Update to Winter 2015 Cycling Program

Tom Wigginton • January 11, 2015
update to winter 2015 cycling program

We are just a couple weeks away from officially kicking off the 2015 Winter Cycling Program. Whether you plan to ride with us outside this spring and summer or not, the winter cycling program will make you a better cyclist going faster, farther, climbing better and most importantly, enjoying your riding more than ever.



In January and February, the most important component to your cycling program is actually getting started. And counterintuitively, we have more to gain fitness-wise off the bike than we do on the bike in the early months of the year. My recommendation is to spend at least 2 workouts per week (3 is better) off the bike. You can do this in our personal training programs or TRX, Bootcamp or Yoga classes.


As the saying goes, what gets measured gets managed. Lactate threshold (LT) is the biometric we use to chart your progress. In a nutshell, lactate threshold is that level of physical exertion that you could maintain for a period of about 60 minutes. Any additional exertion and you’ll quickly have to come to rest. Any less exertion and you might be able to continue indefinitely. You can read more about LT here.


Last year, we used a test that is somewhat difficult to administer because it requires a substantial amount of subjectivity to determine your LT. Basically, it was a combination of how well you know what “hard work” feels like and the test administrator’s ability to validate that. We’re pretty good at it but there’s room for error.


Alternatively, the other most common way to determine LT is to spend about $150 to $300 in a lab with technicians in lab coats who prick your finger to draw blood 7 to 10 times over the course of 40 minutes while you pedal your bike at increasingly more difficult speeds. For us recreational type cycling enthusiasts, that level of expense, inconvenience and accuracy isn’t really worth it.


This year, there is a brand new measurement device called the BSX Insight. Developed by some brilliant exercise scientists over the past couple years, this device is part of the emerging “wearable” technologies that are becoming more prevalent these days. The Insight draws no blood, simplifies the testing process and provides at least as much accuracy as the “prick” test. In essence, the Insight shines a light into the belly of your calf while you ride (or run) and measures the oxygen in your muscle tissue. This isn’t new technology but their analysis of the data is. Basically, the device forms a direct correlation between the oxygen levels in your blood and the lactate levels in your blood. The presence of lactate is the key biometric in understanding exercise intensity and performance. The BSX Insight blog has a LOT of nerdy science, data and graphs if you want to do a deep dive.


We ordered the BSX Insight in mid-December but a longshoremen labor dispute on the west coast has significantly delayed delivery. We’ve been promised orders will be shipped around the 15th of January. Fingers are crossed.


In the meantime, stay tuned and keep working out off the bike and on the bike. And, never hesitate to ask questions. We are as anxious to get started as you are!

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