CycloZeal Cycling Tips - Library

Short, practical cycling lessons built from years of coaching racers, endurance riders and brevet cyclists - focused on early decisions, not personalised coaching.

Part of the Cycling Tips Library - focused on early decisions, not personalised coaching.

Short explainer videos — designed for clarity, not cinematic visuals

Training to Be Fit and Fast

Structured training builds consistent performance and helps you avoid overtraining.

Cycling as a sport or structured activity demands more than just riding harder. Training prepares the body to handle physical stress, adapt efficiently, and perform consistently while reducing the risk of injury.

Training Fundamentals

Fundamentals of structured cycling training.

Training works by applying stress and allowing the body to adapt
Consistency matters more than occasional hard efforts
Structure and progression help prevent fatigue and burnout
Training quality matters more than total volume

Individual Differences in Training

Effort perception and heart rate responses are highly individual
Training history, recovery ability, lifestyle, and daily stress affect adaptation
Comparing data with others often leads to poor training decisions
Progress should always be measured against your own baseline

Training Awareness for Young Riders

Children should always be accompanied during rides
Avoid structured or strenuous training below 11 years of age
Encourage play-based riding and development of motor skills
Long-term development is more important than early intensity

Parent Note: Why Sport Matters in Childhood

Sport helps build discipline, confidence, and resilience
It teaches goal-setting and how to handle success and setbacks
Physical activity provides a healthy outlet for mental and emotional stress
A balanced approach allows children to enjoy sport while continuing to focus on academics

How Fit are you to Ride?

Understand personal limits for safe and effective workouts

Knowing how fit you are is imperative before you challenge yourself with any strenuous physical activity, may it be training, Riding BRMs or Racing.

If you aren’t sure how fit you are, you may want to build up on your fitness gradually and progressively conditioning yourself

Working on overall fitness is imperative!

While you take up any physical activity one should consider both internal fitness and external fitness shouldn't deceive you of your internal fitness, which may have deteriorated over a period of time due to lifestyle, diet, habits, sleeping, etc,.

You may have a heart of a Lion, but, it still needs your attention - Cycling like many other cardio sport activities can be quite demanding for your heart and exposes you to hidden weaknesses, which can sometimes be fatal.

If you have a history or you suspect that you have a Heart Problem/Injury. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR; BEFORE YOU START TRAINING/REGISTER FOR ANY RACE. We strongly advice this to all above the age of 35 yrs

Know your Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum Heart Rate helps define training zones, but formulas are only a starting reference.

For beginners, use the Jackson Formula to estimate Max HR:

210 − (0.5 × Age) − (0.01 × Weight in kg) + Gender adj. (+4 Men / +0 Women)

Never compare your Max HR with others it's personal to you.

Trained cyclists often get more accurate values using field efforts - long sustained climbs finishing with a strong push.

⚠️CAUTION ADVISED

Attempt maximal testing only if medically cleared, especially for riders 35–40+, returning after break, or with health concerns.

KNOW your Heart Rate Zones

Understanding Heart Rate Zones. One of many ways to define training zones. (Part 1 covered Max HR testing — in Part 2 is HR Zones calculation

In this clip, we explain:

How to use your Max HR to define Z1–Z6
The purpose of each zone (% of Max HR)
Why individual variation matters and how field testing can refine your zones

Train at the right intensity for maximum benefit.

⚠️CAUTION ADVISED

Attempt riding in any Zones be it easy Zone 1 or above only if medically cleared, especially for riders 35–40+, returning after break, or with health concerns.

Heart Rate vs Power Training

This short explainer breaks down the difference between Heart Rate (HR) zone training and Power-based training using watts.

In this clip, we explain:

HR vs Power: physiological response vs external workload (watts)
Coggan Power Zones: intensity defined as % of FTP
Applied across endurance, threshold, VO₂ max, and anaerobic training

⚠️CAUTION ADVISED

Attempt riding in any Zones be it easy Zone 1 or above only if medically cleared, especially for riders 35–40+, returning after break, or with health concerns.

The Metrics of Momentum

Builds on the previous video: Heart Rate vs Power Training

This Clip Explains

Average Power, Normalized Power (NP) and Intensity Factor (IF)
Breaks down TSS, ATL, CTL and TSB in simple terms
Shows what training numbers tell you - and what they don’t
Highlights why experience matters alongside data
For riders ready to train with more structure, guidance is available

Schedule a Coaching Conversation

Stretching Post Ride Treat for your Muscles

Why is it Important?

Stretching carefully and regularly done can have many benefits both physiologically and psychologically

One of the primary benefits of stretching for cycling could be correction of muscle imbalance and postural problems as maximum amount of power in cycling is generated by turning the legs which is with relatively lesser use of upper body except for occasional moment when moving arms to change handle bar position or going off the saddle. At times this can lead to neck or shoulder or back problem. Many of these problems can be alleviated by stretching.

