ending up around 13 hours/week. It always comes down to how to best utilize the time you do have, not so much the amount of time, this is true whether it's 8, 12, or the elites pushing 20 hours regularly.

  • At a minimum, you will need a heart rate monitor (ideally a chest strap) and a device to record your workouts/data, preferably a cycling computer (Wahoo, Garmin, etc..) Power meters are great training tools, while not a requirement, if available I do highly recommend utilizing them. If you are interested in physiological field testing via INSCYD, you will need to have a power meter. on

  • Absolutely! In fact, combining these aspects can lead to a comprehensive understanding of you as an athlete, and allow us to come up with a detailed holistic plan to increase performance. Fitness without skill is wasted potential. Skill without fitness is untapped potential.

  • By using a combination of performance metrics, skill assessments, and data analysis we will work together to track your progress. Regular check-ins and adjustments to your plan ensure that you're consistently moving towards your goals.

skills coaching

  • Skills coaching involves a cycle of precise instruction, intentional practice, and actionable feedback to enhance your technical abilities on the bike to equip you to meet your riding goals, so each session is going to look different from rider to rider. For many sessions, riders come in with an area of focus including technical descending, cornering, jumps, drops, technical climbing, etc… Other sessions, especially for those I have worked with previously or do so regularly, may have a more abstract/complex focus such as dialing in a specific track/course.

  • Of course, it is going to depend! Ahead of the session, we will discuss your goals and your current skillset/experience to come up with a general plan for the session. Once we start the session typically we will warm up while we do a general assessment of your riding and movement on the bike before diving in.

    As we work together the session remains very fluid allowing us to adapt to address any skills that may have not been in the "plan", especially if these skills are prerequisites for the goals you have set. Throughout the session, we will discuss various techniques and tools, see how they are applied on the trail, and then you will deliberately practice. The most important part of this process is the feedback you receive during this practice. From my observations alongside a shared video analysis, you will receive concise and actionable feedback to implement.

    As we approach the end of the session we will summarize the key takeaways and discuss how you can continue to practice and progress on your own, hopefully before our next session together.

  • No, skills coaching is tailored to all levels of riders. Maybe you have years of riding or racing experience, or maybe you are just starting, wherever you are on the spectrum of expertise skills coaching is beneficial and can help you ride more confidently, efficiently, safely, and faster.

  • Cycling is a sport and requires deliberate practice and skill acquisition to continue to progress, this is especially true of mountain biking where technical demands are often higher.

    ​In every other sport, you'll spend 90%+ of the time practicing, and then go play the game, yet many riders think they can keep just playing the game(riding) and expect to get better. This works for a time, but you will either a) plateau, b) develop bad habits, or more likely both. Maybe we don't need the 90%+, but we guarantee you will progress as a rider through skills coaching and implementing deliberate practice into your riding.