Stretching can also help in reducing muscle tension and make them feel relaxed especially when they are tired and stiff.

Stretching can increase the range of movement at the joints and in the muscles thereby keeping them flexible.

How?

Safest method for starching is known as Static or Passive stretching. This is achieved by placing mild but steady force on the muscle and holding it for a period of time. Force applied should induce the feeling of stretch and be comfortable without experiencing any pain. This form of stretching if done right will not threat your muscles with tears or strains and make it feel relaxed.

Ballistic Stretching is not recommended, as this method uses body momentum to force muscles into stretch which can result in excessive force applied resulting in damage.

When?

Stretching needs to be done on a regular basis, preferably every day. Effective Stretching Program should not take more than 5 mins. Many prefer doing it pre workout, many prefer doing it post workout and many simply do not stretch. As mentioned earlier stretching is done with the purpose of relaxing muscles which have soreness and are tired, however, doing stretching post warm up or training or racing can certainly assist in reducing tension and relaxing both mind and body.

Please note: If You Are Already Tired After A Strenuous Effort Its Best To Delay The Stretching Routine And Do It Later Instead Of Risking Injury.

Many people mix stretching as a warm up, however, that’s not the case. Warm up and Stretching both are done for different purpose.

Warm Up essentially is done to get muscles and joints ready for more vigorous activity, best done by steady increase in effort through the range of moment which will be experienced while doing the activity.

Stretching is primarily done to relax muscles which has soreness and are tired.

Many studies have been done by sports scientist and have recommended stretching post workouts, especially prior to explosive efforts, which according to their studies shows will have adverse effect on the muscle to generate power.

Post RIDE TREAT for your Muscles

Essential Recovery Tips for Cyclists

One of these tips alone could change how your body feels tomorrow.

Want more power, less fatigue, and faster legs on your next ride?

Recovery is the real training multiplier - and most riders overlook it.

Here are 7 essential recovery habits every cyclist should follow to

Improve performance,
Prevent burnout,
Stay consistent and
Get fast, faster.

Small habits → big performance gains

Diet Plan for Cycling

You are what you eat

Diet Content shared by: Qualified Expert Dietician - Meghana Surve – with Cyclozeal

Good nutrition is said to be when we consumed nutrients in adequate quantity, quality in right proportion at right time. Therefore, when we say ‘YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT’ is very true. A good nutritional plan while training optimizes performance and recovery within a framework that also promotes long-term health. From fueling to recovery, meeting nutritional demands ensures the best platform for the sporting success.

This can be achieved by providing proper Pre-work out meal, Post workout Meal and nutrition while cycling.

Pre-Workout Meal

A Pre-Workout meal is very important as it helps

To prevent weakness and fatigue during competition

To ward off feeling of hunger

Ensuring proper hydration before a competitive sport.

A pre- workout meal should therefore have high amount of complex carbohydrates, substantial amount of good quality protein and should be low in fat. The meal adds to muscle and liver glycogen levels.

Nutrition On bike

Many cyclists who are into ultra-endurance race events or BRM needs to replenish glycogen whilst they are on the saddle. As a rule our body is not equipped to replenish the amount of what we have lost. This means that even if we lose 700-900 kcals per hour when we ride, we can only replenish about 280 Kcals per hour.. Only a certain amount can be absorbed. Foods which can be eaten while riding can be – Energy Gels/ Sports Bar/ Dry Fruits/ Chikkis etc.

Post Ride Recovery Meal

Post-workout nutrition

Replenish our energy stores, increase muscle size and/or muscle quality, repair any damage caused by the workout. After we finish our training/rides, there is a phenomenon as “the window of opportunity”. During this window, your muscles are primed to accept nutrients that can stimulate muscle repair, muscle growth, and muscle strength. Therefore after any training/workout period one should eat a good post workout meal within 30-45 mins. Post-workout nutrition should contain two things, good Quality Protein and Carbohydrates to help replace muscle glycogen. Eg: - 1 scoop of whey in milk, Milkshake, oats porridge.

Hydration

Even though it has no nutrient value, water is the most critical of all your exercise fueling needs. It is, of course, vital to drink water and prevent dehydration; on an average, we lose about one liter of fluid per hour of rides. Extreme heat and humidity can raise that amount to three liters in one hour. Most of the time we can only absorb about half or not too much over half that amount, even though it won’t fully replace your losses. Approximately 590-740 ml/hr is an appropriate fluid intake for most cyclists under most conditions.

There is lots of information available about how one should go about eating, Hydration, calorie counters, fitness analyzers, etc. Preparing and following customized diet plan that suits our lifestyles, health conditions, training loads (which may vary from day to day), food habits would always yield better results.

A trained professional dietician with their rich knowledge on your sport back with their experience can optimize the benefits of your blood and sweat with a diet plan with good nutritional values surely enhancing our training and performance.

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